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THE CHEROKEE ADVANCE, CANTON, GEORGIA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, I M2 2
Periwinkle
House
By Opie Read
Dlnatratad by
R H. Livingstone
Hill TVuTh sotigfi? T« make 11 tWril
ut tlint tryst.. From afar the sinsDu
eled Tony had I *rare
Ctpyvttht, Tto Ml ByadleaU, lx.
SYNOPSIS
CHATTER I-Tlie time Is the late NO*
or early ’70s and the scene a steamboat
On the Mississippi river. All the types
t the period are present and the float*
ntf palace Is distinguished by merriment,
xnelng and gallantry. There are the
Customary drlnKlng and gambling also.
Virgil Drace, a young northern man. Is
an ills way south on n mission of revenge.
He meets an eccentric character In the
person of one liberty Sliottle, who Is
constantly tempting the goddess of
aliance. They form a singular compact.
CHAPTER 11.—Drace gets his mind oft
bis mission by entering into deck sports
hi which ho exhibits an unusual athletic
f irowess l.lherty Sliottle is again un-
ucky ut cards and attempts a financial
acgotlatlon with Drace. The latter, see
ing an opportunity to use Shuttle, con
fides to him that Ids mission Is to find
a certain ex-guerrllla, Stepho la Vltta,
who had murdered ITace’s father. It Is
his determination announced to his new
chum, to hang T gr Vltte us high as
Haitian. Draco has be nine enamored
of a mysterious beauty aboard the boat
CHAPTER III.—The steamer rJkcbaa
New OrleaiiH, at that time In the some
what turbulent throes of carpetbag gov
ernin'ni. Shotth becomes possessed of i
two tickets for tin Drench ball, a great ,
Society event, and proposes that 1'race I
accompany him t > tla* a Hair. The young I
men attend and Drace unexpectedly meets
the girl who had fired his heart aboard
tlie sleamer. She Is accompanied by one
Boyce, whose proprietary Interest Indl
cates that ho la her fiance. Through
stratagem 8hottlq learns (hat the name
of the girl Is Nadine la Vltte 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 Vltte.
now an admitted outlaw. Now. more
than ever, lif he resolved to And whers
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 a mob Intent upon hang
ing a poor writ ell from the limb of a
tree. It Is a typlral carpetbag execution
apd aroused the resentment of an oppos
ing mob of citizens. Drace takes a band
In the fight which starts mid Is Instru
mental In preventing the exei utlon. Prom
a window opposhs tin* scene, he nntehes
a glimpse of cne he Is sure Is Nadine
CHAPTER V- The escapade, the fight,
the Interference with tin execution got
r>rn< e and Shottle Into had standing with
the authorities, liul In lead of punish
ment are Riven mild tile next day to
board a steamer hound mu K i.mlng
to the house where lie thought he had
glimpsed the rlrl, Drace (tads the place
abandoned. Through Colonel Josh, an
'"vilssury employed at the suggestion of
iott!e. he gets a faint flue In the dls-
-svery that a certain Frenchman, a wine
dealer. Is reported to be an Intimate of
Stepho la Vltte. There Is only a short
time before the departure of the stenmer
when Draee and Shottle go to call on
the Frenchman. The latter If too kren
to he Inveigh'd Into givt/ig up any Infor
mation, but Shottle, spying in mind among
the casks and bottles especially the ar
ticles made up for shipment, makes an
Important discovery. So as not to arouse
the suspicions of the Frenchman, he
casually draws 1 trace away from the
place and onto tin* steamer. On board
Be Informs Drace that one of the cases
was addressed to Stepho la Vltte at Fnr-
nmn’s landing. Mississippi. It ts the next
Stop below Bethpage’s Landing and Col
onel Bethpage Is Liberty Shuttle's unele.
