The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-02-01
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER 1.-The time is the late Cos
or early 'I0s and the scene steamboat
on the Mississippi river All the types
ing palace is distinguished by merriment
dancing and galiantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil brace. 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
chance. They form a singular compact.
CHAPTER U.-Drace gets his mind off
his mission by entering into deck sports
in which he exhibits an unusual athletic
prowess Liberty Shotte is again un-
lucky at cards and attempts a financial
negotiation with brace. The latter, see
ing an opportunity TO use Shottle, con-
hdes to him that his mission is to find
a certain ex-guerrilia, Stepho la Vitte,
who had murdered Braces father. 1t Is
his determination announced to his new
chum, to hang La Vtte as high as
Baman. Drace has become enarhored
of mysterious beauty aboard the boat
CHAPTER 1II.-The 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
iDtu dtltiiu anu DIItCt Unexpectedly meets
the girl who had fired his heart aboard
the steamer. She is accompanied by one
Boyce. whose proprietary interest indi-
Gates that he is her fiance. 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
n ,hn 1a
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 plgrima ges
they come upon a mob intent upon hang
ing poor wretch from the limb of a
tree. 1t is a 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
a 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 to
board a steamer bound north. Returning
to the house where he thought he had
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
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 Drace that one OF the cases
was addressed to Stepho Ia Vitte at Far
NUNS Landing, Mississippi. IT 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
transaction with the colonel, Shottle goes
away ostensibly on "a business trip to
vicksburg, but In reality to seek his
favorite form OF amusement use Drsce
and from pieces OF information gathered
from various sources, becomes convinced
that La Vitte has a haunt in great
wood of cypress and q tangle Of salt
hundreds of knoll islands rising here and
there among the bayous. A shrewd old
negro had told him that the outlaw llyed
In a house built of periwinkle shells
Day after day Drace takes a canoe and
goes farther and farther into the moss
hanging wilds. At his feet lies a rope, one
end of It a hangman's moose.
CHAPTER VII Drace penetrates 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 her and
to get him to go 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 IN, river.
ropes Led by Tony they throw prace
into an old cabin. Tony taunts Drace
and ayows his love for Nadine, while
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
to his rescue.
CHAPTER vIII.-Drace gets safely
back to the Bethpage place The gen.
eral writes, him to accompany him to
ers' meeting. At Natchez they go to old
Tobe Mason's tavern, under the hill. q
famous place. There they drink summer
Traveller see the buck nd-wlng dane
ers and have dinner of doves and fix-
ms Stepho la vitte appears. insults
the General by calling him Carpet
Dagger" The General tells him he lies.
Stepho draws a dirk. BRACE disarms
Stepho, who leaves. vowing vengeance.
CHAPTER IX.-On the Thursday morn
ing of the appointment between brace
and Nadine. Stepho informs the girl that
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 Drace
goes back to Periwinkle House. deter
mined to have an understanding with
Nadine. His vow of vengeance and his
hatred Of Stepho are as nothing beside
his love for Nadine. She protests that
sbs cannot marry him, but in the end
gives up and promises to be his wife,
He confides in Aunt Tycie. Liberty
Shottie arrives. He is fiush having won
$4,000 in a lottery.
CHAPTER xI:-Drace goes again to
VISIT Nadine. Stepho and Tony spring
upon him, overpower him and threaten
him with III slant death. Nadine appears.
She threatens to kill herself with her
dagger IL they do not let Drace go at
once. They know she will do as she
says, so they put Drace In his canoc and
start him off. Then Stepho and Tony
ovarpower Nadine and lock her up. In
the dead of night she manages to send
q note to Draee by frog-hunter.