The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

John was at the door he said "come in." I said "no I think I'll go home, as I hate to belate." He insisted I come in, and as I went quietly in he said, "I'll take you home after." I didn'tsay anything but thought I'd sneak out the other door on the side after meeting. The joke was onme as the door on the side was locked, and I thought I'd pass along with the crowd and get outunnoticed. But John was watching me and he walked behind me and showed me where the carwas. My sister-in law Jean said “fancy that!” He never even asked her if she would go with him!All eyes were on me, and tongues began to waggle from then on. Some of the older womenwould turn up their chins and look at me every Sunday. I thought let them look. Well, I supposethey thought John T. Caley would never get married as he was getting past thirty years old nowand it wasn't every girl that would ever consider being married to a man who was lame.John had polio and it left his feet weak. Anyone knows polio is not contagious after allthose years. John was a strong built man, good looking and always smiling. Some how I feltwhy should a man like John who had so many friends and such a good clean living man, why ohwhy! Should he have to go through life unmarried and do without a family. I was not in lovewith John at that time. Never even thought about him being my husband. John said "what timedo you have to report in." I said 12 a.m. He drove around the city and I got back to the doctor'shome by nine thirty. Grace said you are later tonight where have you been, I said "to church andalso to my brother Jim's.”Two weeks later John came up to where I worked and asked for a date to a certain showhe wanted to see. Grace said, "Who was that." I told her he knew my brothers and was in ourward. She wanted to know what he wanted I told her. And she laughed and said, "Oh mygoodness, fancy you being married to him." I said, "Who said anything about marrying the guy,you can always say no. Don't get so excited Grace.” One thing, people got excited about was,John was thirteen years older than I was. He was thirty-six and I was twenty-three.Our visits together on Thursdays out (my days off) became quite a habit. He would comefor me and take me out into the country up Cottonwood Canyon to a friend of his by name of J.Fred Potter who converted John over in Australia. When we went on Thursdays a ladyacquaintance by name of Winifred Bentley would put in the gas or pay for it I should say. Winwas adopted into J. Fred's family years previous to me meeting her. She called them Aunt Coraand Uncle Fred. One day Win asked John, to stop at the bottom of the hill on the way home andvisit some more folks she knew. Their name was Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ebert and young son PaulJr. I kept company with John for eleven months altogether. After 5 months he said, "Will youmarry me!" I looked at him and said, "You are joking!" He said, "No, I mean it." I liked Johnbut never really thought too seriously about marrying him although I suppose I would havemissed him a great deal if we had of stopped seeing each other. Up to that time we had gonetogether five months. So before I left to go in the doctor's home that night, I told him "yes." Sowe waited until after Christmas. He got me a diamond ring, January 1st or later, he said he didn’twant the ring to serve as a Christmas gift. So we said lets get married on Valentines day andlaughed. But we didn't.Ruth Tagg Caley pg 34