Romance Ended

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 744, 17 August 1929, Page 20

Romance Ended

Girl-Bride Returns to Her Parents

MISSING FOR THREE WEEKS

A

YOUNG and pretty girl’s romance has been brought to a sudden end by her return home as a bride, after three

weeks’ married happiness, and the departure of her husband for an address unknown. The girl is Alma Farquhar Wood, now Mrs. Dicketts, aged 16, who was recently reported missing from her home at Leigh-on-Sea. At the same time there disappeared a man named Walter Arthur Charles Dicketts, to whom she was engaged to be married. Dicketts, before the disappearance, had obtained the consent Jn writing of Mr. Farquhar Wood, the girl’s father, to marriage with his daughter, but it was impressed on him that no use was to be made of this consent for some months. Police Revelations For days the distracted parents waited for news of their daughter, but nothing was heard either of her or of Dicketts, and the police at Southend stated that they wished to interview Dicketts apSrt from the suspected elopement. It was revealed that in his short career—he is only 30 —he has been known as Richard Blake, Blaekie, Blackey, Welfare, Ashton, Bell. Major Carberry, Captain Wentworth, Charles Mills, Rockdorf, Fox and Colonel Woodhouse.

Letter cards received from the girl containing no address and saying that she was “frightfully happy” were believed to be forgeries, and the whole country was searched for the missing couple. It then became known that the two had been married on April 29 at Marylebone Registry Office. “Every necessary formality was complied with,” the superintendent registrar stated in an interview. “The couple produced a form bearing the consent of both of the girl’s parents, which was also attested by a resident at Leigh-on-Sea. The parties were represented by a solicitor.” Still the whereabouts of the lost lovers remained a mystery. Home Again Then, suddenly, Alma returned home and explained that she and her husband had been staying at Lulworth Cove, where, she said, they had been supremely happy. She found it hard to believe that the police were seeking for him. For several hours after her arrival home Alma wrestled against her mother’s persuasion and refused to believe anything ill of Dicketts. Finally, however, she was taken away by her mother. Although her visit to her home was to have been but a fleeting one, she is said to be reconciled to the idea that she will not see her husband again. “Alma,” an aunt said, “was in a most distressed condition when she was told that she could not return to Dicketts, but I think she understands the reason now. “X know that Alma said what a devoted and loving husband Dicketts had been and that she felt sure that he intended turning over a new leaf. “She asked for one little opportunity of seeing him before she went away.” Alma believed her husband had plenty of money coming to him from America. “Naturally we are all delighted that she is home, and it is only a question of time before she forgets the past,” added her aunt. Mr. Wood says he gave Dicketts considerable sums of money to invest in foreign bonds.