February 16, 1918 – full diary entry:

“Left Sauk Centre at 3:30 this a.m. for St. Paul. Broke the news to Ma + Pa.

Got back to my Nora at Sauk Centre at 9p.m.”

Yep. If it wasn’t clear before, the Valentine’s Day wedding was an elopement. I wish I knew who was there; a few friends, maybe? The conversation with his parents, who by all accounts were on the formal, conservative, strict side, could not have been enjoyable for anyone involved. It’s not even clear whether Robert’s parents had even met their new daughter-in-law by this point.