Year: 1878

o. SNANic ms OeihfEh. ne pnOio'
graphed his den and all his miscellaneous
trumpery. He photographed build.
ings, fences and trees.


Still he did not succeed to his mind.
His pictures still lacked the peculiar
shading or "tone that he wanted.
His dream was to achieve this, which he
believed would not only make them
beautiful, but give him a large and
profitable custom.


He labored necessarily, now trying
this plan, now trying that, but without
any perfect result.


In the course of his experiments out
OF his garret window Dan made stree
pictures of people, both near and remote,
in divers attitudes, and at nearly all
hours of the day. Dan took them in
single figures and in groups he took
them looking up and looking down,
making gestures or sitting still he took
them as they stood in a window, and as
they walked below him or rode past in
carriages. Many of the photographs
were good, but still the subtle finish
was wanting. Dan could not realize
his dream.


Finally his mother begged him to
stop his amusement, as she called it, and
go into store or some business where
he might support himself.
Dan shook his head.


Can't mother"


"But, Dan, cannot afford to give
much more money for the acids you
want.


"Ah !'' said Dan. And he shook his
head once more, and looked very de.
iected.


He was at his wits end. He believed
he was on the very verge of an important
discovery. He only wanted little more
money. Where should the money come
from.


This was trying question. He could
not imagine that anyone would lend him
enough cash to carry out his projects,
and he did not seem to think of any way
to earn sufficient sum. He went up tc
his eden " and sat down in the midst oi
his bottles and rubbish, feeling uncom.
monty blue. Here was his camera upon
its three long legs, with black mufflel
drawn over it, and with its brass nose
pointing out into the air.


The boys thoughts pointed the same
way. He must go out into the cold ani
find something to do, or some day he
might hay e to stay out in the cold. He
descended into the street and wandered
about the town, moody and distressed


About this time trial was i'll progres!
at the court. A man was charged will
passing a forged check at the bank. The
teller fully identified the prisoner, de
scribed his movements, and related wha
was said between them at the time witt
the greatest minuteness.


On the other hand, the accused indig
nantly denied the charge and protested
that he was not in or near the bank a
the time alleged, but in the office of (
friend on B street. He remembered hi.
whereabouts, for his arrest was not Ions
after the presentation of the forged
check, and all his movements on tha
day remained distinctly in his mind
From the first he had continued to as
sert his innocence, and declared the
teller had mistaken him for some othel
man.


Unfortunately for him, he was obliged
to admit that he was alone in his friends
Office at the hour in question, and faile(
to produce any witness beside himsel
to prove definitely where he was, though
he made every effort to do SO. 1t was {
question of veracity, man against man
but the clear and very positive statement
of the teller against the accused, and the
possibility of some motive presumed tt
exist in the mans financial circum
stances, had decided the direction, con
sidering the interest at stake, to hole
him to answer at the next session of the
court. And now the day of trial haG
come.


Everybody was extremely interested
in the trial, for the prisoner was vel
known in the town, and had always been
supposed to be honest. The anxiety
was intense to know whether he would
be proved q criminal.


The case seemed to be going against
the prisoner, for one OF two othe,
persons had been summoned to testify
I" to the best of their knowledge and be.
lief" they had seen the man in or about
the bank at one o'clock on the day when
the check was passed.


The prisoner sat in the court room,
pale, but with certain fearless firmness
on his features that scarcely seemed like
guilt.


All the known evidence was in and tc
the last, save the statements of few
friends as to his previous good character,
nothing in his behalf beyond his OWL
unsupported word had been brought
forward.


The prosecuting attorney arose and
formally recounted the strong points il
the case, dwelling especially on the fail
ure of the prisoner to prove an alibi
i. e., to show to the satisfaction of the
court that he was elsewhere than at the
bank at the moment of the crime, wher
suddenly, to the unspeakable astonish-
ment of all present, queer voice from
a distant part of the room exclaimed:


But can tell where he was"


Everybody turned to look at th,
speaker, who was none other than ou