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

| ID dHotHtI SuoS( StoiS wen W. Ia
the reading.
i w.
1.-THE Middle Toe OF the Right
Foot" by Ambrose Bierce. is story
that is every whit as good as its
title is unusual Few stories have
been handled with better craftsman
ship. It opens with short descrip-
ton of deserted house. "Grass and
weeds grow pretty rankly all about,
and few shade trees, somewhat
the worse for wind and leaning all
| in one direction, seem to be making
a concerted effort to run away" Mr..
Manton. the former occupant. had
cut the threats of his wife and two
small children and removed himself
at once to another part OF the
county. Three men are talking on
the porch of the local hotel; one says
he could never endure a physical inn
perfection; had thrown over lovely
girl when he found that she had lost
ono toe on the right foot. A stran-.
ger sitting near by takes an undue
| interest in, the conversation, which
is objected to; an insult and a chal-
lenge follow.
The four men arrive at the de-
serted house just after dusk; the
stranger objects to going in. but is
goaded into doing so: the two prin-
cipals strip OF coats and waistcoats
in the hall and go into the drawing
room. Two bowie knives OF equal
length are produced. the principals
face each other, the stranger fur
thest from the door. The one light
is extinguished and the seconds
leave the room and the antagonists
to fight it out alone in the dark. The
next morning a boy reports having
seen two men driving furiously from
the house with a figure in white
standing behind in the wagon, hand
on the shoulders of the seated men.
That afternoon the Sheriff, accom-
panied by three men. visits the house.
In the hall they find the coats and
waistcoats Crouched in a corner of
the drawing room is the stranger,
his arm held rigidly before face
4 marked by horror. He is dead.
From the door to Immediately be-
fore the dead man are the tracks of
three pairs Of bare feet on the dust
covered floor. Between the foot
prints of two children are larger
ones and the print of the right foot
shows the middle toe missing. Then
for the first time the reader learns
that the stranger is the long missing
Manton and that the three men had
recognized him and set this dramatic
trap for his undoing. For technique
and for logic this story cannot be
surpassed; It is convincing from end
to end and is beautifully written.
v.
1t is generally thought that Oliver
HEREFORD has confined himself to the
humorous and whimsical; he has
nevertheless, on rare occasions,
delved into the grim: at any rate he
is a good Judge OF story. He once
told me that above all ghost stories
he preferred THE Monkeys Paw"
by ". w. Jacobs. The author
launches this fine work with but
scant stage setting. An ordinary
sergeant-major comes into an crdi-
nary cottage at the close of a chess
game between a father and son. In
remarkably Few words it is conveyed
that this father and his old wife are
more than usually fond of their son.
The sergeant has brought dried
monkeys paw from India; when he
spoke of it "his blotchy face whit
ened." When telling that he had
taken his three wishes granted by
this repulsive talisman. his glass
tapped against his strong teeth"
When he refuses to sell the monkeys
paw to his old friend. he explains.
1T has caused enough mischief al
ready" and throws it into the fire.
The father syatches it from the Goals
and after the sergeant has gone
wishes for E200. A sh'ddering cry
from the old man; at moved he