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Discover romance stories by category.
Mystery & Suspense
The House of Mirth
She was born to marry rich, until society destroyed her. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Mill on the Floss
Love, pride, secrets, and second chances collide in a timeless emotional drama. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Circular Staircase
A secretive house, a dangerous clue, and a truth no one wants exposed. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Man in Lower Ten
A secretive house, a dangerous clue, and a truth no one wants exposed. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Bat
A secretive house, a dangerous clue, and a truth no one wants exposed. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
A secretive house, a dangerous clue, and a truth no one wants exposed. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Secret Adversary
A secretive house, a dangerous clue, and a truth no one wants exposed. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Everyone lied. One murder changed everything. A classic public-domain story presented for modern NovelLuma readers who love emotional tension, secrets, society drama, mystery, and unforgettable heroines.
Mystery & Suspense
Anne Hereford
MRS. EDWIN BARLEY. An express train was dashing along a line of rails in the heart of England. On one of the first-class carriages there had been a board, bearing the intimation 'For Ladies Only,' but the guard took it off when the train first started. It had come many miles since. Seated inside, the only passenger in that compartment, was a little girl in deep mourning. All was black about her save the white frills
Mystery & Suspense
The Woman in White
(of Clement’s Inn, Teacher of Drawing) This is the story of what a Woman’s patience can endure, and what a Man’s resolution can achieve. If the machinery of the Law could be depended on to fathom every case of suspicion, and to conduct every process of inquiry, with moderate assistance only from the lubricating influences of oil of gold, the events which fill these pages might have claimed their share of the public a
Mystery & Suspense
Jezebel's Daughter
In the matter of Jezebel's Daughter, my recollections begin with the deaths of two foreign gentlemen, in two different countries, on the same day of the same year. They were both men of some importance in their way, and both strangers to each other. Mr. Ephraim Wagner, merchant (formerly of Frankfort-on-the-Main), died in London on the third day of September, 1828. Doctor Fontaine--famous in his time for discoveries
Mystery & Suspense
The Law and the Lady
“FOR after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” Concluding the Marriage Service of the Church of England in those well-known words, my uncle Starkweather shut up his book, and looked at me ac
Mystery & Suspense
Lost Man's Lane
Amelia Butterworth enters a case that has made Lost Man's Lane a name whispered with fear. Principled, observant, and unwilling to accept easy answers, she is drawn toward a mystery shaped by secrecy, local dread, and the uneasy behavior of people who know more than they say. As private histories and public respectability begin to clash, she tests every clue, every silence, and every social performance around her. The atmosphere is tense, personal, and full of danger hiding behind ordinary manners.
Mystery & Suspense
The Knave of Diamonds
THE MISSING HEART There came a sudden blare of music from the great ballroom below, and the woman who stood alone at an open window on the first floor shrugged her shoulders and shivered a little. The night air blew in brisk and cold upon her uncovered neck, but except for that slight, involuntary shiver she scarcely seemed aware of it. The room behind her was brilliantly lighted but empty. Some tables had been set f
Mystery & Suspense
That Affair Next Door
When an unsettling discovery occurs next door, Amelia Butterworth refuses to remain merely a curious neighbor. Intelligent, opinionated, and alert to every contradiction, she steps into a mystery of family tension, hidden movements, and suspicious behavior behind respectable walls. That Affair Next Door turns domestic observation into detective work, following a woman whose sharp eyes and stubborn instincts challenge the men who think they already control the case. The suspense grows from drawing-room details, family secrets, and one woman's refusal to look away.