CHAPTER VI.-Draco nnd Shottle are
received with genuine hospitality by
Colonel Bethpage and (1ml the planta
tion and Its environs delightful After
t brief stay nnd n characteristic financial
ransai tlon with the colonel, Shottle goes
uwny ostensibly on a business trip to
Vick burg but In reality to seek his
favorite form of amusement. Drace
makes the plantation Ills headquarters
ami from pieces of Information gathered
fi cm various sources, becomes convinced
that La Vltte 1ms a haunt In a great
wood of cypress and a tangle of salt
ce ar, a sort of everglades, a marsh with
hundr* ds of knoll tBlands -tsing here and
tb i among the havoitn A shrewd old
lu ro hud told him that the outlaw lived
In a house Imllt of periwinkle shells.
1 a\ after day Drace takes a canoe and
go. farther and farther Into the moss-
hai'gitig vsl ds At hls feet lies a rope, one
ruietrates In-
< Periwinkle
one. She Is
in her father
e to her n.od
to meet him
ay. On hls
id by three
xs the river,
ud him with
throw Draco
, ing. And the hls bonds
to hls rescue “ " a
CHAPTER Vn I —Drace
back to the Betbpag.. i la
era! W'rltes him to accott
Natchez, where he Is to ml
ers’ meeting. At Natch- z theV go to"old j
Tobe Mason s tavern, under the hill, a
famous place. There they drink summer- i
grape wine, list n to "Tin- \rkansaw
Traveler." see the buck-at 1-wlng danc
ers and have a di n r of doves and fix-
In’s. Stepho la Vltte app, ,rs, insults
the General hv calling hi u i "Carpet
bagger.’’ The General tells him he lies
Stepho . draws a dirk D-ace disarms!
Stepho, who leaves, vowing vengeance
CHAPTER IX.—On the Thursday morn-
* ing of the appointment between Drace
and Nadine, Stepho Inform - the girl that
they a^e soon going to Memphis, where
she Is to be married to Boyce. She pro
tests, to no avail. Drace conics at evening
and makes warm love to her
CHAPTER X.—The next day Drace
goes back to Periwinkle House, deter
mined to have an unders# ding with
Nadine. Hls vow of vengeance and hls
hatred ofBtephoare as nothing beside
hls love for Nadine She protests that
■be cannot marry him, but in the end
“*v«s up and promises to be hls wife
a Conflde3 In Aunt Tvcle. Liberty
Bttle arrives. He Is (lush, having won
,400 In a lottery.
JPTiuK XI,—Drace goes again to
Nadine. Stepho an<f Tony spring
i him, overpower him and threaten
with In stan t death. Nadine a/pea™
threatens to kill herself with her
ir If they do not let Drace re at
„ They now she will do as she
i, so thsy put Drace In hls canoe and
at him off. Then Stepho and Tony
trpower Nadine and lock her up. in
j dead of night she manages to tend
Bote to Dimes try a frog-hunter.
And Hardly Had the Northerner's
Canoe Touched the Bank When
From Out the Canoe Tony and Stepho
Leaped Upon Him.
Atul linrtlly hud tlm Northerner's canoe
touched t lu* bnuk when from out the
cane Tony nnd Stepho leaped upon
him and bore him to the ground, dazed
by u blow from tin oar.
Hit! My fine cnrpethuggnr! You
seize my wrist nnd keep iny knife from
the old General! You steal here to
mnUe love to iny daughter! Iln! Who
will now keep my knife from you? In
n li'lle while, now, you will he deep
In the marsh, nnd the green mold will
he on your bones. And the old fool nt
the big house, he die too, for my men
will cut his throat. And then--"
A piercing cry from the house, and
Nadine ran to them, a knife Hint
mated Stepho’s dirk clutched in her
hand.
“No—no!” she cried. “You shall
not."
Stepho looked up. "Take (he girl
uwny, Tony," he commanded.
But Nadine threatened him off with
her knife. Then slit* turned the blade
in another direction nnd spoke agnin.
"If you do not let Virgil go," she said,
“T will kill mysdf - now."
Stepho kne^v Nadine—the wild heart,
of her. "You promise never to s«>e this
mull again, and to marry Monsieur
Boyce, like I wish?"
“I promise nothing—except that I
will kill myself If yon do not let hint
go."
Stepho hesitated a moment, craft
fighting with anger. Then craft won;
he or Tony would stroll up to the Beth-
page plantation and make an end of
the General and Drace that night.
