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THE RIGHT ROAD. I have lost the road to happiness, Does any one know it, pray? I was dwelling there when morn was fair But somehow I wandered away. f saw rare treasures in scenes of pleasures, And ran to pursue them, w'hen, lo! I had lost the path to happiness And knew not whither to go. “I have lost the way to happiness— Oh, who will lead me back?” Turn off from the highway of selfishness To the right—up duty’s track! Keep straight along and you can’t go wrong For as sure as you live, 1 say. The fair, lost field of happiness Can only be found that way. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox. A PECULIAR OCCUPATION. The mist that hung over the city one morning recently, making everybody feel uncomfortable by the excess of humidity with which it charged the atmosphere, was slow'ly being dispelled by the strengthening rays of the sun, when Ralph Williams, a stout, clean-shaven man, came out of an old-fashioned house on East Third street. He paused on the stone steps and looked at his watch. It was just 7| o’clock. He stroked his chin reflectively, and started across town at a Bharp pace. He was a man who would be likely to attract attention by his appearance any where outside of New York. He was a typical townsman, faultlessly dressed, with an air of self-possession, a pair of keen yet laughing blue eyes, and a well trained moustache. He was unquestion ably good-natured, yet there was some thing in his face which told that he could not be trifled with. He moved with erect figure and a rapid stride through the hurrying throng of men and women, lads and maidens, boys and girls that were hastening to their work. At Broadway he turned up town and walked as far as Fourteenth street, and then started across town again. Between Fifth and Sixth avenues he stopped at one of the big dry goods stores and went in. The big establishment was echoing with the sounds of bustling ac tivity. The clerks and cash girls were busy taking down cloth covers from the shelves and counters, and dusters were being plied in vigorous fashion. Floor ^walkers ently excited were rushing about ordering in an appar manner the dispo sition of newly-arrived stock, fixing upon the articles for the “bargain” counter, and preparing to have everything in ship shape order before the arrival of the day’s customers. j: As Mr. Williams walked up the centre aisle he was greeted by the clerks and floor walkers, and nodding a smiling “good morning” to each. He stopped here and there to make some banteriug remark, which was always responded to, for, in spite of all the rush, the clerks found plenty of time to talk, and the waggings of tongues and the hum of chatter were very perceptible. “Mr. Williams, the Superintendent wants to see you.” This remark came from a big-eyed, small-bodied, cash girl. The smile died away from Sir. Williams’s face and a very serious expression took its place, lie turned and walked quickly down to an office near the end of the floor. He turned in and stopped at a desk where a stern but handsome woman was busy in reading a letter. Her brow was contracted into a frown, which was evidently caused by the contents of the letter. “You wished to see me, Miss Can ter?” asked Mr. Williams, brusquelj r . As Miss Canter, the Superintendent, looked up it could be seen that there many silver hairs among the black. “Yes,” she said, speaking in a sharp, business like manner. ‘ ‘Here is a woman complains that her pocketbook was stolen from her while she was making some pur chases at the linen counter. It was a black seal pocketbook containing a plain gold ring, some cards engraved Mrs. John Stone, East Orange, and $25 in _ii “She dropped it out of her hand and it was picked up by Cash 35. It is now at the office waiting for her to claim it,” interrupted Mr. Williams, calmly, The Superintendent nodded and Mr. Williams turned and left the offic e. “Mr. Wilsou would like to see you, sir,” said a cash girl as he walked over to the toy department. He retraced his steps and entered another office, where Mr. Wilson, junior partner of the mil lionaire firm, sat back in his chair study ing the ceiling in a reflective manner. There seemed to be a bond of sympathy between the two men, for both smiled cordially as their eyes met. “Ralph,” said Mr. Wilson, “I want you to do a little quiet investigating for me to-night. There is a fellow here from Colorado with a scheme he wants me to go into. It sounds a little fishy, and I want to know just how things stand. If you are not too tired see me at my house about 8 o’clock.” “All right, sir.” “And, Ralph, I have just received a communication from a lawyer in’Jersey City. He says his client was thrown down stairs in our store through the carelessness of a cash girl who stepped on her dress. He wants damages and threatens to sue. It smells like black mail. Investigate it to-morrow. If the story is true