The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-06-15
My Vocation.

Ssssssssassasssaassasaa
My name is Arthur Clarence Fits-
3 gerald Mackenzie. ! am e5,, tall. good
hooking and clerk am not absolute
IL miserable, but am nevertheless far
from happy.
The cause Of my own unhappiness Is
that cannot aNght upon the particu-
lar walk in life in which my abilities
are destined to make me famous
az It was my fathers great principle
that every man is genius In partic-
i ular department, but the chances are a
pillion to one that he never finds that
department.
j For 80 years he worked at the trade
Of bootmaking without becoming a 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.
literally jumped with eagerness and
delight The man, although outwardly
refined and gentlemanly, had very
striking face.
! s"That man, said I to myself, s'has
evsSy indication of being Villain.
Then a thrill of excitement ran through
me. AS he waited ahead noticed that
ms ear tapered to point at the top;
1T -xpass-i In sfaat.4 .spiaadid -ozanaplo Of
what is known in physiogonomy as
the criminal ear.
That man is villain" said l.
Having come to this rather impor-
tant conclusion. Immediately formed
the idea of following him. First of all.
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-
uoua
then followed my man in SLOUGH
ing, shutting way, in order to show
people that had no object in follow
ing him. rounded my shoulders,
bowed my head, looked up under my
eyebrows with the most approved ferret
expressions and followed my quarry
with the pertinacity Of bloodhound.
"His general appearance and de-
meanor," soliloquized, t'are indica-
tive of refinement. He Is therefore
gentleman. Being gentleman, it can
not be his object to perpetrate a COM
mon burglary. He has the aspect OF a
foreigner. Being foreigner, he may
be Russian. and, being a Russian, he
must be nihilist. Good heavensi The
yelfare of the populace,, the very fate
of the dynasty, may be at stake. Per-
haps this man carries an internal ma
chine concealed upon his person. But
what Is the life of one man to the safety
Of thousandsf win risk my life for
fhe''- al b32 8 9tss lftfaisJ 5si w 1
Here collided violently with lamp
post This delayed me for some time,
bnt when again caught mp TO my man
was rewarded BY perceiying ,unmis-
taxable signs Of ctiminal communities
ton. s,S y. s,,,s 3ssE
Two or three times I had noticed an
individual on the opposite ! side Of the
road almost keeping pace with the one
was following. Twas rather suspi-
lous of him at first, but when I saw
him 60 into q public house naturally i
came to the. conclusion that he had !
dropped out Of the chase. i. .,sss !. 3.
was wrong. however. A little far
Their on my man turned back and went
into the same house Now, thought /,
as I followed him, the plot thickens.
found my particular villain sitting
at table readingA newspaper.
For nearly quarter Of an hour / |
furtively watched them. Then my pa
thence was rewarded. The man who
was reading took out pencil and be-
gan scribbling something on the margin |
of the newspaper.
Presently the man threw the news
paper down by the side Of his accom-
4iice and walked out. did not follow
him this time. felt convinced that he
had left behind all wanted.
& I thought of walking over and taking
sdp the paper. but, as I anticipated, be-
fore could do SO the other man pounced
on II like hawk. For few minutes
be pretended to read the news, then
saw his eyes sneak to the side Of the
page and devour the pencil note
Now thia Il whera I displayed my
geniua When tha man had read tia
note he deliberately tore of the piece.