In these plans he was encouraged by Gudruna, the wife of a college friend, and this led to him meeting Ruth Eileen Gratton Guinness, Gudruna's younger sister. Ruth Eileen and Gudruna's father, Dr Henry Gratton Guinness, had died when they were young and Ruth Eileen, only sixteen years of age, knew that her mother would not approve of her marrying so young.
Sa mga plano siya ay hinihikayat sa pamamagitan ng Gudruna, ang asawa ng isang kaibigan sa kolehiyo, at ito na humantong sa kanya na pagkikita awa Eileen Gratton Gines, Gudruna ng batang babae. Awa Eileen at Gudruna ng ama, Dr Henry Gratton Gines, may namatay kapag sila ay bata at awa Eileen, lamang ng labing-anim na taong gulang ang edad, alam na ang kanyang ina ay hindi aprubahan ng kanyang marrying kabataan.