Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-28

brightest Of our public school girls, and
during vacations they We're enabled occa-
sionally to visit West Virginia, and she
correspondent with her fathers relatives at
the north. The daughter grew to be a
most beautiful young lady, and doubtless.
in a year or two. would have had a large
circle Of Washington admirers had she not
settled down In the mountains of West
Virginia farmers wife.
On one of her visits to the largest of all
states were 1t f1attened OUT, at Fourth
Of July picnic, she met her destiny She
had attended many rustic picnics in that
section, and as for beauX, had 1t all her
own way over the local bellies. for besides
her beauty she possessed all the graces of
the rustic girl with the accomplishments
of city lady. Her capture at this picnic
was mfddle-aged and steady farmer liv-
ing in that section, reputed to be the owner
of countless acres of land and the pros
pective nabob Of that section. He had, like
many others, seen service on the confed-
crate side, and had returned home with the
praise of his comrades as one of the most
daring. dashing cavalrymen of the south
ern army. While the girl we'll knew that
her father had fallen while fighting on the
Union side, perhaps with the very man
who then was her admirer. she could not
reject his attentions, and finally came to
the conclusion that 1t was far better "to
be an old mans darling than young
mans slave" AS for the old man. he was
her slave from the instant he was intro
duced to her, and ere her visit in that sec
ton was ended the time had been set for
the wedding-and it was not far distant
either. 1t needed but short time for
preparations, and before the year was
ended the marriage took place in Washing
ton.
Complications Arise.
Cne Of the first duties the girl had to
perform, after she had changed her name,
was to inform her friends of the fact, and
In writing to her paternal grandmother
she told her as much as she knew of her
husbands history, not forgetting his ex-
perience in the confederate service This
was enough for the old lady. That the
child of so brave Union officer as her
son should marrysa rebel was horrible, and,
then, too, he may have been the very man
Who had thrust his ssaber into her sons
breast, pcrchance had killed him.
This letter had the effect to cause an
estrangement, and some few years after,
the grahdmother's condition in life having
changed, she put in q, claim for a pension,
on account Of the sons service. This re-
suited in a re-examination of the original
case, and 1t was not dong before the min
lister whose name was attached to the
certificate filed by the widovs was found,
and he pronounced IT. forgery. The case
was thereupon sent to the district attor-
ney, and in a short time an Indictment was
found by the graYl jury. In some way
her friends became aware Of 1t, and the
evening of the date of the return of the
Indictment witnessed her departure from
the city. In her behalf, 1t is nothing but
Justice to state that some of her WASH
ington friends ascertained that she was
entirely innocent Of intentional fraud, icr
there was pretended ceremony, the cerA
tificate was given her and she accepted it
In good faith: that there was abundance
Of proof that she was introduced by the
lieutenant as his wife and lived with him
and raised his child as SUCH While she
lost pension and place in the treasury, 1t
Is more than likely that, IL both are living.
the step-daughter sees that she Is in COM
fort.