[The White House] St. John's Day, June 24, 1946
Dear Bess:
Well I had a most successful week end. Left here at one o'clock Saturday and drove up to the Keines farm at Frederick, Md., where the Alfalfa Club was meeting. Sen. Austin, Les Biffle, Berryman the Star cartoonist and a number of ex congressmen and ex senators were there. They had a horse shoe contest drew prizes and had a nice time. I stayed about an hour & a half and then went on up to Shangri La where Vinson, Lucas, Magnuson, Hannegan, Frank Walker, Geo Allen, Steve Early were there to meet me. We had dinner and then began a game of chance. When 'twas all settled up I was exactly even to the penny nothing won, nothing lost--only time. I went to bed about 1:30 and arose at 7:30 Sunday morning and went over to the swimming pool but did not go in then--did later. Had breakfast all alone at 9 A.M. Sat around and read the paper awhile and then took a good walk--a mile & a quarter over to a haunted house on the reservation. It has 15 rooms and is vacant. A man is said to have murdered his wife because she had other men around while he was visiting another woman! Anyway he's in the pen and has been for eighteen years.
Came back to the pool--walked mind you, and had a swim and a sunbath. Then a further study of probabilities. We had dinner at 5:00 P.M. and I arrived back at White House at eight-thirty and went to bed. Slept like a log. How would you like to spend a vacation at Shangri-la? If you get home in time we could spend the long Fourth of July weekend there. I've signed a bill giving it to all the government employees, so why not the top employee take one too? I could be available on the phone and still get some rest and sleep and if you wanted someone for the weekend there is plenty of room.
Mrs. Vaughan is doing fine. Harry said she would be spending the coming week end at home and then go back to the hospital for a few days and then she'll go to Michigan for the summer. When are you coming? Tell everyone hello.
Kiss the baby, lots of love, Harry