The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-22
"Married Once but only a Little.Y

Some men are fastidious in. selecting
wiyes. Others are not at all nice in mat
ters matrimonial. But breach of prom
ise case in Arkansas, in general, is too
rare and serious to leave loophole for
laugh to come in.
Mr.. johnson Topp moved from Ten
nessee across the Mississippi into Arkan-
sas. He was man Of means and a
bachelor. He was not wholly; ayerse.t to
matrimony, but he had fear of widows.
Grass-widows especially were terror to
him. He had moved from East Tennes-
see to Middle Tennessee and from that
section to West Tennessee, and finally
over into Arkansas to escape from real or
fancied matrimonial danger arising from
enterprising, perhaps charming, Tonnes
see widows.
That being Mr.. Johnson Topp's history,
it surprised his friends that he should
appear as defendant in the case of Dublin
vs.. Topp; suit for breach of promise.
But the Circuit Court docket for Critten-
den county disclosed the fact of the suit,
and the affidavit of Mrs. Melinda Dublin
set forth the particulars. -g
| The plaintiff was put on the stand to
tell how wickedly she had been led into
false hopes by the middle-aged bachelor.
~ live at home with my old dad" she
said, "and this feller kept comm round
thar maxim believe he wanted to trade
mules. After he traded time or two
till that was played out, he come wantin'
cotton seed. knowed he only wanted
an excuse to get to see me, and | told
Pop when he come again to bring him
and see whether he'd talk turkey or not
if he had fair chance. And that was
just what he wanted. You never see
man set up to woman pearter than he
did as soon as ever Pop introduced us,
tellin' him, "This is my dartery yMalindy.1
He was powerful shy at theAHkst b1tJ
let him get fairly started oMsmnles sors
'shoats, and he was dead sure to, o,endInsh
sparkin'. And it appeared iksishe
couldn't wait more'n mint for q woman
to say yes. I didn't fool with the man
as lots do, but I said yes; and,about the :
next thing that happened he was tryin'
to crawfsh. That's about the whole
story" 20.
But her lawyer did not think it was
the whole story, and he was right-there
was more to be told.
"Will you state to the jury how it hap
pened that the defendant, Topp, went
back on his word after he had asked you
to marry him 2"
"Well, as I said before, he was the
most uneasy man until he got his answer,
which was yes. The fourth day Of July,
I allowed, would be soon enough for the
wedding day, but he couldn't wait until
then-it was impossible. / told him to
call Pop in and talk it over. Invent over
| to the kitchen to get up squar meal,
| and show the man I could do the tallest
| cooking in Arkansaw, when / let myself
out for it in dead earnest"
"And what happened when your father
and the defendant, Topp, talked it overT
Before ! left 'em told Pop tie naan
was on the marry, and reckined it was
all right. Pop allowed they best have
something to take. / set on the whiskey
and sugar, and told them thar was cookin'
to do; if they preferred mint in theirs
they knowed Just where to gisit. When l
| came back l saw things was wrong. The
first thing the man said, and he lookin,
soberin' a funeral: 'Curnel Dublin, |
allowed your gal, Malindy, was a single
gal until this mint. Is she single, or is
she ever been married afore% And Pop
he told the truth, looking him plumb in
the eye. She's been married once-only
little only little And ] said, That's
so; he's talking the Gospel facts-onlya
little The man lit out then mighty
suddent; and me and Pop thinks if thar's
any law in Arkansaw he orter pay"
The defendant urged that he didn't
want wife who had been married ever
so little. He thought he had been de-
ceived. The jury saw it differently. A
little married didn't count in Arkansas;
he must pay, and he did pay.