text: "Just this way, Miss Milburn," Ames said. They walked into a large concrete vault, and all of the books were stored on shelves, but the very expensive books were stored flat in separate cases. "Any book that we deemed to be worth more than a thousand dollars is stored separately in a flat container," Ames said. "Those are the ones I'd think you'll want to see and handle."
  
  "How many of those are there?" Astrid asked.
  
  "If I remember right, there were 45 of them when we evaluated them 20 years ago, but there may be more now."
  
  "What's the whole collection worth?" Astrid asked.
  
  "At auction, could be $200,000 or more," Ames said. "It's hard to say what the auction price might be. Depends on how much the museums want the books. We may also get some rich, private investors who'll want to buy. We've got a list, and we'll invite them all. I think we'll get at least $20,000 for the Gutenberg Bible, and maybe the same for the Audubon collection."
  
  Astrid and Grit spent several hours viewing the books and tenderly turning the pages. "It's hard to let these treasures go, but it would be better if they were preserved by professionals in a museum." She told Ames to go ahead and set up the auction.
  
  Outside, Astrid asked, "Papa, do you think I could go to San Francisco? I've always wanted to go."
  
  Grit laughed, "You've got enough money to go anywhere you want, San Francisco or anywhere else, all thanks to your grandfather."
  
  "I'll want to make sure that Samuel is taken care of, even after you and Mama may be gone," she said.
  
  "Don't worry about that," Grit said. "Your grandfather left enough money for all the rest of the children too. They'll get about what you got, not including the books, of course. Samuel will be well-provided for. Your grandfather saw to it."
  
  "That's good to know, Papa, but I want to ease your mind about Samuel. Even after you're gone, I'll make sure Samuel is treated well and taken care of properly."
  
  "I'm glad to have you as my partner, Astrid," Papa whispered. "Don't ever let anybody put Samuel in an institution where there's no love. He'd wither and die."
  
  When they got back to Lincoln, Astrid asked again about San Francisco, and Grit said, "Well, I'd worry about you if you went by yourself. How about if you and Mama go together and enjoy a coupla weeks in California all to yourselves. Go to plays and take boat rides and do everything possible out there. It'll be a lot more fun if there's the two of you."
  
  "Really?"
  
  "Yep, Mama deserves it and so do you."
  
  When Colleen heard about it, she was ecstatic. "Oh my, I don't have anything to wear."
  
  "Oh, you do too," Astrid said. Then she giggled and said, "Besides that, Mama, we can buy the latest styles in San Francisco."
  
  Before they left, Grit gave each of them a thousand dollars with only one instruction, "Have fun, and if you need more money, send me a telegram, and I'll wire it right out to you. Don't hesitate to do anything your hearts desire, and if you wanna stay more than two weeks, just give me a phone call and let me know."
  
  The Milburn women enjoyed a glorious three weeks in California, taking in the sights and traveling by train and buggy up and down the coast. They attended plays and concerts and took day trips on the train to visit two vineyards in Sonoma Valley. Both got a little tipsy from sampling the wine and giggled all the way back to town.
  
  When Colleen got back to Lincoln, she couldn't stop talking about all the fun they'd had, and it seemed to Grit as if she were rejuvenated. She had several new dresses and women's suits which she wore to social events around town, and seemed a different person, making Grit happy he'd suggested she go.
  
  Finally, toward the middle of 1897, things began to get back to normal with the local and national economies, and sales increased at the lumber yard enough to pay regular wages to the men who'd remained on the payroll.
  
  When Rory graduated, he took a job with the First National Bank of Omaha and within a year was an assistant cashier. When Luke graduated the whole family went to the ceremony thinking it would be the last one they'd ever attend. Luke had a degree in business and had been hired prior to graduation by the Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska with headquarters in Omaha. Of course, it wasn't the last one the family attended. They also saw each of Uncle Paulie's four children graduate from college.
  
  After graduating, Luke said, "Well, Papa, you've sent five of us to college. Maybe it's time for you to go too. Samuel heard it and looked over at his Papa, wondering if he'd finally be all alone as the only one not a college graduate.
  
  "No, Luke, I'm not cut out for that." He winked at Samuel and said, "Samuel and I are proud to be surrounded by all you college graduates, but we're just workers. Aren't we, Samuel?"
  
  Samuel smiled and said, "Yeah Papa. Just workers, you and me."