Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-12-29
Continued from last week)
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER 1.-The time Is the late, eos
or early '70s and the scene steamboat
on the Mississippi river. All the types
of tSe period are present and the float
ing paHace is distinguished by merriment,
dancing and gallantry., There are tne
Virgil Drace, a young northern man. 10
on his way south on mission OF revenge.
He meets an eccentric character IN inc
person Of one Liberty .Shottle, VINO is
constantly tempting the goddess OF
chance. They form a singular compact
CHAPTER u.-Drace gets his mind off
his mission by entering into deck sports
prowess. Liberty Shottle is again I'M
lucky at cards and attempts a financial
negotiation with Drace. The latter, see
ing an opportunity to use Shottle, con-
1des to him that his mission Is to find
certain 'ex-guerrilla, Stepho la Vitte.
who had murdered Braces father. 1t Is
his determination announced to MS new
chum, to hang La Vitte as high as
Hannah. Drace has become enamored
of a mysterious beauty aboard the boat.
CHAPTER III.-The steamer reaches
New Orleans, at that time in the soma
what turbulent throes of carpetbag gSF-
Wo tcses fOr the rsnes Ba
society event, and proposes that Drace
accompany him to the affair. The young
men attend and Drace Unexpectedly meets
the girl whS had fred his heart aboard
the steamer. She Is accompanied by one
Bo%ee, whose proprietary interest indi-
Gates that he Is her fance Through
stratagem Shottle learns that the name
Of the girl is Nadine Ia Vitte and that
her companion of the evening Ia the man
who Is seeking to marry her.
+ CHAPTER IT.-D-sse passes an uneasy
night torn by the suspicion tfrt< A=s=<:.::ses
iS 6aHchfnr n Sfnnh0
now an admitted outlaw. Now, more
than ever, Is he resolved to find where
the girl lives and to find Stepho. O Drace
and Shottle begin q search of the city.
In one of their nocturnal pilgrimages
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. brace takes hand
in the fight which starts and Is instru-
mental in preventing the execution. From
window opposite the scene, he catches
q glimpse of one he Is sure Is Nadine
CHAPTER V.-The escapade, the fight,
the interference with the execution get
Drace and Shottie 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
SinlSSdIy eHlployeu d. the SuSSeSLloh VI
Shottle, he gets a faint clue in the dis
covery that certain Frenchman, a wine
dealer, is reported to be an intimate of
Stepho la Vitte. There is only a short
time before the departure of the steamer
when Drace and Shottle go to call on
the Frenchman. The latter is too keen
to be inveigled into giving up any infor-
nation. but Shottle. spying around among
the casks and bottles, especially the ar
ticles made up for shipment, makes an
important discovery. So as not to arouse
the suspicious of the Frenchman, he
casually draws brace away from the
place and onto the steamer. On board
he informs BRACE that one of the cases
was addressed to Stepho la Vitte at Far
NUNS Landing, Mississippi It Is the next
stop below Bethpage's Landing and Col
onel BHthpage Is Liberty Shottles uncle.