had secured a pleasant room at the Osborn House, where they were to
remain without additional expense to themselves until she had concluded
her changes. This rather dashed the operatives, but they made no further
remark upon the subject until the company had dispersed, when they urged
the propriety, both on the grounds of economy and convenience of
"doubling up," as Bristol termed it, in one room until another was
finished, and then removing to that, until their respective apartments
had been renovated. But Mrs. Winslow was obdurate, alleging that on
account of these annoyances she had become weak and nervous of late,
and did not desire to be annoyed with either the argument or
arrangement.

So that early on the next morning, when Mrs. Winslow announced to the
detectives that an express wagon was in waiting to convey their baggage
to the Osborn House, there was no alternative but to go, as the persons
engaged to do the renovating were on hand and had already begun their
work of turning the rooms into chaos. Mrs. Winslow assured them that but
a few days would elapse before they would all be together again in their
old quarters; and as they grumblingly went away complaining of short
notice and the like, she bade them a merry good-by, adding that she
should stay about with some of her Spiritualistic friends in the city,
and perhaps take a little trip down to Batavia; but in any event would
let them know the first moment that the rooms were ready for occupancy.

While Bristol and Fox were settling themselves in their new quarters
they indulged in a very heated argument as to Mrs. Winslow's object in
this all but forcibly ejecting them from their rooms, which they had
occupied so long that they had come to consider them something of a
home; as to whether Mrs. Winslow meant to do without their presence
hereafter or not, Bristol feeling sure that the woman meditated some
future action which was to relieve herself of their society, if indeed
it did not mean more than that, while Fox felt equally as certain that
the whole affair was only one of the whimful woman's whims, that, being
satisfied, would result in their early recall.

In any event in this way the combination of mediumistic and detective
talent was broken up.

I was at once informed about the turn things had taken, and ordered that
extra diligence should be used in keeping the woman under notice, as I
felt apprehensive that making her rooms tidy was not her object