The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-01-18

CHAPTER 1.-The time is the late sos
or early '70s and the scene steamboat
on the Mississippi river All the types
Of the period are present and the float
ing palace Is distinguished by merriment
dancing and gallantry. There are the
customary drinking and gambling also.
Virgil Drace, a young northern man, Is
on his way south on mission of revenge
He meets an eccentric character In the
person of one Liberty Shottle, who Is
constantly tempting the goddess OF
CHAPTER II.-Drace gets his mind on
his mission by entering into deck Sports
in which he exhibits an unusual athletic
prowess Liberty Shottle Is again I'M
lucky at cards and attempts financial
negotiation with Drace. The latter, sec
ms an opportunity to use Shottle. con,
fides 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 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 some
what turbulent throes of carpetbag gov
eminent Shottle becomes possessed of
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 fred 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
is the daughter Of old stepho la vitte,
than ever, is he resolved to find where
the girl lives and to find Stepho. Drace
and Shottle begin search of the city
they come upon mob intent upon hang
ing poor wretch from the limb OF q
tree 1t is a typical carpetbag execution
and aroused the resentment OF an oppos-
ing mob of citizens. BRACE takes a hand
In the fight which starts and Is instru-
mental In preventing the execution. From
a window opposite the scene, he catches
a 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
mient are given until the next day to
to the house where he thought he had
elimpsed the girl. Drace finds the place
abandoned. Through Colonel Josh, an
eIfllSSaTy eTIDIOyeQ at Tie SUGGESTION 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 Ia Vitte. There Is only a short
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
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. 1t Is the next
stop below Bethpage's Landing and Col
onel Bethpage Is Liberty Shottle's uncle
CHAPTER vI.-Drace and Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality by
Colonel Bethpage. and find the planta-
a brief stay and a characteristic financial
transaction with the colonel Shottle goes
away ostensibly on a business trip to
aSG1s but Of II rsny 9 nra ss
makes the plantation his headquarters
and from pieces of Information gathered
from various sources. becomes convinced
that La Vitte has a haunt in great
cedar a sort of everglades, a 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 a house built Of periwinkie shells.
Day after day Drace takes canoe and
goes farther and farther into the moss
hanging wilds. At his feet lies rope, one
end of 1t 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
They overpower him and bind him with
ropes. Led by Tony they throw BRACE
into an old cabin. Tony taunts Drace
and ayows his love for Nadine. while
to the cabin and the three go of laugh
ing And thea 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
grape, wine, listen to The Arkansaw
ers and have a dinner Of doves and Ak
ms. Stepho la vitte appears, insults
the General by calling him a Carpet
Dagger" The General tells him he lies
Stepho draws a dirk. brace disarme
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
she cannot marry him, but in the end
gives up and promises to be his wife.
He confdes in Aunt Tycie. Liberty
Shottle arrives. He is nush, 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 Instant death. Nadine appears.
She threatens to kill herself with her
dagger II they do not let Drace 60 at
once. They know she will do as she
says. so they put Drace in his canoo and
start him off Then Stepho and Tony
ovsTpower Nadine and lock her up. In
the dead Of night she manages to send