Year: 1871

both sexes were gathered. Standing L


their midst was an old woman, bent dow


with age, looking as if she stood on th


brink of the grave, but her dark, restles


eye showed that there was vigorous lif


in her mind, if not in her body.


She had been telling fortunes for tn


young people gathered around her, and +


all but one had she foretold bright an,


happy future The exception of this rul


of blessedness through life 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 thi


story, an old gentleman and his nephew


had moved to Virginia from some Northern


State, and, buying a farm, had made i


their home. MIR. Mercer and his nephew


Frank, were treated with kindness by thu


gentlemen of the neighborhOod, and they


received invitations 10 visit the plantation
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 al


his family, and Franks parents having


left him to Mr. MERGERS charge, ne deter


mined to devote himself to the boy, anG
found sufficient enjoyment in his company
and in cultivating his farm. Thoueh re


ported very wealthy, and that ne always
kept large sum of gold in the house, Mr.
Mercer and Frank lived in quiet way
and made no display. - ~E-
Thus passed Franks early youth, from
his fourteenth until his Seventeenth year
when our story opens. A man of supe.
rior education, Mr.. Mercer had been his
nephew's teacher, and had impaired unto
him much knowledge of the world, of let
ters, and people, so that Frank, at nine
teen, was as well informed as if he had
possessed cultivated education. There
were those in the neigh5orhood who re.
ported that the boy was wild and dissi-
pated, and this found ready believers in
others, so that Frank had some enemies
as well 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, 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 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 days afterward he left home for a
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 cry, and
seeing Franks window open he sprang in
and walked across the hall to Mr.. MERGERS
chamber, from whence the cry came. Ly-
ing upon the floor was the old man, dead,
while near him stood his nephew, with
bloody knife in his hand. In fright, the
negro ran from the house and gave the
alarm. Persons from the neighborhood
were sent for, and Frank was seized
against every protestation that he did not
kill his uncle, and thrown into jail.


The feeling against the youth was in
tense, for the negro told the story of how
he had found Frank and wayfaring ped
dler, who had just ascended the steps to
ask to stay all night, corroborated the mans
statement.


The trial came off and the charges were
huOMn- L lduh was dCOuoC0 Vi
starting upon a hunting expedition as a
blind, and then returning from the noun
tain by night, had entered the room, and
attempting to remove large bag of gold
kept by his uncle, had aroused him, and,
upon being discovered, had driven his
hunting knife into the heart of MIR. Mer-
Ger. The gold was on the floor, its weight
having torn through the bag when il was
l~v,sfo h xr-ff Nv
Ger was killed was one he had given to
Frank some days before, and was large
dirk-knife encased in a silver scabbard.


Pale as death, but showing no sign of
fear or guilt upon his handsome face, the
prisoner sat unmoved by his sentence,
which was to die on the gallows. When
asked if he had-aught to say, Frank arose
and looking around the court room, IN
clear voice answered:


az have. Circumstantial evidence has
condemned me- / admit it looks as if /
did the deed; but I am guiltless of muir
der. Dropping my percussion cap box in
mountain stream, returned home for more;
for withoutcaps my gun was useless. 1t was
a lovely night, and determined to enter
the house by my room window, get the
caps and return without awakening my
uncle. tied my horse to the fence, sprang
into the window, and then heard loud
crash, a call out, and shrek in the direc-
ton of my uncle's room. Irushed thither
"a dark form dashed by me in the un-
certain light of the room-and fell over
something upon the floor. With fear in
my heart arose, lighted candle; and saw
my uncle's body covered with blood, gold
scattered upon the floor, and my own
knife, which had done the deed, lying near
l picked up the knife, and thus was found
by the negro and seen by the peddler.
As God is my witness, did not murder
the good old man who has protected me
throughout life, and whom loved as
though he was my own father. l am guilt
less of the deed, but submit to my fate


A silence fell upon all there were, how
ever, but few who believed the youths
statement; among the latter was Mr.. Dewes
and his family, who, through all, remained
staunch friends.


Frank Mercer was to be hung-to die
an ignominious death on the gallows-and
hundreds flocked to the little town where
the execution was to take place to see him
die. How they were disappointed to find
that the night before he had escaped !
How, no one knew but he had left note
addressed to the jailor, thanking him for
the kindness shown him while in his
charge, and his regrets that his escape
might cause him trouble, but saying that
he had had an opportunity of escaping,
and took advantage of it, for he had no
idea of dying an ignominious death for an
act he was not guilty OF. merely to gratify
the curiosity of a gaping crowd. Free
dom was offered him, and he accepted it,
and he hoped he would yet be able to
prove his innocence.


This was about the substance of the
letter, and when it was published in the
local paper there were some who were
glad that the boy had escaped the gal
lows. - --f-
D MIR. Mercer's property was, in his will,
all left to Frank, and it was found to be
considerable. Trustees assumed charge of
it, and before long the quiet community
had settled down to its usual routine, and
the murder and escape were in short time
almost forgotten


Ten years passed away and no word of
the fugitive had been heard, and people
believed him dead. One exception was
Mary Dewes, now grown to womanhood.
She had never believed him dead, and
through her life had treasured Franks
image in her inmost heart, the mystery
that hung around him but adding strength
10 her regard. Her sisters had married,
her mother was dead, and, together with