WHEN LOREN, CLARA AND DORIS WENT INTO THE TOWN OF NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI, LOREN HAD SLIPPED HIS DERRINGER INTO HIS COAT POCKET. HE KNEW THESE RIVER TOWNS WERE STILL WILD AND WOOLY. THEY WENT TO THE POST OFFICE SO CLARA COULD MAIL HER LETTER TO MAE AND TELL MAE AND RAMON ABOUT HER AND LOREN’S MARRIAGE.. THEN THEY WANDERED AROUND TOWN FOR AN HOUR WITHOUT SEEING MUCH THAT EXCITED THEIR CURIOSITY, SO THEY WENT BACK TO THE SHIP FOR LUNCH AND A SIESTA.

THE REST OF THE TRIP TO ST. LOUIS WAS A TRIP OF LAZY DAYS, GOOD FOOD AND NICE COMPANIONSHIP. BY THE TIME THE DELTA QUEEN REACHED ST. LOUIS, DORIS HAD CONVINCED LOREN AND CLARA TO GO TO NEW YORK CITY WITH HER. SO DORIS, CLARA AND LOREN BOARDED A TRAIN HEADED FOR NEW YORK.

LOREN WRITES;

WHEN THE TRAIN ARRIVED IN GRAND CENTRAL STATION IN NEW YORK CITY LOREN AND CLARA LET DORIS TAKE THE LEAD. THEY WERE IN HER TERRITORY NOW. DORIS GRABBED TWO PORTERS AND SLIPPED A LITTLE MONEY IN THEIR HANDS AND TOLD THEM TO FETCH THEIR LUGGAGE AND GET HER A CARRIAGE.

WHEN DORIS, CLARA AND LOREN, AS WELL AS ALL THEIR LUGGAGE, WERE LOADED IN THE CARRIAGE, DORIS TOLD THE DRIVER TO TAKE THEM TO THE WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL. WHEN THE CARRIAGE GOT TO THE HOTEL, TWO RED CAPS CAME HURRYING OUT TO UNLOAD THE LUGGAGE.

DORIS WALKED IN AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE ELEVATOR. CLARA AND LOREN WERE FOLLOWING ALONG BEHIND HER. CLARA ASKED DORIS IF SHE DIDN’T NEED TO GO TO THE DESK AND REGISTER. “OH NO CLARA I DON’T HAVE TO REGISTER I LIVE IN THE PENTHOUSE ON THE TOP FLOOR. IN FACT THE ENTIRE TOP FLOOR IS MY PENTHOUSE. I HAVE SIX BEDROOM SUITES IN MY PENTHOUSE AND I ONLY USE ONE, SO YOU AND LOREN WILL HAVE A SUITE ALL TO YOUR SELVES.”

LOREN SAID, “DORIS, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY OUR SHARE OF THE RENT WHILE WE ARE HERE.”

“OH SHUSH, LOREN, I DON’T PAY RENT, I OWN THE HOTEL.”

CLARA WRITES;

THE ELEVATOR DOORS OPENED, REVEALING AN ELDERLY MAN WHO WAS THE OPERATOR.  HE SWUNG OPEN THE GATE AND BEAMED A BIG SMILE AT DORIS.  "STEP RIGHT IN MA'AM, SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK HOME,"  HE TOLD DORIS. DORIS RETURNED THE GREETING WITH A SMILE.  AS THEY ENTERED, SHE EXPLAINED TO LOREN AND CLARA ABOUT THE ELEVATOR BEING THE ONLY ONE THAT WENT
TO THE PENTHOUSE.  SHE THEN INTRODUCED LOREN AND CLARA TO HER MAN, THE OPERATOR.  SHE TOLD HIM THEY WERE HER GUESTS AND WOULD BE STAYING IN THE PENTHOUSE. 

THE DOORS OPENED-THE DOOR OF THE PENTHOUSE.  NOW CLARA HAD NEVER EVEN BEEN IN SUCH A TALL BUILDING BEFORE, AND SHE TOOK LOREN BY THE ARM. "DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE BUILDING IS SWAYING TO YOU, LOREN?  OR HAS THE TRIP ON THE ELEVATOR MADE ME A LITTLE OFF BALANCE?" 

LOREN PATTED HER HAND AND GRINNED. "NO, I DON'T THINK THE BUILDING IS MOVING, CLARA."  DORIS LAUGHED
A LITTLE AT CLARA'S  QUESTION.

