"Kal'm'zoo!"—The Home of the Nettletons.—Lilly Nettleton.—A
wild Heart and a burning Brain. [13]
CHAPTER II.
The "Circuit-Rider."—Mr. Pinkerton and these Gospel Knights-Errant
in the early Days.—The Rev. Mr. Bland appears.—"And
Satan came also!"—A "charge" is established.—A Compact
"where the golden maple-leaves fall."—Bland departs.—"The
scared form of a young Woman steals away from her Home!" [19]
CHAPTER III.
Lilly in Detroit.—First and last Remorse.—The reverend Villain and his
Victim enjoy the Hospitality of the Michigan Exchange Hotel.—A
Scene.—"Bland, am I to go to your Mother's, as you promised?"—The
Clergyman(?) "crazed."—Everything, save Respectability.—A
Woman's Will.—And a Man's Cajolement. [27]
CHAPTER IV.
Tells how the Rev. Mr. Bland preached a Funeral Sermon.—Shows a
dainty Cottage, holding more than the Neighbors knew.—Installs
Lilly as a Clergyman's Mistress.—Reverts to a Desolate Home.—Introduces
Dick Hosford, a returned "Forty-Niner," who begins a
despairing Search.—And shows that unholy, as well as true Love,
does not always run smoothly. [33]
CHAPTER V.
Reckless Fancies.—The "Cursed Church Interests."—Bland's "little
Bird" becomes a busy Bird.—Merges into a great Raven of the
Night.—Gathers together Valuables.—And while a folded Handkerchief
lies across the Clergyman's Face, steals away into the
Storm and the Night.—Gone!—"Are ye all dead in there?"—Drifting
together.—"Don't give the Gal that Ticket!"—A great-hearted
Man.—The Rev. Bland officiates at a Wedding.—Competence
and Contentment. [39]
CHAPTER VI.
Mr. Pinkerton is called upon.—Mr. Harcout, a ministerial-looking
Man, with an After-dinner Voice, appears.—A Case with a Woman
in it, as is usually the case.—Mr. Pinkerton hesitates.—An anxious
Millionaire. [47]
CHAPTER VII.
In Council.—Mr. Lyon the Millionaire, with Mr. Harcout the Adventurer
and Adviser, appear together.—How Mr. Lyon became Mrs.
Winslow's Victim.—"Our blessed Faith" and the Woman's
strange Power.—A Tender Subject.—Deep Games.—A One
Hundred Thousand Dollar Suit for Breach of Promise of Marriage.—A
good deal of Money.—All liable to err.—A most
magnificent Woman.—The "Case" taken.
[55]
CHAPTER VIII.
The Case begun.—Mr. Pinkerton makes a preliminary Investigation at
Rochester.—Mrs. Winslow, Trance Medium.—A Ride to Port Charlotte.—Harcout
as a Barnacle.—Much married.—Mr. Pinkerton
visits the Mediums.—Drops in at a Washington Hall Meeting.—Sees
the naughty Woman.—And returns to New York convinced
that the Spiritualistic Adventuress is a Woman of remarkable
Ability. [65]
CHAPTER IX.
"Our Case."—Harcout's Egotism and Interference.—The strange
Chain of Evidence.—A Trail of Spiritualism, Lust, and Licentiousness.—
Superintendent Bangs locates the Detectives.—A pernicious
System.—Three Old Maids named Grim.—Mr. Bangs baffled by
Mr. Lyon, who won't be "worried."—One Honest Spiritualistic
Doctor.—The Trail secured.—A Tigress.—Mr. Bangs "goes
West." [75]
CHAPTER X.
Rochester.—A Profitable Field for Mrs. Winslow.—Her sumptuous
Apartments.—The Detectives at Work.—Mrs. Winslow's Cautiousness.—
Child-Training.—Mysterious Drives.—A dapper little
Blond Gentleman.—Two Birds with one Stone.—A French Divinity.—Le
Compte. [87]
CHAPTER XI.
The Half-way House.—A jolly German Landlord.—Detective Fox runs
down Le Compte.—A "Positive, Prophetic, Healing and Trance
Medium."—Harcout the Adviser reappears, and is anxious lest
Mr. Lyon be drawn into some terrible Confession.—Mr. Pinkerton
decides to know more about Le Compte.—And with the harassed
Mr. Lyon interviews him.—Treachery and Blackmail.—"A much
untractable Man."—Light shines upon Mrs. Winslow.—Another
Man.—Mr. Pinkerton mad. [98]
CHAPTER XII.
The Raven of the Detroit Cottage in another Character.—Mrs. Winslow
yearns for a retired Montreal Banker.—Love's Rivalry.—A mysterious
Note.—The Response.—Another Trip to Port Charlotte by
four Hearts that beat as one.—What Mr. Pinkerton, as one of the
party, sees and hears.—"Jones of Rochester."—Le Compte and
Mrs. Winslow resolve to fly to Paris, "the magnificent, the beautiful,
the sublime!"—"My God, are they all that way?"
