Bell received Kittie’s letter this Monday morning and replied immediately in her rapid administrator writing:
Dear Mrs Calderon,
We telegraphed yesterday about Mr Calderon, at the request of the War Office. I do so very deeply sympathise with your anxiety and I hope we shall [soon be able to] give you good news.
Yours sincerely
Gertrude Bell
There was a special reason why Bell could ‘so very deeply’ sympathise with Kittie: the love of her own life, Colonel Dick Doughty Wylie, had been killed at Helles on 26 April 1915 (see my post for that day).
The square brackets above supply what has been gnawed by a mouse.
Next entry: 16 June 1915
