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Show J I By OPIE READ . I 1 B Copyright, The Bell Svndicate, Inc. 3 "NADINE LA VITTE1" STNOPSIS-The time 13 the late '60a or early '70s and the scene a steamboat on the Mississippi river. AH the types of the period are present and the floating palace is distinguished by merriment, dancing danc-ing and gallantry. There are the customary drinking and gambling also. Virgil Drac'e, a young north-em north-em 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 con-stantly tempting the goddess of chance. They agree to a singular pact Drace gets his mind off his mission by entering into deck 'sports in which he exhibits an un-'Bsual un-'Bsual athletic prowess. Drace, seeing see-ing an opportunity to use Shottle, confides to him that his mission is i to find a certain ex-guerrilla, ; Stepho la Vltte, who had murdered Drace's father. It Is his determlna-i determlna-i tion to hang La Vttte as high as i Haman. Drace falls In love with a I striking young beauty on the boat. c I CHAPTER III Continued. "That's what comes to a horse that wanders from his stable-lot out on the frozen pond," said Shottle as Drace came up to laugh at him. "You've made a rip In the skirt of the ball sure enough," Drace replied, taking him by the arm. And then suddenly he halted, for he caught 6ight of a girl coming toward him. A moment before, there had been numerous nu-merous young women In the room, but now there was only one the barbaric rose maid, the girl who had touched his heart with a torch. With her walked a tall, handsome and well-dressed young man. Her hand rested upon his arm, and she, seemed to listen with pleasure to his evidently evident-ly ardent wooing. She looked at Drace, one glance, and then turned her eyes back to her cavalier and passed on. And a flame of jealousy was added to the turmoil that already held possession of him. "Who Is she, Shottle'?" demanded Drace. "I don't know, but Til find out Lord, but she is a fetcher." He moved off, dodging the dancers here and there, while Drace sat -alone In a window, waiting. The orchestra struck up the supper-march, supper-march, and Shottle, stalking his prey, saw the lady who .had so excited Drace's interest seated with her cavalier cava-lier In an alcove and supping daintily. Possessing himself of a plate and a goodly portion of chicken, Shottle returned re-turned and brazenly seated himself near them, listening with all his ears. "Nadine," the cavalier was saying, "you wrong me in thinking I seek to Influence you through my friendship with your father. It Is true he owes tne much ; and it is true that If I were to become a member of his family I would forget that. But I want to make : yon care for me for myself. If " "Hush, Mr. Boyee," said the girl. ' "There are people near this is no place to discuss such things." The young man lowered his voice, , and Shottle could hear no more. He . calmly finished his chicken and then . sought out Drace, whom he found packing pac-king up and down impatiently. "Well?" demanded Drace. "His name," announced Shottle, "Is ' Boyce. Frederick Boyce, probably or maybe John. It would be John, I'd think." "Hang his name!" exclaimed Drace. Lua you nuu out ncioi "Nadine," replied Shottle with a triumphant air. "Nadine," repeated Drace, and caressed ca-ressed the name with his Hps. "But what's her last name?" "Brown probably, or maybe Jones. Or It might even be Smith." 'Drace -scowled his wrath at such ifttppancv. "Look here, Lib." he said 'Til give you twenty-five dollars to " 'find out iher full name and where she 'lives. I'll give you a hundred If you 11 !flnd somebody who'll introduce me to lher" T "It's a bet," said Shottle. But I must warn you you're- late. Boyce wants her to marry him, and he s got a hold on her father. But she stood him off." "H'm she stood him off? My offer stands, Lib. She couldn't possibly 'throw herself away -on a low-looking 1 fellow like that." Shottle asked for the twenty-five. In advance, was denied and took himself off, grumbling. He found Boyce and the plrl called Nadine Just leaving tne little alcove, and stopped them, bowing bow-ing low: "Sir," he said, addressing Boyce, "I have been directed to Inform In-form this lady that she lias been awarded a prize as the best waltzer ,ln the room. If you will be so good 'us to give me her name and address ,ln order that It may be delivered to W?" Boyce regarded Shottle suspiciously. "Well !" he exclaimed. "I didn't know they did that sort of thing here. YWmt U the prize and to Is giving it?" "The prize," rei-lled Shottle blandly, "1 a turkey. It Is given by the by a leading butcher of the town. Boyce laughed, and the girl added her silver merriment. "I'm sure I in flattered," gha said. "The name is Nadine la Vltte, "and the address" She broke off, and flushed a little. Shottle's jaw had dropped; then he gulped with an extraordinary contortion contor-tion of his face In the endeavor to mask his astonishment. "And the address?" ad-dress?" he pursued. The girl and Boyce exchanged a troubled look. "I think," Interposed Boyce, "It would be better to take the the fowl home tonight. Perhaps you would be good enough to deliver it to our carriage. It is ordered for one o'clock Number 297." Bowing with pelican grace, Shottle departed, but he delayed some ten minutes In dark thought before he sought Drace again. For Shottle wanted the hundred dollars, dol-lars, and If he were to tell Drace that her name was La Vltte 1 Could it be possible thflt she was Stepho's daughter? daugh-ter? He presented himself before Drace at length. "Master," he announced, "her name Is Nadine Brown and her address Is Carriage Number 297." "Carriage Number Two But that is no address. And " "Listen, Master," went on Shottle hurriedly. "I have a scheme a magnificent magni-ficent scheme. Not only shall you. be Introduced to this lady, but you shall be presented to her in the role of a protector and rescuer." "How in the world will you manage that?" "Very simple. At ten minutes past one, you are to be standing on Blank street just beyond the lamp at the corner of X street. Carriage 297 will drive past. From out the shadow of a garden wall two men will spring out and stop the carriage attempt to rob this Boyce fellow and that girl. You will rush up with a cane 'a cane, Virgil, Vir-gil, no pistol and drive off the rob-' bersl You are a hero the lady thanks you.' Tableau T' "But but " "Leave It all to me but give me that twenty-five dollars. 