The Deadwood Dick Library: Denver Doll's Device — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

© nearly as fast asin the European resort from which tha den took its name, " “TH get acigar,” Yankee decided, ‘* and then Yl sea what success the pretty spotter has at gambling—if so be that is why she goes there,” Down the Street he spied a ciger-sign above the door of a cosey little shanty, and sauntered tial way. The sign read: “CRYSTAL CARROL, “DEALER IN CIGARS AND TOBACCO,” Entering the vigeon-hole store, the Sport saw no one, cs be pushed open the slat door and en- tered the adjoining room, which proved to bea costly fitted-up Jittle bar-room, A young woman stood behind the counter. And Yankee uttered a ery of astonishment as ‘tis page rested upon her. u CHAPTER IIL THE DUEL, Tam girl behind the bar seemed less surprised ’ than the man, and judging by her expression, she had never met the Sport before, while he appeared to believe that in her he had met some former acquaintance; and the more he gazed the stronger seemed to be his conviction that he knew her. “ Doral” he said, at length. There was deep feeling in his tone—there was love in tis glance—his face expressed the eno- tion of one greatly moved. Bat the young Jady stared athimin blank surprise, ‘* You are evidently mistaken, sir,” she spoke, uietly; ‘‘I have never borne the name of Dora.” ‘You are—7 ‘¢ Crystal Carrol.” “Tam. Yankee—otherwise Charlie Hisler. I was greatly impressed, st first sight, that I had met oe before under ‘different surronudings, and Tam not entirely convinced yet but what I am right, Dora?’ He called the name again, His every expres- _ sion of voices told of a deep, undying love for Dora, whoever sie might ba, Miss Carrol did not seem highly pleased at his yearning stare and pleading words. “Tausorry to say that you are greatly mis- taken” she said, wita a soberness that did not belie her words. ‘I am not Dora, although I may chance to look aver so much like her.” ‘“You do look like her; and if [am mistaken I trust you will excuse my—my—vwell, my im- purence,” he said, ‘A choice cigar, please,” — Ste evidently was not offended, for, instead of setting fortb tha “custom” box, she drew from bensath the sdelf a box of real Havanas, “ T trast you will smole st the expense of the resemblance,” she said, pushing his money back, with a little laugh, ‘‘ Such things do not hap- pen every day, you ‘know.” *T will smoke; and looking through the clouds that arise from my cigar, I will not, rest assured, forget the giver—nor the past.” She_watched her eccentric customer light his cigar and depart, and sent a lingering glance after him, as if sorry to part with him. “Yankee, otherwise Charlie Hisler,” she said 7 Denver Doil’s Device. —— thoughtfally, ‘It strikes me I havo heard the name before, although I cannot tell where.” She gazed out of the door, even after he was — gone, a thoughtful expression upon her tace and in her eyes, She was trying to recall to memory somothing of tho past, and vet that something refused to be recalled. ‘ A fair maiden of less than nineteen summers, waz Crystal. Carrol, with features of exquisite symmetry, eyes blue and soulful, and hair that few of her sex could rival, while in figure she was petite and sprightly, — é But even though so seemingly delicate and inoffensive, she was master of a wes expression of mouth and eye, that told better than words that she had a spiritof her own, which could not be trampled on. For some time after Yankees departure, she was buried in reverie, until a footstep sounded in the doorway and she looked up to behold the man of reportorial proclivities, who had intro- duced himself to the men of Shining Bar ag -Charles P, Jones, of the Cavortin’ Oyclone, of Cheyenne, The very appearance of the fellow was suffi- cient to provoke a smile from Crystal. ; ‘“* Ah! good-evening, my pretty miss, if it is — not tod late, nor too_eariy,” was the initial of — the Oyclone man. ‘‘ Have you any very, very choice cigars, say two for a dollar® “Cert!” Crystal replied, without! offering to — produce them, ‘I have some, two for ten dol- lars, I dare to presume they would fit you,” ‘““ Well, aw—you see—that is, my resources are uot so very inexhaustible, just at present,” he stammered, ‘* Wall, perbaps cigars at a dollar each would suit you!” he said, ‘“*Aht in the good old times”—and Charles Pygmalion dived reflectively down into his pockets—‘‘in the good old times when 4 man — could sit in his easv-chair and wrive a half column paragraph at fifty cents a line—then— was when the representatives of the press could smoke the hes of cigars, But on the umble pittance of ten a week, a man must nowadays curtail his expenses, Tell you what PI do pretty miss. I'm reportin’ for the Cavortin Oyolone, of Cheyenne. If you will trust me for ten of the one-ers, Pll take’em,an’yecancharge it to the firm!” Crystal shook her head, “*Cash talks here,” she said, briefly, oa * And smoke too!” Jones added, with alangh, | and be seized the box from her hand, which she | was about to restore to the shelf, and slid very — quickly out of the door. : < Crystal made no attempt to follow bim, but there was a confident little twinkle in her starry eyes, 2 me Tl remember that customer a few days,” she remarked, with a nod of her pretty head. Leaving the store of Crystal Carrol, Yankee made his way to the gpiniue saloon where he had shortly before seen Denver Dall enter, Tt was one of the typical dens of the Western mining-town, with its heterogeneous collection of habtsues—therefore why describe it? After wandering about the large apartment for some time, Yankee finally espied D ns . pias com Kee)