Mystery & Suspense
Armadale
ARMADALE By Wilkie Collins TO JOHN FORSTER. In acknowledgment of the services which he has rendered to the cause of literature by his “Life of Goldsmith;” and in affectionate remembrance of a friendship which is associated with some of the happiest years of my life. Readers in general--on whose friendly reception experience has given me some reason to rely--will, I venture to hope, appreciate whatever merit there may
Mystery & Suspense
East Lynne
THE LADY ISABEL. In an easy-chair of the spacious and handsome library of his town-house, sat William, Earl of Mount Severn. His hair was gray, the smoothness of his expansive brow was defaced by premature wrinkles, and his once attractive face bore the pale, unmistakable look of dissipation. One of his feet was cased in folds of linen, as it rested on the soft velvet ottoman, speaking of gout as plainly as any foot
Mystery & Suspense
Elster's Folly
BY THE EARLY TRAIN. The ascending sun threw its slanting rays abroad on a glorious August morning, and the little world below began to awaken into life--the life of another day of sanguine pleasure or of fretting care. Not on many fairer scenes did those sunbeams shed their radiance than on one existing in the heart of England; but almost any landscape will look beautiful in the early light of a summer's morning. The
Mystery & Suspense
Henry Dunbar
AFTER OFFICE HOURS IN THE HOUSE OF DUNBAR, DUNBAR, AND BALDERBY. The house of Dunbar, Dunbar, and Balderby, East India bankers, was one of the richest firms in the city of London—so rich that it would be quite in vain to endeavour to describe the amount of its wealth. It was something fabulous, people said. The offices were situated in a dingy and narrow thoroughfare leading out of King William Street, and were certa
Mystery & Suspense
Lady Audley's Secret
LUCY. It lay down in a hollow, rich with fine old timber and luxuriant pastures; and you came upon it through an avenue of limes, bordered on either side by meadows, over the high hedges of which the cattle looked inquisitively at you as you passed, wondering, perhaps, what you wanted; for there was no thorough-fare, and unless you were going to the Court you had no business there at all. At the end of this avenue th
Mystery & Suspense
No Name
TO FRANCIS CARR BEARD; (FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND) IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE TIME WHEN THE CLOSING SCENES OF THIS STORY WERE WRITTEN. PREFACE. The main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader’s interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead—but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting
Mystery & Suspense
St. Martin's Eve
THE LITTLE HEIR. The dull sombre light of a November afternoon was rapidly giving place to twilight. The day had been wet and cold; and the sodden leaves that strewed the park of one of England's fair domains did not contribute to the cheerfulness of the scene. The mansion belonging to it stood on a gentle eminence, well open to view, and looking boldly down on its lands: a long but not high house of red brick, with
Mystery & Suspense
The Filigree Ball
THE FORBIDDEN ROOM I. “THE MOORE HOUSE? ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THE MOORE HOUSE?” For a detective whose talents, had not been recognized at headquarters, I possessed an ambition which, fortunately for my standing with the lieutenant of the precinct, had not yet been expressed in words. Though I had small reason for expecting great things of myself, I had always cherished the hope that if a big case came my way I should b
Mystery & Suspense
The House of the Whispering Pines
SMOKE I THE HESITATING STEP To have reared a towering scheme Of happiness, and to behold it razed, Were nothing: all men hope, and see their hopes Frustrate, and grieve awhile, and hope anew; But-- _A Blot in the ’Scutcheon._ The moon rode high; but ominous clouds were rushing towards it--clouds heavy with snow. I watched these clouds as I drove recklessly, desperately, over the winter roads. I had just missed the de
Mystery & Suspense
The Lamp in the Desert
BEGGAR'S CHOICE A great roar of British voices pierced the jewelled curtain of the Indian night. A toast with musical honours was being drunk in the sweltering dining-room of the officers' mess. The enthusiastic hubbub spread far, for every door and window was flung wide. Though the season was yet in its infancy, the heat was intense. Markestan had the reputation in the Indian Army for being one of the hottest corner