"All right," he snurled. “He can go.
But let him never come hack here
or—" He drew the hack of hls dirk
across his own throat In u significant
gesture. Then with Tony he lifted
Drace into his canoe; nnd the young
man, still dazed from the blow, feebly
made his way ont of the swamp.
When lie had passed from sight, Na
dine dropped her knife and sank to the
ground sobbing. Old Stepho turned
savagely upon her.
“You liar! You she-wolf! 1 would
kill you, but I promise you to the man
Boyce. An' now there come something
that 1 tell you. In you there is not the
blood of Stepho lu Vitte. But you
never shall know yotir rnme. You she-
wolf!"
He thrust himself toward her, hls
fungs gleaming In hls merciless mouth,
hut without flinching she now laughed
lu hls face.
“Oh, you make me so thankful that
l am not your child. You hang hls
father and would
no m
ty hen
She fi
WT<
he
safely
he gen-
him to
turder him! But he
if you kill me, It
And you think 1
let the man come to
ind Tony ran it!
with the dirk, but
'wm her hand, held
:god her into her
for a time on the
"•d them fastening
II was now dark,
the window nnd
her helpless,
room; and si
floor while she heal
her In her prison.
She gol up, went, t<
found that heavy bars had been nailed
across It. She lighted her lamp and
with a pencil he-,an to write a note to
Draee, praying in her heart that she
might find some way to send it to him.
Little she slept and in the dawn she
wax at the window., the vines all of
them gone. • She heard footsteps near,
and she tried to look out to discover
who it might he, but she could gaze
neither to the right nor the left, so
closely was she mewed. She spoke,
softly, louder and then there drew the
, darkened form of a man, Bntoche, an
: old frog-hunter whom once before she
I had employed.
“T am here to borrow the mushkrat-
spear for the one day, for mine he was
broke; but they are still asleep.”
"Come closer, good Batoche, and lis
ten to me. Take this note to Monsieur
Drace, at General Bethpage’s house-
quick, with no one to see you, and I
will give you a diamond when yon
come back.”
| “Give me the note, an’ I be there
soon.”
She gave him the note, and he haa-
nway. She stood at the door,
j ' why she km! not heard her
t
father stirring about. Or.ce she
thought she heard him call Tony. Af-
1 ter a long time Tony came, nnd she
heard them together ns they went out.
Then all was silent.
Sick in mind pnd body, Drace made
hls way hack to Bethpnge. He made
himself ns presentable as possible be
fore he entered the house; fortunately,
too, the attention of Tycle and the
General was at that moment centered
on Colonel .Tosh, who had stopped off
to pay them a call—and who showed
astonishment when asked to walk out
to dinner, though he yielded with as
tonishing alacrity to the pressure of
the General’s hand upon hls arm. He
was busy with a helping of late mus
tard greens and hog's Jowl, when Tycle
Inquired:
"And how Is dear LucyY*
"Madam," said Josh, ‘1 am grieved
to Impart to you a distressful piece of
netvs. She In soon to be married to s
man named Splvan
"Oh, I'm .so sorry, Colonel Josh.’’
“Madam, It Is a calamity. Luke
Splvan 1"
“Wlmt’s the matter with him?” the
General inquired. “Isn’t broke, Is he?"
“General, the man has money. But
do you know what hls calling In? I
shall enlighten yon, sir. This fellow In
a denier In oysters, the—the excres
cence of the seu, you might say. And
not only that, hut he denis In crawfish
as well, hack-crawling crawfish, sir.
I offered her my heart and my home.
I told her that I would devote my life
to her, and from week to week she
put me off. But when this fellow
Splvan asked her, T understand she ac
cepted him nt n Jump, sir. And now
1 advise him to keep out of my way."
“Oysters nnd crawfish, eh?" said the
General, winking nt Draee.
“Those were my words, General—
not only oysters hut crawfish. iVvouhl
not have believed 11 If she had not ns
sured me with her own lips, lips that
will please pardon my nearness to
profanity.”
