Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-01-18
AN EPISODE OF
WARTIME DAYS
Treachery Fails to Separate
Husband and Wife.

garet Richie, who had splendid twin
daughters, Barbara and Elizabeth.
Mrs. Richie was very wealthy and
very ambitious. She took her daugh-
tiers to Europe with a view to their
marrying noblemen. A German baron
proposed for Barbara and was accept
ed by the mother, who did not consult
her daughter in the matter, intending,
If necessary, to enforce obedience. The
mother did not know that Barbara had
a love affair with a lieutenant in the
United States army, Theodore Benton,
a fine young fellow, but without a cent
in the world except his pay.
On her return home Barbara met
Lieutenant Benton at one Of the houses
facing the capitol over which o a
to float the Confederate flag. Already
there were mutter1ngs of the great
struggle to come. Benton was a north
ern man. and both knew that this
would be an additional reason why
Mrs. Richie would v 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, q clergyman was
| called, and the two were made man
and wife. Benton reached Washington
safely. Barbara went home to her
mother and broke the news Of her mar
rage.
The next summer those at the Richie
| plantation listened every day for a
| week to the distant boom Of mo in
| the battles about Richmond. Then the
| sounds, like a storm that had come.
roared from the top of Malvern hill.
but a short distance away. Evening
had come and with it only the crack
ing of rifles on the picket line when q
| 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. Richie came into the drawing
| room and received him with a naughty
manner by no lei 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 annul-
ment Of the marriage. Benton fatty
refused to believe the statement. Since
he was with an army Mrs. Richie
could not have him elected. She there
upon resorted to strategy.
IF my daughter comes into this
room and confirms what I have said
will you believe herr"
II will"
Half an hour later a 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. IT did wrong
in marrying you without my mothers
consent. 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 Il pom
toon bridge across the James. advanc-
ed to Petersburg and besieged the
place. During the passage of the
Union troops across the river m Off
Ger rode up to the Richie plantation
and without d~ismounting handed q
negro Il note addressed to Mrs. Theo,
dore Benton. 1t read:
Are you Of the same mind as in the
summer Of 1862? II so. l will go away,
and when you wish an annulment of our
maria ge T will not oppose it.
THEODORE.
In Il 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. Richie had
died: the second was an explanation
of the pronunciation which had &C.
CURED when Ilenton had been there
before. Mrs. Ritchie was a oma
who when her mind was made up
would stop at no means which she re-
garded legitimate to accomplish her
object. She considered that her daugh-
ter had been stolen from her. There
fore she had & right to repossess her.
self of her own property. She would
not lie. She had asked Benton. IF
my daughter ONE into this room and
confirms what I have said. will you
believe herr" Then she ordered Eliza
beth to p%ersonate her sister. Elizabeth.
without strength of character to resist
her mother. had done as she was told.
Barbara on the arrival Of her husband
had been locked In her room and had
not known Of the outrage that had
been committed until after her moth
er's death. when her sister confessed
and begged forgiveness.
Barbara. when she learned how she
had been misrepresented to her hus-
band. was in agony. She had resolved
to 20 north in search Of him when the