Mystery & Suspense
The Leavenworth Case
THE PROBLEM SOLVED XXXIV. MR. GRYCE RESUMES CONTROL 332 XXXV. FINE WORK 351 XXXVI. GATHERED THREADS 364 XXXVII. CULMINATION 373 XXXVIII. A FULL CONFESSION 384 XXXIX. THE OUTCOME OF A GREAT CRIME 405 Illustrations PAGE “I did not go, but stood watching the firelight flicker on her black dress” Frontispiece “What was my astonishment to come upon Miss Eleanore Leavenworth standing at the side of her uncle’s bed, with hi
Mystery & Suspense
The Moonstone
FOURTH NARRATIVE FIFTH NARRATIVE SIXTH NARRATIVE I II III IV V SEVENTH NARRATIVE EIGHTH NARRATIVE EPILOGUE I II III PROLOGUE THE STORMING OF SERINGAPATAM (1799): _(Extracted from a Family Paper.)_ I I address these lines—written in India—to my relatives in England. My object is to explain the motive which has induced me to refuse the right hand of friendship to my cousin, John Herncastle. The reserve which I have hit
Mystery & Suspense
The Trail of the Serpent
THE GOOD SCHOOLMASTER. I DON’T suppose it rained harder in the good town of Slopperton-on-the-Sloshy than it rained anywhere else. But it did rain. There was scarcely an umbrella in Slopperton that could hold its own against the rain that came pouring down that November afternoon, between the hours of four and five. Every gutter in High Street, Slopperton; every gutter in Broad Street (which was of course the narrowe
Mystery & Suspense
The Danvers Jewels
The Danvers Jewels by Mary Cholmondeley centers on intimate choices, social pressure, and the search for a freer life. Its characters face love, duty, ambition, and the expectations placed on women, often discovering that independence has a cost. The story suits readers who enjoy emotional growth, complicated relationships, and thoughtful drama with a strong inner life.
Mystery & Suspense
The Italian
The Italian by Ann Radcliffe draws readers into a shadowed world of secrets, forbidden rooms, dangerous loyalties, and emotions that refuse to stay buried. Its atmosphere is tense and romantic, with mystery pressing against every private choice. Readers who enjoy old houses, moral danger, hidden identities, and love tested by fear will find a richly dramatic story shaped by suspense and longing.
Mystery & Suspense
The Romance of the Forest
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe draws readers into a shadowed world of secrets, forbidden rooms, dangerous loyalties, and emotions that refuse to stay buried. Its atmosphere is tense and romantic, with mystery pressing against every private choice. Readers who enjoy old houses, moral danger, hidden identities, and love tested by fear will find a richly dramatic story shaped by suspense and longing.
Mystery & Suspense
A Sicilian Romance
A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe draws readers into a shadowed world of secrets, forbidden rooms, dangerous loyalties, and emotions that refuse to stay buried. Its atmosphere is tense and romantic, with mystery pressing against every private choice. Readers who enjoy old houses, moral danger, hidden identities, and love tested by fear will find a richly dramatic story shaped by suspense and longing.
Mystery & Suspense
The Mysteries of Udolpho
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe draws readers into a shadowed world of secrets, forbidden rooms, dangerous loyalties, and emotions that refuse to stay buried. Its atmosphere is tense and romantic, with mystery pressing against every private choice. Readers who enjoy old houses, moral danger, hidden identities, and love tested by fear will find a richly dramatic story shaped by suspense and longing.
Mystery & Suspense
The Eustace Diamonds
The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope follows characters navigating reputation, money, family pressure, and the quiet rules of society. Behind polished drawing rooms and respectable choices, private desire and ambition create conflicts that can change a life. This is a layered story for readers who enjoy inheritance, marriage, social expectation, and emotional decisions with lasting consequences.
Mystery & Suspense
The Last Man
The Last Man by Mary Shelley draws readers into a shadowed world of secrets, forbidden rooms, dangerous loyalties, and emotions that refuse to stay buried. Its atmosphere is tense and romantic, with mystery pressing against every private choice. Readers who enjoy old houses, moral danger, hidden identities, and love tested by fear will find a richly dramatic story shaped by suspense and longing.