Tycle’s sympathy went out to old
Josh, haloed him; nnd with her eyes
she begged the General to drop the
subject, but it was sweeter to him
than any sugar ever grained In hls
mill. ~
After dinner they were In the par
lor when they saw a vagabond equip
age ttop nt the gnte, an old carry-all
drawn by a staggering horse, driven
by a ragged negro. There was one
pnssenger In the hnhllnmentH of a
scarecrow, topped off with a yellow
cotton hat—enough to disguise nny
tnnn on earth snve one, nnd this man
| wns the exception.
“Tycle, what did I tell you!’’ cried
the General. “I knew It ns well ns 1
knew iny name. Now look nt him!"
They looked, nt him, went out Into
the hall to meet him, T.vele In con
venient leers. The visitor kissed her
and shook hands with the men.
"It Is not necessary for me to ns-
ftert that I hold no commission, civil
or military," said the vagrant.
“Sit down, sir ’’ commanded the Gen
eral. And then, surveying him slowly
from head to foot: "Will you please
■late as to whether or not you regnrd
yourself a human being?”
"General," said Tycle, “please don’t
■cold him, for I’m sure he must be
hungry."
“My dear, I shall not scold him; hut
I don’t see anything about hint that
colls for congratulations.”
“Liberty,” said Virgil, ‘‘tomorrow
we’ll go over and have the parish sur
veyor run you o(T a suit of clothes."
"My dear relatives, 1 thunk you for
those little attentions; and ns to your
question, Uncle Howard, let me say,
sir, thut my claims us to being a hu
man are somewhat vague. One of the
first tilings T discovered about myself
was my.unreality. When do we eat?"
Tycle ran out and returned with a
piece of frosted cake that looked like
a corner broken off a marble mantle-
piece. The General was laughing.
“Well, Liberty, we tire always glad
to set* you, anyway. It Is the unreal
ity, if 1 may so speak, thut spices our
li\es; and when you come with your
gilded worries, you enliven us. Where
have you been, anyhow?”
“I’ve been wherever there is," said
!t! title, gesturing with hls cake.
"I irst l went to Memphis, to .the
races, and gave old Skinny Hughes
two hundred for a sure card on the
entries, Lost ton thousand. Titian I
followed the horses to Lexington, with
m; bank account leaking like a sprin
kling cart. But why linger when notli-
ii o he swifter than the approach
i v? Finally I sold my clothes
to ;i i) i preacher nnd Invested my
all i lottery tickets. It seemed tier
I possessed myself of all the figures of
the multiplication table, didn’t see how
I could possibly miss, hut I did. II
wasn’t luld out for me to win again.
He gets to a eertnln pinnacle of for
tune, slips off, and spends the rest of
hls life struggling to get hack. When
do we eat ?”
Long after bedtime Shottle came to
Virgil’s room.
“Virgil, you know I’ve got to hit on
something of a permanent nature. So
the question Is, now that*I’ve quit
gambling, what am I going to do? If
you’ll not go to sleep, I’ll tell you of
■ plan. Mark me; I have observed,
along with thousands of others, that
nothing digs deeper after ralny-day
money than a circus and menagerie.
It Is known that the poor man of the
South, and especially the negro, will
sell hls cookstove to buy a circus
ticket. Now comes my plan, and mind
you, I strive to keep It from being too
suddeii, Attention ! You buv _a circus,
hr
and I’ll g<> along as ring-master. That
Is the one thing I am really fitted for.
You never saw me crack a whip, did
you ?”
“Don’t believe I ever did.”
| “All right, you’ve got something to
I look forward to. . . . Yes, I’ll be
the ring-master, and—”
"And bet an elephant on the turn of
a card,” said Virgil.
“Ah, one of my own, perhaps, hut
not one entrusted to me. T am not an
embezzler of elephants. I wouldn’t
bet a gnrter-snnke on a sure thing.
Besides, I told you I’d quit gambling
—that Is, I’m quitting. It isn’t wise
to expose my constitution to tlie shock
of a sudden change. . . . Well, good
night.”
