The Dock Rats of New York | Page 3

"Did you tell them directly?"
"No."
"Well, Renie, I am much obliged to you."
"And you will not go off in the yacht to-night?"
"I will think the matter over."
"Promise me that you will not go!" pleaded the girl, in an earnest tone.
"I will not promise; but if I do go, you need have no fear. I can take
care of myself, forewarned, you know, is forearmed. Goodnight,
Renie."
"I shall never forgive myself if you are injured!"
"Thank you for your interest; but you need have no fear. I can take care
of myself; the crew of the yacht 'Nancy' will not toss me to the fishes
to-night."

The girl turned and walked away under the moonlight, and a strange
impulse caused the detective to follow her.
The girl moved along like an uncouth apparition over the yielding sand,
and had traversed fully a quarter of a mile along the shore, when
suddenly a man leaped down from the bank and confronted her.
The detective, in shadowing the strange girl, had kept well in under the
shadow of the bluff, and could not have been seen; and when he saw
the man confront the girl, he moved rapidly forward, and gained a point
near enough to overhear the talk that passed between them.
The man was a rough, villainous-looking fellow, and his voice was
coarse and his manners vulgar. It was evident that the girl was annoyed
at meeting him, as was immediately betrayed by her manner.
"Hello, Renie, I've been waiting a long time for a chance to have a talk
with you."
"I do not wish to have a talk with you, though, Sol Burton; so
good-night!"
"Not so fast, my pretty bird; I've something to tell you."
"And I don't wish to stop and listen to you."
"You would if you knew all I had to tell."
"Well, as I don't know all you've got to tell, and as I don't desire to
listen to you, I'll bid you goodnight."
"You always were down on me, Renie, but I'm a friend of your'n arter
all, and I've collared the secret of your life, and I'd tell it to you, only
you're so darn uppish when I go to speak to you."
The detective saw the girl advance toward the rough-looking man, and
overheard her say:
"You know the secret of my life?"

"Yes."
"What secret is there of my life?"
"Tom Pearce is not your daddy, but I know how you came to be his
adopted child."
The girl trembled from head to foot.
"Sol Burton, tell me all you know."
"Ah! you will listen to me, my pretty bird?"
"Yes, I will."
CHAPTER II.
The man chuckled as he said:
"I thought you would listen to me when I let on what I know'd."
"Tell me the secret!" commanded the girl.
"Oh, yes, Renie! but I've a condition."
"A condition? What condition would you exact?"
"You must become my wife. There, the thing's out; so now, what have
you got to say?"
"I say, no!"
"That's your decision?"
"That's my decision."
"Be careful, gal. I only asked you to marry a me to give you a chance;
remember you're nobody's child, and I've hooked on to the secret."

"You're a mean man, Sol Burton, to threaten me!"
"Well, the fact is, Renie, I like you! I'm dead in love with you, and I'm
willing to marry yer, and that's more than most of the fellows round
here would do, knowing all I know."
"Good-night, Sol Burton, I'll not stop to talk with you, nor will I tell my
father that you said insulting words to me."
"What do you suppose I care about Tom Pearce? I can whisper a few
words in his ear that will take some of the starch out of him! He's been
mighty uppish about you, although he's let you run round the beach
barefoot these sixteen years."
"Go talk to Tom Pearce, and do not be the coward to repeat your threats
to me!"
The girl started to move away, when the man suddenly leaped forward
and grasped her in his arms, but the same instant he received a blow
which sent him reeling, as the girl was snatched from his rude grasp.
A curse fell from the man's lips, and he arose to his feet and advanced
toward the man who had struck him.
"Run home, little girl!" whispered the detective; "I will take care of this
brute!"
"Thank you!" said the girl, and she glided away along the beach.
"See here, you're the man who struck me?"
"Yes; I'm the man."
"I think I've seen you before."
"I think we've met before."
"What did you hit me for?"

"I struck you because you put your hands rudely upon the girl."