stefansson-wrangel-09-14-123-001

Knight

December 11, 1923.

Dear Mr. Knight:

I had already read Lorne's diary when I received
yesterday your long letter of December 3rd. The carbon of your letter
to the Crawfords came to-day. Your former letter must have been de-
layed in some way,

I am wanting to write you a very long, detailed letter
about the diary but before doing that I would like to have the opinions
of several of my friends here. The diary has already been read by two
of these and I want one or two more to read it so I can bring all their
opinions together. Meantime, I will say only in general that the very
favorable impression conveyed in my telegram the other day has been
greatly strengthened. Your permission will, of course, be necessary
before it can be published but I think you will eventually agree with us
that it ought to be published exactly as written. Doing so would not only
give a very admirable picture of Lorne himself but also of the other boys.
Neither could any argument or proof show more conclusively both the
incorrectness and bad faith in which the Noice story has been written.

I am having the diary copied in typewriting. Unfor-
tunately the photographing cannot be done just now and you will probably
get the typewritten copy before you get the photograph. I should think
the typing will be done inside of a week or ten days.

One reason why I am eager to get this copy on to you
is that I feel it will considerably lighten your heart, and especially
Mrs. Knight's.

I have been so tangled in engagements and pressing
work since receiving your letter that I must postpone a detailed answer
until I get back from a trip on which I have to leave in about an hour.
I expect to get back Sunday and will probably write you Monday or Tues-
day.

I [see by] a note attached to your letter that you were
expecting Ada to arrive at McMinnville December 10th. If anything has
happened to prevent her coming now, I suggest you might possibly delay
inviting her until after the New Year so as to have her there when I come.
It seems to me it would be a very satisfactory thing if I could have a
day's visit with her in your home.

I am attaching a copy of a letter written to Helen