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"Preserving, Exhibiting, Interpreting and Teaching the History of the Manhattan Project"

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Fran to Bill.  April 28, 1945, Sat.  New York City 

Fran Carroll (SAM Columbia) to Bill Allman (SED Oakridge) 

Dear Bill,

   Speaking of lunch counters- naturally I should recapitulate the conversation for you if you were as highly intoxicated as you said you were but I’ll not- every time, or every other time since after a while one does become conditioned to the maze, when I wander to the second floor, I find myself looking for someone up and down the line and then realize that it’s you I’m thinking of.  And that you’re 600 +/- miles away.  And then I think Oh Well you may have written a letter today or yesterday or day before yesterday.  Do you not give forth because you imagine that maybe tomorrow you will?  This I could understand.  Or because you’ve decided to skip the whole thing?  Or because you’re irritated about something I’ve said or how it was said?  Do indicate which, or add a new alternative so that I do not have to wonder.  I can arrange my mind any old way but I sure dislike wondering.  It takes too much time- when I’m trying to figure out why a charge of plus 80 units exerts on a second charged body, 4 cm distant, just enough force to lift it. 

  I am no longer an operator or supervisor thereof at work.  The maintenance and research end of our department have had a request in for a Physics major for some time & since there were none available concluded perforce that I might substitute.  So when needles start jumping I get called & I haven’t the vaguest idea what to do about it.  But of course I will- after I’ve applied my attention to the matter.  I’ll be an expert. 

  Do you sort of wish I would not write?  I’m a wonderful non-letter-writer.

                                                                                                          Fran