DORIS FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR ON THE GRANDEST SCENE EITHER LOREN OR CLARA HAD EVER SEEN. ONE WALL WAS LINED WITH WINDOWS THAT OVERLOOKED THE CITY.  THERE WAS A BALCONY.. EVERYWHERE THERE WERE PAINTINGS AND ART WORKS, SCULPTURES, TABLES AND FIGURINES IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY.  SEVERAL SHELVES WERE LINED WITH BOOKS, SOME WITH LEATHER COVERS.  LOREN OPINED THAT MANY LIBRARIES DID NOT HAVE SO MANY BOOKS.  THE FLOOR WAS COVERED WITH ORIENTAL RUGS.THE SOFA INVITED THEM TO SIT AND REST.

DORIS TOLD THEM TO COME WITH HER AND SHE WOULD SHOW THEM TO THEIR SUITE.  DOWN A HALL AND TO THE RIGHT, THEY STEPPED INTO A BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED BEDROOM WITH A LARGE SITTING ROOM ADJOINING. CLARA WALKED AROUND, TOUCHING THE VARIOUS OBJECTS AND EXCLAIMING OVER EACH ONE.  DORIS SMILED BROADLY AT CLARA'S PLEASURE. 

JUST THEN A SOFT TAP CAME AT THE DOOR.  IT WAS A MAID THAT DORIS  INTRODUCED AS MARIE, TELLING LOREN  AND CLARA SHE WOULD BE THERE AS LONG AS THEY WERE IN TOWN.  "SHALL WE GO AND SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM A WHILE?" ASKED DORIS.
 
LOREN WRITES:

“DORIS I KNOW YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD ONLY BE IN TOWN ONE WEEK UNTIL YOU BOARDED A SHIP FOR EUROPE, BUT WOULD YOU HAVE TIME TO SHOW US AROUND TOWN A LITTLE BEFORE YOU GO?” ASKED CLARA.

“SURE CLARA, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO DO MOST OF YOUR SIGHT SEEING WITHOUT ME. I HAVE A MILLION THINGS TO DO BEFORE I LEAVE.” WAS DORIS’ ANSWER. “I’LL BE GONE FOR SIX MONTHS, YOU KNOW.”

WHILE CLARA AND DORIS WERE TALKING, LOREN HAD WALKED OVER TO THE WINDOWS THAT LOOKED OUT OVER THE CITY AND STOOD THERE WATCHING THE PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALK TWELVE STORIES DOWN. THEN, AS HE LOOKED OUT OVER THE CITY, HE SAW A LARGE AREA OF GREEN. “DORIS, WHAT ARE ALL THOSE TREES DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF NEW YORK CITY?”

DORIS LAUGHED AS SHE AND CLARA WALKED OVER NEXT TO LOREN. “THAT’S CENTRAL PARK, LOREN. THE CITY FATHERS THOUGHT THEY SHOULD PRESERVE SOME PLACE IN THE CITY FOR THE PEOPLE TO ENJOY TREES AND OPEN SPACES.”

CLARA GRABBED LOREN’S ARM AGAIN AS SHE LOOKED DOWN AND SAID, “I THINK THIS BUILDING IS SWAYING BACK AND FORTH AGAIN. I’M GOING BACK AND SIT DOWN. DORIS, WILL YOU HAVE TIME TO SHOW US THIS CENTRAL PARK BEFORE YOU LEAVE?”

CLARA WRITES;

DORIS TOLD HER GUESTS THAT SHE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE SOME TIME TO SPEND WITH THEM, AND CENTRAL
PARK WOULD BE ONE OF THE PLACES THEY WOULD TAKE IN. CLARA WASN'T SO SURE SHE REALLY LIKED NEW YORK.  THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE AND TOO FEW TREES TO SUIT HER.  ON THE OTHER HAND IT WAS NICE TO SEE SOMETHING OTHER THAN COWS.

THEY DECIDED TO PUT OFF THE SIGHT SEEING UNTIL TOMORROW. ALL THREE OF THEM WERE TIRED FROM THE TRIP THEY HAD TAKEN.. DORIS SUGGESTED THEY HAVE DINNER IN HER PENTHOUSE. RIGHT AWAY CLARA SAID SHE WOULD COOK. DORIS LAUGHED.  "WE WILL HAVE THE FOOD BROUGHT UP FROM THE DINING ROOM.  YOU WILL GET ENOUGH COOKING WHEN YOU AND LOREN GET HOME.  YOU ARE ON VACATION AND NO COOKING ALLOWED.  I HAVE MENUS HERE. JUST DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT AND WE'LL ORDER IT BROUGHT UP."

BOTH LOREN AND CLARA ORDERED STEAK AND DORIS ASKED FOR FISH. "DIDN'T YOU EAT ENOUGH FISH ON THAT BOAT, DORIS?  SEEMS LIKE WE HAD IT EVERY DAY, CRAWDADS TOO. WE EAT A LOT OF BEEF AT THE RANCH, BUT I AM STILL TIRED OF FISH" LAUGHED LOREN.

