Denver Doll the Detective Queen

Denver Doll the Detective Queen

by

Joseph A. Lovece

Based on the novel by Edward L. Wheeler

Smashwords Edition

Dime Novel Cover Vol. 1

Copyright © 2014 by Joseph A. Lovece

All rights reserved

http://www.steamman.net

joe@steamman.net

Cover illustration by Jim Sorensen.

ISBN: 9781310332500

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by U.S. Copyright.

Also by the author

The Steam Man of the West

Vol. 2

The Road Home

Vol. 3

The Flying Prairie Schooner

Coming Soon:

Dime Novel Cover Vol. 2, Six Weeks in the Moon

The Steam Man of the West Vol. 4, The Transatlantic Race

Introduction

There is more information not just available but easily accessible today about American popular culture in general and dime novels and story papers in particular than any time in history. Emerging from that data is the apparent fact that the first complete story featuring a fully functional U.S. fictional professional female detective novel was a largely-forgotten novel from 1882.

Denver Doll the Detective Queen first appeared in Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 277, November 14, 1882 and was created by prolific Deadwood Dick author Edward Lytton Wheeler. But the novel’s claim to be the first featuring an American lady sleuth previously had been hard to ascertain due to the scarcity of the magazine. The next viable candidate, Lady Kate, the Dashing Female Detective, appeared first in the Fireside Companion beginning in August 1882 but the story was not completed until the December issue.

That it has taken so long to reprint the first novel speaks not only to the scarcity of the magazine, not unusual for cheap popular 19th century periodicals, but perhaps its relative lack of popularity when published from the reader or the publisher. Despite both the original issue and the Deadwood Dick reprints having multiple editions, and the British probably had multiple editions as well, only four novels about the character were written. Dime novels were full of enduring heroes that lasted decades or more, including not only Deadwood Dick, but also Buffalo Bill, Old Sleuth, Jack Harkaway, Diamond Dick, Frank Reade, Old King Brady et.al. The longest-lived may be Nick Carter, who was reincarnated in paperback as Killmaster.

The original Denver Doll magazines are scarce even by dime novel attrition standards. According to Kathleen Gregory Klein’s comprehensive overview The Woman Detective: Gender & Genre (Illini Books, 1995), she could not verify the novel’s credentials because a copy of was unavailable to her. It is available to her now. The reader can conclude for his or herself that Denver Doll is in fact a professional detective and meets any definitive criteria for the genre.

She is a full-time detective, with a reputation that called for respect. How else could a young woman of the period get away with wearing men’s suits? Why else would the town come to her, hat in hand (and a thousand dollars), to save them from the villain?

In fact, unlike the males, every female character in this story is strong. Doll, Isabel and Dora all do whatever they want and damn the consequences. And that might have been the problem. It wasn’t anti-men, there were plenty who were powerful, not least of which is the co-star Charles Yankee Eisler. And despite the title the novel instead revolves around the mystery of Ethel Eisler. Perhaps readers didn’t like that Doll eschewed romance. I take precious little stock in men, she tells Yankee, the handsome adventurer. Indeed, Denver Doll is all business, as much as the Continental Op. The other characters remark about her perseverance and doggedness. Instead it’s left up to Yankee to be the romantic lead with another woman.

Or perhaps the problem causing so few novels to be written was merely because Wheeler was preoccupied writing other characters. His schedule was busy; he wrote more than 200 short novels for Beadle’s Half-Dime Library alone.

Since the beginning of his writing career Wheeler showed his interest in gender-bending. His first novelette was Hurricane Nell, the Girl Dead-Shot; or, The Queen of the Saddle and Lasso, in Starr's Ten Cent Pocket Library No. 1 May 4, 1877. She was a regular Natty Bumppo in a skirt, able to out-track and out-shoot any man. Like Denver Doll she wore disguises and was a terror to outlaws in general. Two of his other female heroes were Wild Edna and fictional stories of real-life Calamity Jane.

(

Portrait of Wheeler. Thanks to John Adcock for the image)

A classic example of Wheeler’s gender iconoclastic tendencies is New York Nell; The Boy-Girl Detective from Beadle’s Half-Dime Library No. 161. She dresses like a boy and everyone knows she’s a girl.

Denver Doll like many dime novels appears to have been plotted over a week and written overnight. It is verbose, overuses commas and adjectives and underuses meaningful metaphors. However, Wheeler was among the best popular literature writers. It is much better written than a mountain of other cheap magazines, including some of the most famous series like Luis Senarens’ Frank Reade stories. Today’s reader may require patience to peruse it. It also contains some offensive and racist language used not only by the characters but also the narrator.

Some readers will find it hard to decipher the language and dialog he tried to capture. It is quite over-the-top and melodramatic. But the order of the day was go big or go home.

