Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-10-19

| he put in an appearance. Then, how.
| ever, he offered faint ray of hope.
He had discovered that q certain
| Frenchman, a wine dealer, living at
| an address he produced scrawled on
| paper, was reported to be an intimate
of Stepho. Possibly from him Mr..
Drace might
Drace hurriedly, explained the de-
cree which had banished him; then he
presented" the Colonel with a check
on account, asked him to convey his
respects to Miss Lucy and took his
departure.
On his way to the Frenchman's he
stopped at the hotel, where he found
Shottle strapping up their baggage
and police official paying an informal
but suggestive call. An hours grace
remained. BRACE paid his score at the
desk, sent his baggage to the boat and
then, summoning cab, drove off with
Shottle to the house of the French
man. 1t proved to be mean abode,
both wineshop and dwelling. Drace
knocked eagerly. A small man, his
.mustache dyed, came to the door,
blinking.
II beg your pardon, sir, but am a
friend of Mr.. la Vitte and"
Pardon, monsieur, but you do not
look like him, re friend
But I am. And 1 came with word
that will be of advantage to him. The
police are after him
cav, he know Eat. Monsieur would
trouble himself for nothing. Good
morning"
"Just moment, please. You have
no need to look on me with suspicion
I am his friend-and--"
eff you his friend" interrupted the
man, you know he gone-to Europe.
on steamer to France"
BRACE was about to abandon the man
in despair when Shottle, who had been
staring at case of wine which stood
by the door ticketed and sealed for
shipment, suddenly interrupted.
"Ah," he cried, "can this be the
famous Chateau Yquem?' And brush
ing past the Frenchman, he leaned ov-
er as if to examine the bottle. With
cry, the wine merchant showed him
rudely away. "Zat is re private stock"
he snarled. "He is not for sale. am
not yet open for business, sirs. Good
morning"
Shottle grasped Braces arm and
drew him away. A cart had halted
outside, and as they entered their cab
they saw the carter shouldering the
case of wine and bearing toward his
vehicle.
AS they turned the corner, deep
throated blast from the Bumblebee
sounded a warning. Shottle turned
upon the disappointed BRACE with
gleeful countenance Master" he
said, "Tll thank you for that money
again. I've found him."
found him!' exclaimed brace.
:.How?"
THAT case of wine was addressed to
Stepho la Vitte at Farnum's Landing,
Mississippi. That wine is going to
StephO on the Bumblebee. And so
are we!'
An hour later brace sat with Shot
tie on the deck of the Bumblebee,
watching the ever-changing panorama
of the Mississippi and musing upon
the sudden shifting of his quest.
Liberty" asked brace presently,
show far up is this Farnum's Landing?
Do you recall it?"
"Yes,". said Liberty. II know this
river. Farnum's Landing is-by gol-
ly!" he exclaimed, breaking off, Far
NUNS Landing is the next stop
below Bethpages Landingl And Cen
eral Bethpage is my uncle! Well go
there"
But" BRACE said obviously, "he's
not my uncle, and I'm afraid it would
be intruding somewhat on his hospi-
tally to"
Nothing of the sort" averred Lib
erty. "Any friend of mine would be
doubly welcome You can't know
much about the General. Tanning
now, but he used to be the most re-
markable character, In a quiet way
along the river. And when tell you
about him, Virgil, you'll laugh. Before
the war he was professor at Newsome,
a little college up in the scrub-oak
country. He entered the army as
colonel and came out as a brigadier."
II don't see anything to laugh at in
that"
mo, but wait. He had considerable
money, and at times used to come
down to New Orleans to enjoy him
self. On one occasion he lost all his
money at roulette"
"Still nothing to laugh at"
mo? All the property he had with
him was d bodyservant, Guinea ne
gro named Dip. So what does he do?
He says to the proprietor of the gam