SETTLED OUT OF COURT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3850, 19 November 1883, Page 4

SETTLED OUT OF COURT.

Old boYV-lcgged Jake, a coloured man of high standing and extreme blackness, entered the county clerk's offico, and said, "Boss, I Avant's a par ob marriage license. Iso a ole man, but I'se gwine to marry one ob do youngest gals in dis community." "Have the parents of tho girl any objection to the marriage?" asked the clerk, hesitating as to whether or not the license should bo issued. " Hit doan' seem so to mo." "Did you ask the old man's consent.'" "No, sab."

"How do you Iciioav then that ho docs not object ?"

" AVell, you soo, I has boon calling on do young lady for somo time, an' last night do ole man come in, tuck down an army gun, and said dat ho reckoned mo an' Lintly oughtcr get married. Dis mornin' he came f>ber tor my house wid de gun, an' said suthin' about my going at once an' gotten do license. I tohl him dat I had a Avifo somoAvhar in do country, but, ho cocked do nlo gun an' looked so sad like dat I struck a trot for dis office."

"If you have a liA'iug Avife, old man, I can't issue a license."

"But boss, dis is ono ob deso stringcu t cases. Do ladder ob do gal is standin' out at do corner ob do house Avid dat army gun. It's bettor, boss, for a man to hab two libing wives dan it is for a 'onian to hab one dead husband."

X-tnally the old. man with, tlio g*un was induced to come into the oflico and explain.

"Well, yer sec, boss," ho said, "Ole Jake hub boon btirnin' my oil an' Avearin' out do bottoms ob my chairs long enough, he's been cut-in' at mj' house morc'n a year, courtin'- my gal, an' uoav I Avants him to board do gal a Avhilo. Ef ho don't I'll hab to injure him."

After a, Avhilo, IiOY\ r evcr, tho old man

agreed that if Jake Avould pay him five dollars the affair should be settled Avithout marriage.