we will pay liberally; if not, we won’t pay a cent if it costs thousands to defend a suit. Here are the names and addresses.” Mr. Williams left the office and walked SCHLEY COUNTY NEWS. up the aisle, making several entries in his note book. He stopped at a counter near one of the Fourteenth street en trances. It was covered with piles of laces strung on pasteboard cards. A sign that swung from a bracket in the centre denoted that it was the “bar gain” counter. The women who always arrive early to get the best of the bar gains the stores have to offer were com ing in now. All the chatter of clerks and changing of stock were over with, but the confused sounds of customers making purchases, of clerks answering questions, of floor walkers giving orders, and of cash girls running hither and thither made as much noise. Mr . Williams took a position some dis tance from the bargain counter, and leaned against a showcase. To the cus tomer he looked like a particularly lazy man, who had wandered into the store and didn’t have energy enough to get out of it again. His hat was pulled down on his brows, and he seemed to be lost in a reverie. Suddenly there was a flash of his eyes, and he stepped into the strug gling crowd of bargain seekers. “Madam,” he said to a tall, angular woman, who was making a bold dive over the heads of several smaller women to get a piece of lace, “your pocketbook is in danger.” Madam didn’t hear, so he touched her on the shoulder. She turned with a scowl and glared at him. His interrup tion had made her relinquish the prize she was seeking just as her fingers were closing on it. “How dare you, sir?” she exclaimed, hotly. “I don’t know you, sir.” “Your satchel is open, and your pock etbook could easily be stolen,” said Mr. Williams, calmly. The woman turned pale, and started to make some remark, but he had already resumed his former position. He still seemed to be deeply engrossed in thought when a handsome, well dressed woman passed him. Her hands were full of lit tle parcels, and her purse was slipping out from between them. “Pardon me, madam, but you are losing your purse,” said Mr. Williams. The lady started, blushed, transferred her purse to her pocket, and said: “Thank you.” Mr. Williams bowed and lifted his hat gallantly, “There’s one lady,” he muttered. Suddenly there was a commotion among the bargain buyers and a slight scream. A pale-faced little woman had been squeezed and pushed and hustled about until she couldn’t stand it any longer, and had fainted. Mr. Williams was on hand in a moment. With the aid of the clerk he carried the unfortu nate woman up stairs to a room set apart for just such emergencies. Then he pro cured some ammonia and held it to the woman’s nostrils. That revived her, but she was weak and nervous, and it re quired some diluted brandy to make her feel well enough to sit up in a chair. As soon as she had arrived at that pass Mr. Williams left her in charge of a girl clerk and hastened down stairs again. He reached the first floor in time to see that there were more breakers ahead. The angular woman who had been so angry when Mr. Williams reminded her of the fact that her satchel was open, had now lost her pocket-book, and was sure that the clerk at the button counter had taken it. “See here, ” she said to the floor walker, as Mr. Williams came up, “that girl has taken my pocket-book as sure as you live. I laid it on the counter here, and turned my head for just a minute. There was nobody else near, and when I turned around again the pocket-book was gone. It had $17 in it, too.” Here she showed an inclination to weep, but her eyes remained dry. The floor walker looked grave, and the girl, a pale, delicate creature, burst into tears, and was rapidly becoming hysterical. “Now, madam,” said Mr. Williams, “you are making a very serious charge against this young girl. She has been a clerk here for some time, and has always borne the best of reputations. What have you to found your charge upon?” The woman frowned. “I don’t know what business it is of yours,” she said. “I am the detective iu charge of this store,” replied Mr. Williams quietly, “and I have everything to do with such cases. If you can prove your charge I will arrest this clerk. If you have made it w ithout proof then you stand in dan ger of arrest yourself. We do not intend to allow unfounded accusations against our clerks to go unpunished.” The woman turned pale, and stam mered that she could not understand how it could be otherwise than she had said. Mr. Williams interrupted her with: “Have you looked in your pockets!” “Oh, I'm sure it isn’t there, for I left “Look,” said Mr. Williams, sharply. The woman stuck her hand into her dress pocket, and turned pale as a sheet. She began fumbling awkwardly, but Mr. Williams said, agaiu speaking sharply: “You have it iu your hand. Now show it.” The woman fished out the pocketbook, looking very shame faced. “Now, how