Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-10-28
The MINISTER
HIS VISIT AND
A SIDE RESULT
(By j. II. Cradlebaugh.)


ut was nearly thirty years ago"
said Mrs. Caruthers, reminiscently, as
she shipped the end of a thread with
her teeth and deftly inserted 1t in the
eye ia cambrlc needle" nearly 30
year ago." she repeated, as she looked
up at a few friends who had brought
their sewing for an afternoons visit,
that | had one of the most ludicrous
experiences that ever happened to a
young married woman. You see,
George and were married in a little
Eastern Oregon town, he owning
little store there at the time. George
was always a hustler. and some six
months after our marriage we came
to Portland where he might have, as
he expressed 1t, "a bigger tub to pad
die in The easy side of the street
he has placed us on, shows that the
move was a wise one. OF course, the
Portland of those days was not the
Rose City of these, but 1t gave abun-
dant promise then, of what 1t has
since accomplished
1--WE had been in Portland nearly
two years when the Rev Wayback
(that wasn't his name, but 1t will do),
the dear old minister who married
us, made Portland a visit, and of
course George invited him up to our
little home to stay while in the city
and we were both delighted to see
him.
at happened the evening of his
coming, that George was compelled
to go down town on some business
matter and he expected to be out
until perhaps o'clock. So about Z
O'Clock he left the Rev. Wayback for
me to entertain, and went down town.
We chatted about the little old East
ern Oregon home town, and of old
times until about 8 o'clock, when our
visitors bedtime having evidently ar
rived, | showed him his room, bade
him good night and went back to the
sitting room, determined to sit up
until George came home. You see,
| was not as wise, not having been
married 80 long, as | am now, But
along about II o'clock | got so sleepy
that | concluded to go to bed and
just leave the lamp burning for
George.
at was about the middle OF May, a
misty, drlz2llng, rainy night; cold
enough to mako one appreciate the
fire. had been in he'd but a few
moments when | heard stir in the
room where the minister was laid
away, and directly | heard his steal
thy stems descending the stairs. I
called to him, but got no answer and
slipping out of bed | turned up the
lamp, but just as opened my bed
room door | heard the side door close,
and the spring lock snap realized
at once that the Rev Wayback was
outside, but could not imagine why.
| looked out of the window and dis
covered the reason. In the dim light
of the city lamps | saw his tall form,
white and ghostly at the hydrant in
the yard. The Rev. Wayback had
gone dry and like lots of Portland
people of these days, he wanted a
midnight drink
Without waiting to even throw on
wrapper, slipped down to the side
door for the purpose of letting the
old gentleman back into the house f;
intending to pull the door in front of
me as he entered, and until he had
reached his room But as the French
say, Man appoints, God disappoints.
Before | reached the door heard
him fumbling at the knob, but when
| opened 1t he was not there, He
had found the door locked, and with
more wisdom than | had given him
credit for, had gone around to the
front door to ring the bell | did not
know this, so | stepped out on the
porch and called him He did not
| answer, so | took another step and
thoughtlessly let go of the door. |
realized my mistake in less time than
1t takes to tell about 1t, for that
measly door, moved by the spirit of
the perverse that governs all inani-
mate objects, gently swung shut, and
the vicious snap of the spring loc,;
made me realize that | was as foolish
MS our visitor, and in the same boat
with him
There | was on the side porch of
my own home, locked out in the cold,
I With nothing In the world on me but
my night dress and slippers. The
| Rev. Wayback was holding down the
front porch in costume about as
light and airy as my own. could
hear the bell jangle as the old gem
tleman yainly tried to call me to his
assistance, but did not even have
the hope of relief, as he had, to sus-
| tain me.
81 did not feel the cold at first. |
was too mad, Mad? | was mad clear
through, and when thought OF
George, and how he would laugh when
he came home, II made me madder
yet cried, Then when my teeth