Year: 1871

Wait We heavens day.


A NARROW ESCAPE.
On a handsome lawn fronting on
an old ivy-grown mansion in the
State of Virginia, one pleasant at
ternoon, not many years since, a
group of young people of both sex
es were gathered. Standing in their
midst was an old woman, bent down
with age, looking as if she stood on
the brink of the grave, but her dark,
restless eve showed that there was
vigorous life in her mind, if not in
her boGv.


She had been telling fortunes for
the young people gathered around
her, and to all but one she had fore
told a bright and happy future. The
exception of this rule or blessedness
through life was handsome boy of
nineteen, with a dark, passionate
face, and an expression which indi-
Gated perfect fearlessness.


Five years before the opening of
this story, an old gentleman and his
nephew had moved to Virginia from
some Northern State, and buying a
farm, had made it their home. Mr..
Mercer and his nephew Frank were
treated with kindness by the gentle
men of the neighborhood, and they
received invitations to visit the plan
tations nearthem.


| Frank soon became acquain-
ted with all the country, but his un-
Gle never left his farm and seemed
to shun society. 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.. Mercer's charge, he deter
mined to devote himself to the boy,
and found sufficient enjoyment in
his company and in cultivating his
farm. Though reported very wealthy
and that he always kept large sum
of gold in the house, Frank lived in
a quiet way and made no display.


Thus passed Franks early youth
from his fourteenth until his nine
teenth year, when our story opens.


A man of superior education, Mr..
Mercer had..been his nephew's teach
er, and had impaired unto him much
knowledge of the world of letters, of
people, so that Frank, at nineteen,
was as well informed as if he had
possessed a cultivated education.


There were those in the neighbor-
hood who reported that the boy was
wild and dissipated, and this found
ready believers in others, so that
Frank had some enemies as well as
many friends. -t


Thus we find him; and on the
evening of the commencement of our
story he had been invited to an en-
tertainment given by a wealthy
planter to his children.


Mr.. Dewes, the planter, had three
children, the youngest and loveliest
of whom was Mary, 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 for Frank,
the tears rose to the child's eyes,
and said, Don't listen to her,
Frank


But the boy laughed, and turning
on his heel, walked away.


Two days afterwards he left home
for weeks hunt in the mountains;
but the second night after his de-
parture the neighborhood was arous-
ed by the starting news that old Mr..
Mercer was murdered by his nephew.
One of the servants passing the
house at night heard cry, and see
Franks window open, he sprang in
and walked across the hall to Mr..
MERGERS chamber, from whence the
cry came. Lying upon the floor
was the old man, dead, while near
by stood his nephew,with bloody
knife in his hand. In fright, the ne
gro ran from the house and gave the
alarm. Persons from the neighbor-
hood were sent for, and Frank was
seized, against every protestation
that he did not kill his uncle, and
thrown into Jail. -H"


The feeling against the youth was
intense, for the negro told the story
of how he found Frank, and a way
faring peddler, who had just ascend
ed the steps to ask to stay all night
corroborated the mans statement.


The trial came off and the charg-
es were made known. Frank was
accused of starting upon hunting
expedition as q blind, and then re-
turning from the mountains by
night, had entered the room, and at
tempting to remove a large bag Of
gold, had aroused him, and upon
being discovered, had driven his
hunting knife into Mr.. Mercel's
heart. The gold was on the floor,
Its weight having torn through the
bag when it was raised. The knife
with which Mr.. Mercer was killed
was one he had given to Frank some
days before, and was n large dirk
knife encased in silver scabbard.


Pale as death, but showing no
sign of fear or guilt upon his hand
some face, the prisoner,unmoved by
| his sentence, which was to die on
the gallows. When asked if he had
aught to say, Frank arose, and look
ing around the courtroom, in clear
voice answered: .-a


Il have. Circumstantial evidence
has condemned me. l admit it looks
as if l did the deed; but l am guilt
less of murder. Dropping my pur
cussion cap box in a mountain
stream, l returned home for more;
for without my caps my gun was
useless. 1t was a lovely night, and
| determined to enter the house by
my room window, get my caps, and
return with ,ut awakening my uncle
l tied my horse to the fence, sprang
into the window, and then heard n
loud crash, a call out, and shrek
in the direction of my uncle's room
] rushed thither-a dark form dash
| IL L., ,,,n Tho ,n.arfa,n l;~lt