about your accusation?” said Mr. Williams, in a sarcastic tone. “I really,” stammered the w r oman, and, taking out a coin, handed it to the clerk. The latter indignantly turned her back, and the woman retreated, red with hu miliation and auger. “Guess she’d like to kill me,” chuckled Mr. Williams, softly. Then turning to the sobbing girl, he said in a kindly voice: “Never mind, child; there are all sorts of people in the world. If you tor your heart over every cruel you won’t get along well. Pretty near your luncheon time, isn’t it?” “Yes, sir,” sobbed the girl. “Well, go now and bathe your eyes. I’ll fix your time all right.” Nothing eventful occurred within the next twenty minutes, and Mr. Williams stood looking out of one of the entrances in his usual preoccupied manner. One of the assistant superintendents came along and touched him on the shoulder, They passed out together and crossed over to Sixth avenue, where they entered a German restaurant, and soon were busy discussing the merits of roast beef and potato salad. It was a quiet luncheon, and yet a merry one, for other employes came over, and there was a lively interchange of chaff. After luncheon came a smoke, and then, the hour having expired, Mr. Williams had no sooner entered the store than a cash girl came running up to him with a note. It read: “There is a woman in the bric-a-brac department who needs watching.” Williams crumpled the note in his hand and started up the stairs to the second floor. A woman of stylish appearance was inspecting some cut glass. There were many other customers in the depart ment, but all the clerks were watching this one. Williams scrutinized her closely from under his eyebrows. lie stood apparently examining a fancy clock, but really studying her, for five minutes. Then he took a slip of paper and wrote on it these words: “The suspect has been indulging rather freely in wine, but is all right.” “Send this to Mr. Wilson,” he whis pered to a clerk and then went down to the first floor again. The usual throng was passing in and out the Fourteenth street doors. “Why, how do you do ladies?” Will iams said, suddenly stepping up to two young women. They were rather overdressed andl their faces though pretty, were marred by a certain recklessness of expression and by quantities of paint and powder. They smiled knowingly, and the taller of the two said in an amused tone: “Hello, Ralph.” “Haven’t you made a mistake ladies?” said William in a calm, quizical tone. Nobody watching them would have supposed that he was doing nothjng more than addressing some pleasant re mark to the two women. “It’s all right, Ralph,” returned the woman in a deprecating voice; “we’re straight this time. We only went to get some lace.” “All right,” said Williams; “I’ll go along with yon to see that you don’t make any mistake.” The women bit their lips and looked annoyed, but made no objection. Will iams piloted them carefully through the crowds and saw' them rnakw their pur chases and depart. He watched them close ly all the time w-liile he kept up a running cross-fire of jests. “Who are they, Ralph?” asked a floor as they w'ent out. “Two of the fiyest pickpockets in the country,” was the reply. Just then his eye rested on a woman at the handkerchief counter and iu a moment he was at her sMe. “What, Kate again? Haven’t I warned you to keep away?” “I’m on the dead level this time, Ralph, honest Injun.” She was a dumpy, cross-looking woman, very insignificant in appearance. “That’s ail right, Kate,”said Williams sternly, ‘ ‘but you’ll have to go through the act just the same.” His reply seemed unexpected, and the woman swore savagely. “Come, now, careful, Kate,’’said Will iams, calmly, ‘ ‘you know' I won’t stand much of that.” The woman glared fiercely, hut fol lowed him nevertheless to one of the offices on the second floor. Williams nodded to a woman floor walker and she accompanied them. “Search her,” he said, as the door closed behind them. The floor walker examined the pockets, dress and underwear of the w'oman. She proved to be a walking caravansary. Handkerchiefs, stockings, gloves, toilet, articles, pocketbooks and dozens of knick knacks w ere drawn from the most wonder ful hiding places. Her dress skirt had been slit underneath some of the folds, and this had enabled her to stick stolen articles into pockets in her petticoat. “Search her bonnet,” said Williams. Kate started up as though to resist,but a glance from Williams’s eyes made her change her mind, and she sank back into a chair w ith a muttered curse. A hand some purse containing $50 was stowed away just inside the bonnet. “I didn't get it here, ’pon honor, Ralph,” she pleaded. Williams paid no attention to her, but watched further the search of the floor walker and directed her movements. When the search was finished to his satisfaction he led the thief down stairs and out of a side entrance. “This is your last warning,” he said sharply; “the