Rock Island Argus., 1902-06-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
AN EPISODE OF
TWO CAMPAIGNS

IOriglnaLI
On the James river some miles below
Richmond is plantation manor house
that was built in 1860. About the mid
die OF the last century the owner of the
estate was widow, Mrs. Margaret
Ritchie, who had two twin daughters,
Barbara and Elizabeth. Mrs. Iiitchie
was very wealthy and very ambitious.
She took her daughters to Europe with
a view to their marrying noblemen. y
German baron. proposed for Barbara
and was accepted by the mother, who
did not consult her daughter in the
matter, inten>1inG, If necessary, to en-
force obedience. The mother did not
know that Barbara had a love affair
with lieutenant in the United States
army, Theodore Benton. fine young
fellow. but without cent I'm the world
except his pay. Had she been aware OF
this attachment she would not have
brought her daughter back to America,
which she did. thinking il proper that
the baron should come for her at her
own home.
Soon after her return Barbara met
Lieutenant Benton ut one of the houses
facing the capitol over which soon was
To float the Confederate flag. Already
there were mutterings of the great
struggle to come. Benton was n north
ern man. and both knew that this
would be an additional reason why
Mrs. Ritchie would never consent to
their marriage. Barbara told her lover
of the contract her mother had entered
into in her behalf abroad. Benton
urged her to marry him at once with
out her mothers consent, but she dared
not. Soon after, while Benton and Bar
bara were still in Richmond, came the
news of the firing on Fort Sumter.
Benton FASTENED to find Barbara, told
her that he must at once make his way
north and again urged her to marry
him. She consented, Il clergyman was
called, and the two were made man
and wife. Benton reached Washington
safely. Barbara went home to her moth
er and broke the news of her marriage.
The next summer those at the Ritchie
plantation listened every day for Il
week 10 the distant boom of cannon in
the battles about Richmond. Then the
sounds, like n storm that had come,
roarcd from the top of Malvern hill,
had come and with it only the cracking
of rifles on the picket line when Il
young officer rode up to the plantation.
announced himself as Lieutenant Theo-
dore Benton and. upon being told that
the family were there, demanded TO see
his wife
Mrs. Ritchie came into the drawing
room and received him with Il naughty
manner by no means softencd 10y 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 annul-
mcnt Of the marriage. Benton fatty
refused To believe the statement. Since
he was with an army Mrs. Ritchie
could not have him elected. She there
fore resorted TO strategy. oh
IF my daughter comes into this
room and confirms what l have said,
will you believe herr"
Il will"
Half an hour later young girl stood
upon the threshold, pale apparently
with illness. Benton. seeing what ap-
peared TO be the shadow of his wife,
stepped forward. The girl motioned
him back.
Theodore" she said. Il did wrong
i'm marrying you without my mothers
see you again"
Benton staggered from the house,
mounted his horse and rode away.
Two years later Grant laid 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 Ritchie plantation and without dis
mounting handed a negro n note adj
dressed to Mrs. Theodore Benton. 1t
read:
Are you of the same mind as in the
summer of 1862? If so. will go away, and
when you wish an annulment of our mar
riage will not oppose 1t. THEODORE.
In a few minutes Barbara appeared
at 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. Ritchie had |
died; the second was an explanation of |
the remuneration which had occurred |
when Benton had been there before. |
Mrs. Ritchie was n woman who when |
her mind was made up would stop at |
no means which she regarded legiti- |
mate to accomplish her object. She |
that her daughter had been |
stolen from her. Therefore she had n |
right to repossess herself of her own |
property. She would not lie. She had |
asked Benton, ''If my daughter comes |
into this room and confirms what | |
have said, will you believe herr" Then |
she ordered Elizabeth to pcrsonate her
sister. Elizabeth. without strength of |
character to resist her mother, had |
done as she was told. Barbara on the |