us
communication between any of my people.

On the next day, Sunday, Lyon called to see me at the hotel and brought
with him two notes from Le Compte--one having been received late
Saturday afternoon, and the other delivered at his house that
morning--both imperatively insisting that Lyon should come to his rooms
and leave that "untractable man" behind.

I complimented him extensively on his having refrained from visiting the
winsome little villain who seemed determined to get Lyon within his
power. He solemnly pledged his word that he would have nothing whatever
to do with the man, and would bluff him in every advance that he made;
and in order to clinch it, I read him choice extracts from Fox's report
regarding the Charlotte party of the day before, interspersing it with a
few of the still choicer items that had come under my own observation.

"My God!" exclaimed Lyon, as I concluded, "are they _all_ that way?"

"Your experience and mine," I smilingly replied, "would almost point to
the fact that a very decided majority of them are."

CHAPTER XIII.

Mr. Pinkerton again interviews Le Compte.-- And very much
desires to wring his Neck.-- A Bargain and Sale.-- Le
Compte's Story.-- "Little by Little, Patience by
Patience."-- A Toronto Merchant in Mrs. Winslow's Toils.--
Detective Bristol, "the retired Banker," in Clover.--
Tabitha, Amanda, and Hannah individually and collectively
woo him.-- Ancient Maidens full of Soul.-- A Signal.

No jury in the land would render a verdict against a man on the
unsupported evidence of a woman whose character was so vile as we had
already found Mrs. Winslow's to be; and I would have paid no further
attention to the little Frenchman, had I not suspected from his
expensive style of living, and from Mrs. Winslow's injunctions to him
regarding not swindling her in so small a matter as a bottle of wine,
that his necessities and cupidity might cause him to make some tangible
disclosure regarding her, that would give us a clue to other information
against her further than that which Bangs would probably secure in the
West, as I never use detective evidence when it can be avoided, and knew
that a perfect mountain of criminal transactions could be eventually
heaped up against her which could be secured from reliable parties, who
could have no other possible interest in her downfall than a desire to
promote the personal good of society.

Le Co