The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-17
Ex-WIDow FRANKIE MKEE.
Has Arthur Branscombe Got Divorce
From Number One?
From the Neto York Sun.

Has Arthur Branscombe Got Divorce
From Number One?
From the Neto York Sun.
A young man landed from the Pacific
Mail steamer in this city about six weeks
ago who bids fair to gain as much, if no t
more, notoriety than thu young woman
whom he married last week mas gained
The story of frankie Brown-McKee is
queer one, and the story of her new hush Ind
is queer, too.
The young woman is the daughter of the
late Hiram Brown of Oakland, Cal, and on
his death found herself heress to about
$4,000. She Immediately began enjoying
herself Among her friends was a young
widow, handsome and vivacious, upon
whom the beaux of Oakland AMI San
Francisco danced attendance assiduously
frankie envied her friend and cast ab Ju1
for o way to get her share of the attention
bestowed upon the dashing widow. She
talked it over with friend, Capt. Apgar
Il think if you had the widows clothes on
YOU would be as pretty as she is. y scid he.
This put notion int frankie, head.
She tried on a mourning bonnet, and it set
off her bronze red hair to great advantage
Her cheeks appeared to bloom better aud
her teeth seemed winter. She had solve
the problem. She would be a young
widow.
On wings of stormy emotions she few to
Capt. Apgar. Yes, he thought he could fl x
it, What was wanted was a respectable
cOnsumptive, who would quickly give up
the ghost after marrying frankie He wa,
to be paid for his services and then go his
way, leaving frankie to wait a few days,
or maybe weeks for the joyful news of
his demise. 1t was great scheme if it
could be worked.
1t was worked. Capt. Apgar had an &C
Quaintance, DR.. Arson A. Dupuy, who was
doctoring a young man named Frank
Mckee. The young fellow was printer,
and on an assertion by the doctor that il
very short time he would ''pass in his
checks it was decided that he and
frankie should be married.
The doctor called upon his patient and
unfolded the scheme. The young man
didn't relish the speculation on h last
breath, but whon he learned that she would
pay ali his expenses until his death and
give him an elaborate funeral he concluded
tnat ne MAI better accept the offer as it
enabled him to live and die in comparative
affiuence. He had visions of cocktails and
whisky sours galore, for Mr. Mckee wa col-
vivlal in bis tast s. He told the doctor that
that ne was ready TO treat with the young
lady.
A meeting was arranged which was en-
tirely satisfactory to both contracting par
ties. The deataly pallor of McKee's face
was strong card in his favor If he had
been healthy. frankie might have loved
him, for he was fair to Look upo1 but
frankie was bent on being widow. She
married the young fellow and gave him his
first installme1t of money. Then she visi-
ted her dressmaker and ordered an elabor-
ate outfit of black. The milliners hurried
-. a -
nets and hats for the eccentric girl. A week
after her marriage her IN turning outfit
wa, ready, and thea frankie sat down with
folded hands and waited for her husband
to die. Every time the door bell rang she
jumped il expectation, but the days, weeks
and months rolled round and still the pa
tent was alive.
At last messengers came from the sick
bed. Her husband was slowly sinking. He
couldn't last much longer, and there were
calls for money to pay sundry bills, which
she gave. AT last this sort of thing became
monotonous, and she proposed to visit her
dying husband and learn how long ne was
going to keep UP the farce of living when
she was paying him SO well to die Young
Mckee got wind of this visit, and concluded
the game was up, for, be it known, he wasn't
qui' e as sick as re wanted her to believe.
She was about to board train ut Broad
way duu OeF61OE SbT66U III O6kid0Q 10 TO
San Francisco to visit her dying husband,
when a hand was laid on ner arm She
looked up in surprise. She didn't know the
broad-Shouldered, well-built, and slightly
portly young man, though his face some
how looked familiar He smiled pleasantly,
and she racked her brain to place him.
Then he told her that he was Frank Mckee
and her lawful husband
She let his hand go instanter, and nearly
tainted, but her anger revived her, and
then there was a scene She tIpbraided him
for not carrying out his agreement aud
dying as per the time card she mad fixed for
him. He explained that the sudden init
macy with the good things of life had acted
as tonic, and that instead of dying he
looked forward to many happy years in her
society. This rallied frankie and stamping
her pretty foot, she emphatically refused to
live with him. Then he demanded money,
and settlement was made upon him.
When this was gone in riotous living he
! made more demands, which she honored
| until she saw that if she kept that sort of
thing up she would find the bottom of her
purse, so she packed up and went to Paris.
When Mckee found that she had flown
he took to drink in dead earnest, and in six
months frankie was widow in dead earn
est: The joyful news was cabled TO her,
and she returned quickly to the scene of her
| childhood. While the wife of the consump-
tive printer she had been consumed with
love for one Arthur Branscombe. Three
years ago two actors. Harry Emmett and
Arthur Branscombe. landed in San Fran
cisco from the Australian steamship.
Emmett was good actor, but Brauscombe
was amateurish. These two secured employ
ment shortly after landing, as reporters on
the Alta California, and did good work
during the G.. A. r. reunion there. The
two chuD1s separated, however, and Emmett
has bsen in New York for the last two
seasons. Branscombe went barn st0rlning