tuesday, april 25, 1944

dearest kitty,

for the last ten days dussel hasn't been on speaking terms with mr. van daan, and all because of the new security measures since the break-in. one of these was that he's no longer allowed to go downstairs in the evenings. peter and mr. van daan make the last round every night at nine-thirty, and after that no one may go downstairs. we can't flush the toilet anymore after eight at night or after eight in the morning. the windows may be opened only in the morning when the lights go on in mr. kugler's office, and they can no longer be propped open with a stick at night. this last measure is the reason for dussel's sulking. he claims that mr. van daan bawled him out, but he has only himself to blame. he says he'd rather live without food than without air, and that they simply must figure out a way to keep the windows open.

"i'll have to speak to mr. kugler about this," he said to me.

i replied that we never discussed matters of this sort with mr. kugler, only within the group.

"everything's always happening behind my back. i'll have to talk to your father about that."

he's also not allowed to sit in mr. kugler's office anymore on saturday afternoons or sundays, because the manager of keg's might hear him if he happens to be next door. dussel promptly went and sat there anyway. mr. van daan was furious, and father went downstairs to talk to dussel, who came up with some flimsy excuse, but even father didn't fall for it this time. now father's keep- ing his dealings with dussel to a minimum because dussel insulted him. not one of us knows what he said, but it must have been pretty awful.

and to think that that miserable man has his birthday next week. how can you celebrate your birthday when you've got the sulks, how can you accept gifts from people you won't even talk to?

mr. voskuijl is going downhill rapidly. for more than ten days he's had a temperature of almost a hundred and four. the doctor said his condition is hopeless; they think the cancer has spread to his lungs. the poor man, we'd so like to help him, but only god can help him now!

i've written an amusing story called "blurry the explorer," which was a big hit with my three listeners.

i still have a bad cold and have passed it on to margot, as well as mother and father. if only peter doesn't get it. he insisted on a kiss, and called me his el dorado. you can't call a person that, silly boy! but he's sweet anyway!

yours, anne m. fran

k