Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

We will run a series of stories by Loren Moore and other writers as our final farewell to a wonderful man.?  There will also be a tribute by Kathy Baker to be included in this series as well.? 

Special Treat ??“ Clara Westerfer & Loren Moore

March 21, 2006

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DELTA QUEEN
(SEQUEL TO NEW ORLEANS)

BY LOREN MOORE & CLARA WERSTERFER

LOREN WRITES;

WHEN THE CARRIAGE GOT TO THE LOADING RAMP OF THE DELTA QUEEN, LOREN GOT OUT AND LEANING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CARRIAGE, HELPED CLARA OUT.?  ARM IN ARM THEY WALKED UP THE RAMP AND AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP, STOOD AN OFFICER OF THE SHIP.

LOREN ASKED IN A VERY LOUD VOICE, "PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD?" THEN HE SALUTED THE OFFICER AND TURNED, LOOKED UP AT TO FLAG FLYING OVER THE PILOT HOUSE AND SALUTED IT. LOREN WOULD HAVE FALLEN OVER BACKWARD IF CLARA AND THE OFFICER HADN'T CAUGHT HIM.

"PERMISSION GRANTED" SAID THE OFFICER WITH A BIG GRIN AND CLARA LED LOREN UP TWO FLIGHTS OF STARS TO THEIR STATEROOM.?  WHEN THEY WENT INSIDE LOREN FLOPPED DOWN IN A CHAIR.

"LOREN MOORE, I'LL BE DARNED IF I'M GOING TO SPEND MY WEDDING NIGHT WITH A DRUNK.?  GET ON YOUR FEET.?  WE ARE GOING TO WALK CIRCLES AROUND THIS PROMENADE DECK UNTIL YOU SOBER UP."

AFTER TEN TIMES AROUND THE DECK, LOREN WAS BEGINNING TO SOBER UP AND HE BEGGED CLARA TO LET HIM GO BACK INTO THEIR STATEROOM.?  "CLARA MY FEET ARE KILLING ME.?  A PERSON SHOULD NEVER WALK THIS MUCH IN NEW SHOES."?  CLARA'S FEET WERE HURTING ALSO SO SHE RELENTED AND LED THE WAY BACK TO THEIR STATEROOM.

JUST AS SOON AS THEY GOT INSIDE THEY BOTH TOOK OFF THEIR SHOES.?  EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY 5:00 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON ALL THE REST OF THEIR CLOTHES CAME OFF TOO.

AT 7:00 O'CLOCK LOREN AND CLARA WERE BOTH DRESSED IN MORE COMFORTABLE CLOTHES AND SHOES AND WERE SITTING IN THE DINING ROOM EATING SUPPER.?  AS THEY ATE CLARA TOLD LOREN ABOUT THE BROCHURE SHE FOUND IN THEIR ROOM TELLING ABOUT THE SHIP.

THE FIRST DECK HAD SMALL ROOMS, A WALK AROUND SPACE AND SOME OPEN DECK IN THE FRONT OF THE SHIP. THERE WERE FOUR SETS OF STAIRS LEADING TO THE SECOND DECK.?  THE SECOND DECK CONSISTED OF THE DINNING ROOM AND A LARGE CASINO. THERE WAS ALSO A LARGE OPEN DECK AREA RUNNING COMPLETELY AROUND THE DECK.?  THERE WERE FOUR SETS OF STEPS GOING UP TO THE PROMENADE DECK.?  THE PROMENADE DECK IS WHERE ALL THE FANCY STATEROOMS ARE AND IT HAS ITS WIDE WALKING AREA.?  THERE IS ONE SET OF STAIRS LEADING UP TO THE PILOT HOUSE AND CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS ON THE VERY TOP OF THE SHIP.

BELOW THE FIRST DECK IS THE ENGINE ROOM, CREW QUARTERS AND STORAGE AREA.?  THIS PART OF THE SHIP IS OFF LIMITS TO THE PASSENGERS.

