Ugh, what a name.
Story: The Hidden Hand, by E.D.E.N. Southworth (1859).
Information by Pat Pflieger
Capitola -- in E.D.E.N. Southworth's popular The Hidden Hand (1859) -- captures villains, talks back to her guardian, and shoots a man who has insulted her full of dried peas.
Capitola's birth is mysterious, and she grows up literally on the streets of a city, until her guardian finds her and takes her in. Everyone loves Capitola, who is lively and clever, talking back to her guardian and shooting the man who's insulted her -- full of split peas. She helps capture the local bad guy -- and then helps him to escape.
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