The Winslow mail., 1922-12-15
(Continued)
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER 1.-The time is the late eos
Or early '70s and the scene a Steamboat
on the Mississippi river All the types
Of the period are present and the float
ing palace is distinguished by merriment,
dancing and galantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil Drace a young northern man, is
pm his way south on mission of revenge.
He meets an eccentric character in the
person of one Liberty Shottle, who is
constantly tempting the goddess of
chance. They form singular compact.
CHAPTER II.-Drace gets his mind off
mis- mission by entering into deck sports
In which he exhibits an unusual athletic
prowess Liberty Shottle is again un-
lucky at cards and attempts financial
Degotia ation with Drace The latter see
Ing an opportunity to use Shottle, con-
Ades to him that his mission is to find
n certain ex-guerrilla, Stepho la Vitte,
who had murdered braces father. 1t is
his determination announced to his new
chum, to hang La Vitte as high as
Haman. Drace has become enamored
of a mysterious beauty aboard the boat.
CHAPTER III.-The steamer reaches
New Orleans, at that time in the some
what turbulent throes of carpetbag gov
Brnment. Shottle becomes possessed Of
two tickets for the French ball, great
society event, and proposes that Drace
accompany him to the affair The young
men attend and Drace Unexpectedly meets
the girl who had fired his heart aboard
the steamer. She is accompanied by one
Royce, whose proprietary interest indi-
Gates that he is her fiance. Through
stTatagem Shottle learns that the name
OF the girl is Nadine Ia Vitte and that
her companion of the evening is the man
who is seeking to marry her.
CHAPTER Iv.-Drace passes an uneasy
night torn by the suspicion that Nadine
Is the daughter of old Stepho la Vitte.
now an admitted outlaw. Now, more
ahan ever, is he resolved to find where
the girl lives and to find Stepho. Drace
and Shottle begin a search of the city.
in one of their nocturnal pilgrimages
they come upon a mob intent upon hang
ing poor wretch from the limb of
tree 1t is a typical carpetbag execution
and aroused the resentment of an oppos-
ing mob of citizens Drace takes a hand
in the fight which starts and is instru-
mental in preventing the execution. From
q window opposite the scene, he catches
glimpse of one he is sure is Nadine.
CHAPTER v.-The escapade, the fight,
the interference with the execution get
Drace and Shottle into bad standing with
the authorities, but instead of punish
ment are given until the next day to
board a steamer bound north. Returning
to the house where he thought he had
glimpsed the girl Drace finds the place
abandoned. Through Colonel Josh, an
emissary, employed at the suggestion of
Shottle, he gets a faint clue in the dis
Covery that certain Frenchman, wine
dealer, is reported to be an intimate of
Stepho Ia Vitte. There is only a short
time before the departure of the steamer
when Drace and Shottle go to call on
the Frenchnan. The latter is too keen
TO be inveigled into giving up any infor-
nation, but Slottle, spying around among
the casks and bottles especially the ar
ticles made up for shipment, makes an
important discovery. So as not to arouse
casually draws Drace away from the
place and onto the steamer. On board
he informs Drace that one OF the cases
was addressed to Stepho la Vitte at Far
NUNS Landing. Mississippi. 1t is the next
stop below Bethpages Landing and Col-}
onel Bethpage is Liberty Shottle's uncle
CHAPTER VI.-Drace and Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality by
Colonel Bethpage and find the planta
tion and its environs delightful. After
q brief stay and characteristic financial
transaction with the colonel Shottle goeS
away ostensibly on business trip 10
Vicksburg, but in reality to seek his
fav0rite form of amusement. Drace
makes the plantation his headquarters
and from pieces of information gathered
from various sources, becomes convinced
that La Vitte has a haunt in great
wood of cypress and tangle OF salt
cedar a sort of everglades, a marsh with
hundreds of knoll islands rising here and
there among the bayous. A shrewd old
negro had told him that the outlaw lived
in a house built of periwinllle shells
Day after day Drace takes canoe and
goes farther and farther into the moss
hanging wilds. At his feet lies rope, one
end of it a hangman's moose.
CHAPTER VII Drace penetrates in
to the wilderness. discovers PeriwinlIle
House and finds Nadine alone. She Is
much alarmed and warns him her father
will shoot him. He makes love to her and
to get him to go she agrees to meet him
again the following Thursday. On his
way home Drace is acCosted by three
men who ask to be set across the river.
They overpower him and bind him with
ropes Led by Tony they throw Drace
into an old cabin. Tony taunts Drace
and avows his love for Nadine, while
the others collect fuel Tony sets fire
to the cabin and the three go off laugh
ing. And then his bonds are cut and
with Madness help he gets safely out
She tells him how she was led to come
to his rescue.
CHAPTER VITI-Drace gets safely
back to the Bethpage place The gen
eral writes him 10 accompany him to
Natchez where he Is to address a teach
ers' meeting. At Natchez they go to old
Tobe Mason's tavern. under the hill, a
famous place. There they drink summer
grape wine. listen to The ATSansaw.
Traveller" see the buck-and-wing dane
ers and have a dinner of doves and fix
ms Stepho la Vitte appears. insults
the General by calling him Carpet
Dagger The General tells him he lies
Repho draws a dirk. Drace disarms
Etepho who leaves. Vowing vengeance.
CHAPTER IX-On the Thursday morn
ing of the appointment between Drace
and Nadine. Stepho informs the girl that
they are soon going 10 Memphis, where
she is to be married to BoYce. She pro
tests, to no avail Draee comes at evening
and makes warm love to her.
my dear one, we must go now. The