The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-08-27
won MER TWICE.
A Couple Astonished to Find They Had
Wed Each Other Before.

|
| There recently passed through
San Antonio, en- route to the City
of Mexico, the principals in a
romance stranger than was ever
woven into drama or story.
Nearly twenty years ago George
Dunhaven, prosperous young En-
glish tradesman, became involved
in difficulty with neighbor and
killed him. The act was done in
self-defense, but the only witness
was an enemy of Dunhaven, and
he peuured himself for the sake of
revenge. Dunhaven was held to
answer to the charge of murder,
and seeing no hope of securing JUS
tice, effected his escape and fed to
this country under an assumed
name. For year he punched cat
tie in West Texas, then went down
into Mexico and devoted his atten-
ton to mining. He prospered, and
in a couple of years was worth a
great deal of money. In Mexico
he met a handsome American girl
who was travelling with her father
and invalid mother. An attach
ment sprung up and they became
engaged, but the father objected.
Before the young lady left Mexico
she was secretly married to Dun
haven, he promising that he would
dispose of his Mexican property
and follow her to the States. There
another attempt was to be made to
overcome the objections of the
father, and, failing, Dunhaven was
to claim his bride. Shortly after
the departure of the Americans the
young husband received word from
a relative in England that the wit
ness had made a confession COM
pletely exonerating him, and he
decided to return to his native land,
clear up his record and assume his
rightful name before claiming his
bride. He wrote to her explaining
matters, but the letter miscarried.
When he returned to America he
found his wife's parents both dead,
and that she had gone, no one knew
whittier. He searched for her dur
ing an entire year, then, concluding
that she had abandoned him, re-
turned to England. There he en-
tered the British Army and was
sent abroad. Three years ago he
left the service and purchased a
handsome home near Manchester
and devoted his time to the educa-
ton of his widowed sisters children.
The governess of the latter was a
handsome, accomplished woman,
and Dunhaven fell desperately in
love with her. Not knowing whether
his first wife was living or dead, he
did not feel at liberty to declare his
passion. He came to America and
made another exhaustive but futile
search for the missing bride, and
returned to England fully satisfied
that he was a free man. He laid
siege to the heart of the stately
governess and was accepted. She
told him that she had been once
married, but was deserted by her
husband, from whom she subse-
quently secured a divorce. By her
first marriage she had one child,
a daughter, who was at school in
America. And so they were we'd
ded. Dunhaven's happiness was
soon disturbed, however, by whis-
pers that his wife had deceived him.
A meddlesome friend suggested that
no one had ever seen a record of
Mrs. Dunhaven's first marriage.
The wrathful husband soundly
caned the doubter of his wife's hon
or, but that only set hundred
tongues to wagging where one had
wagged before. Like Othello, Dun
haven began to grow suspicious
Like most good husbands he stood
a little in awe Of his wife, and hes
itated to ask her for proofs of her
early marriage. When he did so
he had become 80 suspicious that,
with true American spirit, his wife
told him plainly that if he could
not depend upon her unsupported
word he was at liberty to leave her.
Leave her be did, but was soon back
suing for forgiveness. She gracious
" forgave him and then babe him
secure passage on the next steamer
for America.
Your doubts will return" she
said, II must put them at rest for
ever"
She took him diretly to the City
Of Mexico and there showed him
the record Of her marriage, and In
troduced him to the priest who per-
formed the ceremony and who fully
identified her. That marriage reg
ister did more than set his doubts
at rest; it astounded him. It proved
that in 1875 the woman by his side
was not only married, but married
to himself. The wife was as much
astonished as the husband, and it
took them fully an hour to under
stand just how II all happened. It
seems that the young wife, weary
Of waiting for her husband, returned
to Mexico. She there learned that |
he had gone to England. She fol-