THE SHIP HAD BEEN UNDER WAY NOW FOR THREE HOURS AND LOREN AND CLARA WERE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO SIX WEEKS OF LAID BACK HONEYMOON.

CLARA WRITES;

THE HONEYMOONERS FINISHED EATING AND CLARA KEPT HOLDING HER HAND OUT AND LOOKING AT THE BIG DIAMOND WITH MATCHING BAND.?  "LOREN, HONEY, DID I TELL YOU HOW BEAUTIFUL I THINK MY RINGS ARE?"?  "JUST ABOUT TEN TIMES ALREADY.?  WHY DON'T WE GO WALK AROUND THE DECK AND SEE IF YOUR RINGS SHINE IN THE
MOONLIGHT?" TEASED LOREN.?  CLARA SMILED AND PRETENDED TO POUT A LITTLE, TELLING LOREN HE WAS MAKING FUN OF HER.

ON DECK, LOREN SUGGESTED THEY WALK TO THE BACK OF THE SHIP SO THEY COULD SEE THE PADDLEWHEEL UP CLOSE.?  CLARA DECLARED THAT IT PROBABLY LOOKED JUST LIKE THE ONE ON THE BOAT THEY WERE ON WHEN LOREN PROPOSED.?  THEY FOUND A COUPLE OF DECK CHAIRS AND SAT A WHILE.?  LOREN TOLD CLARA THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THIS TRIP.?  ONCE THE HONEYMOON WAS OVER AND THEY RETURNED TO THE RANCH, THEN ALL THE HARD WORK WOULD BEGIN.

THIS REMINDED CLARA THAT SHE NEEDED TO WRITE TO MAE AND TELL HER ABOUT THEM BEING MARRIED.?  MAE COULD LET CLARA'S PARENTS KNOW.?  CLARA DECLARED THEY HAD A STOP IN NATCHEZ AND SHE COULD MAIL THE LETTER FROM THERE.?  ALL THIS TALK MADE LOREN GIVE A
BIG YAWN, SAYING HOW TIRED HE WAS FROM ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY.?  PUTTING HIS ARM AROUND HIS BRIDE, HE ASKED "CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE ME TO BED?"
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LOREN WRITES:

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THE NEXT MORNING AT 7:00 O??™CLOCK LOREN AND CLARA WERE UP AND DRESSED.?  THEY WERE OUT ON THE PROMENADE DECK LOOKING AT THE COUNTRY SIDE AS THE SHIP MADE IT??™S WAY UP STREAM.

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AFTER A LITTLE, THEY WALKED DOWN TO THE DINNING ROOM FOR BREAKFAST.?  AS THEY WERE SITTING AT THEIR TABLE DRINKING COFFEE AND LOOKING INTO EACH OTHERS EYES.?  THEY HEARD THIS VOICE SAY, ???DO YOU TWO NEWLY WEDS MIND IF I SIT WITH YOU????

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LOREN AND CLARA GAVE A START AND LOOKED OVER THEIR TABLE AT THIS LITTLE LADY.?  SHE WAS ONLY ABOUT 4 FEET 8 INCHES TALL.?  HER HAIR WAS SILVER GRAY AND DONE UP IN A BUN ON THE BACK OF HER HEAD.?  THE SKIN ON HER FACE WAS AS SMOOTH AS A BABY??™S BEHIND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME CROWS FEET WRINKLES AT THE CORNERS OF HER EYES WHEN SHE SMILED.

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SHE HAD A BRIGHT BLUE SCARF THAT MATCHED THE COLOR OF HER EYES AROUND HER NECK, AND WORE A BRIGHT RED LONG SLEEVE DRESS THE REACHED DOWN TO HER ANKLES.?  SHE HAD ON A PAIR OF WHITE DOE SKIN, LOW HEELED BOOTS.

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SHE STUCK OUT HER HAND AND SAID, ???MY NAME IS DORIS.?  WHAT??™S YOURS????

