"Museum of the Year 1912 Association insiders say the members of the Executive Board of the Museum Corporation traded barbs over the motives of each other last night. Association president Wallace Barrow and Vice President Richard Cunningham said both wanted to be Board Chairman. As a means of forcing the issue, Cunningham distributed a release to the media saying why he should be President and why Barrow should not. Barrow charged Cunningham with 'grandstanding' to impugn his character, casting doubt regarding his ability to serve as Association President.

"In related news, the President of The Friends of the Museum Association, Nicholas Wentworth, has announced his group's plan to begin raising money from private and public contributions for the express purpose of building a new Museum of the Year 1912 in the town. Association President Wallace Barrow last night said he did not think such money could be raised, nor does he believe the money could be legally 'transferred' to the Town for the building of a new museum. He warned the Friends organization against any such fund-raising effort. 'If they intend to go ahead with this,' Association Vice President Richard Cunningham warned, 'they had better have their ducks in a row, and all the proper papers, including a soliciting permit.'

"Executive Committe member Carla Spagnoli expressed concern about the proposal that T-shirts could be sold at the Museum. 'There is concern all around,' she noted, 'about the words and/or picture to appear on the T-shirts. The Executive Committee wants to see the final design for the Friends' T-shirts, and to have the final say before any are printed'."

The Wrights celebrated the Fourth of July at the Town Picnic held in Camperdene's Central Park. At night, the fireworks flew. Songs were sung, and dances danced. Jillian was as happy as a cat in a dairy. Curious and perplexed, Mark was like bread in soup, soaking it up. On the fifth of July, the Wrights signed papers, purchasing a house -- the 1912 Craftsman bungalow Minna had set her heart on. The Wrights moved into their new home in mid-August.

Once moved into their new digs, the four slept together, that first night, in a new, enormous family bed. Jillian got up first in the morning, out and about exploring the house. Mark stayed in bed, snuggling close to his parents, demanding stories be read. He wrapped his arms around his mom, wearing a blue-and-white-striped one-piece bathing suit. "Do you like my nightclothes?" she asked. "Yes, mom," Mark said. "And your meat and bones and loving heart." Jillian re-emerged in the room, cooing "foo-foo" and "Bee-o Bye-o." Her trademark expression was "new-o" ("no"). Jillian had her own language. To anything anybody asked, she answered, "New-o." In bed that morning, Neil tried to trick her. She was on a "new-o" streak, so Neil snuck in the question: "Have you ever met a better daddy?" Jillian paused, looked at Neil intently, and said "uh-oh."

On the following hot August night, with the two kids tucked into their own beds, Minna took Neil by the hand and led him out to the garden, where she pulled him down to her and caused them both considerable ecstacy. Standing out back of the house holding hands, they looked at the full moon a long while, then went back into their house to check on their children. Jillian had awoken and was crying. Minna tried to calm her -- to no avail. Neil moved a stack of boxes from a chair and sat down. He listened and waited. Minna came down discouraged. "I give up," she said. Jillian was still crying. Neil recommended Minna let Jillian come downstairs, and the father read to his daughter from a book about gardens. She listened intently, then wandered around the disheveled house. Finally -- satiated, exhausted -- she was ready for sleep. They all three went up to bed together.

Merriment filled the house and yard and neighborhood all the next day. Friends of the Museum President Nick Wentworth had organized a surprise housewarming party for the Wrights. He brought along a friend, Cal Winston, an Oriental Classics scholar who sang Oklahoma cowboy songs. After several bottles of good ale, Nick broke out in a song of his own, singing to the people, yes, Build bridges, people! Build bridges!" He meant to build a bridge between the Corporation and the appointed Board; between the Board and the staff; between the Board and the Friends of the Museum organization.

The Friends of the Museum were scheduled to meet with the Executive Committee of the Museum Association the next evening, but a furious August storm arose, with a hurricane warning. The winds were high; rain poured down; the library windows were rattling. At half past eleven, Neil got a call from the new acting Mayor, Martha Stronski, who told him that all non-essential town employees should go home. Neil insisted it was essential to him, after all he'd been through, having fought so hard for so many months to remain at the helm of the museum, to stay -- to not leave the museum in the middle of the day, even with a hurricane approaching. "Neil," Martha Stronski said, "admit it. A museum curator is not essential in a hurricane."

Neil secured the museum and went home. While the storm raged around them, the Wrights unpacked boxes, settling further into their new home. In the evening, Neil picked up that day's Camperdene Daily Journal. There was an article on page three illuminating "The Tenth Anniversary of the Temple of The Ordo Templi Anodopetalum."

Alice Armour Armstrong noted there hadn't been much talk in advance about the reason for this gathering, "and there was no speech-making, nor reminiscing at their secret dinner, touted as a Celebration for their Beloved Building's Tenth anniversary," she reported. "The order's collections -- secret papers, precious jewels, medallions that members of the Higher Orders wear around their necks during meetings -- were all housed far away from admiring eyes, in a heavy wooden chest. Wallace Barrow, four-time Past Master, said the notion of secrets dates back to the building of the Egyptian pyramids. This place where local members of The Ordo Templi Anodopetalum meet is the Templi -- the Temple. Past Master Barrow told the Camperdene Daily Journal that the fraternal organization dates back to the building of the Temple of King Solomon. When asked why there was so much secrecy around the celebration tonight, Barrow leaned in close to this reporter and offered: 'Ours is not a secret group. We are, however, a group with certain secrets'."