next time you go up.” The woman crept away frightened by his manner. As he re-entered the store, Mr. Wilson came up to him: “Here is a woman who complains that she has lost her pocketbook. It lias a card marked Airs. Johnson,’ and $50 in it.” “Miss Dowling has it,” replied Will iams. I just took it from a thief.” It was now approaching 6 o’clock, the closing hour. As the bauds touched the hour Williams took hi* stand at the front entrance. No more customers were al to cuter, and the clerks began ting their counters into order. In twenty minutes all their customers had left, and the advance guard of the army of clerics began to pour out of the entrance at which Williams was stationed. Although it was evident that he was watching them to see that none carried out any goods belonging to the store, he appeared to be popular with all. With many he ex changed greetings. It wanted a quarter to 7 when the last clerk had gone. One he had stopped. She was a cash girl. She had a small parcel concealed under her dress waist. After all the other clerks had gone Williams made her open the parcel. It contained a lace handkerchief. “Why did you steal that,” Williams asked sharply. She burst into tears, and begged pite ously to be released, but Williams con tinued to ply her with questions and to talk to her severely. Suddenly his man ner changed. He had learned what he wanted to know. “Don’t you know you have been very wicked?” he asked in a kind, fatherly way. This made her, sob more bitterly than ever. He continued to talk to her. It w'as getting late, but he was determined to im press the child. At the end of five min utes she had ceased sobbing and had promised earnestly never to be dishonest again. “Poor girl!” he said, as she walked away, “she hasn’t had anybody to talk that way to her before, I warrant.” He gave the handkerchief to the night watchman, saying it had been mislaid, and looked at his watch. “Whew! seven o’clock, he said, “and I’ve to get my supper to be at Fifty-fourth street at eight.” “Been a hard day, Mi-. Williams?” asked the watchman. “About the same as usual, Ben. I’m pretty tough and don’t mind it. Good night.” A moment later Williams had sauntered into a restaurant and sunk languidly into a chair. Although he speut only half an hour at his dinner he did not appear to be hurried. Up to the time when he was ushered into Mr. Wilson’s study to re ceive instructions for a hard night’s work he was apparently a man of leisure. With the appearance of doing nothing he cov ered a large amount of territory in very brief time. It -was one A. m. when he entered the Third street house to retire to well-earned repose .—New York Sun. A Marvelous Warehouse. Old Senor Garcia, of Cienfuegos, was a connoisseur, or, some would have said, a crauk, in the matter of woods. His warehouse in the heart of the city is a marvel in its way, a combination of warehouse and dwelling, both on a generous scale; but they say that he him self selected almost every stick, and would never allow the builders to use two timbers when he could find a single one long enough to answer the purpose. These timber whims were expensive luxuries and not showy one; for only a professional builder’s eye would seize the meaning and the cost of the massive, clcan-cut, richly-colored beams, knit into a fabric which would defy an earthquake. But the old man could afford to gratify his whims. I forget what the staircase alone cost. It was a generous sum. At any rate it winds up from the labyrinth of bales aud boxes to a range of handsome living apartments, and still higher to a sort of tea-room on the flat-roof, a de lectable place as the sun goes down and the sea wind begins to stir. Such a view, too, over the city, and back to the beau tiful Trinidad mountains, and out over that superb Bay of Xagua, twenty-one miles long and nine .wide at its broodest part .—New York Observer. The Largest Grizzly Killed. “Old Clubfoot,” the famous grizzlj hear of the Sierras, was killed by Trapper Hendrix near the source of Bat tle Creek last Saturday. This ferocious beast has wandered as a dreaded mon arch in that section for the past twenty years, and seemed to bear a charmed life. Hundreds of cattle, sheep, hogs and hu man beings have fallen victims to his appetite during that period, aud many parties organized for his destruction have returned thinned in ranks and “with hair turned white in a single night by a pass ing sight of the dreadful fright,” which thev vainly sought to destroy, The beast weighed, when dressed, 2300 pounds, which, we believe, is the largest animal of this species ever seen on the American Continent. Mr. Hendrix feels justly proud of his achievement, and a purse of $50(1 has been made up for his benefit by the residents of Eastern Teh ama County. The bear was in rather poor condition when slain, as old age had clogged his blood somewhat, and time had commenced to paralyze his for mer supple limbs so that he was not able to capture his prey as in former (lavs, The pleased hunter is tanning the hide, which he proposes to use as a cover for his winter hut in the foothills .