The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-01-25
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER 1.-The time is the late COS
on the Mississippi river. All the types
of the period are present and the float
ing palace Is distinguished BY merriment,
dancing and galiantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil Drace, a young northern man. is
on 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
chaace They form a singular compact.
CHAPTER II.-Drace gets his mind off
his misso, by entering into deck sports
in which he exhibits an unusual athletic
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,
fides to him that his mission is to hnd
q certain ex-guerrilia, Stepho la Vitte.
who had murdered Braces father. 1t Is
his determination announced to his new
chum, to hang La Vitte as high as
Hannah. prace has become enamored
of a mysterious beauty aboard the boat
CHAPTER III.-rhe steamer reaches
New Orleans. at that time In the some
what turbulent throes Of carpetbag gov
ernment. Shottle becomes possessed Of
two tickets for the French ball, a great
society event, and proposes that Drace
accompany him to the affair. The young
men attend and Drace Unexpectedly meetf
the steamer. She is accompanied by one
Boyce. whose proprietary interest indi.
Gates that he Is her fance. Through
stratagem 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 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 a 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 q
tree. 1t issa typical carpetbag execution
and aroused the resentment of an oppos-
| ing mob of citizens. Drhce takes a hand
In. the fight which starts and Is instru-
mental In preventing the execution. From
window opposite the scene, he catches
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
| slmpsed the girl. Drace finds the place
abandoned. Through Colonel Josh. an
| emissary employed at the suggestion OF
Shottle. he gets faint clue in the dis
| dealer. is reported to be an intimate Of
Stepho la Vitte. There is only short
| time before the departure OF the steamer
when brace and slhottle go to call on
| the Frenchman- The latter is too keen
| to be inveigled into giving up any infor-
nation, but Sliottle, spying around among
the casks and bottles especially the ar ar.
important discovery. SO as not to arouse
| the suspicious of the Frenchman. he
casually draws Drace 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 Bethpages . La lEnt ana So'-
| CHAPTER vI.-sDrace and Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality 1bt oy
| ton and it's environs delightful: After
| a brief stay and a characteristic financial
| transaction with the colonel Shottle goes
| favorite form of amusement. Dract
makes the plantation. his headquarter,
and from pieces of information gatnerec
| that La Vitte has haunt In a grea'
wood of cypress and tangle OF sal
| cedar, sort of everglades marsh witt
| hundreds of knoll islands rising here and
there am among the bayous. A shrewd ole
negro had told him that the outlaw livee
| in house built Of perfwinkle shells
Day after day prace eta. takes So: = canoe .h ant
hanging wilds. At his feet lies rope, on
| end of 1t a hangman's moose.
tn the wilderness, discovers Periwinkl'
| House and finds Nadine alone. She II
much alarmed and warns him her fathei
will shoot him. He makes love to her ans
to get him to go she agrees to meet HIN
a May home ens ' Brace is accosted BY thre,
| men who ask to be set across the river
ropes Led by Tony they throw Drac'
into an old cabin. Tony taunts Drag
and ayows his love for Nadine: WILL al.
| ing And then his bonds are cut ant
with Madness help he gets safely out
She tells him how she was led to come
to his rescue.
CHAPTER vIII.-Drace gets safe,
back to the Bethpage place The gen
sral writes him to accompany &C eG MIN i'm IL {
ers' meeting. At Natchez they go to. OLE
lobe Mason's tavern, under the hill. I
famous place. There they drink sumner
Trayeler." see the bucl-and-wing dane
ers and have a dinner Of doves and fix
ms. Stepho la vitte appears. insult
' basg se"s'S The General tells him he lies
sstenho draws q dirk. BRACE disarm
Stepho who leaves. vowing vengeance.
CHAPTER Ix-On the Thursday morn
| ing of the appointment between Drac
and Nadine, Stepho informs the girl tina
they are soon going to Memphis. wher
she ia 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 Drac
eoes back to Periwinkle House. deter
mined to have an understanding witt
| Nadine His vow of vengeance and hi
hatred of Stepho are as nothing besd
hia love for Nadine. She protests tina
she cannot marry him, but in the en-.
zives up and promises to be his wife
| fie confides in Aunt Tycie. Libert.
| shottle arrives. He is flush, having VOL
| $4,000 in lottery.
CHAPTER xI.-Drace goes again Il
VISIT Nadine. Stepho and Tony sprinl
upon him, overpower him and threaten
! him with II slant death. Nadine appears
she threatens to Kill herself with he
| dagger II they do not let Drace go q
once. They know she will do as sh
Says. SO they put BRACE in his canoo an,
start him on Then stepho and Ton.
| ovarpower Nadine and lock her up. Il
| The dead OF night she manages to sem