The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-05-16
FIGHTS FOR HER FREEDOM


York. infant in Pennsylvania. Miss
Mabel Mercer has decided that she
wants to stay in the metropolis.
She thinks that the laws of the En-
] pire state give her better chance
than those of William Penn's old
state. AS long as she stays in New
York she is perfectly safe from cap
ture by her father, who put her in
the Country home, at Germantown,
Pa, the other day, because she wants
TO be independent g
Miss Mercer is just turned IS. Here
the law says that a woman Of IS is
of age. In Pennsylvania father is
child's guardian until she is 81, and
until then she Is an infant
But back of all this is something
more. Miss Mercer had to make
sensational escape from the home to
get without the Jurisdiction of the
laws of the sovereign state of Penn
sylvania. She slid three stories on a
rope made of sheets, met a young
man in an automobile, whisked away
to Philadelphia, exchanged the insti-
tution's uniform for a dress, which
| she borrowed, made the first train
for New York, and here she is now.
defiant, but happy.
OF Prominent pittsburg Family.
The MERGERS are among the best
known people in Pittsburg. The ia.
Their Is Capt. George S. Mercer, super
intendent of buildings in Allegheny
county. Now. Miss Mercer had fin
ished school, and was about to take
her place in society, when she met
young Carl Borntraeger, a ward of
Henry c. Prick. He was young, good.
looking, and he stands to inherit for.
tune. He proposed; she accepted
But Mr.. Frick couldn't see it in the
light that the young people did, and
for that matter, neither did Capt.
Mercer There was stormy scene,
some hot words, and Miss Mercer
stalked out of the house.
"All right" she said you don't
have to support me. can get po-
sition on the stage If have to-"
Her father laughed at this, but the
girl made good her threat. She did
get place in THE Earl and the Girl"
company, and she came to New York
to rehearse for her part 1t looked as
IL she would succeed. She was dainty,
winsome, extremely pretty and chic
But along came Papa Mercer.
Your mother is very ill.," he said
and you must come home to see her."
or course the girl gave in. Tear
fully she took the train for Pittsburg,
as she supposed, hoping to see her
dear mother before she died and to
beg forgiveness for running away from
home. There was a stop at Philadel.
phia.
I'VE get out here" said tn. father.
sternly, and suddenly detective ap-
peared-he had been coached for his
part.
You've got to come along" laid
the man, and itll be better II you
don't make scene"
Then Miss Mercer realized that II
had all been trap. Her mother was
not Ill and she wasn't going 20 Pitts
burg at all. Instead she found herself
ON the way to the Country Home an
Institution conducted by the Protest
ant Episcopal church at Germantown,
suburb of Philadelphia.
Before the girl could recover from
her surprise and indignation she wss
In uniform and under restraint. That
was on March 25 last Right then and
there she made up her mind to escape.
And escape she did. Now she can
snap her fingers at the laws OF Penn
syvania and her father. too. She Ia
of age in New York and an infant no
longer.
Here she's woman; there she's a
child.
So here she proposes to remain.
Planning Her Escape.
All this took wits and pluck. Miss
Mercer realized that she was being
watched every minute. She was made
TO scrub floors and wash dishes wait
at the table and make beds-tbinrs
she had never done before in her life
She scrubbed and washed and ironsd
until her white little hands were all
red and sore. But all the time she
was waiting her chance.
And the young ward of Mr.. Fric,,
was outside, waiting to help her at
Just the proper moment. This was be-
cause Miss Mercer was able TO smue.
gle letter out to him making an an.
pointment for him and his big automo.
bile at just the right time.
Nor was this the first time she had
made an appointment with young Mr.
Borntraeger' Last December they ran
away together--this 1s-year.old EIri
and this ls-year-old boy-intspdinE 10