AUTOMOBILE LILLIAN—THE DARING GIRL BANDIT OF ARIZONA

Through the vivid word portrait of a dime novel, the name of Lillian Fray was added to the long list of those daring men and women who have made some sort of history out of our great West. Lillian Fray cavorted through the pages of a paper-back dime novel titled "Automobile Lillian, The Daring Girl Bandit of Arizona" which was published anonymously by the Royal Publishing Co. of So. Norwalk, Conn., in 1908 and sold upwards of 25,000 copies in the following years, mostly to boys in every crossroads section of the U.S.A. As in the case of all dime novels of that day, "Automobile Lillian" was replete with the wonderful deeds of great courage displayed by its heroes just as it was recorded in the stories of the pony express, the stage coach, the road agents and the sheriffs who brought them to justice. Temporarily, these passed into history when Automobile Lillian was created in the facile mind of the anonymous author who saw a chance of doing a switch on the usual western story by creating in his main character a beautifully formed lass born to the plains she knew and loved so well.

Quoting the book, " Lillian Fray was a beautiful woman with sparkling eyes, slight with unwoated purpose, an enigmatical smile, and extraordinarily caim... but sometimes Lillian had an amused twinkle in her eye, part determination, and she laughed heartily, yet sometimes her face turned red with anger, her rage would increase with ler fury knowing no bounds . . ."

Truly, Lillian was a woman who could redouble her courage at any given point just as she did when the plains in front of her were teeming with an oncoming herd of stampeding cattle, but let the author take you there, "No place to tam. No anything. With nothing but her nerve, Lillian fired a fusillade of shots into the stampeding herd and the cattle made an almost perfect right angle. Lillian thanked her lucky stars and again mede good her escape, With great imagination the author placed most of Lillian Fray's activity and movement in a high powered suro-mobile, a motor vehicle far in advance of the horseless car-"

"All those that take things that don't belong to 'em are my natural enemies."

"All of them are you-r nat-natural enemies!"

"Yes, siree; and all of them come around to my way of thinking sooner or later. Dead or alive."

Lillian was rather frightened but she managed to keep partial control of herself anyway. She quickly resumed her bantering manner as soon as she felt she dared.

"When you catch a woman what do you do with her."

"Eh! Catch a woman? Well, I don't know as I've ever caught a woman, I guess if I did though she'd-Yes! What would you do with her?"

"You mean that you would hang her just the same?"

"You mean that you would hang her just the same?"

"I reckon I'd have to."

"No difference between a man and a woman?"

"The law ain't lookin' to see whether a carcass is dressed up in pants or petticoats."

Lillian laughed rather nervously. She was plainly worried over this man particularly as he showed no disposition to move along.

"Supposing it happened that you should be called upon to eatch me. Then what would you do?."

"Do? do; why why I don't know just what I would do I well hell-cuss I meanwell there ain't much chance of you havin' to ketch you."

Lillian smiled inwardly at his naive remark. She wondered that he had not been a little more curious as to her presence on the road with such a big machine as Black Diamond at that hour of the morning. He had hardly questioned her as to condition or her reason for being where she was.

Suddenly Lillian conceived the daring idea of asking him to direct her back to the city. She knew he would tell her to back in the direction from which she had come as it was the shortest way of reaching her destination. But she had no intention of taking that road and she racked her brains for reasons to satisfy any curare enthralled with her daring and benevolence.

As she speeds over the trackless plains she ruminates over what actions to preclude from her fate. She operates that powerful automobile over plains and mountains with equal ease, no one knowing where she will make her next appearance.

At times it seems the author did not consider the mountains as such, especially when he writes, ". just ahead of her the road rose over a little hill, which was crested with a few struggling trees. Lillian resolved to stop on top of this hill, it would be nice and cool up there. . . ."

Arizona's flora is mentioned only when Bill "Texas Slim" Delgads and Sheriff Joe Beckford tie their horses to cactus trees and Lillian has a personal mishap when she falls sitting into some saguaro cactus but she never has any tire trouble. However, her love life is full, first with weak-chinned Peter Lightfoot, The Molasses Kid, when " she soon had him believing that he made a tremendous impression on her. She smiled at him admiringly with proper and charming reluctance without being too rapid in yielding to his blandishments." This, of course, to a man of Peter's type, was like wine. "You're the first real man I've met. No wonder all the girls fall in love with you," she said with some asperity. And then looking at him archly: "I might be tempted to like you a whole lot myself." If she could only keep in this state of mind until night fell (proving you can measure sex in terms of night and day) she believed that all would be well she, realizing the happiness of conquering a male, he minus his inamorata this confusion of bliss led to one kiss which Lillian allowed, " smiling half in triumph and half in commiseration . . . a complete and charming conquest . . ."