Mystery & Suspense
Murder at the Vicarage
It is difficult to know quite where to begin this story, but I have fixed my choice on a certain Wednesday at luncheon at the Vicarage. The conversation, though in the main irrelevant to the matter in hand, yet contained one or two suggestive incidents which influenced later developments. I had just finished carving some boiled beef (remarkably tough by the way), and on resuming my seat I remarked, in a spirit most u
Mystery & Suspense
The Case of Jennie Brice
We have just had another flood, bad enough, but only a foot or two of water on the first floor. Yesterday we got the mud shoveled out of the cellar and found Peter, the spaniel that Mr. Ladley left when he "went away". The flood, and the fact that it was Mr. Ladley's dog whose body was found half buried in the basement fruit closet, brought back to me the strange events of the other flood five years ago, when the wat
Mystery & Suspense
The Confession
THE CONFESSION By Mary Roberts Rinehart I I am not a susceptible woman. I am objective rather than subjective, and a fairly full experience of life has taught me that most of my impressions are from within out rather than the other way about. For instance, obsession at one time a few years ago of a shadowy figure on my right, just beyond the field of vision, was later exposed as the result of a defect in my glasses.
Mystery & Suspense
The Woman in the Alcove
The Woman in the Alcove By Anna Katharine Green I was not made for love. This I had often said to myself; very often of late. In figure I am too diminutive, in face far too unbeautiful, for me to cherish expectations of this nature. Indeed, love had never entered into my plan of life, as was evinced by the nurse’s diploma I had just gained after three years of hard study and severe training. I was not made for love.
Mystery & Suspense
The Murder on the Links
1 A Fellow Traveller I believe that a well-known anecdote exists to the effect that a young writer, determined to make the commencement of his story forcible and original enough to catch and rivet the attention of the most blasé of editors, penned the following sentence: “‘Hell!’ said the Duchess.” Strangely enough, this tale of mine opens in much the same fashion. Only the lady who gave utterance to the exclamation
Mystery & Suspense
Poirot Investigates
I The Adventure of “The Western Star” I was standing at the window of Poirot’s rooms looking out idly on the street below. “That’s queer,” I ejaculated suddenly beneath my breath. “What is, _mon ami_?” asked Poirot placidly, from the depths of his comfortable chair. “Deduce, Poirot, from the following facts! Here is a young lady, richly dressed—fashionable hat, magnificent furs. She is coming along slowly, looking up
Mystery & Suspense
The Man in the Brown Suit
PROLOGUE Nadina, the Russian dancer who had taken Paris by storm, swayed to the sound of the applause, bowed and bowed again. Her narrow black eyes narrowed themselves still more, the long line of her scarlet mouth curved faintly upwards. Enthusiastic Frenchmen continued to beat the ground appreciatively as the curtain fell with a swish, hiding the reds and blues and magentas of the bizarre _décors._ In a swirl of bl
Mystery & Suspense
The Mystery of the Blue Train
1. The Man with the White Hair It was close on midnight when a man crossed the Place de la Concorde. In spite of the handsome fur coat which garbed his meagre form, there was something essentially weak and paltry about him. A little man with a face like a rat. A man, one would say, who could never play a conspicuous part, or rise to prominence in any sphere. And yet, in leaping to such a conclusion, an onlooker would
Mystery & Suspense
The Secret of Chimneys
1 Anthony Cade Signs on “Gentleman Joe!” “Why, if it isn’t old Jimmy McGrath.” Castle’s Select Tour, represented by seven depressed-looking females and three perspiring males, looked on with considerable interest. Evidently their Mr. Cade had met an old friend. They all admired Mr. Cade so much, his tall lean figure, his sun-tanned face, the light-hearted manner with which he settled disputes and cajoled them all int
Mystery & Suspense
The Seven Dials Mystery
