Starling wrote:

When Mrs. Galt returned to Washington in September my role in the romance became more personal. In order to be alone--or as much alone as was possible--with her, the President changed the routine of his afternoon automobile ride to include a walk in Rock Creek Park. It was my job to follow them on this daily stroll, and to keep my eyes on the President every moment. I wanted to look away: I wanted to let a tree get between me and the two of them. But I couldn't. Something might happen.

He was an ardent lover, and a gay one. He talked, gesticulated, laughed, boldly held her hand. It was hard to believe he was fifty-eight years old. He had a natural lightness of foot, and walking along the woodland paths he leaped over the smallest obstacles, or skipped around them.

Every now and then they would glance back at me, as if my name had been mentioned--he with the embarrassed half smile of a man who wishes you would go away and leave him alone; she with the frank laughter of a woman who is enjoying the predicament of both men.

By this time the newspapermen were nosing around for the story. They were polite, but they were persistent, and they were everywhere. Washington has a lot of reporters, and they have a lot of friends. As a protection--meaning no offense to the lady--we referred to Mrs. Galt among ourselves as 'Grandma,' and we all hoped that the engagement would soon be announced so that the strain might end.

Once the engagement was announced, the courtship became more open:

Now that he was free to visit the little house on Twentieth Street the President did so frequently. He had been communicating with Mrs. Galt by letter each day, but now a private telephone line was installed between the White House and her residence, and when they were not together at one place or the other, they were telephoning.

Almost every night we took him to see her, then waited outside the house until he reappeared. That was never before midnight, and on Sundays the vigil was frequently from 1 P.M.--after church--to 1 A.M. We didn't mind. We were all romantic, and we were glad the boss had made good.