[Please send Mrs. Tompkins letter back Anne--]
 
                                     Franklin D. Roosevelt
                                            Vice President
   Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland
            120 Broadway  New York City
 
                                                            
                                   December 21, 1923
 
Dear John:
 
      I inclose a very nice letter from Mrs. Tompkins. She 
seems very glad to keep the farm intact and to accept my offer. 
Of course her suggestion that I advance her $500 cash, and
$500 besides to pay off the 2nd mortgage means that she
will be relieved from paying the interest on the present
2nd mortgage and that I am, to all intents and purposes,
loaning her $1000 without interest during the term of her
life. I am, however, willing to do this as there is no
question that the value of the farm will fully cover the
2nd (my) mortgage. Also, I am really touched by her feeling
for the old place and by her desire to keep it intact
during her lifetime.
 
           Will you, therefore, be good enough to draw up
the necessary papers. I take it you will have little
difficulty in making the title search as it must have been
done for the present mortgagee and will require only
running it down to date to cover possible recent liens.
 
            Let me know when you want me to send you a
check?
 
            Happy New Year to you and your wife and your
mother.
 
                                                           
                        Always sincerely yours,
 
                                                            
                          Franklin D. Roosevelt