Epsom
21/5/18
Dear Olga -

Thanks for writing so promptly. This morning I rec'd your letter written on the 1st of this month.

Yes my hand is coming on fine. It is all healed up now, but my hand is still paralized. I am getting electric massage for it now and expect it will be nearly as good as new, soon. The second finger, "that is the longest one" has shrunk nearly ¾ inch so I will have three fingers the same length "which will look peculiar", besides there will be quite a scar on the back of my hand.

Oh as to Marion's action. I am pleased she changed her mind now instead of waiting till after I came back. I expect she thought this war was lasting too long to wait. Besides she was not sure of my coming back. For my part I think my luck all came within a few days of each other. I am missing some hard fighting this summer I felt pretty badly about this letter and it is likely I did get a little careless. What got me going worst was the fact that she quit writing for about three months before she dropped the bomb. As to our being friends, I told her that if ever she needed a real true friend to help her out she could depend on me, but outside of that she need not speak or correspond to me any more, so I expect she would have to be very bad off before she would come to me.

Oh as to that assigned pay that is what I should have done when I first enlisted, but "sorry to say" Marion was about the only person I ever favoured. She always came first in everything. I spent a bunch of cash on her alright. I would not have cared for the other things, but she was not woman enough to return the diamond ring, or my watch that Leadbeater gave me. Probably you have them by now.

Yes I am most pleased that you tell me of your doings as I am greatly interested. As to your becoming an old maid, well there is plenty of time for you to meet the right man, and don't be foolish and turn him down for [?] for no one was ever supposed to remain single. That is my theory of it.

Thank Auntie and Uncle for their good wishes. I do not expect to go back to France before late fall, and possibly not then. I feel certain that my good luck will hold out

[remainder missing]