The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-25
IT MAKES ATHEY SMILE
The Man With the Marriage Lii
cense Look.
MADE A FATAL MISTAKE
a Scandinavian Who Thought the Ii
a Scandinavian Who Thought the Lii
csnse Was Enough and Couldn't
fs'- at First See the Necessity
OF Ceremony

Great Falls. Dec. 24-The many
friends Of John T. Athey, Cascade
county's dignified clerk of the court,
may have noticed of late that John
t. has become somewhat addicted to
the habit of smiling to himself and
chuckling inwardly. For so dignifed
an officer Of the court to indulge in
such silent hilarity Is something out
OF the usual-but the occasion that
brought the smiles about also is un-
usual
witness: That on or about a certain
day in this month of December while
John l. was busily engaged in fig
urlng up his hourly income, in the Of
nee OF the clerk of the court, county
and state aforesaid, entered a certain
man whom for the purpose of identifi-
cation shall be called Yam Doe. van
had the marriage license look upon his
otherwise placid countenance and also
the marriage license walk, which il
something akin to the gait of a man
left lower limb ~
Aye bane want get marry" volun-
teered Yam as he sidestepped to avoid
q possible rush on the part of John r.
He was informed that he had come
70 the proper place to make a start on
the proposed marriage, and asked The
usual questions as to his past life, the
past life of his parents and how they
liked their present quarters-both Be-
ing dead--etc.
After considerable questioning in va
r1ous languages the necessary data
was secured until it came to the va
the brides parents; there Yam stuck,
but IN order that the proposed nuptials
might not be delayed he was given the
license with the names left blank and
pencil marks to show where they
should be put in when Yam had made
the proper inquiries; the usual fee was
charged, which Yam paid quite cheer
fully, and was suspiciously profuse in
his thanks, feeling much aggrieved
that the entire office force could not
accept Of his proffered liquid hospital
ity.
The incident and Yam both faded
away and were almost forgotten until
few days ago, when Yam strolled
INTO lhe oface for a second time, bear
ing in one hand a package wrapped in
red tissue paper and in the other
piece of writing paper which bore the
necessary data which had been omitted
from his wife's family history when
the license was originally issued
Aye gat UNI, he announced briefly,
passing the paper up ard proceeding
70 carefully unwind the package,
which proved to be the marriage H.
9cense enclosed in fiery coiored frs.a>
with dickey birds done in chrome
green.
blandly suggested John T. as he copied
from the slip of paper to the bedecked
license.
"Yas, aye bane marry: you bane
marry me too, calmly announced Yam.
What's that?" yelled John T.,
jva nf tteSf =,
ing upon him like an overripe peach.
Aye bane marry NIT you an dees
paper" persisted Van, pointing to the
red framed license.
nay Say; do do you INT, mean n, to say you
Judge or something's" inquired John T.
in agonized tones.
Vas, aye not saw any Judge aye
marry dees hare paper" and Yam be-
gan to get excited, Vat en- haal aye
bane pay for may tree doalars?" he in
quired. Aye bane tai VOW aye want
get marry; aye bane gave VOW may
three doaler fer dees paper en- baye
Yiminy, aye bane marry. Aye not
bane such soaker you tink." And amid
an atmosphere that was several de-
the indignant Yam grabbed the red
framed license and started for the door
on the run.
Help! Police! Stop that man, stop
that man, stop MIN IL you nave 20
kill him. yelled John t., and luckily
Deputy Lockhart just entering headed
: Yam off and brought him back to the
counter, where John t., sweating at
every pore, wrestled with him vainly
for half an hour explaining that the
issuance of a marriage license did not
constitute a marriage ceremony by
considerable, and that certain other le-
. gal steps on his part were necessary
Finally light began to dawn on Yam
as to the mistake he had made in be-
ginning housekeeping too soon, and he
promised to attend to the matter at
once.
AYE tank ct bane all right aye gat
das yudge marry may Tonight And
the position in which Mrs Yam had
been placed, by his mistaken idea as to
the power of a marriage license strik-
ing him as huge joke, he paused on
the threshold to inform John T. that
he ''yoost bat fave dealers ven may
VIE she bane know We note bane mar
ry by dees paper two week ago, she
yoost bane yump lake haal."
That evening there was a marriage
ceremony performed by Great Falls
= justice of the peace on license issued
q two weeks before, and all during the
ceremony the placid faced bridegroom
was almost bursting with suppressed
merrlment, while the bride was so mad
that she refused to be kissed by either
the judge, the groom or John T., who
was present as friend of the family
and to see that a second mistake OF,
the part of the groom did not compii-
cate complicated matter any further.
And this is the story of why John r.
smiles audibly and chuekles inwartily.
County High School.