<TITLE>16. Par 64-67</TITLE>L-64 So that night, I remember I had to ask. I sat there and I... My, I wasn't having me a good time at all. He was playing the victrola, you know. And I went outside. I got to the door, and she looked at me. You know, I was going to go without asking him, you know. And I said... And Charlie was setting there typing on the typewriter, you know, and it was nine-thirty. Time I had to go...?... He said...
I walked to the door, and I said, "Hmmph, Charlie?"
He said, "Yes, Bill."
I said, "Uh--uh... Could I speak to you out here just a minute?"
He said, "Yes?"
He looked over at Mrs. Brumbach, and she looked at me, you know. Oh, oh, oh, oh. And I said, "Here's where it all ends is right here."
We went outside. Then I thought maybe that Hope had already told her mother, and her mother had done told him to say "No," you know. So I had it all fixed out how it was going to be.
"Well, how are you, Bill?"
I said, "Oh, pretty good." I said, "Sure is a nice night tonight, isn't it, Charlie."
He said, "It sure is, Bill." He said, "Yes, Bill. You can have her." I started... Oh, my, what... I like him yet today. He just went home to glory a few weeks ago. God bless his soul. You don't know what he saved me then.

L-65 I said, "Charlie, look. I'm as poor as I can be. I'm working down here in a ditch for twenty cents an hour." But I said, "I love her with all my heart. I can't clothe her, and feed her, dress her the way you can. But, Charlie, I'll say this: I'll be as good to her as I know how to be. I'll work until my hands run blood to make her a living."
He put his hand over on me, he said, "Billy, look. I'd rather you to have her and be good to her. After all, happiness does not consist of how much of the world's goods you own, but how contented you are with the portions that's allotted to you." That's right.
I said, "Well, Charlie, I'll be just as good to her as I know how to be."

L-66 And we was married. And when we got married, we didn't have nothing to go to housekeeping with. We was very poor. I didn't... I--I was the one married her, and she was the one taken me to... 'for I to support. And we were happy, just as happy, some of the happiest days of my life.
I'd just... Along during that time, I'd just been ordained to be a--a minister. I didn't have no church as yet but we was just preaching around wherever I could in tent meetings and so forth. And I went to work.
And I never will forget how we set up housekeeping. We went and rented two rooms for four dollars a month. Who doesn't know, that wasn't much. And some lady give us an old folding bed. Did you ever see one, the folding beds? And I went down to Sears and Roebuck and got me one of these little breakfast sets without being painted. And I remember, I painted them. And right... On the seat and on the table, I painted a big shamrock, being Irish, you know. And so I--I painted a big shamrock. And--and we went to housekeeping. I went over to Mr. Weber's, Brother Curtis back there, one of his--some of his people, and he dealt in used goods. And I bought an old second handed cooking stove for a dollar and seventy-five cents. And I paid, I believe it's a dollar for new grates and put in it. And we--we started to housekeeping.

L-67 But we were happy. We were happy as we could be. We just had one another, and that's all we cared for. We loved the Lord with all of our hearts. And that's how we lived, just as happy as we could be.
And I remember one day then I wanted to go on a little fishing trip up at Mishawaka, Indiana. That was my first time to ever come in contact with any Pentecostal people. And I went up to old Brother Ryan's and went fishing. On my road back, they was having a... It was the--the P. A. of W., I believe it is, or P. A. of J. C. I think the organization's died out and gone now, but--or reunited with some other organization.


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