human
Gus, said Silas, somewhat nervously,
gpt
I want to put a case to you. It's purely imaginary, and has probably never happened in the history of the world.
human
You mean what we lawyers call a hypothetical case,
gpt
Precisely, replied Mr. Silas Tomlin, with some eagerness.
human
I was readin' a tale in an old copy of _Blackwood's Magazine_ the other day, an' the whole business turned on just such a case. The sum and substance of it was about this: A man marries a woman and they get along together all right for awhile. Then, all of a sudden she takes a mortal dislike to the man, screams like mad when he goes about her, and kicks up generally when his name is mentioned. He, being a man of some spirit, and rather touchy at best, finally leaves her in disgust. Finally her folks send him word that she is dead. On the strength of that information, he marries again, after so long a time. All goes well for eighteen or twenty years, and then suddenly the first wife turns up. Now what, in law, is the man's status? Where does he stand? Is this woman really his wife?
gpt
Why, certainly, replied Mr. Tidwell.
human
His second marriage is no marriage at all. The issue of such a marriage is illegitimate.
gpt
That's just what I thought, commented Silas Tomlin.
human
But in the tale, when the woman comes back, and puts in her claim, the judge flings her case out of court.
gpt
That was in England,
human
Or Scotland--I forget which,
gpt
Well, it isn't the law over here, Mr. Tidwell declared confidently. They walked on a little way, when the lawyer suddenly turned to Silas and said:
human
Mr. Tomlin, will you fetch that magazine in to-morrow? I want to see the ground on which the woman's case was thrown out. It's interesting, even if it is all fiction. Perhaps there was some technicality.
gpt
All right, Gus; I'll fetch it in to-morrow.