Chapter 38
John Weston
Haley listened intently as Claude began to tell the story of how he met John Weston, his wife Noreen, and their son, J. Alfred.
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J. Alfred’s father (John Weston) married Noreen Manning while attending Yale University. After Pearl Habor was attacked in 1942, John was recruited by the Air Force. He shipped out shortly after the birth of his son John Alfred Jr. (J. Alfred).
John returned from military service in 1946 to continue his education. While he was reading one of his favorite mystery magazines, he came across a quote from Woodrow Wilson regarding the Federal Reserve Act.
“I have unwittingly ruined my country…no longer a Government by conviction and by the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.”
A widely-held theory speculated that a few bankers had orchestrated the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 as a way to take control of the United States money supply.
John’s favorite hobby was debunking conspiracy theories. Based on President Wilson’s quote, he decided the allegations were serious enough to merit an investigation. He had uncovered significant information by the summer of 1947, but John’s part-time job, academic studies, and family responsibilities limited the time he could devote to the inquiry. Both John and Noreen needed a vacation.
John’s Academic Advisor was Professor Arthur Wilson. Claude had seen him at conferences and read several of his books. Professor Wilson appeared to be a man worthy of trust. Claude mailed him a package with relics, but kept the location of the archaeological site secret. He requested a meeting with the professor at the Archbold Biological Station. Claude hoped to convince the school to fund an exploratory dig without providing any additional information.
Even though the artifacts looked genuine, the lack of information made the professor suspicious. There was no way he could spare the time, and the University would be reluctant to fund even a minor expedition so soon after the war. Professor Wilson decided to send a student on an informal low-cost fact finding mission. He chose John Weston.
John and Noreen jumped at the chance to take a working vacation to Florida with the University picking up most of the tab. As a bonus, they would be driving down in a 1946 Ford coupe. It was a surprise gift for the professor’s brother Jimmy who had been assigned to the Air Technical Service Command at Hendricks Field outside of Sebring.
“What’s the name of this place we’re going?” Noreen asked John.
“Sebring, it’s where a lot of rich and famous people go in the winter. We will drive down in style and ride back on the train. Professor Wilson said we can stay in a grand hotel, the Kenilworth Lodge. We might even see some celebrities.”
Noreen seemed unimpressed, telling John, “Never heard of it, but if Professor Wilson says it’s nice, I will take his word for it.”
John spent the next few weeks planning the trip. He scheduled a leisurely detour down the west coast of Florida to Tampa, then across to Sebring. The professor gave him phone numbers for the Archbold Biological Station and his brother Jimmy.
The drive was exciting at first, but after two days the Ford coupe’s soft luxurious seats felt more like hard wooden pews in the church of eternal discomfort. Even though Noreen and little Alfred were both irritable following a sleepless night at a roadside motel in Valdosta, Georgia; John was determined to stay on his planned route. They continued down the west coast of Florida.
It was the last week of October, but the heat was relentless. There was no air conditioning and only a few signs of civilization had been seen for hours. As they traveled south on Highway 19, two pretty girls in bathing suits appeared along the roadside like a mirage. They were waiving at cars as they passed.
Noreen was startled and thought the girls needed help, but no excuse was necessary for John to pull into the parking lot. He wanted a break and something to revive their hot, tedious vacation.
The family had arrived at the recently opened Weeki Wachee Springs roadside attraction. John bought three cherry snow cones and they munched on the refreshing delicacies while enjoying the mermaids’ underwater ballet. The subsurface theater was dark and cool. Little Alfred’s eyes were open wide as he imagined the endless possibilities of the beautiful women in a strange sunken world.
The exquisite creature swam effortlessly through the cool clear water. Her hair flowed gently behind, like a shimmering waterfall within a blue ocean. Her gaze met his, and her smile made him tremble. His outstretched hand tried to touch her…
“Alfred! Come sit down. Other people can’t see the show,” Noreen pleaded.
“Oh Mom! Please! I’m not hurting anything!” Alfred responded.
“He isn’t bothering us,” said a middle-aged woman sitting near Alfred. He was practically glued to the clear wall of the small underwater theatre.
