October, 1929.
Dear diary,
Yesterday, something happened that embarrassed me greatly. I mean, I am quite used to the appreciative looks of men , but no one before had ever made me feel so beautiful.
Yesterday morning, I went to work as I have been doing for the past three weeks. Everything had been boring and ordinary, until the evening, almost at closing time, when I heard the master coming back to the shop .I had climbed a ladder to reach the documents kept at the top, on the last shelf. Right in that moment, the boss came in, accompanied by a man of a certain age. I looked at him absently: he had some rather funny mustache, a light English overcoat, and he was holding a felt hat. As you know, I really love fashion and I never missed such important details. (Giggles). However, both sat on the other side of the room, away from me. I quickly dismissed them. They had been chatting for a few minutes and I was still on the edge on the ladder , trying not to lose the balance; I could not quite stretch the arm to reach the archive. Then I glanced at the boss to see if, by meeting his eyes, he would realize that I needed help. I did not want to disturb the conversation he was so deeply in. I tried to squint my eyes, looking in their direction, when I realized that that strange character with a mustache was looking at me legs. I felt slightly embarrassed: to avoid the risk of falling I had pulled up my skirt, exposing this way my knees. I had done so when I was alone and I had forgotten that I was now in the presence of two men. With flushed cheeks, I decided to come down and Hoffman, my employer, who was looking at me too, nodded towards me and asked me to approach them both."Ah, here's our good little Miss Eva ..." he introduced me with an amused tone. My cheeks became crimson when the customer moved to kiss my hand. He kept staring at me with his blue eyes, that were almost reckless. Nonetheless, he seemed to examine me carefully. "Miss, may I introduce to you Mr. Wolf," he said, funnily, Hoffman. What a strange name, I thought. I sketched a polite smile and with a bow I excused myself in order to go back to work at the desk. I did not dare go up the stairs because I was still quite uncomfortable. "I do apologize if I allowed myself to make such an introduction ..." I heard, "but I saw that the presence of my employee had diverted your attention from our conversation, and so I thought that such pleasantries had to be done." So the gentleman who had so many funny things (starting from the name) , had been looking at me so much as to silence the talk? And why was Hoffmann treating him so well? It was just a little man, not even much attractive, after all. But I did not worry further since the clock struck 7 p.m., the closing time. I hastened to leave; I could not wait to tell everything to Ilse, my sister. But when I was reached for the door, the gentleman in question opened it for me , and with another quick kiss on my hand, he said: "I hope to see you again Miss Braun."He had learned about my surname too, then! What a gentleman, isn't he? Now that I think about it, he must not be so old, about 40 years old. But he could be very well my father! I wonder if I'll see him again. Never mind, I hope to find such a man for me, a man with such kindness and admiration for me as that Mr. Wolf displayed.
NOTE: Adolf Hitler used to go by nicknames during his private time. He was , therefore, introduced by Hoffman, his photographer "Herr Wolf".