Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 935

# The Hawks and Wolves of New York

This serialized novel by Albert W. Aiken opens in early spring at Long Branch, New Jersey. A young man named Roland Reade, poorly dressed but handsome, meets his lover Helen on the beach stairs near the West End Hotel. Helen is eighteen, beautifully formed with blue-black hair and brown eyes. Roland reveals he must leave immediately by train, fleeing from unnamed adversaries, and gives Helen a sealed letter with instructions for if she reaches New York. After their farewell, Helen walks home past the estates of theatrical celebrities, reflecting on her miserable life. The narrative reveals her backstory: raised by old Daddy Waybit on a small New Jersey farm, Helen was found as an infant in a basket and raised as his daughter. After his wife's death, Waybit has begun pursuing Helen as a potential second wife. As Helen approaches the farmhouse late at night, she notices an unexpected light burning inside.