"
"I did!" came the starring response.
The detective stood the girl off from him at arm's length, and
studied her from feet to head.
The girl stood and calmly submitted to the inspection.
"So you are the traitor?"
"No."
"You admit you betrayed me?"
"I am no traitor! I owe nothing to you! I had a right to
inform the boys if I saw fit, and I did so."
"And now you come and warn me?"
"Yes."
"Why do you warn me, if you are the one who set them on to
murder me?"
"I did not think they would murder you, and now I have come to
warn you."
"Are you engaged in the business?"
"NO."
The girl spoke in a scornful tone, and her eyes dashed with
indignation.
"Who are you?"
"I do not know who I am."
A strange look came into the detective's eyes as an idea
dashed through his mind.
"Are you the child of a wreck?"
"I do not know. I know nothing about myself."
"Whom do you live with?"
"The man who calls himself my father."
"Is he not your father?"
"No."
"Has he confessed to you that he is not your father?"
"No."
"Then how do you know he is not your father?"
"I know he is not."
"Why do you live with him?"
"Where should I go? I have no other home, and he is kind to
me."
"Is he a smuggler?"
"It is not fair to ask me that question."
"Why not?"
"I have told you all that was needful to warn you of your own
peril; you should not take advantage of my frankness."
The detective looked upon the lovely girl with a deep sense of
pity in his heart.
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