The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-19
HIS FIRST
OFFICIAL NIGHT.

weston was SIMPLY Il village, Iuefe lived,
on the hin beyond the creek, a man who
divided his time about equally between
deer hunting and tilling a few rocky,
sterile acres that constituted his farm.
This man-George Bently, by name-was
a prominent figure in that sparsely-set-
tied region. He was a giant in strength,
daring in danger, cool in emergencies and
fertile in expedients. Though illiterate
he was by no means uneducated so far as
the love of forest and stream was con-
cerned, and his skill in deciphering the
volume of human nature was of no mean
order. So, at 35, he was an acknowledged
leader among his fellows.
About this time a general election oc-
cured, and during the day somebody sug-
gested that George Bently be voted for
for Justice OF the peace for Weston Beat.
The suggestion being acted on, that in
dividual returned home about sunset. and
with pardOnable elation informed his wife
that he had been elected a magistrate
without opposition.
Without giving the matter any consid-
GRAFTON, either as to the duties appertain-
ing to the Office or his own qualifica-
tons for their performance, he made the
necessary bond, and, in due time, his
commission, bearing the great seal of the
state, was received, together with copy
of the code. Now our new official had
never had a law book in his hands before.
and he felt somewhat dismayed, but
rather important withal, as he surveyed
the bulky volume, bound in legal calf
Thrusting his commission into the pocket
of his pantalOCns, for he had no coat,
and taking the huge volume under his
arm, he wended his homeward way. If
his gait was more staid and his bearing
more dignified than usual. it was simply
because he felt himself an exponent, if
not d part, of the state in her sovereign
capacity of making and administering
laws
AS soon as supper was dispatched he,
with the aid of his wife, spelled out the
commission, and then taking up the code
he began at the title page. He had got
nearly to the end of the report of the
cOdifying committee when drowsiness
overpowered him, and he began to dis
robe for the night AS he was in the act
at the yard gate. When the door was
opened a voice in the darkness was called
out:
''Does Squire Bently live herel"
"I'm the man" was the rather pom
pous reply.
Il want warrant for Jake Jones.n
whats he donel"
"Him and Pete Brown got into row
at old man Halls house-raising this even
in and he knocked Pete down with a
handspike, and it looks like he's goin' to
die!"
"All right-cOme inn
BY the time the officer had donned his
clothes and replenished the fire, the other
man-One John Graham-had entered
Had Squire Bently been required to
make an astronomical calculation he
would not have been more completely at
a loss how to proceed. But he felt that
his official honor was at stake and so, af-
ter a hasty but fruitless search in the
code for a form ne proceeded to bring
forth, from his inner consciousness, the
mOmentOus document.
The first difficulty to be surmounted
was the fact that there was not a scrap
of waste paper in the house. Not antici-
pating emergencies wherein it would be
required, no stationery had been provided
for official purposes. Unwilling to be
baked, he tore a blank leaf from the back
of the code, and borrowing pencil-for
it was developed that no pen, ink or even
lead pencil belonged to the Bently
hOuSehOld-he sat down, and. after inf
mite pains, produced the following war
rant:
talk iaik joans.
@. BENTLY, esq. ]. p"
AS Mr.. Graham received this docu-
ment, he asked;
''Who will serve this warrant"
"You can do it as well as anybody else,
can't you?'
Il guess so! Where must take him
to-"
Bring him here, Of course"
"When?"
AT once-or sooner, if you can find
him"
CAN right" and the special constable
took his leave.
Our officer now retired, but the Incl
dent of the warrant had unsettled him
somewhat and be vainly courted sleep
After an hour or two Of restless tUmbling,
he was about entering dreamland, when
there was another call at the gate Going
TO the door, he was again met by the in
quiry;
Does Squire Bently live here2"
Yes what do you want?"
I'VE want to get married !" was the
rather hesitating and huskily spoken re
ply.
Come in! and again the official hauled
on his pautalOOns, and out Of Difference to
the occasion, a coat was also donned. By
this time a very young man and a shrink
ing maiden had reached the doorstep
Come right in! Take chairs and sit
down" came from the hearth, where our
officer was trying to fan the smoking en-
bers into flame by blowing on them with
his breath. When this was accomplished,
he arose. brushed the dust and ashes off
his knees, and, reaching for his law book,
demanded:
Are you runaways2o
eyes, sir"
"What's your names"
milne is William Wright, this young
ladys is Mary Banks"
Are you a son Of John Wright"
81 am, sir
And is that one of old Tom Banks
gals"
Yes, sir"
"What did you run away forl"
"'Cause her folks were not willin' for
us to marry"
Have YOU got airy pair of license}"
"Yes, sir; / have the licence We ex-
pected Preacher Gray to marry US, but he
wasn't at home, so we came to you.
Here, sir. is the license
Keep EN-, young man, keep 'em. l
don't want EN-. l only axed to see if you
had 'em for it's agin the laws of the
United States to marry in this state with
out pair of license. The law only axes
IL you had paid for 'em and how much"
AS he said this, Squire Bentley opeaed
his book very wide, and assumed stern,
judicial air.
Yes, sir, the license is paid for and
cost 81"
Where did you get emf"