But underneath that, the characters are fascinating, and the story is entertaining. Wheeler’s pacing was excellent, he understood story structure and he had a good sense of humor.

The strength of the novel lies in its plotting, characters and dialog. Particularly entertaining are the comic-relief arguments among Doll’s detective squad, consisting of Walt Christie, Yakie Strauss and Chug, their Chinese companion. Once you catch the rhythm of the speech you may more enjoy the humor of the situation.

For example, here is a typical exchange (cut from the 1899 reprint) between African American Walt and Dutch German Yakie regarding who is in charge of their mission to abduct the villain Monroe Miller.

Walt: I jes bet you de soles ob dese hyar boots dat America nebber takes a back seat fo’ sour-krout ‘an limburg cheese. Dis yar chile aire related to all dem yar great generals, Sherman, Grant, Napoleon an’ Garibaldi! Why, chile, I were de berry first Garibaldi waist dat old Garibaldi ebber made!

Yakie: Dot vas noddinks…Germany haff der piggest fighters und generals in der vorld. Yoose look at der great Schwartz, Leopold, Paddy Ryan and vellers like dot. I say I lead dis attack or else you can agcept my resignation!

Walt: "Fo’ de Lor’ ef Missy Doll was here, she’d done gone gib you a black eye…To settle de matter, I propose we elect de rat-eater [Chug] to take de lead ob de procession.

Doll herself is a capable detective of the action and adventure mold. Along with finding and following clues and making deductions, she can fight and shoot, and also wears convincing disguises, often pretending to be a man. She’s tough and men are afraid of her.

For all these reasons this story is covered here. None of the characters or the plot has been changed in any significant way.

So that a reader may compare the new novel with the original, this volume also contains the first reprint of the long-lost original publication. It was way past time it saw daylight again. Please note that this is a reprint in book form of every typewritten character in the original 1882 periodical, including any typographical errors found in the original. (For example, there is a missing end quotation mark in one paragraph, and some word spellings are archaic or discarded, like vail for veil; likewise compound adjectives in the original were hyphen-free, etc.). When it was reprinted in the Deadwood Dick Library in 1899, renamed for some reason Denver Doll’s Device, it was abridged to fit, and more than 1,000 words were cut, including some entertaining, albeit superfluous, scenes. It is interesting to note that when reprinted in Deadwood Dick new typographical errors were introduced. For example, euchre is misspelled in the reprint as euchr. Has this edition introduced any typographical errors? Get your own copy and find out for yourself. At the time of this writing a facsimile does not exist.

Denver Doll could have become an archetype, perhaps should have been. But history ignored her. More than 130 years later, may she finally get the attention she deserves.

And if pride was not a sin I would pat myself on the back for doing so.

Also, thanks to Jim Sorenson for doing computer magic on the original cover image.

Joseph Lovece

Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida

June 2014

Chapter I

Hi yar! Again! Didn’t I done gone tell ya? Thar it goes again. That’s de cry ob a child, sure sartin, said Fritz Walter August Christie, who in his mind had elected himself camp mayor. He was a trim and very dark-skinned man, and his face showed more than ordinary sagacity and intelligence. If his campfire companions heard any wailing, they gave no indication, and huddled closer to the fire. The three prospectors were in a narrow gulch, which Walt called spooky, on a small river peninsula. An’ I ain’t goin’ in thar, neither, he added, commenting on the lake’s somber and dark appearance.

It started to snow lightly. Winter was coming, and the night was long. One of the companions, Jacob Strauss, called Yakie, was a ponderous Dutchman of enormous girth. He was a heavy breather and grunted like an over-fattened hog. Despite his size he was rather good-looking, and took pride in waxing his heavy mustache. Next to him was Chug, a short Chinese man who wore his hair in a traditional queue. Back home, the emperor declared that cutting off one’s tail was punishable by death. In America he wore it out of habit and vanity. His countenance was as mysterious as K’un L’un the sacred city. There was also a fourth person, a young man of innocent countenance, bound to a tree near the fire.

Walt’s warnings made the Asian man yawn. He re-lit his pipe. Dot was a vildcat! said Yakie. You don’d vas know noddings, you plack shackass.

Golly, I knows more in one minute dan dat whole Germany! Walt said. I say dat was de scream ob a child, done gone sure, an’ de common instincts ob our natures should cause us to go fru blood an’ water what save dat yar kid, suh!

Off you vants to go, vy dot ish all ride; I don't! Mine skin vas vorth too mooch to sell it to der vildcats and lions so cheap.

Hee, hee, lions in America, Walt said. You done can’t tole a lion from a coon for sure. Yar’s Chug; he even knows dat there’s nuffin like lions in America.

Chug shook his head. Very many liar in ‘Merica, he said. Chinaman nebber lie same like ‘Merican man.

Lion, not liar, said Walt.

