Your good friend, Mr. Kennelworth, has been out to see me and told all that has happened. My son, I counsel you to have patience and faith. Love endures much and is not discouraged. I believe everything happens for the best, my boy, and it may be that Marie thought that you were both too young to marry. If this was her view, I would say it would hurt neither of you to wait a few years longer.
While I cannot understand the mysterious way in which Marie disappeared, at the same time I hope, pray and believe that she is alive and will come into your life again when you most need her and are better prepared for her than you are now. I know that it will be hard for you to see and realize that it might be for the best for her to go out of your life at this time, but even Marie may be wiser than we know. She may want to test your love and test her love for you. If this is the case, it will all turn out for the best for both of you. If your love is strong enough to endure it and wait a few months or a few years, no harm can come later. If Marie can bear to be separated from you and remain faithful and loyal to you for a few months or a few years, then she will mean more to you when she comes back to you again.
I pray for you each night and pray that everything may come out all right. I still have great faith and confidence in you, my boy. Want you to stick to your faith and your religion. Read the Holy Bible and follow it as you have in the past and everything that the good God can do will come to you in due time. Write me of your plans and what you intend to do. Send me a telegram as soon as you have any news, one way or the other. I anxiously await news of Marie and wish that I could be with you to comfort you because I know you need me when you haven't Marie.
Devotedly,
Your Mother.
Robert was happy to get the letter from his mother because she always encouraged him and he knew that no matter what happened, her faith in him would always remain the same and her love would endure forever. He retired that night after having a light supper, very happy, looking forward to his birthday with great hopes and expectations. His 21st birthday meant a great deal to him, meant more than any other birthday because he hoped that it would bring Marie. He knew that he had stood the test of her absence and that he had unwavering faith, that the had never doubted her motive, no matter even if he could not understand it, and that he would not censure her actions. When Marie returned and was once sure that she knew all this, he would mean more to her than he had ever before and she would only love him the more. After all, perhaps this little disappointment would mean something good in the future.
That night he read over all the poems that Marie had ever written him or sent him, and read over the poems that he had written her, because he had kept a copy of them. He read the poem where he wrote "If your aim is high and honest, in victory it will tell; Before the pearl is gotten, there must be a broken shell!" Again Robert realized that the shell had been broken worse this time than ever before, or at least it seemed that way to him. Yet at the same time it was not a break because Marie had left him with love, and their last good-night kiss on the train had been one of supreme faith and trusting love which had been built up over a period of years in which there had been many obstacles to overcome, hard struggles and disappointments. Robert prayed his usual night prayer for the protection of Marie and went to sleep, to dream of his birthday.
Robert Gordon's 21st Birthday
Robert arose early on June 9th. Hurried down to the desk to ascertain if any telegrams had come over night or any 'phone calls, but found no telegrams and no messages. It was yet too early for the morning mail. Robert secured the morning papers and saw his personal notices which he had instructed the papers to continue to run. He had added the name of his hotel and telephone number so that Marie could reach him promptly. Somehow he had a feeling that just about 11 or 12 o'clock that day Marie would call at the hotel or he would have some good news from her.
After having his breakfast, he waited for the first mail, but there were no letters for him and up to this time no telegrams had been received. He decided to go down to a brokerage office and see how the market opened. Cotton and wheat had advanced the day before and cotton opened higher and was strong this morning, and wheat was also holding up well. Robert found that Major Motors was selling around 203 and he knew that his broker must have sold 500 shares short for him at this price. He figured that Major Motors would not advance above 205-1/2 before it started on a big decline. So he said to himself, "This is going to be a real happy birthday. I am making money fast now in wheat and cotton and will soon be making money in stocks." Right Aeroplane was also strong and his profits were piling up on this. He figured up his profits on Cotton, Wheat and Stocks and on this birthday he was worth $30,000. The money meant nothing to him. He would gladly give every cent of it to have Marie as a birthday present. His hopes remained high and somehow he felt that he would have Marie as well as the financial success. Just as he was figuring up his profits and thinking about it an old saying came to him: "Lucky at cards, unlucky in love." He wondered if this could be, that he would be lucky in making money in speculation and at the same time unlucky in his love affairs; but hoped and prayed that this was the last disappointment in his love affairs and that this birthday was to be the turning point and that some news would come from Marie.
He decided to forget about the market as everything was moving along his way and returned to the hotel to wait for news of Marie. He still had a hope or an imagination that around 11 or 12 o'clock Marie would either come to the hotel or some news from her would be received. Upon returning to the hotel he found no mail and no telegrams or telephone messages awaiting him. When 11 o'clock came Robert's mind reverted back to Sunday when he was watching the clock in the Union Station, hoping and waiting for Marie to appear. Robert became a little restless and more than anxious as the minutes went by. The clock struck twelve on his birthday and no Marie and no news from her. A few minutes after 12 his bell rang and a messenger boy appeared with a telegram. "Ah," Robert thought, "this is from Marie or some news from her." But it was a telegram of congratulations from his old pal, Walter, who asked that he convey the first news which he received in regard to Marie and stated that he hoped before the day was over he could congratulate Robert on his marriage to Marie. A little later in the day Robert received a long telegram from Mr. Kennelworth, congratulating him on his birthday and offering words of encouragement, also telling Robert that he expected to leave Texarkana on Friday night, June 10th, and arrive in St. Louis some time in the morning and that Robert should be ready to start with him to New York, as he wanted to be there when Lindbergh arrived. Robert received another telegram from his mother congratulating him on his birthday and wishing him every success and happiness.