Stories　by　Modern　American　Authors
  Edited　by　Julian　Hawthorne
  CONTENTS：
  F。　MARION　CRAWFORD　（1854…）
  By　the　Waters　of　Paradise
  MARY　E。　WILKINS　FREEMAN　（1862…）
  The　Shadows　on　the　Wall
  MELVILLE　D。　POST　（1871…）
  The　Corpus　Delicti
  AMBROSE　BIERCE　（1842…）
  An　Heiress　from　Redhorse
  The　Man　and　the　Snake
  EDGAR　ALLAN　POE　（1809…49）
  The　Oblong　Box
  The　Gold…Bug
  WASHINGTON　IRVING　（1783…1859）
  Wolfert　Webber；　or　Golden　Dreams
  Adventure　of　the　Black　Fisherman
  CHARLES　BROCKDEN　BROWN　（1771…1810）
  Wieland's　Madness
  FITZJAMES　O'BRIEN　（1828…1862）
  The　Golden　Ingot
  My　Wife's　Tempter
  NATHANIEL　HAWTHORNE　（1804…1864）
  The　Minister's　Black　Veil
  ANONYMOUS
  Horror：　A　True　Tale
  THE　MOST　INTERESTING　STORIES　OF　ALL　NATIONS
  Edited　by　Julian　Hawthorne
  AMERICAN
  Table　of　Contents
  INTRODUCTION　BY　JULIAN　HAWTHORNE
  〃Riddle　Stories〃
  F。　MARION　CRAWFORD　（1854…）
  By　the　Waters　of　Paradise
  MARY　E。　WILKINS　FREEMAN　（1862…）
  The　Shadows　on　the　Wall
  MELVILLE　D。　POST　（1871…）
  The　Corpus　Delicti
  AMBROSE　BIERCE　（1842…）
  An　Heiress　from　Redhorse
  The　Man　and　the　Snake
  EDGAR　ALLAN　POE　（1809…49）
  The　Oblong　Box
  The　Gold…Bug
  WASHINGTON　IRVING　（1783…1859）
  Wolfert　Webber；　or　Golden　Dreams
  Adventure　of　the　Black　Fisherman
  CHARLES　BROCKDEN　BROWN　（1771…1810）
  Wieland's　Madness
  FITZJAMES　O'BRIEN　（1828…1862）
  The　Golden　Ingot
  My　Wife's　Tempter
  NATHANIEL　HAWTHORNE　（1804…1864）
  The　Minister's　Black　Veil
  ANONYMOUS
  Horror：　A　True　Tale
  〃Riddle　Stories〃
  Introduction　by　Julian　Hawthorne
  When　Poe　wrote　his　immortal　Dupin　tales；　the　name　〃Detective〃
  stories　had　not　been　invented；　the　detective　of　fiction　not　having
  been　as　yet　discovered。　　And　the　title　is　still　something　of　a
  misnomer；　for　many　narratives　involving　a　puzzle　of　some　sort；
  though　belonging　to　the　category　which　I　wish　to　discuss；　are
  handled　by　the　writer　without　expert　detective　aid。　　Sometimes　the
  puzzle　solves　itself　through　operation　of　circumstance；　sometimes
  somebody　who　professes　no　special　detective　skill　happens　upon　the
  secret　of　its　mystery；　once　in　a　while　some　venturesome　genius　has
  the　courage　to　leave　his　enigma　unexplained。　　But　ever　since
  Gaboriau　created　his　Lecoq；　the　transcendent　detective　has　been　in
  favor；　and　Conan　Doyle's　famous　gentleman　analyst　has　given　him　a
  fresh　lease　of　life；　and　reanimated　the　stage　by　reverting　to　the
  method　of　Poe。　　Sherlock　Holmes　is　Dupin　redivivus；　and　mutatus
  mutandis；　personally　he　is　a　more　stirring　and　engaging　companion；
  but　so　far　as　kinship　to　probabilities　or　even　possibilities　is
  concerned；　perhaps　the　older　version　of　him　is　the　more
  presentable。　　But　in　this　age　of　marvels　we　seem　less　difficult　to
  suit　in　this　respect　than　our　forefathers　were。
  The　fact　is；　meanwhile；　that；　in　the　riddle　story；　the　detective
  was　an　afterthought；　or；　more　accurately；　a　deus　ex　machina　to　make
  the　story　go。　　The　riddle　had　to　be　unriddled；　and　who　could　do　it