Oh, that completely different. No lions in ‘Merica. Never mind.

They heard the cry again, clearly a child’s wail. Walt jumped to his feet. I jest wish to goodness Denver Doll was here, he said. Dat cry done gone and chill all de marrow in dis child’s bones. ‘Deed it does. Yar’s some lost baby in de mountings, an’ I declar’ to de Lord it’s our duty to go to de rescue. Will you go ‘long, Chug?

Me very big coward, he answered. No good at fight—get licked like debbil. No go wid black ‘Merican man.

The fellow tied to the tree spoke. The black terrier is right, he said forcefully.

What’d you call me? said Walt.

That is no animal cry. That is undoubtedly a child in distress somewhere in the vicinity. It’s your duty as men to go to its rescue. If you are too cowardly pray grant me the privilege to go instead. If I fail to return you’ll always know Tom Jarvis is a liar and an ingrate.

Yaki Straus took his pipe out of his mouth long enough to put his thumb sarcastically to his nose. Not if the Consditution of der United States vas acquainted mit herself , and she rather dink she vas. he laughed. You vas a pretty shmart rooster, but you dond come round mit your fonny pizness ven Yakie Strauss is around. You belong to de robber gang off McParland, und ve yoost hold you till der boss comes.

You will find your mistake when Denver Doll comes, said Jarvis. Yakie’s manner concerned him. I am no way acquainted with McParland, nor do I serve him in any respect.

Yakie grunted. He did not notice Walt's departure.

Fitz Walter August Christie crept up the gulch. His comrades were no help, so he went alone. He left his rifle at the camp but carried a revolver which was drawn and ready. Fifteen minutes later he heard a cry and determined its bearing. In 30 minutes he entered a sort of transverse ravine several hundred feet above his camp level. Here the search ended. He fell back, horrified: Lying on the ground was a dead woman.

A wound from her side created a blood pool under her. Her clothes were tattered, and her beautiful face was white and pinched. She was rigid and still, convincing Walt of her demise.

Near her and huddled in a shawl on the ground was a small child: A pretty, four-year-old girl. She was sobbing and her eyes were glued to the woman.

Here, honey, jest done gone cry no more, he said as he knelt next to her. I’se jest gone to take de best care ob you. I is, an’ hope to de Lord if I don’t carve any one as ‘temps to speak a cross word to you. Is ye cold, honey?

So told, so hungry, she said. Momma gone to sleep an’ I can't wake her up. Walt cried when he heard this and picked up the girl.

Come, we’ll jest done gone an’ get warm an’ get somethin’ ta eat, honey, and den dis here child will come back after yer mammy. The girl looked at him and stopped crying. Walt glanced at the woman again and noticed that in one hand she clutched a tiny silver box; a crumpled paper was in the other. He put them in his pockets.

##

A boat brought Denver Doll to the camp during Walt's absence. The young woman had presence and charisma. She was slightly taller than average, lean, but had curves that she dressed in men’s suits. Her face was fair and expressive and could change from pleasant to stern in an instant. Although she usually wore a happy countenance there lurked in her dark eyes some past unpleasantness which she couldn’t forget. Although older, she looked 18 and at times had the vivacity and immature romp of a 14-year old girl. Her rich brown hair fell in rippling waves half way to her waist. She wore a white, plumed slouch hat, an elegant gray suit and patent leather top boots. Her boiled shirt was diamond-studded. She appeared civilized and wild simultaneously.

Doll was a mystery to those that knew her; they considered her a character. From where she hailed and what she did was unknown. Some people insinuated her past was best left undisturbed. No one ever accused her of any wrong-doing other than popping over an occasional border ruffian, or skinning some self-supposed card sharp at his own game.

What people did know about Denver Doll was that she was a respected detective and a terror to local ruffians and outlaws who plagued the mountains and mines. She was keen, nervy, discerning and had nice judgment. She was a soldier. The current object of her attention was the notorious road-agent gang of John McParland, and she swore to break up his business. From his mountain hideout he conducted a symphony of crimes and robberies. The highwayman swore revenge on Doll for her interference. They both had a feeling that their relationship was near an end.

In the camp the sight of one of McParland’s main men tied to a tree made Denver Doll laugh. It was turning out to be a good day. Jarvis, she said, leaning on her rifle. Ah would sooner have expected a visit from McParland himself. Where’d ye blow him in, Yakie?"

The Teuton glanced around him before answering, and almost whispered. Vell, I dells you how id vas. I found dat veller sneakin’ outside off der camp and I dells him he better surrender right away quick or I plow his prains in—and dat vas all der vas of it. He obey me yoost like a leetle shackass mule.

Ha. Much big lie, said Chug. Dutch no catch man.

Of course he didn't, Jarvis chimed in. "I was led into camp by the ear of that cursed slave of