Life, 1908-12-03 · page 40 of 68
Life — December 3, 1908 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a serialized short story, not a political cartoon. Set in a mining town called Crescotte on Christmas Eve, it depicts a romantic conflict in a saloon. The story concerns a beautiful girl (Liz) whose father owns the saloon. Two men compete for her affection: "Smoky Dick," a cowboy who arrives on horseback proposing marriage, and an unnamed rival (apparently "Sunset") whom Dick fears will "get the drop on" him—a reference to gunplay. The satire targets Western frontier romance tropes: Dick's blunt, crude proposal ("Love in its crudest form"), the saloon setting, the threat of gunfighting over a woman, and the girl's passive acceptance of male dominance. The final panel suggests Liz may actually prefer the rival, subverting the expected outcome. The illustration and accompanying dialogue ("Charmed to have met you") show Dick's rough, inarticulate courtship contrasted with civilized society's expectations—the core joke being frontier brutality masquerading as romance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
634 A Show Down HE handsomest girl in Crescotte was ping off the sidewalk in front of her father’s saloon. There was going to be a dance that the hall in the rear, and she was unusually particular. The fact that there were only six other Joes not detract anything from the statement her good looks. he would have been just as handsome with fifty. She had a nat- ural beauty of her own—unrelieved by ornamentation or effect of any kind. H air hung loose and free. Her superb figure swayed rhythmatically back and forth to the motion of the broom Her task completed to her own satis- faction, she was about to pass in through the screen door, when a clatter of hoofs swe Christmas eve, in women in Crescotte d about in the distance caused her to look up. Crescotte was a mining town. It con three saloons and six “resi crude frame structures, unre lieved by paint, each showing a marked individuality and independence of its conveyed to it by the characteris- ts maker. jan on sisted of dences' own, ties of The the mustang galloped and threw himself off his pony in the easy, nonchalant way of the genuine cow- boy. He was spare, sallow. His face was unredeemed by the slightest ‘trace of He followed the girl inside, into an atmosphere of defunct tot bad whiskey. His eye lighted up when he spoke to her. She Her glance But it humor. cco smoke an gazed back at him patiently. neans indifferent “ CHaRmro to port Licious 1 TE Meeearten.” Mave MET YoU, MR. COLD | AND WHILE 1 DON’T KNOW YOUR RE Dries, 1 EEL SURE WE WILL MEET The Burglar: cee! pis 1s WHERE 1 GITS DE med somehow to lack something vital The man said “Liz, I came early. I got somethin I want ter say ter you and I wanted ter the ter-night. 1 Will yer say it before dance want yer to come along 0’ me. do it, Liz? » ceremony here. Love in its crud- est form. She out a bottle The girl shook her head slowly. went behind the bar and go She put it out, with a glass, in front of Over where drinks were passed they looked ch other. Drather not, Dick," she s: Smoky Dick leaned over on his elbow, his Looted legs crossed below. I know,” he “You're scared— him the rugged wooden surface at e KIDS SOMETHIN’ NICE FER CuRIsTMAS! scared o' Sunset—scared at him gettin’ the drop on me. You can take care 0” myself.” The girl drew forth a cloth and began mechanically to wipe up the bar with it She She answer. I know, needn't be. I was gaining time. made no id Smoky. “ Both of us Both can't have yer one or tother. You ain't is sot on you It’s got to b Yer must love me say so, would yer? ch, Liz?" no call ter love him But yer Yer afraid o° wouldn't Sunset, A Suggestion of a smile came over the girl's face. “ Maybe, you “You mean it’s the other way round— (Continued on page 636.) she J, “I'm scared of comicbooks.com