She wanted him to come out to Millboro’ Springs, but he told her he was too busy for any travel other than the occasional trip to Richmond. She kept writing, two and sometimes three letters a week:Dear Tommie,What I had feared is true. I’ve let my dresses out and since they don’t know me well here they think I have a stout figure. Its funny because Mrs. Dickinson who is so sweet to me says I shouldn’t worry about showing off my figure since many young men like stout figures. I wear my coat alot too on account of the cold, even indoors and they think its because I’m not used to the cold, which I’m not really. I have to see you Tommie. You do love me still, don’t you?Love, your LillieWhen he read this Tommie tried to imagine what it was like for her by herself in her condition in a strange new place. But she always made friends easily, and the fact that she mentioned other young men, even if she was only trying to make him jealous, meant she was not in despair. He did his best to put the problem out of his mind.She wrote asking him about the pills, but all he could reply was that he hadn’t found any.
