Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-14
\ STRAAGE ROMANCE.

John Dufrane's RemarrIage to the Wife
who EIOped from Him Many Years
Ago.
ERIE, Oct. I'm 1858 John Dufrane, a
young and well-to-dO farmer of Mexican
township, Erie county, met at an evening
party Miss Mary johnson, an attractive
and mOtherless girl, who acted as house
keeper for her father. Young Dufrane
was afterward a frequent caller at Miss
Johnson's house, and, being a likely
young fellow, he found favor in the eyes
Of the girls father and was cordially re-
ceived by the young mistress
of the house. About this time
young SOutherner, Orlando
AmbercrOmbie, appeared in the neighbOr-
hood, and being OF excellent address, be-
came the lion of local society. Miss
johnson fell in love with him. The init
macy between Miss johnson and the
Souiherner FASTENED the suit of young
Dufrane, but to his great sorrow his pro-
pOsal was rejected by the girl, although
she told him that she felt hOnOred by his
offer. Mary's father was greatly disap-
pointed, and said so much on the subject
that she finally consented to marry Du-
frame.
A few DAYS after the return from the
wedding trip Mrs. Dufrane received a
letter purporting to inform her of the ill
ness Of schoOlmate in Erie, who re-
quested her immediate presence. With
her husbands consent, she left home os-
tensibly on that ground. She failed to re-
turn. and then it was learned that she
had left Erie in the company Of Amber
crOmbie. The runaways were traced TO
Niagara Falls, and there all trace of them
was lost.
After four years young Dufrane mar
ried an orphan girl in the neighborhOOd.
When the war broke out he was among
the tirst to enlist in one of the three Ohio
regiments. At the battle of Antietam
DufTane was dangerously wounded. His
Young wife found him in the cotton fac
tory hospital in Harrisburg, where,
through her care, he was restored to
health. Dufrane returned to his regi-
ment, and his wife to her home, but the
exposure and anxiety she had undergone
planted the seeds of fatal disease, and
she died just after her husband had been
hOnOrably discharged.
About the same time the father of Du-
francs tTuant wife died, leaving to Du-
frame his estate, valued at $4,000, with
the request that Dufrane should do ali in
his power to lind the missing woman,
and, if found apart from her paramOur
and in needy circumstances, to make her
comfortable. After a search of several
Of ever hearing from her, but recently
letter came from her to a friend of her
father. She was in Warren. Through
the lntercessiOn of her fathers friend the
executor of the will went at once to War
ren. and there found the erring wife.
Among her papers was a divorce decree
granted BY an Indiana court from
Dufrane and a marriage certificate
showing her legal marriage to Am
bercrOmble. The broken-hearted woman
said that AmbercrOmbie had
engaged in the business of supplying
miners, at which he amassed a fortune,
but drink and cards afterwards made him
poor. His abuse and neglect of her caused
her to leave him five years ago. She then
supported herself by working as a servant
in hotels in Denver and Chicago, and
finally at Warren, where she had been
employed as a servant in a private house.
The killing Of her husband in a gamblers
quarrel in Denver last winter gave her
the freedom she had prayed for, and then
she wrote the letter referred to above.
The truanI VIE vas brought East, and
Dufrane's love for her was renewed. Last
week they were remarked.