CHAPTER XII
Drace was far too disturbed In mind
to sleep, and before the sun was high
he walked out alone In tlie garden, to
muse upon hls situation. Slowly he
paced hls way along the path. Some
one spoke, and he turned to face the
man Bntoche.
"Monsieur, u note.”
Drace took the paper and hastened
Into the summer house.
The note wns brief, but full In the
expression of what had befallen Na
dine, something to throb with the tell
ing of it: "As soon as you can, my
love’ one, you must come to me to take
me from the man I thought my fa
ther, but who Is the awful brute. Yes
terday he cnlled me a she-wolf and
told me I am not hls (laughter; nnd
when lie told me. my heart was light,
for then I have not within me the mur
derer's blood. Gome not alone, Virgil,
for Tony will he here, and both of
them watch. 1 nm locked a prisoner In
tny room, nnd tomorrow they take me
to Memphis to make me marry Mon
sieur Boyce. But I fenr not so long
ns I know you come.”
Quickly Drace slipped up to hls
room, buckled on hls pistol, found n
rope, looped It with a hangman’s noose
nnd tucked It beneath hls coat. Na
dine was not Stepho’s daughter; now
he was fret* to net! Swift wns he to
answer the appeal, hut he was set
against her caution, the advice to bring
someone with him. It wns hls tight
alone, the execution of hls oath, which
was not dead like the autumn leaf, hut
fresh like the new leaf in tlie spring,
lie would shoot Tony, the dog, nnd
then string up hls master.
No one saw him. not even the watch
ful Tycle, and he hastened toward
Willow Head, not having found a bout
at the landing. Never had the river
seemed so broad, the current so swift
At Inst hls canoe touched In among
the cane roots nt the Island’s edge.
He leaped nshore, but wns cautious in
the cane, tin Indian in stealth as he
approached the house. He heard not
■ sound, saw no smoke Issue from the
chimney. Perhaps the wolves were In
wait for him, to snap him, hut he was
now In full view, nnd he ran at the top
of Ms speed. But near the house he
halted, peering about, looked in at the
door of the main room, found It desert
ed, then wulked softly around to the
barred window. Nadine spoke before
he recognized her, standing In the twi
light of her prison.
“My heart wns loud to tell me you
would come, Virgil. And you brought
no one with you. But of thut there
was no need now."
He stood In silence looking at her,
hls strength exerted against u bar at
the window, to tear It loose, but the
wrought-lrnn nails were loo long, and
he could no I edge them.
"The ax, Virgil! Is It lying there?"
Acting upon her suggestion, and
with ji<> caution now against making
n noise, he cut tin* bars away and
helped her through tlie window.
•'Nadine, he -aid, "my oath .must
now he kept.”
Hls arms about her,.he stood press
ing her close, nnd never had he felt so
strong, nnd surely never so deter
mined. Her eyes half closed, her head
on his arm, she did not Speak. She
looked us If she were nt rest, and
dreaming, lie kl< od her, nnd her eyes
flashed wide.
"1 have come to hang 4he monster
that called you a she-wolf."
“When I have t**1 cl you, yes. And
now yop will listen, l'miy 1 thought
I heard Tony and my—I mean Stepho
la Yiito, go ouf. I .ut Slcplio wu Rot
i walking with Tony, the strong man,
i but was dragged out in the rocking-
chair; for some .time in the night come
the strange stroke, nnd Stepho \UU5
paralyzed.”
“Nadine! What are you saying?”
“1 am saying that you must listen.
Tony came to the window and told me
what was happen’. I ask him to let
me out, hut he would not, for he wants
to please Stepho rill the last, on ac
count of the money that may he some
where hid. Tie went foi the doctor,
and he came but has gone away again,
for I hear him say lie can do no good.
! Tlu* old niun was out In his chair
where he so often sit; and we will go
! see him, for It will not he for long.
I Lei us forget all and he kind when
| death was come, Virgil.”
; “Yes, but where is Tony now?”
« "I think he Is looking for the money.
* Let us go now to the poor old man."
I "You forgive easily, Nadine.”
She looked nt him In wonderment.
