Dear Gen: A love letter

Chapter Eight

While you were having a wild time working in New York City as a buyer for Livingston's—and your friends and family were having a wild time partying the summer away back on the coast of California—Andy was working cows in the Sierra Nevada mountains, as he did every summer. However, even Andy couldn't escape having a bit of wild time at the cabin, either.

~

West Point

Aug 7 1925

Dear Genevieve:

I'm about four letters behind but will try to catch up sometime.

I have been away for ten days and just got back last night. I sold a bunch of cattle and I had too drive them down to Clements. So you see Gen I had a quite long trip. It is alful hot down there and I'm glad to get up here again where its nice and cool. It is thundering here now and looks like we might get a little rain before night. So glad to hear you are haveing a good time.

Well Shorty and I had a big time with the girls when they were here. They have gone home now. Mrs. Cook is still up here but I can't find out just how long she going [to] stay as she don't seem to know herself. But sure hope she stays up here until you return so you can come up here when you come back.

I would sure love to have you up here Gen. We would have a big time going horseback riding. I took the girls down to the river fishing one day; there was three of them and myself.

I'm getting pretty brave don't you think Gen to be out with three girls by myself.

I thought Shorty was going with us but his boss wouldn't leave him off. So I took them.

Well I got back alright without getting murdered but sure thought I was though when I got back that night. Their mother sure gave me dickens for keeping them out so late. We started about five o'clock in the morning and we got back about nine o'clock that night. The old girl sure had her Irish up when we came in.

She cooled off though before I left and said it was nice to have somebody out with the girls that she could trust. She says she doesn't trust them out with everybody like that because there only kids.

I guess she doesn't know me very well or she wouldn't be trusting them with me.

She is just going on what she has heard about me so who every told her about me must not have told her anything very bad. Well anyway the girls got back with out getting harmed. So its pretty nice to have a good name even if I haven't anything else and that is one thing I will always try to keep is a good name.

Well little girl I hope it won't be long until I can see you again. I sure do get alful lonesome sometimes and never was lonesome before in my life until I met you. I don't know just what makes it but I sure do get that way sometimes now. Guess I'll have to get over it though.

Here's hoping that I'll see you before long so will say good-bye for now.

Yours as ever

Andy

P.S. I would write another line or two but maybe you would think this Mt. water is getting the best of me again.

~

While Andy avoided being murdered by an angry Irish mother and trying to keep his salt-of-the-earth reputation intact as he escorted three young ladies in the mountains, you continued to work in New York City. Your trip was already nearly over, and I wish I had more letters from your time there. What did working as a buyer entail, Gen? Did you kiss any other beaus? Or were you pining for Andy and the rolling golden summer hills of Calaveras as your red pumps hit the pavement of bustling New York City? Did you, a born-and-raised city girl, suddenly feel small and overwhelmed in the Big Apple?