The San Francisco call., 1906-08-04
MAY MoNAHAN ABSENT.

Shortly after noon the wedding party
repaired to the residence OF the Kew
N. ]. Cough, pastor of the Methodist
church, where, in the presence of Mrs.
Hand, the brides sisters, Mrs. Taylor
and Miss Moisant, the once grieyously
disappointed and chagrined girl be-
came Mrs Charles s. Thompson, all
forgetfuI, both husband and wife, per-
haps, of the sinister shadow of pretty
May Monahan, hairdresser, who not
so many months ago had stepped be-
tween them on the eve of their we'd
ding day with the threat of an en-
ragged woman to make Miss Hand
widow should she ever wed Thompson,
TO whom Miss Monahan laid first claim.
But the welded couple, the bride
daintily gowned in bridal garb and the
husband aglow with apparent delight,
left the parsonage for the hotel, where
a wedding supper was served. MIR. and
Mrs Thompson will leave tomorrow
for Denver, where the groom has es-
tablished herself in business.
Some time last winter the engage
ment of Miss Hand and Thompson was
announced at a little home party given
at the Alameda home of the young
woman. Thompson was then vice prin-
cipal of the Livermore High School.
He had graduated from Stanford Uni
versity with honors, had been editor
Of the college paper, The Chaparral,
and a member OF various college So
cieties. Shortly before the wedding
day, set for the last of January, Miss
Hand gave party to her bridesmaids,
where she displayed some OF the wed
ding gifts and where arrangements for
the forthcoming marriage were much
discussed among the group of inter
ested girls.
During the afternoon caller ar
rived-a pretty, auburn-haired young
Iofn M nd a
as Miss Hand.
The visitor called for the Alameda
girI-her rival, 1t proved.
You are engaged to marry Charles
Thompson, are you not?" was the
query that startled Miss Hand, who,
trying to compose herself, replied:
i am"
II am Miss May Monahan," said the
other woman firmly. and ! also am
engaged to marry Charles Thompson.
He will never live to become your
husband, but if he does you will soon
be a widow"
That was all. Miss Monahan de-
parted, leaving the object of her call
In a plight of terrible emotion. That
night a message was sent to Thomp-
son at Livermore. 1t was only twenty
four hours before the time set for
the wedding. He was confronted with
the story First deniais. then ad-
| missions. he hdO AhOW II 1dloo -hohd- :
| han, but
MADE UP TWO DAYS AGO.
That was enough. Thompson was
dismissed The wedding invitations
were recalled and the wedding gifts
were returned and a broken-hearted
girl wondered and wept over what
she had learned of mans duplicity.
Back to Livermore went Thompson.
without a word except to say that he
had been taken i'll, the schoolmaster
departed, announcing that he was go
4 ing to San Francisco to be treated
for ptomaine poisoning. week
passed, and his Livermore friends be-
came alarmed at his failure to re-
turn. His mother, a leading milliner
of Paso Robles, and another son came
to San Francisco to search for the
missing man. Detectives services
were enlisted All to no purpose. Gone
was the schoolteacher, and all trace
apparently lost. Not long after his
disappearance was disclosed the story
of the Alameda episode. Then 1t was
ascertained that Thompson had be-
( come acquainted with Miss Monahan
while she was manicuring and hair
| dressing among the fashionable set
at the Hotel Rafael, where Thompson
had been employed during college va
cations. Vain attempts to locate either
of the pair led to a theory that they
had eloped. But at last the subject
was dropped among the families
wide circle of friends and acquain-
tances, only to be reopened a few days
go. when Thompson, who had been