Chapter 7

The Judge entered the courtroom from another door, since the ladies were in his chambers and went to his bench. Biddie came out of the judge's chambers and said that the ladies were ready. The ladies came out and filed behind the table where Mr. Mason was seated. Barnabas Smith positioned Jason, Joshua, and Jeremy behind the other table. When everyone was settled. The judge banged his gavel and the bailiff announce the court proceedings.

Mr. Smith came to the front of the courtroom and said:
"There is a matter of a sentence for Miss Sweeney that must take place. I wish to call her to the stand!" Matilda had not been coached or told what was going to happen, she was surprised. They had finished her trial with a date set for a sentencing. She stepped up and placed one hand on the Bible and her other hand up and said, 'I Do.' Then she sat down. Mr. Smith proceeded to ask her his questions.

"Miss Sweeney how do you know Mr. Jason Bolt?" Mr. Smith said.

"Well, I met him when I was on a job." She said quite confused.

"Would you say you felt something for him at the beginning?" Mr. Smith asked. She looked stunned and said:

"No?"

"Why did you write to him?" Mr. Smith said.

"I didn't write to him; he wrote to me!" she said. Mr. Smith looked at Mr. Mason and nodded, she was his witness. Mr. Mason came up and asked her:

"That spark that you felt when he showed up at the bank, just after his cousin robbed the bank, would you say you were thinking of getting to know him?" Mr. Mason asked her. She looked at Mr. Mason, she was a little surprised he asked the questions he did.

"I did feel a bit fluttery, if you will, but I was on a job at that time and could not let my feelings take over." She said without hesitation. Mr. Mason had one more question.

"When you got involved in the case with his brother Joshua, how did that end?" Mr. Mason asked. She looked at him and sat up straighter and said:

"Sir, that is between Mr. Bolt and me. I do not have to say anything further, I plead the 5th amendment!" Mr. Mason smiled and said he was done with her.

Mr. Smith stood up and then called to the witness stand Jeremy Bolt. Who came up and sat after he had put his hand on the Bible.

"Mr. Jeremy Bolt, You have been with your wife for a while now. How would you say that marriage has been to you?" Mr. Smith asked.

"It's been good, very good!" Jeremy said with a smile looking at Candy.

"Would you recommend marriage to your brothers?"

"Yes, yes I would!" Jeremy said, still smiling.

"Your witness Mr. Mason," said Mr. Smith

"Thank you. Mr. Jeremy Bolt, you took a long time to marry Miss Pruitt, did you not?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Asked Mr. Mason. Jeremy squirmed in his seat; he didn't want to say too much.

"Well, it, it s-s-seemed, It seemed to work out the best for us!" Jeremy said.

"Would you say that your brother Jason, waiting so long to get married will work out the best for him?" asked Mr. Mason

"Objection Mr. Mason is trying to use Mr. Bolt's opinion to establish a fact!"

"Objections sustained, change your line of questioning, Mr. Mason!" the judge said.

"I will sir, Mr. Jeremy Bolt, would you say that your brother Jason has already raised a family, that is you and your brother and may not want to be married to raise a family himself?"

"W-w-well, I -d-d-don't know, that is up to him, isn't it?" asked Jeremy.

"No further questions!" Jeremy stepped down; next it was Joshua. Both Lawyers question him as well. Joshua was forthright and his answers were more succinct and to the point. He almost got into trouble when he got upset about something that had happened. The time the two women came to town to try and trick them into fighting with each other. When the attorneys were finished with him, he sat down and then Mr. Smith called Jason to the stand.

"Mr. Jason Bolt, is there any reason you can think of as to why you shouldn't marry Miss Sweeney?" Jason looked out of the courtroom, he saw Julie, Holly, and Mrs. Gustafson, all sitting in the seats behind Mr. Mason. He wasn't sure why they were there, but he took a breath and said:

"I do not understand why the trial today? I want to marry Miss Sweeney if she will have me!" He said as he looked at Matilda who looked down at her hands in her lap shyly.