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CLARA REACHED OVER AND TOOK DORIS??™S HAND AND SAID, ???MY NAME IS CLARA.????  WHILE SHE WAS DOING THIS LOREN JUMPED UP SO SUDDEN HE KNOCKED HIS CHAIR OVER BACKWARD.?  ???AND THIS CLUMSY MAN IS MY HUSBAND, LOREN.???

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LOREN STEPPED AROUND THE TABLE AND PULLED OUT A CHAIR FOR DORIS TO SIT DOWN.

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CLARA WRITES;

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DORIS UNFOLDED HER NAPKIN, PLACED IT ON HER LAP AND WAITED FOR THE WAITER TO POUR THE COFFEE BEFORE SPEAKING.?  "I HOPE I'M NOT INTERRUPTING YOUR HONEYMOON.?  SINCE I AM TRAVELING ALONE, THE WAITER TOLD ME I COULD SIT ANYWHERE I WANTED TO.?  SO I CHOSE YOU TWO AS YOU LOOKED LIKE SUCH NICE PEOPLE."?  SHE POURED A GREAT AMOUNT OF CREAM INTO HER COFFEE AND ADDED TWO BIG SPOONS OF SUGAR.?  THE WAITER BROUGHT THEIR FOOD, AND DORIS BEGAN EATING.? 

CLARA LEANED ACROSS THE TABLE AND TOLD DORIS THEY WERE HAPPY SHE HAD CHOSEN TO SIT WITH THEM.?  DORIS REMARKED THAT SHE HAD SEEN THEM WHEN THEY BOARDED THE BOAT.?  "I KNEW RIGHT AWAY YOU HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED.?  WHERE ARE YOU FOLKS FROM?"
LOREN TOLD HER THEY HAILED FROM TEXAS.?  HER EYES WIDENED.?  "I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO THERE.?  I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WIDE OPEN SPACES.?  I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND IT IS GROWING ALL THE TIME.?  THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES THAT ONE HAS A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY ARE ? SAYING. HAVE YOU EVER SAILED ON A RIVERBOAT BEFORE?"?  CLARA LOOKED AT LOREN WHO SMILED AND
SAID, "YEP, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE AND RECENTLY TOO."

LOREN WRITES:

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WHEN DORIS, CLARA AND LOREN FINISHED EATING BREAKFAST, CLARA SUGGESTED THEY GO BACK TO THE PROMENADE DECK AND SIT IN SOME OF THE DECK CHAIRS AS THEY CONTINUED THEIR VISIT.

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WHEN THEY WERE COMFORTABLY SETTLED IN DECK CHAIRS, DORIS CONTINUED TELLING ABOUT HERSELF.?  SHE TOLD LOREN AND CLARA THAT SHE WAS 86 YEARS OLD AND HAD BEEN MARRIED FIVE TIMES.?  SHE HAD OUT LIVED ALL FIVE HUSBANDS AND DECIDED IT JUST WASN??™T MEANT FOR HER TO BE MARRIED.

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HER FIRST HUSBAND HAD BEEN THE OWNER AND CAPTAIN OF A SEA GOING SHIP THAT MADE THE RUN TO THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AND BACK TO NEW ORLEANS.?  HE WOULD PICK UP CARGO IN THE ISLANDS AND BRING IT BACK TO NEW ORLEANS AND SELL IT.?  DORIS HAD LIVED ON HIS SHIP WITH HIM AND SAILED THE CARIBBEAN WITH HIM.

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THEY WERE MAKING SO MUCH MONEY THAT THEY BOUGHT THREE MORE SHIPS AND PUT THEM IN SERVICE MAKING THE SAME RUN.?  AFTER SIX YEARS THEIR BUSINESS GREW SO BIG THAT DORIS HAD TO STAY IN NEW ORLEANS TO KEEP THE BOOKS AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO SELL THE CARGOS AS THE SHIPS CAME IN.?  SHE KEPT ASKING HER HUSBAND TO STAY ASHORE AND TAKE CARE OF THAT PART OF THE BUSINESS.

