NEW YORK - The late "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz was once so infatuated with a woman 23 years his junior he sent her dozens of love letters. Many of the themes of that correspondence made it into some of his daily comic strips at the time.

Now those love notes from 1970-1971 are being sold on Dec. 14 by Sotheby's in New York. They're estimated to fetch up to $350,000, and are being offered by the family of Tracey Claudius.

She and Schulz two met in 1970.

She was 25. He was married and 48.

There are 44 letters, including 22 original drawings of some of the "Peanuts" characters, primarily Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy.

Sotheby's says it's the most significant collection of Schulz correspondence and drawings to come to auction.