Connecticut western news., 1896-05-14
\ FIGHT FOR A GIRL.

A faint yellow light still fingered in the west, although the moon was shin ing. It was hot night; not breath of .ir stirred the stiff limbs of the yucca rees or the fiery cactus blooms. The tifling heat still seemed to radiate from he baked sides of the small adobe louses. and the sandy soil was uncom- ortable to walk upon, although the sun lad been down an hour.
 The town was just beginning to show igns of life. Any one arriving there be- ween the hoars of 10 in the morning nd at night would feel assured that he place was deserted. Doors and shut CTS were closed, and the fierce rays of be sun beat down from the burnished .lue Arizona skies with malignant glee, olding undisputed sway. At sundown, however, humanity began to assert it. self. Not that it was much cooler, but he terrible, binding glare was gone. den appeared on the one long, strag- ling street, clad in cotton shirts and rousers, the former turned back from he throat as far as possible. Ponies anne loping across the trails from the ,earest camps with their swarthy riders, nd lights began to flare in the saloons nd gambling tents. Sounds of voices sere heard. too-true. mostly in oaths nd coarse jokes, hut they were human and on this particular night came the vheezy vail of fiddle and the livelier attle of banjo from the upper floor of he single two story building in the Jlace, a rough structure of unpainted oine boards, with the words Blanks s Hotel" in large black letters over the loor.
 A dance was evidently in progress, or several ponies were tethered to the yucca trees in front, and out on the still night air came the sound of mans voice shouting orders.
 Inside the room it was hot and un- comfortable, made more so by the light of half dozen lamps. There were per laps 80 men and one third as many women, the former cowboys in high boots and tucked in trousers, or red shirted miners from the camps 90 miles away in the mountains. and all had pistols or knives gleaming in their belts The women were brazen, painted things, who had drifted here wh>4 they were "down on their luck" and staid because their sex was such a rarity that hey were tolerated.
 "A hard crowd" thought Jack De- wore as he leaned against the door idly watching the dancers. "All of them ,oughened with crime. and all of them how it, unless it's that one over there, !" nd his eyes rested on young girl who rad just finished dancing, and stood eaning against the wall panting and xhausted.
 Jack Devore, in spite of his travels
 nd dangerous life, did not show his
 years. Looking at him one would ake him for a gentleman of quiet and curing tastes. He was remarkably
 andsome, of the blond type, and
 ressed in excellent taste. He spoke
 ood Spanish and purest English, had g
 now ledge of Shakespeare that many 6 cholar might we'll envy, possessed 6 enor voice that would have made his
 1rtune on the operatic stage, and pail
 eyes that would win one's heart, they lere SO innocent and honest Yet Jack 0evore had been put down by more
 han one as an unmitigated villain. He vas a professional gambler, and had ,roken more hearts and ruined more
 ives than any other man in California
 nd Arizona. He was said to be utterly
 without pity, although some swore tt s.le contrary. At any rate he was relent
 ,ss in his pursuit of an object, and ,
 cad shot. two things which made hin man whom it would be unwise t, ffend.
 He was we'll aware of the furtiv, dances which were cast in his direction s he lounged against the door. I leased him to hear the respectful in yitations to dance which he received ut he felt no desire to join them-Jacl Oevore was rather fastidious in hi astes, and touching one of the painte, women was out of the question, but tn girl at whose face his eyes had stoppe. vas different.
 "You might look from the City o Mexico to San Francisco" he unused land not find another face like hers, and Jack was an excellent judge o beauty.
 She stood leaning against the wall il posture which brought out every lin f her rounded figure, from the smal | foot tapping the floor in time to tn | ,roaning fiddle to the top of her sauc lead. She wore short cotton skirt o some coarse dark material. while larg white kercbisf, draped Mexican fashion | eaving her throat and arms bare, serve | or bodice. Her hair, which fell il iong black curls below her waist, wa caught up ct the left side of her hea
 with few brilliant cactus flowers; he teeth shone white through her parte
 lips, and her eyebrows met in straigh
 level line over pair of glorious dar eyes. As if aware that some one ws
 watching her, she stirred uncomfortably and then, looking up, met Jack Devore' gaze; for a moment she stared at him then her eyes fell nervously. Thinkin
 hat this was a decided point in her favol he reused himself and crossed the FOOT to where she stood.
 Twill you dancer" be said, in hi musical voice.
 She gave him her hand, and he led he out on the floor.
 "What is your name?" he asked.
 "Inez," she answered. "I-l am nt
 like the rest" and she looked at hil
 half proudly, half apologetically.
 "It is easy to see that, l" he replied
 "but not SO easy to see why you al
 here.' He did not ask the question, b,
 she answered it