Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-11
Miscellaneous.
A NARROW ESCAPE.

on handsome lawn fronting an old
ivy grown mansion In the State OF Viz
GINA, one pleasant afternoon, not many
years since, group OF young people Of
both seyes were gathered. Standing in
their midst was an old woman, bent down
with age, looking az If she stood on the
brink OF the grave, but her dark, restless
eye showed that there was vigorous life
in her mind, If not in her body.
She had been "telling fortunes for the
young people gathered around her, and TO
all but one had she foretOld bright and
happy future. The exception Of this rule
OF bles sedness through lie was hand
some boy Of nineteen, with dark, pas
siOnate face, and an expression which In.
dicated perfect fearlessness.
Five years before the opening Of this
story, an old gentleman and his nephew
bad moved to Virginia from some Northern
State, and, buying a farm, had made 1t
their home Mr.. Mercer and his nephew,
Frank, were treated with kindness by the
gentlemen OF the neighborhood, and they
received invitations 10 visit the plantations
near them. Frank soon became acquaint-
ed with all the country, but his uncle
never left his farm, and seemed to shun So
ciety. For this many reasons were given,
but the true one was that he had lost all
his family, and Franks parents having
left him to Mr.. MERGERS charge, he deter
mined to devote himself to the boy, and
found sufficient enjoyment in his company
and in cultivating his farm. THOUGH re-
ported very wealthy, and that he always
kept large sum of gold in the house, Mr..
Mercer and Frank lived In quiet way,
and made no display.
Thus passed Franks early youth, from
his fourteenth until his seventeenth year,
when our story opens. A man of supe-
ri0r education, Mr.. Mercer had been his
nephew's teacher, and had impaired unto
him much knowledge OF the world, of let
teri, and people, 80 that Frank, at nine
teen, was as well Informed as X he had
possessed cultivated education. There
were those In the neighborhOod who re.
ported that the boy was wild and dissi
mated and this found ready believers In
others. 30 that Frank had some enemies
as we'll as many friends.
Thus we find him and on the evening Of
the commencement of our story he had
been invited to an entertainment given by
wealthy planter to his children.
Mr.. Dewes, the planter, had three chill.
dren, the youngest and loveliest Of whom
was Mary, q girl Of twelve. Mary and
Frank were the best of friends, and loved
each other dearly. So, when the fortune
teller predicted dark and stormy future
tor Frank, the tears arose to the child's
eyes, and she said; Don't listen to her
Frank"
But the boy laughed, and, turning on
his heel, walked away.
Two dava afterward he left home for 4
weeks hunt in the mountains but the
second night after his departure the neigh
borhood was aroused by the startling news
that old Mr. Mercer had been murdered
by his nephew. One Of the servants pass
Ing the house at night heard a cry, and
seeing Franks window open he sprang n
And walked across the hall to Mr.. Mercer
chamber, from whence the cry came. Ly
Ing upon the floor was the old man. dead
while near him stood his nephew, with