The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-11-10
My Vocation.


gerald Mackenzie. I am 25, tall, good
looking and a clerk. am not absolute
ly miserable, but am nevertheless far
from happy.
The cause of my own unhappiness is
that cannot alight upon the particu-
lar walk in life in which my abilities
are destined to make me famous.
1t was my fathers great principle
that every man is genius in partic-
ular department, but the chances are a
million to one that he never finds that
department.
For so years he worked at the trade
of bootmaking without becoming PEN
ny piece the richer, and it was only on
his deathbed that he found he ought to
have been a cabinet minister.
My own delusion was that I came
into this world for the sole purpose Of
showing its inhabitants something
startling in the detective line.
My opportunity came at last. ! was
walking down the Strand in that calm,
thoughtful manner peculiar to people
of great brain power when passerby
looked searchingly into my face. 1t
was only glance, and he passed on al
most Immediately, apparently satisfied
with his inspection.
1 literally jumped with eagerness and
delight. The man. although outwardly
refined and gentlemanly, had very
striking face.
''That man," said l to myself, "has
every indication of being villain. 3"
Then thrill of excitement ran through
me- AS he waited ahead l noticed that
| his ear tapered to a point at the top;
it was, in fact, splendid example of
what is known in physiogonomy az
the criminal ear.
| "That man is a villain" said !.
Having come to this rather impor-
tant conclusion, Immediately formed
the idea of following him. First of all,
I turned up my coat collar. A detective
must not on any account be conspicu.
GUS. Now my linen is always white as
snow, and therefore necessarily conspic.
| uous.
then followed my man in a slouch'
ing, shuffiing way, in order to show
people that had no object in follow
ing him. I rounded my shoulders
bowed my head, looked up under my
eyebrows with the most approved ferre'
expressions and followed my quarry
with the pertinacity of a bloodhound.
His general appeara nee and de
meanor, soliloquized, ''are indica
tive of refinement. He is therefore ,
gentleman. Being gentleman. it can
not be his object to perpetrate com
mon burglary. He has the aspect Of ,
foreigner. Being a foreigner, he ma.
be Russian, and, being a Russian, b.
must be nihilist. Good heavensl Th
welfare of the populace, the very fat
of the dynasty, may be at stake. Per
haps this man carries an internal ma
chine concealed upon his person. Blu
what is the life of one man to the safet,
of thousands2 will risk my life fol
| the''-
Here collided violently with lamp
post. This delayed me for some time
bnt when again caught up to my mai
l was rewarded by perceiving unmis
taxable signs of criminal comnlunica
tion.
Two or three times had noticed al
individual on the opposite side of tn
road almost keeping pace with the on
was following. l was rather suspi
cious of him at first, but when 1 say
him go into public house I naturall
came to the conclusion that he ha
dropped out of the chase.
| was wrong, however. A little far
ther on my man turned back and wen
into the same house. Now, thought
Us followed him, the plot thickens.
l found my particular villain sittin
at a table reading newspaper.
For nearly quarter of an hour
furtively watched them. Then my pa
tience was rewarded. The man VIII
} was reading took out pencil and be
gan scribbling something on the margi
} of the newspaper.
Presently the man threw the news
paper down by the side of his accom-
: plice and walked out. l did not folio,
him this time. l felt convinced that
, had left behind all l wanted.
, Thought of walking over and takin
| up the paper, but, as / anticipated, bt
fore | could do so the other man pounce
on it like hawk. For few minute
he pretended to read the news, then
, saw his eyes sneak to the side Of th
} page and devour the pencil note.
Now this is where l displayed m
genius. When the man had read I'll
, note, he deliberately tore off the piec,
folded it up, stuck it into the gas an
, lighted his cigarette with it. Like
= flash I took out cigarette. and, wall
ing over to him, said the usual, "Afte