Ummm. Ummm. I was...wr<mumble>g...err. OKAY. I WAS WRONG!
LOL
I was laboring under the misconception that the cylinder contained the return spring. The part with the harness and plug actually does. I was disconsolately playing around with the whole thing and realized that.
I learned something...
...and it fixed the problem. The car started ( although I need an oil change after having it sit for three months) and ran fine. Not only that, but the return works, so the starter automatically disengages when you release the key.
The other bonus appears to be that the turn signals were somehow involved in the switch problem as well. They started working as soon as the switch was replaced.
I'm happy.
Now on to the hand brake cable. I need to remove the passenger's seat, right? ( Where did those pesky movers put my manuals?)
I want to jack the car up fairly high. Can someone suggest points ( in the rear) for the jackstands? My memory is kind of vague on that point.