The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-09-09
TRIALS OF TWO LOVERS
When It Came to the Oath
Charles Jett Declined.
THE GIRL WAS TOO YOUNG
He Misrepreaented Her Age, But
Refused to Swear to What Might
BE an Untruth-The Fiancee Was
an Orphan and Didn't Know
Her Own Age.

With shy. hesitating air and age
Scared valise of humble lineage, an oddly
assorted couple walked into the office of
the clerk Of the court about / o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
One was a roughly dressed man. perhaps
thirty years of age. and Sherlock Holmes.
without an X-ray scrutiny of the sun
Drowned countenance the jeans within
the boots and the uneasy attitude of the
white shirt and collar without the tie,
would have said that he was a farmer
His companion was a pretty bit of rus
tic girlhood, attired in short dresses and
apparently not more than sixteen years
old in this world of disappointment.
The man shifted the valise to the other
hand and inquired for the man ''yuh gifts
marriage licenses frum." He was directed
to the proper clerk by several persons in
terested in what looked like a romance.
and the farmer closely followed by his
small companion. approached him.
My name is Jett, Charles S. Jet, en-
this Jerking a thumb in the direction of
the embarrassed girD is Maud Gouldman-
G-o-u-l-d-m-a-n. Were both frum King
George County, deown in Virginy. Come
here frum Rollins Postoffice, en- we wanter
git married.
The clerk said that was all right; IL
could be fixed in a minute The valise
was transferred to the floor. the girl
watched the clerk throw open the biggest
book she ever saw in her innocent life
and Jett-Charles S. Jett-went through
that mysteriously physical process known
as pulling ones self together, as though
expecting that the affair was not to be
concluded without difficulty Of some sort.
The usual questions were propounded
were very prompt.
Nope, never WuZ married In m life.
Amt married yet. by the way"
No, sir, amt got no wife living any
where's" and the girl thought the ques-
ton which ELECTED this reply was a
strange one to ask
How old are you, Mr.. Jett?"
Thirty-five. comm next December"
And how old Is Miss Gouldman?"
Mr.. Jet hesitated the length of q
breath and replied: "N-i-eighteen"
The license was now complete, so far
as writing it out was concerned and the
clerk said: Hold up your right hand,
Mr.. Jett, and be sworn
e a big broad hand was slowly elevated
and the clerk got as far as You do
solemnly swear" when Mr.. Jett inter-
rupted the ceremony.
Hold on! How old did 1 say tn girl
wuz?'
Eighteen"
Well. l wouldn't like to swear to IT,
This with very great reluctance, and
those who looked on felt the sensation
of witnessing manly struggle between
love and honor.
Then Mr.. Jett explained. He didn't
know how old the girl was, in fact he
didn't think she knew herself, but he
guessed he wouldn't swear that she was
eighteen. because, he believed. personal
interest in the matter eliminated, that
she was not more than fifteen or six
teen.
Miss Gouldman now stepped UP to ex-
plain. Her father and mother died before
she was old enough to figure out a math-
ematical problem, which frequently much
older and more highly educated women
have great difficulty in solving. and for
the life of her she didn't know how old
she was She felt every minute of
eighteen years Weighing heavily upon
her little blonde head. She was old
enough TO marry, anyway. but maybe, to
tell the truth about it, she wasn't quite
eighteen.
The clerk felt sorry as. of course, every
one else did, and If a voluntary purse of
a few dollars could have added some
three or four years to the young girls
age. 1t might have been subscribed in a
very few minutes by those who witnessed
the little drama and sympathized with
the predicament of the lovers.
But the license was refused and Mr.
Jett. Charles s. Jett. and his fiance We're
sent away Borrowing, but not until after
Mr.. Jet had announced his intention of
going to Rockville, Md, to try 1t over
again. In the minds of these two there
are only two cities of any consequence in
the world-Washingto and Rockville.
One is the capital of the United States.
and the other is where they once attend
ed county fair.
As the disappointed lovers left the
clerks office the girl caught her escorts
arm and whispered:
"Oh. Charley. if you h
But / couldn't swear to it, Maudie"
he answered. anticipating her girlish re-
buke. And together they started for
Rockville.