in a carriage,
dressed fit to kill; and the first I see, she was tryin' to get the
children into the carriage with her. I ordered them to come in, when,
with an oath, she put her hand to her bosom as if to draw a pistol.

"I got mad at this, and told her that if she had come to that agin,
_I'd_ have a hand in too; and as soon as I turned into the house as if
to get a pistol--I only had an old rusty one with a broken lock, but had
an idea that I could some way use it--she blazed away at me, the ball
going through the front door and driving the splinters into my clothes.
As she didn't know whether she had hit me or not, she drove away at full
gallop, and I've never sot eyes on her since."

The poor fellow seemed to say this with an inexpressible sense of
satisfaction and relief. He had had more than his share of her general
depravity forced upon him, and the respite from it, though short, was
very dear to him.

Bangs got from Hosford the names of parties in contiguous towns who
could give him definite information about Mrs. Winslow, while he offered
to come to Rochester himself, if his presence was required; and after a
good night's rest and an early breakfast, Mr. Bangs returned to Monroe.
After a few days' travel and inquiry he secured a thousand times more
information than necessary to compel the retiracy of the splendid Mrs.
Winslow from her then public and profitable field of operations, after
which he returned to New York, well satisfied with the result of his by
no means pleasant labors.

CHAPTER XVI.

Mrs. Winslow's Signal answered.-- She endeavors to win
Bristol, and shows that they are "Affinities."-- Detective
Fox mystified.-- An Evening with the One fair Woman.--
Closer Intimacies.-- A Journey proposed.-- Detective
Bristol as a Lover.

Back in the streets of Rochester, Bristol followed Mrs. Winslow with
much wonderment and some anxiety as to the result, not sure as to
whether any of the three lovely women had noticed his leaving at the
call of their hated rival, and cogitating what the woman might want with
him.

They soon arrived at the Garden, the woman frequently looking back to
assure herself that the retired banker was following her, and finally
passed into the Fields and took a booth, where she ordered a bottle of
wine, which gave her right to its occupancy for an indefinite period;
and as soon as Bristol sauntered in, she signalled him to join her,
which he