"How can we not forgive when the
heart say we must, Virgil? He use me
for the trap, which I will explain all to
< you, but he give me the chance to be
| with you, nnd for that I thank him—
I and for not being my sure-enough
I father. . . Come with me."
Old Sti'pho sat In his chair asleep,
hut tis they approached him. he
opened ids eyes, looked at Nadine,
then at Drace.
"Mons ir was ver’ strong. An’ T
kill you if 1 lit* not struck down like
(lit* beef. An’ Tony kill you If he here,
hut I send him off for something. Ah.
the leoth* ct*l. she hate me now?"
“Monsieur." slip said, “I cannot find
It. In m.\ heart to hate. It is the poi
son. Many times you were kind, nnd
1 remember them."
He bowed Ids head, and through his
tangled lashes looked up nt Drace, fire
gleaming through brushwood. But he
spoke to Nadine, turning upon her a
less malignant glance.
. "The paralyze, It begin down here
! an’ creep up. When It touch the heart,
I wns ):'•*. 1 say just now that Tony,
he would kill the strong monsieur. He
would noi. lie he scared when I was
done. .
I “Your nnme, leetle gel," pursued
Stepho, “was Walton—the daughter of
a northern man who live In the same
j town with Mr. Drnce’s father near Cin
cinnati. You an’ your mother were
| carried off by my men; but your molh-
’ er, she fall from the horse Just ns wt*
come to our entnp nnd she die. About
her neck was n purse with money and
papers—one that tell where more
money Is buried. After the war I go
hack nnd dig up this money, hut I
keep It* ‘ <*r you, for your dowry. If
Is here—burled under the hearthstone.
. . . Now—now I heg you to go for
Father Tahnn. You know where he
I live. Quick, for It creep up.”
“Yes, I will go. Virgil will stay to
keep you company.”
"Let me go with you," Drace plead
ed, fearful that some harm might be
i fall her.
“No, my love’ one," she gently op-
! posed him. "You must stny here for
1 no harm can come to me now. Stay
hen* and >hc kind to him, for kindness
! Is the will of the One nbove. You
j will, yes?"
She kissed him fondly, and the old
wolf-eyes closed, that they might not
! see. Now she wns rendy to go. Virgil
J steadied the ennoo for her and gently
shoved it off. She threw him a kiss,
and rounding u green cupe, raised her
paddle into the sunlight nnd flashed
him adieu.
NOTICE
We are going to have a box sup-
; <*i ;.t the school house at New
Ft me, St;turelay night. Dec 23rd.
t. ' tii benefit of New Home Baptist
°i -'.‘I.. Girls bring a box, boys
"•onic to buy a box and thus hetp Ik.
can*'* that is so near and dear to
our It certs.
GEORGIA, CHEROKEE COUNTY.
To Whom It May Concern:
Notice is hereby given tj on
the 18th day of December, !0^2 1
will appraise the property of Taor.c-
T. Robertson, deceased, for th? pur
pose of ascertaining whether or not
said estate i* subject to inht.ituncr.
tcx.
This 5th di.' of December 1922
JACOB MASSEY,. Ordinary.
(F T v.o Bl^ck Hounds, nearly
2 yea re old. White fore feet, one
scalded on ack. Notify Henry Sn ,,fe
Or-ton, .inti receive reward.
-OUISVILLE &. INASHVILL': u r
Arriving and Departing time a; Can
ton. Georgia.
*—Dally. Leave Arrive
Murphy, Knoxville
and north ___a9 : 0Uum aS-OOpm
Hue Ridge and
Copper Hill 0 5:22
Marietta and At
lanta a3 :00pm
ab :18aa»
a5 :22um
Marietta and At
lanta _ — aS :00pm afi :27pm
Effective Sunday April 30th, 1922
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An atmosphere of quiet and refinement, combined
with every comfort and convenience, makes THE
HOTEL CECIL attractive for the entire family.
Rates: 104 Rooms
208 Room
H.R.&C.R.CANNON
Proprietors
, ■ OPERAT* RT 3
Georgian Hotel
ATHENS, GV
at $2.00
ut $2.50 up
J.F.DeJARNETTE
Manager
Terminal Hotel
ATLANTA. CA.