An honest belief based upon reasonable grounds that an absent wife or husband is dead, is a good defense to a charge of bigamy, though the second marriage took place within the statutory period. Thus, where the accused married a second husband within the statutory limit of seven years, after she had been deserted by her first husband, in good faith and upon reasonable grounds believing her first husband to be dead, no offense was committed.33 But the contrary is held in some states.34 After the lapse of the statutory limit the law presumes the absent husband or wife dead if he or she has not been heard from.35