, 1902-10-17
TWO CAMPAIGNS

tury the owner of the estate was il
widow, Mrs. Margaret Richie, who had
two twin daughters, Barbara and Eliza
beth.
Mrs. Richie was very wealthy and
very ambitious. She took her daughters
to Europe with a view to their marry
ing noblemen.
A German baron proposed for Bar
bara and was accepted by the mother,
who did not consult her daughter in the
matter, intending, If necessary, to en-
force obedience. The mother did not
know that Barbara had a.SIove. laif8stE]
with a lieutenant In the United Sgf5p@E
army, Theodore Benton, a fine yothe'
fellow, but without a cent in the world
except his pay.
Had she been aware of this attach
ment she would not have brought her
daughter back to America, which she
did, thinking 1t proper that the baron
should come for her at her W home.
Soon after her return Barbara met
Lieut.. Benton at one of the houses fac
Ing the capitol oyer which soon was to
loaf the Confederate flag. Already
there were mutterings of the great
struggle to come. Benton was a North.
would be an additional reason why Mrs,
Richie would never consent to their
marriage.
Barbara told her lover of the contract
her mother had entered into in her be-
half abroad.
4. Benton urged her to marry, him at
once without her mothers consent, but
she dared not. Soon after, while Benton
and Barbara were still in Richmond,
came the news of the firing on Fort
Sumter Benton hastened to find Bar
bara, told her that he must at once
make his way north and again urged
her to marry him.
She consented, a clergyman was CALI
ed, and. the two were made man and
wife.
Benton reached Washington safely.
Barbara went home to her mother and
broke the news of her marriage.
1.-THE next summer those at the Richie
. plantation listened every day for q
week to the distant boom of cannon III
the battles about Richmond.
Then a sound, like a storm that had
come, roared from the top of Malvern
hill, but a short distance away. Even
ing had come and with it only the
cracking of rifles on the picket line
when a young officer rode up to the
plantation, announced himself as Liept.
Benton and, upon being told that the
family were there, demanded 10 see his
wife.
room and receive" him With a d az
manner by no means softened by the
fact that he was an invader Of her State
and her plantation. She told him that
Barbara was i'll and that she did not
wish to see him. When the war ended
she would apply for an annulment of
the marriage. Benton fatty refused to
believe the statement. Since he was
with an army, Mrs. Richie could not
have him rejected. She therefore resort
ed to strategy.
'"If my daughter N into this room
and confirms what l have said, will you
believe her?"
81 will"
Halt. an hour later a young girl stood
upon the threshold, pale apparently
with Illness. Benton seeing what APP
peared to be the shadow of his wife
stepped forward. The girl motioned
him back.
Theodore" she said, 81 did wrong in
marrying you without my mothers con-
sent. Go away. l wish never to see
you again."
Benton staggered from the house,
mounted his horse and rode away.
Two years later Grant laid a pontoon
bridge across the James, advanced to
Petersburg and besieged the place.
During the passage of the Union troops
across the river an officer rode up to
the Richie plantation, and without dis
mounting handed a negro a note ad-
dressed to Mrs. Theodore Benton. 1t
read:
Are you of the anne mind as In the
summer of 1862? If so, l will go away,
and when you wish an annulment of
marriage l will not oppose 1t.
THEODORE"
In a few moments Barbara appeared
mt the door, and between hysterical
tears and laughter held out her arms.
Benton sprang from his horse to her
embrace.
The first piece of news the husband
received was that Mrs. Richie had
died; the second was IN explanation of
the remuneration which had occurred
when Benton had been there sefore.
Mrs. Richie wal a woman who, when
her mind was made up, would stop at
no means which she regarded legiti-
mate to accomplish her object. Sfe con-
sidered that her daughter had been
stolen from her. Therefore she had a
right to repossess herself of her own
property. She would not lie. She aad