!"

This opened the eyes of my operatives, and they simultaneously conveyed
the intimation to each other that careful working might secure some
information about any St. Louis cases the woman might have which would
be desirable; and in a short time, by gradually leading Mrs. Winslow on,
they discovered that the brazen adventuress, according to her own story,
had pending no less than seven cases in the Circuit Court at St. Louis,
every one of them being suits on some trivial, trumped-up charge.

It seemed fated that Mrs. Winslow should leave Rochester, if her
remaining depended upon these mysterious offerings ceasing, for while
they were yet in conversation upon the subject, a colored porter called
with a great basket-load of provisions, and without a word, after
spreading a newspaper upon the carpet, began unloading his store.

"In heaven's name, who sent you here with those?" she entreated of the
colored gentleman.

"It's all right; it's all right," he said soothingly, and winking hard
at my operatives.

"But it isn't all right; it's all wrong!" she retorted, warming.

"Guess not, missus; lemme see: Quart split peas, quart beans, one
punking, jug m'lasses, 'n a mackerel. Done got 'em all, sure!"

"Where did they come from, you black imp?" the woman demanded,
advancing threateningly.

He grabbed his basket quickly, and, slowly retreating towards the door,
winked again very knowingly at Bristol and Fox, tapped his forehead and
shook his head deploringly, and then nodded towards Mrs. Winslow, very
plainly saying in pantomime, "Poor thing!--badly demented!" and, as Mrs.
Winslow, in the excess of her anger, made a dive at him, he sprang back
through the door, ejaculating, "Lo'd, _ain't_ she crazy, though!" and
made good his escape, laughing with that expression of complete
enjoyment which only an Ethiopian can give.

Mrs. Winslow was now thoroughly convinced that the two men who had been
her constant companions of late had had something to do with annoying
her, and she cunningly followed the negro to the store where he was
employed, where she at once sharply questioned the proprietor, who told
her just as sharply that only a few minutes before, a ministerial-looking
man, claiming to be city missionary for some church up-town, called and
purchased the goods, remarking that they were for some crazy woman
living in the block next to Meech's opera-house, whom he had just
visited, and found to be possessed of the pecul