ON EARLY RISING That amiable youth, Jimmy Thesiger, came racing down the big staircase at Chimneys two steps at a time. So precipitate was his descent that he collided with Tredwell, the stately butler, just as the latter was crossing the hall bearing a fresh supply of hot coffee. Owing to the marvellous presence of mind and masterly agility of Tredwell, no casualty occurred. "Sorry," apologized Jimmy. "I say, Tredwe
Mystery & Suspense
The Mysterious Mr Quin
THE COMING OF MR. QUIN It was New Year's Eve. The elder members of the house party at Royston were assembled in the big hall. Mr. Satterthwaite was glad that the young people had gone to bed. He was not fond of young people in herds. He thought them uninteresting and crude. They lacked subtlety and as life went on he had become increasingly fond of subtleties. Mr. Satterthwaite was sixty-two--a little bent, dried-up
Mystery & Suspense
Partners in Crime
A FAIRY IN THE FLAT Mrs. Thomas Beresford shifted her position on the divan and looked gloomily out of the window of the flat. The prospect was not an extended one, consisting solely of a small block of flats on the other side of the road. Mrs. Beresford sighed and then yawned. "I wish," she said, "something would happen." Her husband looked up reprovingly. "Be careful, Tuppence, this craving for vulgar sensation ala
Mystery & Suspense
The Big Four
1. THE UNEXPECTED GUEST I have met people who enjoy a channel crossing; men who can sit calmly in their deck-chairs and, on arrival, wait until the boat is moored, then gather their belongings together without fuss and disembark. Personally, I can never manage this. From the moment I get on board I feel that the time is too short to settle down to anything. I move my suit-cases from one spot to another, and if I go d
Mystery & Suspense
The Breaking Point
THE BREAKING POINT By Mary Roberts Rinehart I “Heaven and earth,” sang the tenor, Mr. Henry Wallace, owner of the Wallace garage. His larynx, which gave him somewhat the effect of having swallowed a crab-apple and got it only part way down, protruded above his low collar. “Heaven and earth,” sang the bass, Mr. Edwin Goodno, of the meat market and the Boy Scouts. “Heaven and earth, are full--” His chin, large and fles
Mystery & Suspense
Where There's a Will
WHERE THERE'S A WILL By Mary Roberts Rinehart CHAPTER I I HAVE A WARNING When it was all over Mr. Sam came out to the spring-house to say good-by to me before he and Mrs. Sam left. I hated to see him go, after all we had been through together, and I suppose he saw it in my face, for he came over close and stood looking down at me, and smiling. "You saved us, Minnie," he said, "and I needn't tell you we're grateful; b
Mystery & Suspense
The After House
I PLAN A VOYAGE By the bequest of an elder brother, I was left enough money to see me through a small college in Ohio, and to secure me four years in a medical school in the East. Why I chose medicine I hardly know. Possibly the career of a surgeon attracted the adventurous element in me. Perhaps, coming of a family of doctors, I merely followed the line of least resistance. It may be, indirectly but inevitably, that
Mystery & Suspense
K
The Street stretched away north and south in two lines of ancient houses that seemed to meet in the distance. The man found it infinitely inviting. It had the well-worn look of an old coat, shabby but comfortable. The thought of coming there to live pleased him. Surely here would be peace--long evenings in which to read, quiet nights in which to sleep and forget. It was an impression of home, really, that it gave. Th
Mystery & Suspense
Sight Unseen
SIGHT UNSEEN By Mary Roberts Rinehart I The rather extraordinary story revealed by the experiments of the Neighborhood Club have been until now a matter only of private record. But it seems to me, as an active participant in the investigations, that they should be given to the public; not so much for what they will add to the existing data on psychical research, for from that angle they were not unusual, but as yet a
Mystery & Suspense
The Window at the White Cat
