Lonesome Town

In Short

E. S. Dorrance’s 1922 novel Lonesome Town is a brisk, lighthearted romantic mystery that bridges the rugged American West and the glittering pavements of Roaring Twenties New York. When Peter "Why-Not" Pape, a wealthy Montana rancher and deputy sheriff, arrives in Manhattan to settle a financial score, he stumbles into the life of Jane Lauderdale, an impoverished orphan from an old family. Swept into a dizzying quest involving a mysterious stolen snuffbox, family conspiracies, and a long-buried fortune, Pape navigates high-society drawing rooms and park foliage alike. The book has endured as an entertaining slice of period melodrama that whimsically contrasts Western grit with urban sophistication.

The Story

The narrative opens in the West with Peter Stansbury Pape—known as "Why-Not"—leaving Hellroaring Valley, Montana, for New York City. Pape arrives in the metropolis driven by two goals: to settle accounts downtown with Wall Street speculators who tried to fleece his ranching profits, and to explore the city's famed "Gay Way."

Dressed in tailored evening wear that feels alien compared to his trusted range clothes, Pape attends an opera at the Metropolitan. There, he spots Jane Lauderdale, a striking young woman he once briefly encountered in the Yellowstone. Eager to make her notice him, Pape seizes an opportunity to speak with her and her chaperone, the formidable Aunt Helene Sturgis. Jane, caught in a awkward social moment, accepts his presence and introduces him as a friend from the West.

Later that evening, Pape visits the Sturgis brownstone, where a crisis has just erupted. An antique, rubied snuffbox belonging to Jane’s great-grandfather has been stolen from a secret wall safe in the library. Intrigued and instantly smitten with Jane, Pape poses as a detective to investigate the crime. Yet when he attempts to call police headquarters, Jane panics and stops him, revealing that the missing object holds far greater secret value than a simple keepsake and that its loss means total ruin for her and her family.

Pape vows to assist Jane, drawn into a web of deceit involving her missing father, who is living under a cloud of false accusation, and her cousin Irene. As Pape investigates, he realizes he is up against sophisticated foes, including the polished Mills Harford and Samuel Allen, a dishonorable jurist behind fraudulent oil schemes. The mystery deepens when Pape learns that Jane and her father are searching for a hidden cryptogram and an ancient family trust tied to historic land in the Bronx and Central Park.

Through a series of escapades—ranging from horseback chases through Central Park on his trusted piebald mount, Polkadot, to jail cell stays and confrontations in dark caverns—Pape applies his Western tracking skills and raw courage to the urban jungle. He uncovers that Aunt Helene herself staged the robbery of her own safe, conspiring with Allen under the business name "The Guarantee Investors, Incorporated" to rob Jane of her rightful inheritance for the benefit of Irene.

With the truth exposed, the perpetrators confess, clearing Jane’s father and restoring the family to their rightful fortune. Pape wins not only the mysterious battle against Wall Street and fraudulent conspirators, but also the total trust and love of Jane, culminating in their marriage celebrated across the bright lights of Times Square.

How It Unfolds

The arrival in the East Peter "Why-Not" Pape leaves his Montana ranch for New York to confront Wall Street manipulators and explore Manhattan's famous streets. He attends the opera at the Metropolitan, where he re-encounters Jane Lauderdale and manages to get himself introduced to her high-society circle.

The missing heirloom Accompanying Jane back to her aunt’s brownstone, Pape finds the household in an uproar over a stolen antique snuffbox containing a mysterious secret. He pretends to be a detective to investigate, but Jane desperately halts his attempt to call the police, confessing that the stolen object holds a secret vital to her family's survival.

Into the urban jungle Determined to protect Jane, Pape explores the city, meeting colorful locals around Central Park while trying to track down the stolen item. He discovers that Jane's father is alive and hiding from powerful enemies who wish to destroy his reputation and claim to a vast historic estate.

A chase through the park Events escalate into direct physical drama as Pape, mounted on his Western horse Polkadot, engages in wild horseback pursuits through Central Park. Along the way, he encounters corrupt lawmen, tricky double-agents, and public misunderstanding that briefly lands him in legal trouble.

