The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-06-08
ROMANO.
Thu Marriage Of a Young Wora,
to the Double" of Her 8e-
trothed.

~ NV SS|aN ~ .NNCNM R@wM
trothed.
Westminster (Md.) Chicago Herald.
The deathbed confession OF Edmnna
Davies, who died recently in Carroll
County, has just been made pubic
and is a sequel to a strange stors
His life was q remarkable one
many instances. Twenty-Five years
ago Edmund Davies was a young MA
in his twentieth year. He was not
handsome and, neither was he III.
looking. He had a younger brother
Just eighteen. His name was Frank
and he was an exact double OF I'd.
mund. The two brothers lived alone.
except an old negress, their h~ousekeep.
er. The parents OF the boys had died
many years before. 1t was early u
1864 that Edmund Davies began pay.
ing attention to Fannie Forbes, the
young daughter of aneighboriDg farm.
er. The brothers were very much at.
taChed to each other, and Frank also
was a frequent visitor to the FORBES
farm dwelling. The girl often took the
one for the other, and some time after
wards agreed upon a signal with Ed.
mund, so that she could readily know
to whom she was talking, The
neighbors could not identity the
brothers, and they were known
only and referred to as The
Davies boys. 1t was the girl that sus-
gested to Edmund that when be came
to her he vas to use the Latin word
"idem" 1.-THE same). Time passed,
and after a courtship Of six or seven
months Edmund proposed marriage.
Fannie accepted because she had
learned to love him fervently. Then
it was that she asked him whether he
did not have some mark on his arm
or hand by which she could readily
distinguish him in case of sudden
death or serious accident. He told
the girl that on his next visit he
would disclose a mark by which shs
would recognize him in any case. Ed.
mund went home, his mind fraugbt
with pleasure because he was to mar.
ry the girl OF his heart. He loved bis
younger brother very much, and en-
trusted his secret to him.
Frank in his innermost heart, too,
loved Fannie Forbes, and the con-
fession OF his brother stirred his leal-
ousy. He was bright OF thought and
possessed an active mind. He want
ed to marry Miss Forbes. The day
following the brothers came to this
place and Edmund procured a mar
riage license. Frank'smind was evolv-
ing q scheme by which he could thwart
his brothers marriage. He proposed
a trip to Baltimore, persuading Ed
mund to despatch @ messenger to
his sweetheart that they had gone to
the Monumental City for the especial
purpose OF having a tattoo mark
placed between the first and second
finger OF his right hand. While in
Baltimore they met an old friend Of
their dead father, Captain Aker, OF
the ocean steamer Franklin. The
captain said he would sail the next
day for Australia, and was very soii-
citous that the namesake Of his de-
ceased friend should accompany him.
1t was Edmund. He hesitated. The
captain told him Of the pleasures Of
the trip and the fine country to which
he would sail and being urged by
Frank he yielded to the influences and
consented. That evening he wrote
q farewell letter to his intended wife,
bidding her to await his coming, and
that he was hopeful of gaining fortune
in the distant country. The marriage
license was enclosed in. the letter.
Remember Idem'' we're the last
words. The next morning, Friday,
August 81, the Franklin started OF
the trip. Now Frank had an open
field. ard he improved the time Won
derfIlly well. he did not hesitate
HIS first work was to read the letter
The word "Idem" seemed to puzzle
ham, hat he remembered hearing his
brother use 1t when approaching the
girl, and he hit upon the correct
meaning at once. Next he had his
right hand tattooed. He would
nv the girl ne loved, be thought, and
assumed the name OF Edmund.
His return home alone caused
some talk, but when the mail brought
the weekly newspapers announcing
the departure of one of the Davies
boys OF Carroll County for Australia
ia the Franklin all was we'll. Thence
forth Frank was known as Edmund
Even though he gave incorrect word
signal, Fannie Forbes seemed to
doubt his identity, but after the
marriage had been postponed tota
month. which was very acceptable TO
frank, she felt assured he was Ed
mund, and they were married. The
union vas a happy one, inueed, but
no children were born to bless their
happiness. Years went By and they.
prospered, and by strict economy
saved q good amount of money Ten
years after they had been married the
husband was in Baltimore, and there
ascertained that his brother had died
IN Australia and bad willed all his
earnings to Frank. This knowledge
the husband impaired to his vile.
The woman never knew until the day
before be died that her husband was
Frank Davies. But she had loved
him just az dearly as If he had been
Ed mund and ~forgave him freely, He
died apparently happy.