The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-16

machinery. The company admits no
liability. but wish to leave present.
Mr.. White gazed with look
of horror at his visitor. His dry
lips shaped the words. How
much?"
1.-TWO hundred pounds" was
the answer.
Unconscious OF his wife's
Shrek, the old man smiled faint
ly, put out his hand like a sight
less man and dropped, a sense
less heap. to the floor.
Later on a stormy night the old
couple, grieving for their son. dis
cussed the curse OF the monkeys
paw: the mother demands that her
husband wish for the return of her
son. He makes the wish. and after
about the time necessary to walk
from the cemetery to the cottage
comes a knock at the door. at first
faint but growing each moment in
demand for admittance. The mother
rises. descends the stairs and strug-
giles with the lock. The father.
dreading to have her see her man
gled son, at the last moment seizes
the paw and makes the last wish.
The sound of footsteps Of some one
or something retreating from the
door ends the powerful story. This
tale is convincing throughout: one
feels that not only could it happen
but that it did happen. THE Nom
keys Paw" is a masterpiece.
VI.
There have been a number Of
ghost stories written in the last few
years that time, I believe. will prove
worthy of a place among the great.
Among them are Frances Hodgson
Burnett's charming ''The White
People: Granville Bankers "Souls
on Fifth: and "The Woman at
Seven Brothers." by Wilbur Daniel
Steele. But these and other to-day
stories, feel. have not had the test
of time sufficient for discussion In
this article.
Whether a story is good or bad Is
enough a matter of opinion without
venturing to name the best or worst
story. yet | shall be bold enough to
say the two ghost stories that appeal
to me the most are 1.-THE Turn of the
Screw" a horror story by Henry
James. and They" a pleasant one
by Kipling.
The former is known to so many
readers and has been analysed so
often, l shall confine myself TO say
ing that the horror in this strong
narrative-is made doubly horrible by
the idea of two young children be-
ing corrupted by the spirits OF an
evil valet and an evil maid. 1t is at
once an atmosphere story and one
having unusual plot value. AL
though the ghost of either the maid
or the valet is seen nine or ten
times, never does the story ring
false: one feels that the spirits come
and go and were seen. Mr.. James
makes these two ghosts far moro
real than are half the living charac-
tiers met with in our magazines OF
to-day.
To do justice to Kipling's They
would raa,,ire mora than all the snace
allotted to this entire discussion. Do
you remember the storm that fol-
lowed the appearance OF this story?
That some critics we're even SO blind
as to cheapan themselves by trying
to cheaper this really great work.
No ghost story, and for that matter
no story OF any kind. can. think,
compare with "They" In delicacy
and charm. and IL 1t isn't the great
est of short stories II is the most
artistically handled one that has
been published in this generation.
1t came out at a time when auto
mobiles were comparatively rare.
and Kirling seized upon this modern
note. going into some details of the
machine TO add to the reality he in
tended to and did convey. The story
starts with no attempt to set the
stage Cor the supernatural; the first
paragraph is a delightful descrip-
ton of the countryside where "one