THREE BELLHOPS AND TWO WAITERS SHOWED UP WITH THE FOOD.  THEY HAD THREE TABLES FILLED WITH THE
MAIN COURSES, AND ANOTHER TABLE WITH ONLY DESSERTS. AFTER THE FOOD WAS SERVED, THE BELLHOPS LEFT, BUT THE WAITERS STAYED TO SERVE THE TABLE.  CLARA TOLD LOREN SHE SURE COULD GET USED TO EATING THIS WAY!  DORIS SPOKE UP AND SAID, "YOU COULD, YOU KNOW.  I HAVE ASKED LOREN IF HE MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST IN LIVING HERE IN NEW YORK PART OF THE TIME AND HELPING ME WITH MY BUSINESS.  SINCE I HAVE NO CHILDREN TO HELP ME, IT WOULD BE A REAL BLESSING TO HAVE THE TWO OF YOU TO RELY ON. HAVE YOU GIVEN THAT ANY THOUGHT, LOREN?"

LOREN WRITES:

“DORIS, I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT I HAVE A CATTLE BUSINESS IN FORT WORTH, SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO AND A RANCH ON THE LLANO RIVER WEST OF SAN ANTONIO TO LOOK AFTER. I JUST WOULDN’T HAVE THE TIME TO HELP YOU. I’M SORRY. I TOLD CLARA WE COULD STAY IN NEW YORK FOR ONE MONTH, AND THEN WE HAVE TO GET BACK HOME.”

DORIS LOOKED DISAPPOINTED BUT SAID, “I UNDERSTAND, LOREN. BUT YOU AND CLARA CAN USE MY PENTHOUSE FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE HERE. WHEN I COME BACK FROM EUROPE, I HOPE TO COME TO TEXAS TO SEE YOUR RANCH.”

“OH DORIS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU, AND I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO SIT OUT ON THE FRONT VERANDA IN THE EVENINGS AND HEAR THE COYOTES SING,” CLARA DECLARED.

CLARA WRITES;

"DORIS, CAN YOU SPARE ANY TIME FOR US TODAY?" ASKED CLARA. "NO, MY DEAR.  I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE MANAGER OF THIS HOTEL AND AFTER THAT, I NEED TO MEET WITH MY ATTORNEY TO GO OVER SOME OF THE PROPERTIES HE MANAGES FOR ME. 

THERE IS AN APARTMENT HOUSE HE WANTS ME TO LOOK AT AND CONSIDER BUYING.  I WILL BE GONE MOST OF THE DAY, BUT WILL SURELY BE HERE FOR DINNER.  IF YOU COME BACK BEFORE I DO, MARIE WILL BE HERE TO LET YOU IN." WITH THOSE WORDS, DORIS WAS OUT THE DOOR.

LOREN ASKED CLARA IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO JUST WALK AROUND A BIT AND SEE THE SIGHTS ON FOOT.  IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN A CARRIAGE.  CLARA JUMPED UP AND RAN TO THEIR ROOM TO CHANGE HER SHOES.

ONCE ON THE STREET, THEY TURNED TO THE RIGHT.  AFTER TWO OR THREE BLOCKS, THEY SAW SOME CHILDREN ON THE BOARDWALK. SEVERAL SMALL ONES WERE PLAYING GAMES.  A BOY OF ABOUT 13 WAS PLAYING A HARMONICA. A YOUNGER BOY WAS DANCING. THEY APPEARED TO BE BROTHERS, AS BOTH HAD RED HAIR. THEY HAD A HAT SITTING ON THE BOARDS AND PASSING PEOPLE THREW A PENNY OR TWO IN THE HAT.  LOREN AND CLARA WATCHED, WALKED OVER AND PUT A DOLLAR IN THE HAT.  THE HARMONICA BOY GRABBED IT AND STUCK IT IN HIS POCKET AND NEVER MISSED A NOTE. THE DANCER MADE A DEEP BOW IN LOREN'S DIRECTION.

A FEW FEET FURTHER A BOY WAS JUGGLING BALLS WHILE A LITTLE GUY MADE A YOYO WALK ACROSS THE BOARDS.  CLARA AND LOREN WALKED ON TO A CANDY SHOP. LOREN WENT IN AND BOUGHT A BAG OF ASSORTED STICK CANDIES, WHICH HE TOOK BACK AND HANDED OUT TO THE SMILING  KIDS.