  so　naturally　and　readily　as　a　detective？　　The　detective；　as　Poe　saw
  him；　was　a　means　to　this　end；　and　it　was　only　afterwards　that
  writers　perceived　his　availability　as　a　character。　　Lecoq
  accordingly　becomes　a　figure　in　fiction；　and　Sherlock；　while　he　was
  as　yet　a　novelty；　was　nearly　as　attractive　as　the　complications　in
  which　he　involved　himself。　　Riddle…story　writers　in　general；
  however；　encounter　the　obvious　embarrassment　that　their　detective
  is　obliged　to　lavish　so　much　attention　on　the　professional　services
  which　the　exigencies　of　the　tale　demand　of　him；　that　he　has　very
  little　leisure　to　expound　his　own　personal　equationthe　rather
  since　the　attitude　of　peering　into　a　millstone　is　not；　of　itself；
  conducive　to　elucidations　of　oneself；　the　professional　endowment
  obscures　all　the　others。　　We　ordinarily　find；　therefore；　our　author
  dismissing　the　individuality　of　his　detective　with　a　few　strong
  black…chalk　outlines；　and　devoting　his　main　labor　upon　what　he
  feels　the　reader　will　chiefly　occupy　his　own　ingenuity　with；
  namely；　the　elaboration　of　the　riddle　itself。　　Reader　and　writer
  sit　down　to　a　game；　as　it　were；　with　the　odds；　of　course；
  altogether　on　the　latter's　side；apart　from　the　fact　that　a　writer
  sometimes　permits　himself　a　little　cheating。　　It　more　often　happens
  that　the　detective　appears　to　be　in　the　writer's　pay；　and　aids　the
  deception　by　leading　the　reader　off　on　false　scents。　　Be　that　as　it
  may；　the　professional　sleuth　is　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　a　dummy　by
  malice　prepense；　and　it　might　be　plausibly　argued　that；　in　the
  interests　of　pure　art；　that　is　what　he　ought　to　be。　　But　genius
  always　finds　a　way　that　is　better　than　the　rules；　and　I　think　it
  will　be　found　that　the　very　best　riddle　stories　contrive　to　drive
  character　and　riddle　side　by　side；　and　to　make　each　somehow　enhance
  the　effect　of　the　other。The　intention　of　the　above　paragraph　will
  be　more　precisely　conveyed　if　I　include　under　the　name　of　detective
  not　only　the　man　from　the　central　office；　but　also　anybody　whom　the
  writer　may；　for　ends　of　his　own；　consider　better　qualified　for　that
  function。　　The　latter　is　a　professional　detective　so　far　as　the
  exigencies　of　the　tale　are　concerned；　and　what　becomes　of　him　after
  that　nobody　need　care；there　is　no　longer　anything　to　prevent　his
  becoming；　in　his　own　right；　the　most　fascinating　of　mankind。
  But　in　addition　to　the　dummyship　of　the　detective；　or　to　the　cases
  in　which　the　mere　slip　of　circumstance　takes　his　place；　there　is
  another　reason　against　narrowing　our　conception　of　the　riddle　story
  to　the　degree　which　the　alternative　appellation　would　imply。　　And
  that　is；　that　it　would　exclude　not　a　few　of　the　most　captivating
  riddle　stories　in　existence；　for　in　De　Quincey's　〃Avenger；〃　for
  example；　the　interest　is　not　in　the　unraveling　of　the　web；　but　in
