Sometimes I was only able to walk with her part of the way. We would stop at the corner of South 17th. and West Mitchell. An iron fence, composed of just one horizontal rail, supported by a number of iron posts enclosed the property. We would sit on it and talk, or sometimes Anna would stand and I would put one foot on it. Sometimes we would balance our books on it. Once or twice she would press a thick note into my hand, for me to read and dream over.
The iron railing is still there.
We would spend about a half-hour talking and laughing. Then we would part and go to our own homes. At night I would phone her and we would spend another thirty minutes or so talking over things we had covered during the day.
This month was too be the most important month of our lives together. We were together so many days.
I think, in many respects we were looking for the center of each other's trueness and our own trueness. We wanted to prove our caring, our attachment. We were pledging our constancy through ordinary words and conversation. Swear by it Anna: swear by it John. "Do not swear at all; / Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, / Which is the God of my idolatry."