The Winslow mail., 1922-12-29
Continued from Last Week.
SYNOPSIS

N~-'~ - W.
or early '70s and the scene steamboat
on the Mississippi river. All the types
Of the period are present and the float
ing palace is distinguished by merriment
dancing and gallantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil Drace, young northern man, Is
pm his way south on a 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 a singular compact.
CHAPTER II.-Drace gets his mind off
bis mission by entering into deck sports
prowess. Liberty Shottle is again un-
lucky at cards and attempts a financial
negotiation with Drace. The latter, see
ing an opportunity to Shottle, con-
fldes to him that his mission is to find
certain eXguerrlla, Stepho la Vitte,
who had murdered braces father. 1t is
MS 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
eminent 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
Boyce, whose proprietary interest indi-
rates that he is her hance. Through
gtratagem Shottle learns that the name
Of the girl is Nadine la Vitte and that
her companion of the evening is the man
who is seeking to marry her.
CHAPTER Iv.-Drace pa sses 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 search of the city.
Twz of f1niV mol nil jr11Q QevGG
they come upon mob intent upon hang
ing a 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 hand
3n the fight which starts and is instru-
mental in preventing the execution. From
a window opposite the scene, he catches
q glimpse of one he is sure Is Nadine
the Interference with the execution get
Drace and Shottle into bad standing with
the authorities, but instead of punish
Ulent are given until the next day to
board 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 a certain Frenchman wine
dealer, is reported to be an intimate of
time before the departure of the steamer
when Drace and Shottle go to call on
the Frenchman. The latter is too keen
20 be inveigled into giving up any infor-
NATION, but Shottle. spying around among
the casks and bottles, especially the ar
tlcles made up for shipment, makes an
important discovery. So not to arouse
The suspicious of the FTencLman. he
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 Mt Far
NUNS Landing. Mississippi. 1t Is the next
stop below Bethpage's Landing and Col
snel Bethpage is Liberty Shottie's uncle
CHAPTER vI.-Drace and Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality by
Colonel Bethpage and find the pianta.
ton and it's environs delightful. After
q brief stay and characteristic financial
transaction with the colonel. Shottle goes
away ostensibly on a business trip TO
Vicksburg, but in reality to seek his
favorte form of amusement. Dr&ce
makes the plantation his headquarters
and from pieces of information gathered
from various sources, becomes convinced
that La Vitte has haunt in a great
wood Of cypress and tangle OF salt salt
cedar a sort of everglades. marsh with
hundreds of knoll islands rising here and
there among the bayous. shrewd old
negro had told him that the outlaw lived
in a house built of periwnkle 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 pcnetrates in
to the Wilderness discovers Periwinkle
House and finds Nadine alone. She is
much alarmed and warns him her father
will shoot him. He makes love to he" and
to get him to so 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
90 his rescue.
back to the Bethpage place. The gen.
eral writes him to accompany him to
Natchez, where he is TO address 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 Arkansaw
Traveller see the buck-and-wing dane
ers and have dinner of doves and fx-
ms Stepho la Vitte appears. insults
- General by calling .,iI him ,r, "SarRet- "a Pc
Esrac draws a dirk Drace ...------
Etepho VINO ,c~"~s vowing vengeance
CHAPTER IX-On the Thursday morn
ing of the appointment between Drace
and Nadine, Stepho informs the girl tha'
they are soon going to Memphis. where
she is to be married TO Boyce. She pro-
tests, to no avail. Drace comes at evening
and makes warm love to her.
CHAPTER X-The next day Dracs
goes back to Periwinkle House, deter
mined to have an understanding witt
Nadine. His vow OF vengeance and hi:
hatred of Stepho are rs nothing beside
his love for Nadine. She protests thai
she cannot marry him, but in the END
gives Up and promises to be his wife
He conhdes in Aunt Tycie. Liberty
Shottle arrives. He is f1ush, having wor
$4,000 in q lottery.
CHAPTER Xl.-Drace goes again tS
visit Nadine. Stepho and Tony spring
upon him. overpower him and threaten
him with instant death. Nadine appears
She threatens to kill herself with hel
dagger # they do not let Drace go a
once. They know she will do as she
says so they put Drace in his canoe anC
start him off Then Stepho and Tony
overpower Nadine and lock her up. L
the dead of night she manages 20 senC
a note to Drace by frog hunter