SENTIMENT AND CLUES In my criminal work anything that wears skirts is a lady, until the law proves her otherwise. From the frayed and slovenly petticoats of the woman who owns a poultry stand in the market and who has grown wealthy by selling chickens at twelve ounces to the pound, or the silk sweep of Mamie Tracy, whose diamonds have been stolen down on the avenue, or the staidly respectable black and middle-aged sk
Mystery & Suspense
The Forsaken Inn
CHAPTER I. THE OAK PARLOR. [Illustration: I] I was riding between Albany and Poughkeepsie. It was raining furiously, and my horse, already weary with long travel, gave unmistakable signs of discouragement. I was, therefore, greatly relieved when, in the most desolate part of the road, I espied rising before me the dim outlines of a house, and was correspondingly disappointed when, upon riding forward, I perceived tha
Mystery & Suspense
Hand and Ring
BOOK I. THE GENTLEMAN FROM TOLEDO. I. A STARTLING COINCIDENCE. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. --MACBETH. THE town clock of Sibley had just struck twelve. Court had adjourned, and Judge Evans, with one or two of the leading lawyers of the county, stood in the door-way of the court-house discussing in a friendly way the eccentricities of criminals as developed in the case then before the
Mystery & Suspense
A Strange Disappearance
“Talking of sudden disappearances the one you mention of Hannah in that Leavenworth case of ours, is not the only remarkable one which has come under my direct notice. Indeed, I know of another that in some respects, at least, surpasses that in points of interest, and if you will promise not to inquire into the real names of the parties concerned, as the affair is a secret, I will relate you my experience regarding i
Mystery & Suspense
The Sword of Damocles
Damocles, one of the courtiers of Dionysius, was perpetually extolling with rapture that tyrant’s treasures, grandeur, the number of his troops, the extent of his dominions, the magnificence of his palaces, and the universal abundance of all good things and enjoyments in his possession; always repeating, that never man was happier than Dionysius. “Since you are of that opinion,” said the tyrant to him one day, “will
Mystery & Suspense
Initials Only
I. POINSETTIAS “A remarkable man!” It was not my husband speaking, but some passerby. However, I looked up at George with a smile, and found him looking down at me with much the same humour. We had often spoken of the odd phrases one hears in the street, and how interesting it would be sometimes to hear a little more of the conversation. “That’s a case in point,” he laughed, as he guided me through the crowd of theat
Mystery & Suspense
The Golden Slipper
PROBLEM I THE GOLDEN SLIPPER “She’s here! I thought she would be. She’s one of the three young ladies you see in the right-hand box near the proscenium.” The gentleman thus addressed--a man of middle age and a member of the most exclusive clubs--turned his opera glass toward the spot designated, and in some astonishment retorted: “She? Why those are the Misses Pratt and--” “Miss Violet Strange; no other.” “And do you
Mystery & Suspense
The Mayor's Wife
THE MAYOR’S WIFE by Anna Katherine Green CHAPTER I. A SPY’S DUTY I am not without self-control, yet when Miss Davies entered the room with that air of importance she invariably assumes when she has an unusually fine position to offer, I could not hide all traces of my anxiety. I needed a position, needed it badly, while the others-- But her eyes are on our faces, she is scanning us all with that close and calculating
Mystery & Suspense
The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow
A PROBLEM OF THE FIRST ORDER I "LET SOME ONE SPEAK!" The hour of noon had just struck, and the few visitors still lingering among the curiosities of the great museum were suddenly startled by the sight of one of the attendants running down the broad, central staircase, loudly shouting: "Close the doors! Let no one out! An accident has occurred, and nobody's to leave the building." There was but one person near either
Mystery & Suspense
Agatha Webb
THE PURPLE ORCHID I A CRY ON THE HILL The dance was over. From the great house on the hill the guests had all departed and only the musicians remained. As they filed out through the ample doorway, on their way home, the first faint streak of early dawn became visible in the east. One of them, a lank, plain-featured young man of ungainly aspect but penetrating eye, called the attention of the others to it. "Look!" sai