—Bed Bluff (Cat.) Ncics. A Great Engineering Feat. Work has been resumed on the tunnel under North Rive.’:. On the New Jersey side 100 men are now engaged, and preparations are well advanced for prose cuting the exea Nations from the New York end. Soon 800 to 1000 men will be busied day and night in pushing to its comple tion what will then be hailed as the most illustrious engineering triumph of the ago .—New York Telegram. A vein of humor should be made visi without the aim of u reduction mill. ‘‘HULLO.” W’en you see a man in woe. Walk right up and say “hullo!" Say “hullo,” an’ “how d’ye do 1 How’s the world a-usin’ you?" Slap the fellow on liis back, Bring yer han’ down with a whack Waltz right an’ don’t ’ Grin’ an’ shake up, go slow, an’ say “hullo!” Is he clothed in rags? O sho! Walk right up an’ say “hullo!" Rags is but a cotton roll Jest for wroppin’ up a soul; An’ a soul is worth a true, Hale and hearty “how d’ye do!" Don’t wait for the crowd to go, Walk right up and say “hullo!" Wen big vessels meet, they say, They saloot an’ sail away. Jest the same are you an’ me, Lonesome ships upon a sea; Each one sailing his own jog For a port beyond the fog. Let yer speakin’ trumpet blow, Lift yer horn an’ cry “hullo!" Say “hullo,” an’ “how d’ye do!” Other folks are good as you. W’en yer leave yer house of clay, Wanderin’ in the Far-Away, W’en you travel through the strange Country t'other side the range, Then the souls you’ve cheered will know Who ye be, an’ say “hullo!" — S. W. Foss, in Yankee Blade. HUMOR OF THE DAY. Jokes on the sun are too far-fetched. How to remove weeds—Marry the widow. Colleges try to honor men by degrees. —Mail and Express. The cucumber does its best fighting after it is down.— Siftings. The photographer is nothing of an enigma, but he is a good deal of a poser. •— Bazar. Wealth and impecuniosity is a mere matter of cents and non cents.— Mer chant Traveler. The tree that George Washington cut was once a cheery. Now it is a chestnut. —New York News. The section hand may not be much at repartee, but he is great at raillery.— Merchant Traveler. Some reporters become proficient in the giving as well as the taking of notes.— Merchant Traveler. In Russian society the question “who is who,” is never asked. It is always “vitch is vitch.”— Bazar. The Siamese Twins regretted all their days that they could never engage in a single skull race.— Siftings. “How is it your Tommy is so small for his age, Mrs. Briggs?” “Oh, the little deal- always was a shrinking child,” ex claimed its mother .—New YorJ, Sun. A Texas horseman, convicted of a capi tal crime, asked the Judge if he couldn’t be hung in his own house, since he was always good on the home-strctch.— Sift ings. Teacher—“Sammie, how many bones are there in the human body; your fath er’s, for instance?” Sammie—“One; he’s the ossified man at the museum.”— Bazar. Mother—“Ella, you cannot marry him. He has no money.” Ella—“Why, mother, I saw him give $5 to a beggar!” Mother—“Probably an accomplice.”— Boston Herald. “Did you get that box of cigars I sent you?” inquired the fiancee. “Yes, dear.” “And how did you like them?” “The box was veryuice indeed,’’hesaid, softly. — Times-Democrat. House Owner—“Have you any pla cards, ‘This house to rent?’ ” Printer— “Yes, sir. Here are some patent-fibre, woven signs, warranted to wear for two years .”—Omaha World. Bride—“George, dear, when we reach towm let us try to avoid leaving the im pression that we are newly married.” “All right, Maud; you can lug this valise .”—New York Sun. Cause and Effect.—Mamma—“Why, Bobby, you are all over ink. Go and look at your face iu the glass.” Bobby (proudly)—“Course I am. We’ve had a writin’ lesson again this morning .”—Pick Me Up. A Philadelphia freak offers to bet $1000 that he can eat fifty eggs—includ ing shells—in fifty seconds. The Norris town Herald bets him $2000 that he can’t, if he permits it to choose the eggs. —New Yoi’k News. Well Advised.—“My wife is bound to set up househunting. housekeeping and has started me out I don’t know whether to buy or rent—either is bad enough.” “Well, of the two evils one should alw'ays choose the leased.”— Harper's Bazar. Judge (to prisoner)—“So you were drunk aud disorderly ? What have you to say?” Prisoner—“I’ve a good deal to say, your honor, if you’ll only give me time to say it.” Judge—“Certainly, with pleasure. Sixty days will ho enough, w-on’t it? Our object is to please.”— Washington Critic. Miss Hightone (seeing Rollo, the new Scotch terrier, for the first time)—“Why, Sarah, what have you done with Duke, that lovely little pug?” Mrs. Llewyn (lately a widow)—“Oh, I’ve given him away. I like Rollo much better; he re minds me so much of poor dear Alfred, who had such lovely blonde whiskers.”, _____