The morning call., 1893-02-11
CABBY'S TALE.
The Man Who Wanted to
Go to a Wedding.
HE HURRIED TOO MUCH.
Funny Predicament of a Davis-Street
Merchant Who Failed to Attend
His Brothers Wedding.

"Yes; it's pretty hard life. but there's
variety in il, and that's why so many OF the
boys stick to 1t, guess"
1t was the time-honOred Jehu who spoke,
or one of him. He was perched lazly on
the seat of his two-horse coupe. summing
himself in front of the plaza on Kearny
street.
He told THE CALL man he had plenty Of
time 10 talk just then. and if the cigar should
prove as good as it looked, he would I'M
bosom himself freely; yes, even talk for
publication.
" don't know just what you want me to
say, but | can tell you mighty queer thing
that happened to me the other day. and
haven't quite got done laughing over it yet.
Il turn out in the afternoon, you know,
and stay on duty till nearly daylight. Well,
this afternoon, l hadn't caught single
load yet. 1t was nice weather, and every
body who came my way preferred to walk.
by and by the clerk at the drugstore
rushed over to tell me that man down on
Davis street in big commission house
wanted a coupe right off, My rig was in
front of his door in jiffy.
"'DTive me out home as fast as you can.
he said. giving me number near the end
o'clock and it's after now. Get me there
on time and there will be a couple Of dollars
in it for YOU
"'Pll do the best can said. L guess
we can make it; the nags are fresh
away we dashed out Suffer street at a
breakneck speed. We reached his house In
Goube-quick time. 1t was bang-up place.
regular mansion. All the way going out he
had been unbutt0ning his clothes and get
ting ready to jump into his swallo VITAL coat
and breeches without pockets In the shortest
space OF time.
"Pl tell you how know this. When he
got out his collar and cuffs we're off, and he
fairly held his other clothes on by wrapping
his big OvercOat around them. As he
dashed up the steps he dropped one cuff.
but never stopped 10 pick it up. The door
was open and could see him speed through
the hallway and upstairs.
in about five minutes he came out with
ont a collar on. His wife came with him.
She was all dressed and had been waiting
for him. | guess. She carried a bundle of
linen, which / judged was his collar and
cuffs. which he put on IN the coupe.
Hurry right on he said, as he sprang
into the carriage.
Where top | says, for he hadn't told
me where the wedding was to be yet.
"0h. yes he says. Where did you say
they ived?' he asked of his wife Then
avenue. Drive like -!
Il made the best time l could, and it was
only quarter after O'Clock when l
reached Van Ness avenue. Then l slowed
up to ask him what number?
That stumped him altogether. He
couldn't tell me the number, nor his wife
couldn't either. And they began TO tear
things up inside the coupe, and 10 shake
out their coats and wraps. / got down off
the box and helped them search.
"They had lost the invitation card
and ii couldn't be found. He swore he
had taken it off the bureau and brought ii
with him. Well. II he had he must have
lost II getting into the coupe, for there was
no invitation card there now. 1t had the
number Of the house on, they told me, and
without 1t they couldn't tell where they
wanted 10 go.
Finally he said IL was near Pacific ave-
nue. somewhere. and that | could probably
pick out the house by the lights in the parlor
window. the canvas over the pavement
leading to the door, or By the number of
carriages in front.
81 suggested the city directory, hut they
told me these FOLKS had only been in town a
few weeks ana had just taken up their
quarters at this house where the wedding
was to be.
"'Confonnd it! 1 suppose they're all
through by this time, lie said, but you 60
ahead and drive slowly when you get up In
that neighborhood. We can pick out the
house. And may be 1t won't be too late.
Anyway. my own brother is the groom and
I've got to be there sooner or later
but he didn't get there that night |
walked the horses up and down on both
sides OF the street for the three squares on
both sides OF Pacific avenue. but he couldn't
pick out the place. A two or three houses
he made inquiries OF the people he was
searching for, but 1t did no good. No one
knew them, and he had 10 60 back home.
- LET the horses take THAR own time In
getting back and it was nearly o'clock
when they drew up at his house.
Send me a messenger-bOy,' be said,
when he paid me of. / suppose he found
the invitation at home and sent message
saying he was too ill TO come. | only
guessed at that. but the next afternoon |
met him downtown and he laughed over
the trouble of the night before ana told me
be had fixed 1t by sending message.
al told them had been taken suddenly
i'll, dizziness aud fainting spell, ana wife
couldn't leave. But doctor said it was
nothing, was a u right. and they should go
on he said and they took the train Tor the
south that night
Yes, we have some queer loads some
times. | have regular customer up on
Mob Hill who hires me one afternoon every
week just to drive him down among the
docks and along the water front. He rides
In closed carriage and never gets out or
stops anywhere until we get home
Last week stranger from tile East gave
me three fiye-dola! gold pieces for what he
thought were three nicKes. 1t was dark
when he paid me, and the 10 cents. as he
supposed it was. happened to be all the
change he had With him. He apologized
because the tip was so small.
And | couldn't see the difference. either
in the dark. and it amt good manners any
way to look at tip. | just put it in my
pocket. and never discovered the mistake
till got home.
"Oi course, we have to be out in all kinds
OF weather, and this rainy kind isn't very
nice. BIZ. who used to drive that team
ahead there, got bad cold last week, and
died inside of three days.
"But it's all in a lifetime, You know.
uellnI there,s q Ind NaM L. ~