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AFTER THEY HAD BEEN MARRIED TEN YEARS THE CAPTAIN PROMISED DORIS HE WOULD MAKE ONE MORE TRIP AND THEN STAY WITH HER AND RUN THAT PART OF THE BUSINESS.?  BUT IT WAS NOT TO BE.?  WHEN HE WAS RETURNING A HURRICANE CAUGHT HIS SHIP JUST OFF THE COAST OF MISSISSIPPI PUSHING IT ON SHORE.?  THE HURRICANE BROKE THE SHIP APART DROWNING ALL HANDS ABOARD.

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FOR TEN YEARS DORIS REMAINED SINGLE AND KEPT RUNNING THE BUSINESS SHE HAD INHERITED.?  SHE WAS BECOMING A RICH LADY.?  THEN SHE MARRIED HUSBAND NUMBER TWO.?  HE WAS ONE OF THE CAPTAINS OF HER REMAINING THREE SHIPS.?  BUT SHE DIDN??™T GO TO SEA WITH HIM.?  SHE STAYED IN NEW ORLEANS AND CONTINUED TO RUN HER BUSINESS.

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ONE DAY AFTER FIVE YEARS OF MARRIAGE THE POLICE KNOCKED ON HER DOOR AND TOLD HER THAT THE BODY OF HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN FOUND ON THE DOCKS WITH A NOTE PINNED TO HIS COAT.?  THE NOTE SAID, ???THANKS FOR THE SHIP.????  HIS SHIP WAS GONE FROM THE DOCK.?  IT WAS DECIDED THAT PIRATES HAD KILLED HIM AND TOOK THE SHIP.?  DORIS DECIDED SHE HAD ENOUGH OF NEW ORLEANS AND BOARDED UP HER HOUSE, SOLD HER TWO REMAINING SHIPS?  AND WENT UP RIVER TO ST. LOUIS ON A PADDLE WHEELER AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY RAIL ROAD TO NEW YORK CITY.?  BY NOW SHE WAS VERY RICH.

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WHEN DORIS REACHED NEW YORK CITY, SHE LOOKED UP A REAL ESTATE AGENT AND RENTED A VERY NICE HOUSE.?  THE REAL ESTATE AGENT WOULD COME BY EACH MONTH FOR THE RENT AND THEY BECAME WELL ACQUAINTED.?  AFTER SIX MONTHS THE AGENT ASKED DORIS OUT AND SHE ACCEPTED.?  DORIS LEARNED THAT THE MAN HAD BEEN BUYING UP A LOT OF PROPERTY IN NEW YORK AND RENTING IT TO PEOPLE.?  HE HAD BEEN DOING THIS FOR SOME YEARS NOW AND HE WAS WELL OFF MONEY WISE.

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IN SIX MORE MONTHS THE AGENT BECAME HUSBAND NUMBER THREE.?  DORIS WOULD MAKE THE ROUNDS WITH HIM TO COLLECT THE RENT AND THAT WAY SHE MEET LOTS OF PEOPLE.?  THAT TIME DORIS WAS MARRIED A YEAR BEFORE SHE WAS WIDOWED AGAIN.?  HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN ON TOP OF A FOUR STORY BUILDING HE WAS HAVING CONSTRUCTED AND SOME SCAFFOLDING BROKE AND HE FELL FOUR STORIES KILLING HIM.

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THIS LEFT DORIS FILTHY RICH.?  SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH SHE WAS WORTH.?  SHE CONTINUED TO MAKE THE ROUNDS AND COLLECT THE RENT.?  THIS IS THE WAY SHE MET HER FOURTH HUSBAND.?  HE WAS A DIAMOND MERCHANT RENTING ONE OF HER BUILDING.?  HE OFTEN PAID HIS RENT WITH DIAMONDS.?  DORIS WENT TO A BANK THAT WAS IN ONE OF HER BUILDING AND GOT A SAFETY BOX TO KEEP HER DIAMONDS IN.