Her first encounter with Mississippi-born Sheriff Joe Beckford took place ". . . as dawn approached to pierce the darkness Lillian saw a man on horseback toward the west. 'Good morning.' It was a pleasant voice and Lillian felt much relieved as she turned to greet this welcome intrusion silhouetted against the first streak of fire appearing over the western horizon . . ." A little later ". . ." The Sheriff was getting quite open in his admiration which did not displease Lillian in the slightest. Although he was a rough sort of man with a shy, appealing way, Lillian thought at least he was a real man and his respect in her company found an echo in Lillian not in any way related to considerations of safety."

Such was the idle way it began but further on: ". . . Lillian felt that such complete happiness could not last, she grew more apprehensive about the outcome of the adventure ." Then ". . . suddenly she kissed him in a faint feeling of joy . . . she was so happy she was almost ashamed. The Sheriff's thoughts (on the other hand) refused to shape words; he began responding to the desire of woman. Lillian got pleasure out of that, she resumed her bantering manner . . . Lillian's real love was Bill "Texas Slim" Delgads, fearless, hardy plainsman, who many times appears on the scene just in time to rescue Lillian from some fate worse than death and always with the same introduction: "Lillian, you're in wrong and now it's up to me to see you through." "Oh, my Slim Texas sugar," "Lillian would cry in trepidation,". . . and those within earshot heard in that cry the note of a woman's love for a man . . ." Lillian would throw her arms around Slim's neck and kiss him passionately while Slim's strong arms were around her waist.

There was a bit of Irish in Lillian Fray, for when Slim promises to give and take the West for her, she laughs: "Away with your blarney, now," and her laughter is music to Slim.

With Slim dead in love with Lillian and Sheriff Joe Beckford realizing the state of his own affections for Lill, there is bound to be trouble and it came slowly one morn-ing. ". . . Slowly the dawn came on the faint glow in the east marking the rise of the sun. Toward the west, a man on horseback, riding leisurely and taking a direction that would bring Texas Slim to a point just opposite Sheriff Beckford's office . . ." Lillian pleaded with the Sheriff but to no avail. ". . . fast as lightning Texas Slim leaped from his horse and dropped to his knees and almost at the same moment, Sheriff Beckford dropped to his stomach, he was the greatest shot in the West. Texas Slim fired the first shot. There was a bare margin. Sheriff Beckford cocked his pistol as the men faced each other. Then their six shooters began barking. Sheriff Beckford dropped one arm limply to his side while in the same instant Texas Slim began to spurt blood through his lips, his face bespeaking hate and baffled love. Both men had scored serious hits but neither had been effective enough to kill. The guns cracked once more and Texas Slim's pistol dropped from his hand . . ."

ing. ". . . Slowly the dawn came on the faint glow in the east marking the rise of the sun. Toward the west, a man on horseback, riding leisurely and taking a direction that would bring Texas Slim to a point just opposite Sheriff Beckford's office . . ." Lillian pleaded with the Sheriff but to no avail. ". . . fast as lightning Texas Slim leaped from his horse and dropped to his knees and almost at the same moment, Sheriff Beckford dropped to his stomach, he was the greatest shot in the West. Texas Slim fired the first shot. There was a bare margin. Sheriff Beckford cocked his pistol as the men faced each other. Then their six shooters began barking. Sheriff Beckford dropped one arm limply to his side while in the same instant Texas Slim began to spurt blood through his lips, his face bespeaking hate and baffled love. Both men had scored serious hits but neither had been effective enough to kill. The guns cracked once more and Texas Slim's pistol dropped from his hand . . ."

Lillian was rapidly succumbing to her terror, fear entered into her heart as she realized Sheriff Beckford's dead aim was at work again.

It is evident that Lillian is not long for this story now. Soon the author puts three posse parties on Lillian's trail with Lillian heading westward to the canyon country where she stops her faithful Black Diamond six feet from the precipice over-looking the river far below and daring her pursuers to fire at her. But before they can carry out her commands, Lillian drives off over the edge of the precipice, crying out as she falls ". . . I love you more than ever, JoeGood Bye!" And so Lillian bids goodbye to the man who led the posses that gave no choice to her other than death.The story is full of cattle stampedes, chases, gun fights, card games and love and jealousy (most of it caused by a trim little maid with a broad smile who takes delight in stealing Lillian's men). Lillian is a fascinating creature with extreme confidence in herself. She is persistent and charming and always a woman. She refers to all men as "boys" which may indicate the author's sex as female. The flowery phraseology and the last paragraph of the book seem to corroborate this: "So Lillian's last good deeds were all accomplished, and her lovers never married, spending many lonesome nights on the black plains, dreaming of their Lillian and wishing to join her."