Unmasking the conspirators Following clues to a cave-like hideout, Pape corners the fraudulent judge Samuel Allen and gathers hard paper evidence of an oil fraud scheme. He forces the truth into the open, proving that Jane's wealthy aunt staged the original theft to strip Jane of her rightful Bronx property claim.

A Broadway signoff With the family name vindicated and the lost fortune restored, Pape wins Jane's heart and complete trust. Their victory and marriage are commemorated with a personalized electric sign flashing high above Times Square.

The People

• Peter "Why-Not" Pape: A resourceful, thirty-something Montana rancher and deputy sheriff. Honest, plain-faced, and physically rugged, he travels East to settle a financial grievance, only to throw his life, money, and personal safety into helping a woman in distress.
• Jane Lauderdale: An impoverished orphan from an old family who possesses great beauty, spirit, and deep loyalty to her persecuted father. Though initially suspicious of Pape's sudden intervention, she comes to rely on his bravery and honesty.
• Aunt Helene Sturgis: Jane's wealthy widow aunt who lives in a grand Manhattan brownstone. Appearing gracious and charitable on the surface, she secretly works behind the scenes to steal Jane's inheritance to secure a fortune for her own daughter.
• Jane's Father: A tall, fine-featured man with graying hair who lives in hiding under the strain of false accusations and financial ruination, desperate to protect his daughter and locate his family's lost trust.
• Samuel Allen: A deceitful, corrupt jurist and conspirator who operates behind fraudulent investment schemes like the "Montana Gusher" oil fraud, acting as the secret engine behind Aunt Helene's schemes.
• Mills Harford: A polished, handsome, auburn-haired young man of the New York social set who acts as a rival and adversary to Pape during the wild park pursuits.

In Its Own Voice

"The trail spilled into a pool of shadows at the bottom of the gorge. As if doubtful of following it, the lone rider in chaps and a flannel shirt drew up for a 'breathing.'"

The opening moment of the story introduces Peter Pape on his Western home turf before he embarks on his journey toward the city.

"You'd forgive me for not knowing whom to trust if you could realize that what was in that box means everything to me and that I'd never get it back if its real value became known."

Jane Lauderdale whispers her desperate plea to Pape after stopping him from calling official police headquarters to report the stolen snuffbox.

"'Life's a shaky thing. But love is worse--worse--worse'--the first. And the scroopy second: 'Things get queerer every step--queerer--queerer.'"

Pape follows Jane up the squeaking wooden staircases of an old apartment building, his internal thoughts matching the rhythm of his steps.

What It's Really About

Beneath its rapid mystery plot and theatrical encounters, Lonesome Town contrasts the stark moral clarity of the American frontier with the hidden corruptions of metropolitan high society. The book argues that true nobility is found in personal integrity and unyielding courage rather than pedigree or social standing. Through Pape's eyes, New York appears as an unnatural, tangled maze where financial schemes and domestic deceptions wear polished manners. The story explores themes of trust, identity, and the heavy burden of inheritance, questioning what constitutes real wealth when family members turn against one another for property. Ultimately, it celebrates the collision of two distinct American landscapes, showing that straightforward honesty can unravel even the most sophisticated urban deceit.

Why Read It Today

Lonesome Town offers readers an entertaining, fast-moving slice of early 1920s popular fiction. It captures a specific moment in American popular culture when the classic Western adventure merged with the urban mystery romance. Readers who enjoy vintage melodramas, theatrical plots, and historical glimpses of early 20th-century New York—from Central Park bridle paths to Broadway neon—will find much to appreciate in its lighthearted energy.

The prose reflects the stylistic choices and dialogue of its era, filled with colorful period slang, theatrical scene-setting, and dramatic plot turns that move at a rapid pace. While modern readers may notice the story's reliance on familiar romantic tropes and sudden twists, the narrative maintains a warm, earnest spirit throughout. Peter "Why-Not" Pape makes for an engaging, persistently optimistic protagonist whose straightforward approach to life drives the book forward. It remains an enjoyable, breezy read for anyone curious about light popular fiction from the Roaring Twenties.