Hotel Victoria Kansas City, Mo. March 26, 1913
Dear Bess:
I am writing you anyway although I sent you a substitute for a letter. I sincerely hope you don't freeze to death tonight in the bowling alley. I guess you can keep warm by playing baseball with the bowling balls.
I don't know when I have felt so ornery. It seems to me that I have spent two whole weeks of work and worry to no purpose. My head is about the size of a barrel. I have a notion to go out and have a glorious whiz. They say that when a person is loaded he sees things in a much rosier way than when he is merely sober. This letter is a rank failure. You know I don't care for money nor appreciate its value when I have it, but the things that lawyers and some people will do to obtain a little of it are certainly astonishing. I have sincerely wished that Grandma had died a poor woman then we'd have seen who cared for her. Some of those stoneheaded Dutch on that jury argued that Mamma forced her to make a will in her favor and that her letters were merely saved for just such a contingency as this. They were also of the opinion that Mamma was mean to her sisters and kept them from going to see their mother. The more I think of it the worse I feel, and the more I feel like punching the heads of those old lawyers and the young Everharts. There really doesn't seem to be any use in a person trying to give his worldly goods to those he wants to have them. If he thinks he's going to die and deeds his property away he'll live to be ninety-nine years old and get kicked out by those he gave it to, and if he wills it some jackleg lawyer will leave a flaw in the will so he can halve the property with the heirs or divide it with the opposition lawyers. That's rather a pessimistic view but I know that if I could arrange an income of about six or seven hundred a month I don't believe I'd strive for any more money. I'd make it my business to spend that scientifically – and thoroughly. I believe I could make quite a number of people enjoy life on that much.
Have you ever had that photo made? I am very anxious for it. If you will remember I asked for yours before you said you would accept one of mine. Please hurry it up. I want it worse than ever as well as the original.
You may consider that you owe me two letters if you so desire. Hope to see you Sunday. I feel better after having bored you with my troubles. I hope you'll feel no ill effects from reading them.
Most sincerely, Harry