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ONE EVENING DORIS GOT A CALL FROM THE DIAMOND MERCHANT INVITING HER TO SUPPER (ONLY HE CALLED IT DINNER).?  WELL ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND THE DIAMOND MERCHANT WOUND UP BEING HUSBAND NUMBER FOUR.

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THREE MONTHS AFTER THEY WERE MARRIED THE DIAMOND MERCHANT WAS ROBBED.?  WHEN THE ROBBERS TOLD HIM TO OPEN HE??™S SAFE OR THEY WOULD KILL HIM.?  DORIS??™S HUSBAND SAID THEY MIGHT AS WELL SHOOT THEN BECAUSE HE WOULD NEVER GIVE UP HIS PRECIOUS STONES.?  THEY SHOT AND KILLED HIM AND RAN FROM THE BUILDING WITHOUT GETTING ANYTHING.

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DORIS SAID THIS WAS TO MUCH FOR HER.?  SHE WAS READY TO SHAKE THE DUST OFF HER FEET AND LEAVE NEW YORK CITY.?  DORIS MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HER BANK TO COLLECT RENT AND PUT IT IN HER ACCOUNT.?  SHE HAD THE DIAMOND SAFE MOVED TO THE BANK.?  OH, BY THAT TIME SHE HAD BOUGHT THE BANK.

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WHEN ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS HAD BEEN MAKE SHE WENT BACK TO HER HOME IN NEW ORLEANS.?  A FEW MONTHS LATER DORIS BECAME INVOLVED IN THE SOCIAL LIFE OF NEW ORLEANS AND THAT IS HOW SHE MET ZOCK.?  A FRENCHMAN FROM PARIS, THAT HAD COME TO THE STATES TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE.?  HE HAD A 20,000 ACRE PLANTATION ON THE BANK OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 20 MILES ABOVE NEW ORLEANS.?  HE OWNED 1,000 SLAVES AND HAD A BIG TWO STORY ANTEBELLUM HOME ON HIS PLANTATION.

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ZOCK LOVED TO ENTERTAIN AT HIS HOME.?  HE HAD A SMALL FLEET OF BOATS THAT WOULD CARRY HIS COTTON DOWN TO THE DOCKS IN NEW ORLEANS.?  HE HAD HIS OWN DOCKS BESIDE HIS PLANTATION.?  EVERY SO OFTEN HE WOULD SEND ONE OF HIS BOATS DOWN TO NEW ORLEANS AND ALL THE SOCIETY OF NEW ORLEANS WOULD BOARD IT, TO BE CARRIED TO HIS PLANTATION FOR A WEEK END OF ENTERTAINMENT.

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OK, THAT??™S HOW DORIS MET HER FIFTH HUSBAND.?  SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE WEEKEND GUEST AND A WHILE LATER ZOCK PROPOSED AND DORIS ACCEPTED.?  THE TIME AND DATE OF THE WEDDING WAS SET AND PREPARATIONS WERE MADE.?  THE WEDDING WAS TO BE HELD AT ZOCK??™S HOME AT 11 O??™CLOCK IN THE MORNING.?  ON THE APPOINTED DAY OVER 200 GUEST WERE ASSEMBLED ON THE LAWN IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

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THIS IS WHERE THE CEREMONY WOULD TAKE PLACE.? ?  THERE WERE BOTTLES AND BOTTLES OF CHAMPAIGN READY FOR TOASTS AFTER THE WEDDIBG VOWS HAD BEEN TAKEN.?  AFTER THE ???I DO??™S??? WERE SAID THE BRIDE AND GROOM WERE TOASTED SO MANY TIMES THAT EVERY ONE HAD DRANK A FULL BOTTLE OF CHAMPAIGN.

