Ten Minute Stories

by Algernon Blackwood

TEN MINUTE STORIES

TEN MINUTE STORIES

By ALGERNON BLACKWOOD
AUTHOR OF "JOHN SILENCE" ETC.

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

First Edition ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

February 1914

Reprinted ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

February 1914

All rights reserved

PREFATORY NOTE

The Author wishes to thank the Editors of the Morning Post, the Westminster Gazette, and Country Life for permission to reprint in this volume stories originally published in their papers.

CONTENTS

PAGE

I.

Accessory Before the Fact ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

1

II.

The Deferred Appointment ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

12

III.

The Prayer ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

21

IV.

Strange Disappearance of a Baronet ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

32

V.

The Secret ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

VI.

The Lease ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

VII.

Up and Down ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

59

VIII.

Faith Cure on the Channel ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

69

IX.

The Goblin's Collection ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

76

X.

Imagination ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

88

XI.

The Invitation ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

95

XII.

The Impulse ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

103

XIII.

Her Birthday ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

111

XIV.

Two in One ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

116

XV.

Ancient Lights ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

128

XVI.

Dream Trespass ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

139

XVII.

Let Not the Sun—— ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

152

XVIII.

Entrance and Exit ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

162

XIX.

You May Telephone from Here ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

170

XX.

The Whisperers ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

179

XXI.

Violence ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

189

XXII.

The House of the Past ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

202

XXIII.

Jimbo's Longest Day ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

211

XXIV.

If the Cap Fits—— ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

219

XXV.

News v. Nourishment ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

229

XXVI.

Wind ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

238

XXVII.

Pines ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

245

XXVIII.

The Winter Alps ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

252

XXIX.

The Second Generation ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

260