"Mr. Bolt, answer the question do you think there is any reason why you should not marry her?" said Mr. Smith

"There is no reason I can think of!" said Jason Bolt.
"Your witness, Mr. Mason."

"I have no further questions for him, but I would like to call three ladies who have known Mr. Bolt for a while now to testify that there are no earthly reasons as to why he cannot marry Miss Sweeney! I call to the stand, Mrs. Gustafson. She came to the stand and swore on the Bible. She took her seat and looked directly at her husband Big Swede and smiled. He was smiling as well.

"Mrs. Gustafson, would you tell us how he treated you before you and Mr. Gustafson were married? Mr. Mason asked.

"He was always polite and kind and helped me quite a bit."

"Do you mean he helped you to see that you were in love with Mr. Gustafson?"

"Oh, yes, that was truly an eye opener. I had not known that he, I mean Olaf, was enamored of me. But when Jason took my hand and held me well, I realized it was Olaf I wanted to be near not Jason!" Mrs. Gustafson said clearly.

"Mr. Smith, do you have any questions?"
"No, I do not!" said Mr. Smith

"Mrs. Gustafson please step down. Now want to call, Miss Julie Stemple to the stand." She came to the stand ready to answer the questions.

"Now, Miss Stemple, you wanted to gain your independence from your brother and handle your own finances is that correct?"
"Yes."

"So, you asked Jason Bolt to help you by pretending to want to marry him?"

"Yes."

"Miss Stemple did you and Mr. Bolt get along? And did you both think that you might want to marry anyway?"

"No, not really, in fact, I was furious at my brother that I just used Jason and he was helpful in letting me use him for that time." She said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye as she looked at Jason.

"Thank you, Miss Stemple. Mr. Smith, do you have any questions for her?" He said no as well. So, she was asked to step down.

"I would like to call the last witness to the stand, Miss Holly Houston!" She came to the stand in a proper dress, wearing shoes, and her hair was up. She had a little purse and gloved to match. She was the epitome of a lady.

"Miss Houston, will you tell us about your time with Mr. Jason Bolt please!" said Mr. Mason.

"First of all, I would like to say, Jason congratulations, it is about time you get hitched!" everyone smiled and looked at Jason who was suddenly growing weary of this so called trial. Holly told of how Jason had taught her to be a lady and how she had learned to do that, not for him but for her nieces and nephew, she now kept in touch with them frequently. She said that she had nothing but high regard for Jason, who tried to help her and show her how to be a lady. She also said:

"Oh, and Miss Sweeney, when you all get married, make him show you how to walk like a lady!"

"Are you finished?" Mr. Mason asked. She said yes.

"Mr. Smith, do you have anything to add or say?" Barnabas nodded now and then Mr. Mason said he rested the case and then the judge said:

"Mr. Jason Bolt, please come up here to the Bench! Miss Sweeny, please come up to the Bench." Judge Stone said. Then he sat on the bench and looked at them.

"I know this has been a long and drawn-out case, but I had to be sure that Miss Sweeney would be cared for and loved for the rest of her life, and I had to be sure of the same thing for Mr. Jason Bolt as well. So, Miss Sweeney, your sentence is that you will be remanded to Mr. Bolt, in marriage. Mr. Jason Bolt, you will be remanded to Miss Sweeney in marriage." Said Judge Stone, Joshua stepped up to give Jason the ring, their grandmother's ring.

"Jason Bolt do you promise to love and cherish Matilda Sweeney until the day that you die?" Jason almost choked, 'was he really taking this step?'

"I Do!"

"Miss Sweeney, do you promise to love and cherish Jason Bolt until the day you die?" She looked up at Jason and without hesitation she smiled and said:

"I Do!"

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss! As they kissed everyone applauded, Judge Stone banged his gavel and then they waited, and they waited and they waited, finally someone tapped Jason's shoulder and he broke off the kiss.

"Ah, Jason, you can kiss longer when you get home!" Said Jeremy. They got ready, and Matilda stood at the top of the judges Bench and threw her bouquet. Someone caught it and it wasn't Biddie! Then they left the courtroom.