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ZOCK WAS ABOUT TO TAKE HIS BRIDE INTO THE HOUSE WHEN HE OVERHEARD ONE OF THE GUEST MAKE A REMARK ABOUT HIS NEW WIFE BEING A GOLD DIGGER.?  ZOCK IMMEDIATELY STEP OVER AND SLAPPED THE MAN ACROSS THE FACE WITH HIS CLOVES.?  WELL IN NEW ORLEANS THE WAS A CHALLENGE TO A DUEL.?  A SET OF DUELING PISTOLS WAS BROUGHT FROM THE HOUSE AND THE TWO MEN STOOD BACK TO BACK, EACH WALKED TEN PACES, TURNED AND FIRED.

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BOTH THEIR AIMS WERE TRUE AND THEY BOTH FELL DEAD.?  ???THAT IS THE WAY I LOST MY FIFTH HUSBAND.?  I DECIDED THAT BEING MARRIED JUST WASN??™T MEANT FOR ME AND I TOOK AN OATH THAT I WOULD NEVER MARRY AGAIN.?  I SOLD THE SLAVES, LAND AND RIVER BOATS.?  I ONLY KEPT 20 ACRES AROUND MY HOME AND 8 HOUSE SLAVES TO KEEP UP THE HOUSE AND STABLES.???

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???I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE BUT I??™M GOING TO SPEND AS MUCH OF IT AS I CAN BEFORE I DIE.?  I??™M ON THIS SHIP TO ST. LOUIS AND FROM THERE I??™LL TAKE THE TRAIN TO NEW YORK CITY.?  A WEEK AFTER I GET TO NEW YORK I??™LL BOARD A SHIP FOR EUROPE.???

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???NOW CLARA, YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOU AND LOREN.???

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CLARA WRITES;

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MY GOODNESS, DORIS, YOU HAVE HAD AN EXCITING LIFE.?  MINE PALES BY COMPARISON.?  I AM JUST A SEAMSTRESS WHO ENJOYS CREATING BEAUTIFUL THINGS.?  I AM AN ONLY CHILD WHOSE PARENTS BOUGHT A FARM NEAR LOREN'S RANCH.?  THAT IS HOW WE MET.?  WE LIVE IN TEXAS, AS YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.?  LOREN RAISES COWS AND SELLS THEM.?  IT'S A LONG WAY FROM ANY TOWNS.?  WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORKING AND I'VE NOT BEEN TO MANY PLACES.?  I'VE NEVER DONE MUCH THAT WAS EXCITING OR EVEN WORTHY OF MENTIONING.?  YOU AND LOREN SHOULD HAVE LOTS TO TALK ABOUT AS HE WAS IN THE BOAT BUSINESS TOO.

LOREN THEN TOLD HOW HE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE BUSINESS THROUGH GAMBLING AND WINNING A BOAT.?  DORIS LOOKED SURPRISED.?  "LOREN I WOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN YOU TO BE A GAMBLER" SHE SAID.? 

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"I'M REALLY NOT MUCH OF A GAMBLER.?  JUST HIT
A LUCKY STREAK AT THE RIGHT TIME."

DORIS WAS TWISTING THE BRACELET ON HER WRIST.?  "TIMING IS EVERYTHING, ISN'T IT??  WE WOULD NOT HAVE MET IF THE TIMING WASN'T RIGHT, WOULD WE? DO YOU TWO BELIEVE IN FATE??  I?  THINK THERE IS A PURPOSE TO ALL THINGS WE DO.????  DORIS CHANGED THE SUBJECT BY
ASKING LOREN IF SHE COULD TAG ALONG WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT NATCHEZ.?  NATURALLY LOREN REPLIED THAT HE WAS GOING TO ASK HER IF SHE WANTED TO GO WITH THEM.

LOREN WRITES:

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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 ROMAN ABOUT HER AND LOREN??™S MARRIAGE..?  THEN THEY WONDERED AROUND TOWN FOR AN HOUR WITHOUT SEEING MUCH THAT EXCITED THEIR CURIOSITY, SO WENT BACK TO THE SHIP FOR LUNCH AND A SIESTA.

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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.

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