Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-31

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herein gwen are
Sf~I the truth. the
~ " w h o 9 truth and
2lM nothing but the
M truth so help you
"A Sf~ God one o l a r
please?"
49, The young man
with the large, expressive hands. the
trembling knees and the huge. awkward
feet. dug feebly into his pocket and
produced the sum of money required.
There was something so red-faced and
apologetically rabbitlike In the way he
did it that you almost expected to see
him flap his ears But he didn't
wish You ali the luck in the world ="
said the marriage license clerk, evidently
DESTROYS of making the agitated young
man feel at peace
D.. The tall awkward young man scratched
himself violently.
Where's a. preacher" he demanded
abruptly.
The marriage license clerk waved a
hand toward the city directory.
Take your pick he urged. There are
all kinds in the city. Also plenty of JUS
tees of the peace-if you want them
Il want a Baptist said the tall young
man stubbornly. Il come from Pow
bucket, W. Va And l kinder eloped
here for the fun of SEEM the city while
was gettin' married. And
He pored over the sections of the di-
rectory where the church denominations
are hidden.
antly. And then he continued the brief
sketch of his life, which included the
hope that his paws brindle COW back in
Powhucket would have calf soon. He
was young man with a wide range of
interests. And having paid whole dol
lar for bit of paper. he made up his
mind that he would get his money S
worth of conversation.
Polished politeness and sympathetic at
tentiveness characterized the marriage Ii
cense clerks attitude. You would have
thought that this was license No. ], series
]. and that prior to this time he had
never seen a man buying license. AS a
matter of fact. this was the fourth IL
cense he had issued during the day-and
behind the garrulous West Virginian there
now stood another mana red-faced, ex-
cited man in light suit, who famed him.
self violently with his straw hat.
'Licensey' snapped the excited man.
Yes, sir said the clerk politely.
What kind
Marriage. of course" responded the
red-faced man. feverishly. "Didja think
I wanted a dog?''
was nerve tonic. He answered the ques-
lions until the clerk inquired the color
Of his wife-to-be. Then he blew up again.
''Whatja think she was he asked in
IN injured voice, green"
When he paid for his license he dropped
quarter on the floor. picked it up, drop
ped dime. picked that up and then drop
ped his hat. He tried four pockets be-
fore he found one that would fit his Ii
cense- And he departed. steaming like a
locomotive and hopping his face fervidly
There was temporary lull in the mar
rage license office.
They come and co. said the clerk
reminiscently. "All kinds of them. They
come and go and come and go. and each
one thinks that he has furnished the one
had
They do come and go in the month Of
June. from the city and from the
country, from the apartment house and
the furnished hotel and the little hovei
that faces on an alley-marriages Of
wealth and happiness and poverty and
loneliness-they come like flies to the mo-
lasses barrel, sweet and a little danger
Gus and always alluring.
Years Of experience have taught the
marriage license clerks exactly how to
handle each case And their years of
experience have left them rich in
anecdote.
There never has been a more interest
ing character in Washington than GER
tain elderly man who was both a min
lister and a lawyer. He was one Of the
type-happily obsolete now result of
Newspaper crusades-who would solicit
business and take a chance When
reputable ministers would not marry a
couple. because Of some irrgularity in
proceedings, the couple would come to
hear Of this amiable gentleman and would
ultimately find their way to his office.
He would learn from them what they
possessed in the way of money. Then
he would inquire into their negotiable
property. prospects and relatives pros
poets.
And SO one sunny afternoon a couple
came to his office and were married. Not
ing their nervousness. he urged the BRIDE
groom to pay him so for the ceremony,
which the bridegroom did.
That night about 10 o'clock there came
a plaintive call from one Of the police sta
tons 1t was the voice Of the bridegroom
who was about to go to his little cell.
What is the trouble?" asked the elder
1y man, sternly.
I'm pinched" groaned the bridegroom
''On what charger demanded the elder
''Bigamy,'' explained the bridegroom Ia
conically.
1t seems that in registering at the mar
rage license Office he had not been can
did. or else he had forgotten three pre-
vfous marriages which had never been
annulIed. Perservering police investigation
had turned to light the little facts he had
omitted.
The elderly man was a man of resource
How much money have you?" he in
auired coldly.
Fifty replied the bridegroom,
eagerly.
That said the other lis my exact
charge for handling bigamy cases.
would charge you more on account of
the multiplicity Of your offenses had il
not been for the fact that you were mar
ried by me-"
So few days later he announced that
he would defend the prisoner. And IL
wasn't until then that he learned that
fifty" meant so cents After the bride
groom had been safely reposed in a peni-
Tertiary the elderly man spoke to a
friend.
my faith in human nature is shat
tered he said in broken voice
Never mind" said his friend. con-
solinsiy, you didn't know he had been
married before"
1T isn't that" said the other, as he
shook his head. He led me to believe
that he had $5O''