The Winslow mail., 1922-12-22
Continued from Last Week.
SYNOPSIS

Oh period are present ana the 0Oal-
ing palace is distinguished by merriment,
dancing and gallantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil Drace, young northern man, is
pn his way south on mission of revenge.
He meets eccentric character in the
person of one Liberty Shottle, who is
constantly tempting the goddess OF
? chance They form a singular compact
CHAPTER H.-Drace gets his mind off
his 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
negotiation with Drace. The latter. see
Ing an opportunity to use Shottle, con-
Ades to him that his mission is to find
q certain eX-guerrlla, Stepho la Vitte,
who had murdered braces father. 1t is
hjs determination announced to his new
Chum, to hang La Vitte as high as
Haman Drace has become enamored
Df mysterious beauty aboard the boat
CHAPTER III.-The steamer reaches
New Orleans, at that time in the some
what turbulent throes of carpetbag gov
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 indl-
Gates that he is her fiance. Through
ptratagem Shottle learns that the name
Of the girl is Nadine la Vtte 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
than ever, is he resolved to find where
the girl lives and to find Stepho. Drace
and Shottle begin 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 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 tos
board steamer bound north. Returning
to the house where he thought he had
glimpsed the girl Drace finds the place
abandoned. Through Colonel Josh,
eInissary employed at the suggestion of
Ehottle, he gets a faint clue in the dis
covery that certain Frenchman, wine
dealer, is reported to be an intimate of
Stepho la Vitte. There is only e short
time before the departure of the steamer
when Drace and Shottle go to call on
the Frenchman. The latter is too keen
70 he invegled into giving up any infor7.
nation, but Shottle. spying around among
ticles made UP for shipment, makes an
important discovery. So as not to arouse
the suspicious of the Frenchman, he
o5acs AND onte 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 Bethpage's Landing and Col
onel Bethpage is Liberty Shottles uncle
CHAPTER vI.-Drace and Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality by
Colonel Bethpage and md the planta' .
ton and it's environs delightful AFTER
n brief stay and a characteristic financial
transaction with the colonel Shottle. goes
away ostensiby on a business trip to
,a9s r but Of f rsay TO seef braes
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 a tangle OF salt
cedar. a sort of everglades 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 house built of periwinkle shells;
Day after day Drace takes canoe and
goes farther and farther into the moss
hanging wids. At his feet lies rope, one
end of 1t a hangman's moose.
CHAPTER WI Drace penetrates in
to the Wilderness discovers Periwinkle
House and finds Nadine alone. She is
much alarmed and warns him her father
10 get him 10 20 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 IDrace
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 so 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
IN his rescue.
CHAPTER VIII-Drace gets safely
back to the Bethpage place. The gem
eral writes him to 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 ..-,C drink summer
Traveller" see the buck-and- wing dane
ers and have dinner OF doves and f1X-
ms stepho la yi,te app appears insults
~-eer" me [Iv1.e~"l tells him he lies
ESecElo draws a dirk brace
Stepho. VINO ,c-"~S vowing vengeance
CHAPTER IX.-On the Thursday morn
ing of the appointment between l)r3ce
and Nadine. Stepho informs the girl that
they are soon going to Memphis. where
she is to be married to BoXce. she PRO
tests to no avail. Dra"e comes at evening
and makes warm love TO her.
CHAPTER X-The next day Drace
goes back to Periwinkle House, deter
mined to have an understanding with
Nadine. His vow of vengeance and his
hatred of Stepho ara as nothing beslde
his love for Nadine. She protests that
she cannot marry him, but in the end
gives up and promises to be his wife.
He confides in Aunt Tycie. Liberty
Shottle arrives. He is f1ush having won
$4,000 in a lottery.
"No-no!" she cried you shall
not"
Stepho looked up. "Take the girl
away, Tony" he commanded.
But Nadine threatened him off with
her knife. Then she turned the blade
in another direction and spoke again.
esIf 1-h,, An not lct N-iruiI Ii. co Il