The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-12-02
5elrrt MjstrIlun)l.
The Carbon Street Affair.

My name is Arthur Clarence Fitz.
Gerald MackenZic-rathcr an aristo-
cratic name, you will admit. am %
tall, good-looking and Il clerk. | am
not absolutely miserable, but am, nev-
ertheless, far from happy.
Among my own acquaintance find
men who are unhappy because they
are rich, others because they are poor,
some because they have wives. some
because they have none. In fact, |
have made this discovery, that if a
certain thing makes one man happy,
you can generally find another ho Is
miserable from the same cause The
cause of my own unhappiness is that
cannot alight upon the particular walk
in life in which my abilities are dcs-
tined to make me famous
1t was my fathers great principle
that every man is Il genius in Il partic-
ular department, but the chances arc q
million to one that he never finds that
department.
There are hundreds of smart Young
men who are veritable geniuses in the
diapers assistant line. and who might,
with reasonable pros ,ccts Of success
aspire to the altitude of shopwalker-in-
chief. The pity of it is that these
young men usually imagine they are
poets or artists-great, Of course-and
the result is that the world. instead of
gaining Il fair verse-thumpcr, loses !,
good counter. jumper
This, as mentioned, was my father 5
great idea. and his own life was woe
ful example of its truth. For so years
he worked at the trade OF bootmaIling,
without becoming Il pennypiecc the
richer, and it was only on his deathbed
that he found that ne ought to have
been Cabinet Minister. NV own de-
lusion was that | came into this world
fpr the sole purpose of showing its in
hahtants something startling in the
detective line.
| did not jump at this conclusion; it
was the result Of long and deep medi-
tltion read the Chronicles Of Bow
Street and made myself thoroughly
acquainted with the tactics Of the
famous 'runncrS learned the vari-
Gus devices Of criminals through the
medium Of the \cwgatc Calendar. and
studied philosophical deduction from
Sir Francis Bacon and Mr. Conan
ID ,yic. | did not get on very we'll
with Sir Francis read a few Of his
essays and came to the conclusion that
he. like my father, Lad missed his voca-
ton.
With Mr.. Conan Doyle. however, |
was in my element. dcvourrd the
adventures Of the great Sherlock until
| could, with perfect ease, dcduce Il
IN Dst appalling string OF horrors from
What to ordinary people would have
appeared but a trivial circumstance
My opportunity came at last. |
was walking down the Strand in that
calm, thoughtful manner peculiar to
people OF great brain power, when Il
passcrby looked searchingiy into my
face. 1t was only glance. and he
passed on almost Immediately, appar-
emily satisfied with his inspection.
| literally jumped with eagerncss
and delight. The man. though out
wrrlly refined and gcntlemanlv. had a
very striking face His eyes were
small and bright, ovcrhung by clifi-like
brows. His jaw was square and mas
s;Ve. and his mouth looked Ike Il thin.
cruel knife cut.
THAT man. said to myself, has
every Indication of being n villain.
Thea Il thrill Of excitement ran
ltr III ii m. \ h. walked al al |