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"For Nora’s sake"

The attorney’s statement made Nora blush and protest, but Travis was pleased that Garrison had been concerned about her welfare

Fixing Travis with a ather you did quite well in real estate before you sold your business"

"I did all right," Travis confir with Nora’s father, trying to ht impression

’Very well," Garrison said "And I also hear you’ve invested the profits rather well"

"I’, Garrison said, "I also hear you’re a good, reliable man with more than your share of kindness"

It was Travis’s turn to blush He shrugged

To Nora, Garrison said, "Dear, I’hted for you, happier than I can say"

"Thank you" Nora favored Travis with a loving, radiant look that made him want to knock on wood for the first time all day

Because they intended to take a honey, Nora did not want to have to rush back to Santa Barbara in the event her real-estate agent found a taker for Violet Devon’s house She asked Garrison Dilworth to draw up a power of attorney, giving him authority to handle all aspects of such a sale in her na her absence This was done in less than half an hour, signed and witnessed After another round of congratulations and best wishes, they were on their way to buy a travel trailer

They intended to take Einstein with theas but on the honeyht not always be easy where they were going, so it was prudent to take a motel-on-wheels with them Furthermore, neither Travis nor Nora could have made love with the retriever in the sa another person there," Nora said, blushing as bright as a well-polished apple Staying in motels, they would have to rent two rooms-one for them and one for Einstein-which seemed too aard

By four o’clock, they found what they were looking for: a middle-size, silvery, Quonset-shaped Airstrea rooht, they could leave Einstein in the front of the trailer and close the bedroom door after themselves Because Travis’s pickup was already equipped with a good trailer hitch, they were able to hook the Airstream to the rear bumper and haul it with the in the pickup between Travis and Nora, kept craning his head around to look out the backat the gleaenuity of humankind

They shopped for trailer curtains, plastic dishes and drinking glasses, food hich to stock the kitchenette cabinets, and a host of other items they needed before they hit the road By the time they returned to Nora’s house and cooked o For once there was nothing smartass about Einstein’s yawns; he was just tired

That night, at home in his own bed, Travis slept the deep, deep sleep of ancient petrified trees and dinosaur fossils The dreahts were not repeated

Saturday as and to hways on which they would be comfortable with the trailer, they took Route 101 south and then east until it became Route 134, which they followed until it becaeles and its suburbs to the south of theeles National Forest to the north Later, on the vast Mojave Desert, Nora was thrilled by the barren yet hauntingly beautiful panoramas of sand, stone, tumbleweed, mesquite, Joshua trees, and other cacti The world, she said, suddenly seeer than she had ever realized, and Travis took pleasure in her bedazzle pit stop in that enorrounds by three that afternoon Frank and Mae Jordan, the ed couple in the next ca with their pet, a black Labrador named Jack

To Travis’s and Nora’s surprise, Einstein had a terrific ti with Jack They chased each other around the trailers, took playful nips at each other, tangled and tuain Frank Jordan tossed a red rubber ball for the to be the chaet the ball away fro as possible Travis was exhausted just watching the in the world, the s of all time, a phenomenon, aSoot this fact, but he was char to reers and corn on the cob with the Jordans, and after downing a couple of beers in the clear desert night, they said goodbye to the Salt Lakers, and Einstein seeoodbye to Jack Inside the Airstream, Travis patted Einstein on the head and told hi cocked his head, staring at Travis as if to ask what the devil heabout, fur face"

"I know, too," Nora said She hugged the dog "When you were playing games with Jack, you could have made a fool of him if you’d wanted to, but you let hirinned happily

After one last nightcap, Nora took the bedroo roo with her, and perhaps she had considered allowing hi was less than four days away God knew, Travis wanted her And although she surely suffered slightly with a virgin’s fear, she wanted hi each other and kissing more often-and more intiy But why not do things right and proper since they were so close to the day? Why not go to their in to everyone, he to her?

That night, Travis dreamed that Nora and Einstein were lost in the desolate reaches of the Mojave In the drealess, forced to search for thely slohich was bad because he knew that, wherever they were, they were under attack bysoas, they prepared for the wedding, watched Einstein playing enthusiastically with other cas, and took side trips to Charleston Peak and Lake Mead In the evenings, Nora and Travis left Einstein with his books while they went to stage shows Travis felt guilty about leaving the retriever alone, but by various means Einstein indicated that he did not want them to stay at the trailer merely because the Strip hotels were so prejudiced and shortsighted as to refuse to alloell-behaved genius dogs into the casinos and showroo, Travis dressed in a tuxedo, and Nora wore a sith white dress with spare lace trim at the cuffs and neckline With

Einstein between the the unhitched Airstrearounds

The nondenominational, commercial chapel was the funniest place Travis had ever seen, for the design was earnestly roht it was hilarious, too, and upon entering they had trouble suppressing their laughter The chapel was tucked in aas Boulevard South It was only the size of a one-story house, pale-pink stucco hite doors Engraved in brass above the doors was the legend YE SHALL GO TWO BY TWOInstead of depicting religious iarishly rendered scenes fro Romeo and Juliet, Abelard and Heloise, Aucassin and Nicolette, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca-and, unbelievably, I Love Lucy and Ozzie & Harriet

Curiously, the tackiness did not deflate their buoyant eous chapel was to be prized, reaudy detail to be vividly recalled over the years, and always to be recalled fondly because it was their chapel on their day and therefore special in its own strange way

Dogs were not ordinarily adenerously tipped the entire staff in advance to insure that Einstein would not only be allowed inside but would be made to feel as welcome as anyone