  the　weaving　of　it。　　The　same　remark　applies　to　Bulwer's　〃Strange
  Story〃；　it　is　the　strangeness　that　is　the　thing。　　There　is；　in
  short；　an　inalienable　charm　in　the　mere　contemplation　of　mystery
  and　the　hazard　of　fortunes；　and　it　would　be　a　pity　to　shut　them　out
  from　our　consideration　only　because　there　is　no　second…sighted
  conjurer　on　hand　to　turn　them　into　plain　matter　of　fact。
  Yet　we　must　not　be　too　liberal；　and　a　ghost　story　can　be　brought
  into　our　charmed　and　charming　circle　only　if　we　have　made　up　our
  minds　to　believe　in　the　ghosts；　otherwise　their　introduction　would
  not　be　a　square　deal。　　It　would　not　be　fair；　in　other　words；　to
  propose　a　conundrum　on　a　basis　of　ostensible　materialism；　and　then；
  when　no　other　key　would　fit；　to　palm　off　a　disembodied　spirit　on
  us。　　Tell　me　beforehand　that　your　scenario　is　to　include　both
  worlds；　and　I　have　no　objection　to　make；　I　simply　attune　my　mind　to
  the　more　extensive　scope。　　But　I　rebel　at　an　unheralded　ghostland；
  and　declare　frankly　that　your　tale　is　incredible。　　And　I　must
  confess　that　I　would　as　lief　have　ghosts　kept　out　altogether；　their
  stories　make　a　very　good　library　in　themselves；　and　have　no　need　to
  tag　themselves　on　to　what　is　really　another　department　of　fiction。
  Nevertheless；　when　a　ghost　story　is　told　with　the　consummate　art　of
  a　Miss　Wilkins；　and　of　one　or　two　others　on　our　list；　consistency
  in　this　regard　ceases　to　be　a　jewel；　art　proves　irresistible。　　As
  for　adventure　stories；　there　is　a　fringe　of　them　that　comes　under
  the　riddle…story　head；　but　for　the　most　part　the　riddle　story
  begins　after　the　adventures　have　finished。　　We　are　to　contemplate　a
  condition；　not　to　watch　the　events　that　ultimate　in　it。　　Our
  detective；　or　anyone　else；　may　of　course　meet　with　haps　and　mishaps
  on　his　way　to　the　solution　of　his　puzzle；　but　an　astute　writer　will
  not　color　such　incidents　too　vividly；　lest　he　risk　forfeiting　our
  preoccupation　with　the　problem　that　we　came　forth　for　to　study。　　In
  a　word；　One　thing　at　a　time！
  The　foregoing　disquisition　may　seem　uncalled　for　by　such　rigid
  moralists　as　have　made　up　their　minds　not　to　regard　detective；　or
  riddle　stories；　as　any　part　of　respectable　literature　at　all。　　With
  that　sect；　I　announce　at　the　outset　that　I　am　entirely　out　of
  sympathy。　　It　is　not　needed　to　compare　〃The　Gold　Bug〃　with
  〃Paradise　Lost〃；　nobody　denies　the　superior　literary　stature　of　the
  latter；　although；　as　the　Oxford　Senior　Wrangler　objected；　〃What
  does　it　prove？〃　　But　I　appeal　to　Emerson；　who；　in　his　poem　of　〃The
  Mountain　and　the　Squirrel；〃　states　the　nub　of　the　argument；　with
  incomparable　felicity；　as　follows：you　will　recall　that　the　two
  protagonists　had　a　difference；　originating　in　the　fact　that　the
  former　called　the　latter　〃Little　Prig。〃　　Bun　made　a　very　sprightly
  retort；　summing　up　to　this　effect：
  〃Talents　differ；　all　is　well　and　wisely　put；
  If　I　cannot　carry　forests　on　m