(4) IF HE'D BEEN HOME, HE'D OF LICKED US BOTH.

 Monday, August 19, 1935

     Am I indignant!  Mother called Mrs. Cronin and invited Betty and her to go fishing with us.  Mrs. Cronin said she didn’t think Betty and I ought to play together any more because I was a bad influence for Betty.  Betty was such a quiet, good girl, but I was very lively and adventurous.  She said I rush all over her house.  What a lie.  The only time I remember rushing was when Betty tried to give me a passionate kiss.  Oh, and another time she hit me playfully, but it hurt so much I ran out of the room and downstairs, almost crying.

     Mother immediately defended me and reminded Aunt Emmy that yesterday’s event was Betty’s idea.  Aunt Emmy said Mr. Cronin was very grim with Betty.  He said if he’d been home, he’d of licked us both.  When mother heard that she was mad as anything.  There just children, she said.  I burned down a barn when I was young.

     Daddy was very stern with me, too, but he softened up when I began to cry. The family went out tonight for a picnic and a ride on the Happy Daze.  I got all the dust in Boston on my arms and legs, so Betty’s Bad Influence is going to take a bath.

Wednesday, August 21, 1935  

     I knit on my dress this morning.  Vaughan showed me how to use the circular needle and helped me pick out the coral colored yarn.  While I was knitting I thought about John and my insides jumped all around.  He’s the first boy I’ve ever really liked.

     I played golf with Betty this afternoon.  My score was all nines to fifteens.  She told me what it would cost to fix the door. $15.00 or seven and a half apiece.  I guess I’ll be broke for the rest of the summer.

Thursday, August 22, 1935

     Ever since our Anthony Adverse mission failed, Betty has been pestering me to tell her the facts of life.  I said we’d have to find the right time. If her mother ever caught us talking about s-x, she’d really think I was a Bad Influence.  Yesterday looked like a good time.  Aunt Emmy was taking Carol to the dentist, so no one would be home except the maid.

     Mother had given me a book called “Growing Up” when I got my period.  What I always liked best about this book is the picture of a tiny little baby sitting in the middle of a black page.  It isnt more than half an inch tall (sitting down), and it is adorable.  Underneath the picture it says this is the babys size after it’s been growing for a month.  Yesterday I put  “Growing Up” in my golf bag, figuring it would be a help in explaining exactly how the egg gets fertilized. 

     Mother dropped me off at about 10:00.   We walked out on the course, played a few holes of golf, then looked through Betty’s yard to see if Aunt Emmy’s car was gone.  We did this three times before the driveway was finally empty.  I said, “Okay, let’s go into the living room, but before we start I want you to get a Bible and the checkerboard.”

    “What on earth for?” asked Betty.

      “The Bible is for you to swear on.  I’m not going to tell you anything until you solemnly swear that you’ll never tell your mother-- and never, never tell your father -- what we talked about today.”  As you can see, I’m still afraid of Mr. Cronin because of what he said after our house-breaking adventure.  Betty got the family Bible and swore she’d keep our conversation a secret. Then she wanted to know what the checkerboard was for.

      “We’ll set it up between us, so if anyone comes in unexpectedly, we’ll be having an innocent game of checkers.  Then we won’t have to worry about looking guilty.”  Betty thought this was a very good idea.