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met her at the University of Wash.
    I was very sad about the middle of November. John’s brother Ralph had a heart attack. He lived just a few days and passed away. We got two cute cards to send him at the Veterans’ Hospital in Walla Walla and had some pictures for him too but he died before I got them there. He was still Catholic so they hada rosary and mass. I couldn’t go as I was low on money. He was like a brother to me all these years. He was up to Davenport in August and helped Walter do some painting. He got diabetes and I know that he had been doctoring. Walter and Helen and families went to Walla Walla for the funeral. On the way home they got about twenty miles from Walla Walla and Walter had a heart attack at the wheel. Mike took over (he is eighteen now) and they took Walter to the hospital. He didn’t have any heart damage. The electric card-o-graph showed the old arteries ruptured and the new ones took over. I told you he had heart surgery a year ago, I believe. Had he not had the operation he would have died on the spot. We had two heart attacks within two weeks in the family and you can imagine how upset I was—after going through it with John. The Walla Walla heart doctors who did the surgery seem to think he is getting along okay Doris (John’s sister) isn’t very well her blood pressure went high and she had chest pains from the strain of it all. Wish I could go visit them. I haven’t been to Walla Walla for six years or Davenport.
    Guess you think this is some letter with all the bad news. I am just getting over a virus. It started in my stomach and then I got a sore throat I lost my voice and it hit my lungs and I nearly had pneumonia for a week or two. I have been several weeks getting over the bronchial cough and cold. I had been planning to write for several weeks. I felt pretty bum.
    Donald took Gloria on a long trip in August she was gone all month. She was in Wash., Idaho, Montana, Yellowstone, S. Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee (saw Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis), New Orleans, Texas, Dallas, New Mexico (saw the Carlsbad Caverns), Nevada, Las Vegas, Reno, Northern Calif., Ore., and home. They stayed at motels with pools and TV and she had the time of her life. We sure missed her though. She and Julie both had mumps this summer.
    Do you ever hear from any of the Bureau of Reclamation people or from the Corps of Engineers? Think of some often.Heard “If I Loved You” and “Stranger in Paradise” yesterday, war songs. Thought of Mitch. I have never got over that.
    Wish you could come over sometime would love to see you. Don’t think I thanked you for the lovely fruitcake. It sure was nice to have and I use the tin for a cookie jar.
    Love,

Klamath Falls
    M ark stood up and held out his hand. The car was a pickup, dull red with a camper on the back. An old man was driving, no one else with him. Bill sat down and watched. Mark was waving his arm up and down. The pickup went past, then slowed, the red brake lights flashing on, off.
    â€œLet’s go, man,” Mark said, grabbing his pack. He started running.
    Bill got up, taking his pack through one of the loops. He ran halfway, then slowed to a walk. Nosed over on the shoulder, the pickup was running, its tail end sticking out on the highway. Mark was at the cab opening the door.
    â€œMorning,” Bill heard Mark say. “How far you going?”
    â€œMorning,” came the answer.
    Bill walked up behind Mark. The driver looked at him.
    â€œWhere you boys going?”
    â€œK. Falls,” Mark said.
    â€œThe both of you?”
    â€œRight,” Mark said.
    â€œWell, that’s just fine. Hop on in.”
    â€œYou going up there?” Bill said.
    â€œUp near there.”
    â€œGreat,” Mark said. He stepped on the running board and swung in, sliding across the seat.
    â€œC’mon, man,” he said to Bill.
    Bill climbed up and got in,