Mystery & Suspense
The Chief Legatee
PART I A Woman of Mystery CHAPTER I A BRIDE OF FIVE HOURS "What's up?" This from the manager of the Hotel ---- to his chief clerk. "Something wrong in Room 81?" "Yes, sir. I've just sent for a detective. You were not to be found and the gentleman is desperate. But very anxious to have it all kept quiet; very anxious. I think we can oblige him there, or, at least, we'll try. Am I right, sir?" "Of course, if--" "Oh! it
Mystery & Suspense
Dark Hollow
THE WOMAN IN PURPLE I WHERE IS BELA? A high and narrow gate of carefully joined boards, standing ajar in a fence of the same construction! What is there in this to rouse a whole neighbourhood and collect before it a group of eager, anxious, hesitating people? I will tell you. This fence is no ordinary fence, and this gate no ordinary gate; nor is the fact of the latter standing a trifle open, one to be lightly regard
Mystery & Suspense
The Millionaire Baby
I TWO LITTLE SHOES The morning of August eighteenth, 190-, was a memorable one to me. For two months I had had a run of bad luck. During that time I had failed to score in at least three affairs of unusual importance, and the result was a decided loss in repute as well as great financial embarrassment. As I had a mother and two sisters to support and knew but one way to do it, I was in a state of profound discouragem
Mystery & Suspense
The Mill Mystery
I. THE ALARM. Life, struck sharp on death, Makes awful lightning. --MRS. BROWNING. I had just come in from the street. I had a letter in my hand. It was for my fellow-lodger, a young girl who taught in the High School, and whom I had persuaded to share my room because of her pretty face and quiet ways. She was not at home, and I flung the letter down on the table, where it fell, address downwards. I thought no more o
Mystery & Suspense
One of My Sons
BOOK I THE SHADOW I THE CHILD, AND WHAT SHE LED ME INTO I was walking at a rapid pace up the avenue one raw, fall evening, when somewhere near the corner of Fifty----Street I was brought to a sudden stand-still by the sound of a child's voice accosting me from the stoop of one of the handsome houses I was then passing. "O sir!" it cried, "please come in. Please come to grandpa. He's sick and wants you." Surprised, fo
Mystery & Suspense
A Dark Night's Work
In the county town of a certain shire there lived (about forty years ago) one Mr. Wilkins, a conveyancing attorney of considerable standing. The certain shire was but a small county, and the principal town in it contained only about four thousand inhabitants; so in saying that Mr. Wilkins was the principal lawyer in Hamley, I say very little, unless I add that he transacted all the legal business of the gentry for tw
Mystery & Suspense
The Grey Woman and Other Tales
THE GREY WOMAN. PORTION I. There is a mill by the Neckar-side, to which many people resort for coffee, according to the fashion which is almost national in Germany. There is nothing particularly attractive in the situation of this mill; it is on the Mannheim (the flat and unromantic) side of Heidelberg. The river turns the mill-wheel with a plenteous gushing sound; the out-buildings and the dwelling-house of the mill
Mystery & Suspense
The Poor Clare
THE POOR CLARE by Elizabeth Gaskell CHAPTER I. December 12th, 1747.—My life has been strangely bound up with extraordinary incidents, some of which occurred before I had any connection with the principal actors in them, or indeed, before I even knew of their existence. I suppose, most old men are, like me, more given to looking back upon their own career with a kind of fond interest and affectionate remembrance, than
Mystery & Suspense
Mystery at Geneva
1 Henry, looking disgusted, as well he might, picked his way down the dark and dirty corkscrew stairway of the dilapidated fifteenth century house where he had rooms during the fourth (or possibly it was the fifth) Assembly of the League of Nations. The stairway, smelling of fish and worse, opened out on to a narrow cobbled alley that ran between lofty mediæval houses down from the Rue du Temple to the Quai du Seujet