1 know fellows fel-lows whod hold up the devil 'himself for five." At ten minutes past one o'clock Virgil Vir-gil Drace was standing In the shadow of a tree near the street-crossing decided de-cided pon, cursing 'himself for a hair- Possessing Himself of a Plate and a Goodly Portion of Chicken, Shottle) Returned and Brazenly Seated Hlm-Self Hlm-Self Near Them. brained fool and Shottle for an addle-pated addle-pated rogue. A rattle of wheels came to his ears, and a cab approached him. As It came under the lamp at the corner, Virgil was sure he recognized the flamingo neck of Liberty Shottle rising from the turned-up collar of the cabby on the box. ' "Good Lord !" gasped Drace. "He's done it. Pray heaven Boyce carries no pistol." The cab passed him. And then from the shadow of a wall a hundred yards or so distant two dark figures darted out. There came a hoarse command, a stifled scream, a cry for help. Drace ran forward and found Boyce, Nadine and the supposed cabman standing with uplifted hands beside' the vehicle while a masked desperado threatened them with a pistol and a second robber demanded their valuables. Now Drace played his part right cailantlv, rushing upon the robbers with uplifted cane. The fellow with the pistol fired once-then a blow on the wrist from Drace's stick sent the weapon flying. The pain of the blow enraged the fellow, however, and as Drftce made at the second robber, the first one struck him heavily, momentarily momen-tarily .lazing l.I.n. The two supposed robbers now took to their heels, pur-lutlt-heartedly by Cabman Shotfle nd energetically by Boyce. who had been robbed In good earnest.. And o complete the melee, the poor oab-ZZ oab-ZZ fri,htened by the plsto -shot, Soped off with the ramshackle vehicle ve-hicle lurching behind It. ' Nad'ne turned to Drace, her face lighted with gratitude. She held forth her hand. With a grace that would not have mocked a Highlander who, schooled In France, had followed home the Queen of Scots, he bent over it and reverently touched it with his lips. Wild was her nature, this half-barbaric half-barbaric maid, and she snatched her hand away, but repenting Instantly, smiled and spoke. . "I thank you much. You are brave. You are like one on the stage, the hero." Her words came freely, and with just enough of accent to convince that they were sweeter than if there were none. Drace asked her if she remembered remem-bered him, and her black velvet eyes flashed dark in astonishment. "How could I when never have I seen you? You must mistake me. No." "I saw you on the boat, at the ball at the St. Louis," Drace said. "But come to think of It, I know that it would be vanity on my part to believe ,, LiiuL yuu nave seen me. "No, it would not be vanity," pleasantly pleas-antly she contradicted him, shaking her head, her cloud of hair. "The brave do not be vain, but I did not see you. I am so sorry. You sorry, too, ha?" She laughed, and Drace thought that never till that moment had he heard music in its sweetest purity. Then Boyce and Shottle returned, panting Shottle to disappear again tn pursuit of his vanished vehicle. "Sir, I thank you most heartily for your assistance," said Boyce, grasping Drace's hand. "My name is Boyce Rupert Boyce. May I "Mine, sir, is Virgil Dpace," responded respond-ed that young man. '1 am only too glad to have been of help. I'm afraid, however, you'll have to finish your journey on foot. May T'have the pleasure pleas-ure of walking with you'?" This suggestion, however, Boyce declined. de-clined. And although race Insisted as far as the bounds of courtesy would permit, both Boyce and the girl evaded evad-ed consent. And they left him standing stand-ing thunderstruck on the street corner for the girl had said, giving him her hand again in parting: "I thank you once more for your help, Mr. Drace. I hope I may see you again some time. My name Is Nadine la Vltte, and I am often in New Grleans." Drace passed an uneasy night, his mind tonn by his suspicion that Nadine la Vitte was the daughter of old Stepho. Ste-pho. And when Liberty came to his room next morning, eager for praise and reward, the truth came out. Nadine Na-dine was Indeed the daughter of old Stepho; Liberty had overheard enough while disguised .as the cabman to confirm con-firm that. "But where she lived In New Orleans, Liberty had failed to learn; he had planned to drive them home, but the runaway of the cab horse had sent tlmt splan agley. CHAPTER IV Now more than ever was Drace re-I re-I solved to find where the girl lived, to find old Stepho, to What would he do when he found them? He was bent on revenge upon his father's murderers, murder-ers, on solving the secret of that burled money; yet he was In love with that arch-scoundrel's daughter. Or was he? He must find her, make sure. And he said as much to Shottle. "There are some things that can't be done by mere determination," said Shottle. his mind on filling a flush. "No, but Judgment ought to be the master and director of determination. I tell you what' we'll do. This afternoon after-noon we'll take the French quarter by streets and knock at every door." That afternoon they set out on their quest. But the scheme of knocking at every door soon seemed foolish anil Impertinent. They decided to halt only on-ly In front of habitations that seemed to Invite Inquiry, consult their instinct; in-stinct; but as repeated failure blunts Instinct dull, hope became a critic, without creative adventure, and advised ad-vised a return to the hotel. Then they thought that night would be a fitter time. They might catch sight of the girl or Boyce at the theater. "I am Colonel Shottle, sir, and not Lib!" (TO BE CONTINUED.) |