Kate was smart and hard-working, but she did like to giggle, and she had a fine figure. Dud was a favorite around the office, always quick with a laugh and a joke.
Kate's supervisor was a stickler for neatness and order. Before they left for the evening, all of the secretaries at St. Paul's Insurance Company had to be sure to clean off their desks, push in their chairs, and by all means, put the covers on their typewriters. Always. No excuses.
One afternoon, Kate was scrambling to leave on time in order to get home and celebrate her younger sister's birthday. She straightened up her desk and pushed in her chair, and turned around to see Dud coming over to talk to her. "A few of us are going down the street for a cocktail," he said. "Join us?" "Oh, I couldn't," Kate replied, wanting to. "Well, then let me walk you out," Dud said. Kate grabbed her handbag and headed out the door listening to Dud talk about the joke that the fellows had played that afternoon on one of their co-workers. When they got to the street, Dud wished her a good night, and headed back inside. It was only later that evening that Kate remembered that she had neglected to put the cover on her typewriter. This was serious. Only last week, one of the girls had received a written warning because of her forgetfulness, and everyone knew it.
Kate hurried into work the next morning, hoping to be the first one in. But she wasn't. She saw Dud working at his desk, smoking a cigarette. When she got to her place, she was surprised to find that the cover was neatly placed over her typewriter. There was a note tucked under the corner of the typewriter. Her hands shaking nervously, she picked up the note to read it. "Sorry" it read. "My fault. D."
When Kate got home that evening she said, "Aunt Mae, I think he's mine."
Kate and Dud were married on September 19, 1936, at St. Cecilia's Church in San Francisco.
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