“Well O.K., but stay there and be quiet,” Noreen admonished.
The unexpected stop revived the family’s outlook. They relaxed, cooled off, and Alfred’s imagination kept him quiet for the rest of the day.
The afternoon went smoothly until they arrived at the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring. Professor Wilson didn’t mention that it was a winter-only resort that didn’t open until after Christmas. John and Noreen were disappointed, but were told a room was available at the local Sebring Hotel.
John decided to call his contact phone number before checking in. A young woman’s voice answered. “Hello, Archbold Biological Station. May I help you?”
“‘Yes, this is John Weston from Yale University. I’m trying to get in touch with Claude Gautier.”
“Oh yes Mr. Weston, Mr. Gautier is away for the afternoon. He asked me to let you know that Mr. Archbold has invited you to stay here on the Station.”
“Well that’s very kind of him, but my wife and son are with me. I’m hoping to find a room at the Sebring Hotel. It may be a little more comfortable than roughing it on the station.”
The woman laughed. “You won’t be roughing it at the Roebling Estate. It’s a beautiful home with lovely gardens and peaceful trails to explore. We would love to have your family stay with us. And I would be more than happy to show your wife and son around the area while you and Mr. Gautier are working.”
John covered the phone with his hand. “They want us to stay at their rambling estate, is that O.K.?” he whispered to Noreen.
She whispered, “La-di-da,” then smiled. “O.K.”
“We will accept if we can find a way to get there. Our car is a loaner that we are delivering to Hendricks Field for a friend.”
“Do you mean the Sebring Air Terminal?”
“No, I was told Hendricks Field.”
The young woman laughed again. “Well, unless you have a time machine, it will be the Sebring Air Terminal. Hendricks Field was closed two years ago.”
John was silent for a moment. He was wondering, what else could go wrong? He responded, “I may need to call you back.”
“Don’t worry about a thing Mr. Weston. We will be expecting you. If you need a ride just call; I will send a car.”
Professor Wilson either forgot or was not aware of the Army air field transfer to civilian control. He didn’t tell his brother about the car either. It was a surprise.
The confusion about the hotel and the air field left John wondering what to do next. He called professor Wilson’s brother and they agreed to meet at the entrance to the air terminal.
“She’s a real beaut,” Jimmy said, referring to the Ford coupe. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you bringing her to me. I’m sorry for the confusion, but for a college professor, my brother can be a little scatterbrained. I want to drive you to the Biological Station; it’s the least I can do.”
John accepted Jimmy’s offer and in less than an hour they were approaching Archbold. The first thing they noticed was a tall water tank. It looked large enough to serve a small town. The residence looked mo
re like a hotel than a house, and the landscaping was simple scrub with a few scattered pines trees.
Where were the beautiful gardens? Noreen wondered.
It was impressive in size, but most of the buildings had loading bays like some type of industrial complex.
“Oh my, this isn’t what I was expecting,” Noreen said as she peered at the rugged landscape.
“Well it is a biological research station honey. I’m sure the inside is nice.” John said, trying to reassure her.
It was slightly past 6 p.m. when they pulled up to the residence. A very short dark-skinned woman greeted them. She looked to be no more than eighteen years old. Her voice was soft and sweet.
“Welcome to Roebling Estate. I’m Elizabeth Shelby. Please call me Liz. I’m the receptionist, housekeeper, cook, and tour guide if you need one.”
Liz invited Jimmy to stay, but he declined and sped off in his new car. Then she led the Weston family inside. The home was decorated for the holidays which created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. John and Noreen were both relieved, but still wondering, why this location? It was in the middle of nowhere.
“I hope you are hungry. I have prepared supper.” Liz said. The house was filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread.
“Starved!” Noreen answered.
Liz showed them around the house before they prepared for supper. Claude had returned and was waiting at the table when the visitors entered the large dining room. He stood to introduce himself.
“Good evening, I am Claude Gautier. It’s nice to meet you.”
John could not help but notice that Claude’s gaze kept returning to Noreen.