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38. Perennials
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>38. Perennials So much happened in Austin during the three weeks they were gone on vacation, Camille felt as if she were returning to another life.Thomas picked them up from the train station and told them a violent storm had blown through town the week before with winds so high, the damage had been severe throughout town. He also said oil had been struck on the university’s West Texas holdings where Renfrow Kimbrough had calculated.The Santa Rita Number One well had already produced so many barrels of oil that the University of Texas was predicted to become the richest college in the world within the next year. When they arrived home, Thomas helped them carry their baggage and inspect their home for storm damage.The house itself was fine, but high winds had razed some of the backyard.The trellis had been lifted out of the ground, blown across the lawn, and smashed against the back fence. The Madame George Staechelin roses were severely damaged,and the Kathryn Morley English rose bush had been completely uprooted. Brooks said he’d arrange to have another trellis made, but after looking around the yard as the sun fell behind the trees, Camille decided she preferred the way the yard looked without the extra clutter. Then Thomas told them the biggest news of all. The week before, Eveline’s mother had suffered a severe stroke. Eveline had left to travel up the Atlantic Seaboard to help 318 care for her. Camille expressed her concern and extended an open dinner invitation to Thomas. He came over almost every night for a month; then she didn’t see him at all for about a week.When he came back one evening in midsummer , he confided to her that Eveline had sent him a letter to report her mother’s condition had improved, but she had decided to stay in Boston permanently.Though he was upset, he didn’t seem surprised. Things hadn’t been the same between them since he’d suggested they adopt a child. Her husband’s new fame didn’t deter Jewel Kimbrough from accomplishing her latest civic goal. She prevailed upon her son’s influence in St. Louis to contract a nationally known attorney. A month after he arrived in Austin, Durwood Jones was tried and convicted on several accounts of assault.After Morgan’s testimony and several of Durwood’s untimely outbreaks throughout the legal process, the judge pronounced him violently insane. He finally gained admittance to the crossroom at the lunatic asylum and never came out again. Morgan sold the smelly old mansion between the university and the capitol and bought a charming new home in Tarrytown. Camille, Coral, Brooks, and Thomas helped her move and get settled, after which Thomas had dinner at Morgan’s house almost every night. For the rest of the summer, Camille and Coral helped Morgan decorate her new home and start a cutting garden in her backyard. Morgan developed an interest in making scented candles, so they spent several days experimenting with wax melting methods and different combinations of additives , including flower petals, leaves, oils, and extracts. Camille taught Morgan to drive Durwood’s sports coupe.They took several outings each week for lunch, shopping, and to research their business plan. 319 Perennials [3.239.149.56] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 06:09 GMT) Brooks decided it wouldn’t do for Morgan to have her own car while Camille didn’t, so he announced his plans to buy himself a sporty new 1924 Renault Torpedo and to give her the Cadillac. She explained to him the Cadillac wasn’t really her style and how much she had admired the looks of the new 1924 Chryslers. After much discussion, they took several trips to the Chrysler dealership and ordered one to be delivered on Camille’s thirty-third birthday. Daisy started the first grade. Margery Rose’s days were long without her, but they picked Daisy up in Morgan’s car every afternoon, and after she finished her spelling and sums, she spent the remainder of the afternoon working in the gardens and playing with Margery Rose.Daisy manifested a natural talent in floral arranging and took to making small wreaths and garlands. As she worked, she taught Margery Rose to trim stems and braid ribbon. Margery Rose also took pride in her ability to dust furniture and sweep floors with her toy broom. She fussed around the house while...