[114]
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.
[128]
CHAPTER XIV.
Mr. Bangs on the Trail in the West.—Terre Haute and its Spiritualists.—Mrs.
Deck's Boarding-house.—The Nettleton Family broken up.—Back
at the Michigan Exchange.—Mother Blake's Recital.—Through
Chicago to Wisconsin.—A disheartening Story.—The
practical result of Spiritualism.
[141]
CHAPTER XV.
A Chicago Divorce "Shyster."—Hosford found.—His pathetic Narrative.—More
Facts. [151]
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.
[162]
CHAPTER XVII.
Careful Work.—Bristol's Trick on the Bell-boy at Queen's Hotel,
Toronto.—The old Merchant.—In the Toils.—A Face at the Transom.—A
cowardly Puppet before a brazen Adventuress.—The
Horrors of Blackmail.—"Furnished Rooms to Rent."
[175]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Harcout again.—"Things going slow."—A Bit of personal History.—A
new Tenant.—Detective Generalship.—Mrs. Winslow fears she
is watched.—Mr. Pinkerton cogitates.
[186]
CHAPTER XIX.
Mrs. Winslow becomes confidential.—Some of her Exploits.—Her
Plans.—A Sample of Legal Pleading.—A fishy Story.—The Adventuress
as a Somnambulist.—Detective Bristol virtuously indignant.—Failing
to win the "Retired Banker," Mrs. Winslow
assails Detective Fox with her Charms.
[197]
CHAPTER XX.
A Female Spiritualist's Ideas of Political and Social Economy.—The
Weaknesses of Judges.—Legal Acumen of the Adventuress.—An
unfriendly Move.—Harcout attacked.—Lilly Nettleton and the
Rev. Mr. Bland again together.—A Whirlwind.
[209]
CHAPTER XXI.
Mrs. Winslow, under the Influence of "Spirits" of an earthly Order,
becomes romantic, religious, and poetical.—A Trance.—Detective
Bristol also proves a Poet.—A Drama to be written.
[220]
CHAPTER XXII.
Mr. Pinkerton decides to favor Mrs. Winslow with a Series of Annoyances.—The
mysterious Package.—The Detectives labor under
well-merited Suspicion.—"My God! what's that?"—The deadly
Phial.—This Time a Mysterious Box.—Its suggestive Contents.—"The
Thing she was."—Tabitha, Amanda, and Hannah assaulted.—A
Punch and Judy Show. [230]
CHAPTER XXIII.
Cast down.—"Trifles."—A charitable Offering.—Dreariness.—Going
Crazy.—An interrupted Seance.—A new Form of the Devil.—The
Red-herring Expedition and its Result.—A mad Dutchman.—Desolation.—An
order for a Coffin.—The sympathizing Undertaker, Mr.
Boxem. [244]
CHAPTER XXIV.
Breaking up.—Doubts and Queries.—Suspected Developments.—The
Detectives completely outwitted.—On the Trail again.—From
Rochester to St. Louis.—A prophetic Hotel Clerk.—More Detectives
and more Need for them.—Lightning Changes.
[269]
CHAPTER XXV.
Still foiled.—Mr. Pinkerton perplexed over the Character of the Adventuress.—Her
wonderful recuperative Powers.—A lively Chase.—Another
unexpected Move.—The Detectives beaten at every
Point.—From Town to Town.—Mrs. Winslow's Shrewdness.—Among
the Spiritualists at Terre Haute.—Plotting.—The beautiful
Belle Ruggles.—A wild Night in a ramshackle old Boarding-House.—Blood-curdling
"Manifestations."—Moaning and weeping
for Day.—Outwitted again.—Mr. Pinkerton makes a chance
Discovery.—Success. [285]
CHAPTER XXVI.
Shows how Mrs. Winslow makes a new Move.—Also introduces the
famous Evalena Gray, Physical Spiritual Medium, at her sumptuous
Apartments on West Twenty-first Street, New York.—Reminds
the Reader of the Aristocratic Classes deluded by Spiritualism.—Describes
a Seance and explains the "Rope-trick," and
other Spiritualistic Sleight-of-hand Performances.
[307]
CHAPTER XXVII.
After the Seance.—Daddy, the "Accommodation Husband."—The
two fascinating Swindlers in Council.—Miss Evalena's European
Career.—How the Millionaire Brewer was baited and played with.—A
Bit of Criminal History.—A choice Pair.—Mrs. Winslow's Aspirations
and Resolves.
[326]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Mrs. Winslow demonstrates her Legal Ability.—The "Breach of
Promise Trial."—A grand Rally of the Spiritualistic Friends of the
Adventuress.—The Jury disagree.—Mrs. Winslow convicted at
St. Louis of Common Barratry.—An honest Judge's Rebuke.—A
new Trial.—The Spiritualistic Swindler overthrown.—Remorse and
Wretchedness.
[341]