CLARA TOOK HER HUSBAND'S ARM. "LOREN, I GUESS IT REALLY WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO WORK FOR DORIS. EVEN IF WE ONLY CAME EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO, IT WOULD BE HARD. WE KNOW THAT MAE AND RAMON WOULD TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE COWS AND THE RANCH AND JUAN
WILL KEEP THINGS GOING IN FT WORTH, BUT THAT ISN'T LIKE BEING THERE YOURSELF, IS IT?"

LOREN GRINNED DOWN AT HIS BRIDE. "I CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE UP TO, MRS. MOORE.  IT STILL WON'T WORK, BUT MAYBE IF I PROMISE TO BRING YOU BACK ONCE A YEAR FOR A MONTH’S STAY YOU'LL LEAVE IT ALONE. IS THAT ALL RIGHT?"

LOREN WRITES:

“OH LOREN, WILL YOU DO THAT?  WILL YOU MAKE THAT PROMISE?” “CLARA, I’LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT. WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR. YOU KNOW THAT I DO HAVE ALL THOSE BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO TO LOOK AFTER. LET’S JUST ENJOY OUR VISIT TO NEW YORK WHILE WE’RE HERE. WHAT SHELL WE DO NEXT?

CLARA WRITES;

THE NEWLYWEDS SPENT THE REST OF THAT WEEK JUST WALKING THE STREETS AND GOING INTO SHOPS AND STORES.  THEY ATE IN SOME OF THE FINEST RESTAURANTS AND HOT DOGS FROM STREET VENDORS. CLARA TRIED SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD THAT HAD NO NAME BECAUSE SHE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY TOLD HER. IT WAS A VERY RELAXING TIME FOR THEM AND EDUCATIONAL TOO.  CLARA LOVED TO KEEP UP WITH FASHION AND GOT LOTS OF IDEAS FOR DRESS MAKING. 

ON SUNDAY NIGHT DORIS ANNOUNCED SHE WOULD BE LEAVING THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AFTER DINNER SHE PRODUCED TWO BOXES AND GAVE ONE TO EACH OF THEM.  CLARA OPENED HERS FIRST AND FOUND THE MOST EXQUISITE EMERALD AND DIAMOND BRACELET SHE HAD EVER SEEN.  "DORIS, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL, AND FAR TOO EXTRAVAGANT." CLARA CRIED OUT.

"OH NO, IT ISN'T.  I WANTED YOU TO HAVE A REMEMBRANCE OF NEW YORK AND YOUR HONEYMOON. YOU KNOW I HAVE NO ONE TO LEAVE IT TO EXCEPT YOU.  NOW LOREN, OPEN YOUR BOX."  LOREN DID AS HE WAS TOLD AND FOUND A BEAUTIFUL GOLD WATCH WITH HEAVY CHAIN. AFTER OPENING THE LID, HE FOUND THERE WERE DIAMONDS AT THE 3/6/9/12 NUMBERS.  "DORIS, THIS IS A WONDERFUL TIMEPIECE," EXCLAIMED LOREN. "YES, IT WAS ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S, BUT I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHICH ONE," SHE LAUGHED.  THE MOORES THANKED HER PROFUSELY.

DURING LOREN AND CLARA'S WALKS THEY HAD FOUND A PHOTOGRAPHER AND HAD SEVERAL PICTURES MADE.  THEY PRESENTED ONE IN A GOLD FRAME TO DORIS.  SHE PLACED IT IN A PROMINENT PLACE ON A TABLE. THEY SAID THEIR GOOD BYES AND WENT TO BED.

MONDAY MORNING DORIS HAD LEFT WHEN LOREN AND CLARA AROSE. SHE HAD PLACED A NOTE ON THE TABLE WITH HER MAILING ADDRESS AND A PROMISE TO VISIT THEM.

THEY SPENT THE WEEK GOING TO MUSEUMS, THE OPERA AND A PLAY. ONE DAY WAS FOR PURCHASING GIFTS TO TAKE HOME-A CAMEO FOR MAE, A FANCY SILK SHIRT FOR RAMON, GIFTS FOR CLARA'S PARENTS AND LOREN EVEN BOUGHT A FEW SMALL THINGS FOR THE "HANDS". 

ANOTHER DAY THEY WALKED AGAIN, GAWKING AT THE NEW, TALL BUILDINGS BEING ERECTED AND THE STREET PEOPLE.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT DINNER IN THE PENTHOUSE, CLARA LEANED ACROSS THE TABLE TAKING HER HUSBAND'S HAND.  "LOREN, DO YOU REALIZE WE HAVE BEEN GONE FROM THE RANCH FOR OVER THREE MONTHS? SHALL WE GO HOME NOW?"

LOREN GRINNED.  "BET I CAN PACK FASTER THAN YOU CAN."