Short Fiction

Short Fiction

By F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Tarquin of Cheapside
   1. I
   2. II
   3. III
4. Porcelain and Pink
5. Head and Shoulders
   1. I
   2. II
   3. III
   4. IV
   5. V
6. Benediction
   1. I
   2. II
   3. III
   4. IV
   5. V
   6. VI
   7. VII
7. Dalyrimple Goes Wrong
   1. I
   2. II
   3. III
   4. IV
   5. V
   6. VI
   7. VII
   8. VIII
8. Mr. Icky
9. The Camel’s Back
   1. I
   2. II
   3. III
   4. IV
   5. V
10. Bernice Bobs Her Hair
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
11. The Ice Palace
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
12. The Offshore Pirate
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
13. The Cut-Glass Bowl
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
14. The Four Fists
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
15. May Day
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
    7. VII
    8. VIII
    9. IX
    10. X
    11. XI
16. The Jelly-Bean
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
17. The Lees of Happiness
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
18. Jemina, the Mountain Girl
    1. A Wild Thing
    2. A Mountain Feud
    3. The Birth of Love
    4. A Mountain Battle
    5. “As One.”
19. “O Russet Witch!”
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
20. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
    7. VII
    8. VIII
    9. IX
    10. X
    11. XI
21. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
    7. VII
    8. VIII
    9. IX
    10. X
    11. XI
22. Winter Dreams
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
23. Hot and Cold Blood
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
24. Gretchen’s Forty Winks
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
25. Absolution
    1. I
    2. II: “On Saturday, Three Days Ago.”
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V: “Sagitta Volante in Dei”
26. “The Sensible Thing”
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
27. The Baby Party
28. Dice, Brassknuckles & Guitar
29. Love in the Night
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
30. The Adjuster
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
31. The Rich Boy
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
    7. VII
    8. VIII
32. Rags Martin-Jones and the Pr‑nce of W‑les
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
33. Jacob’s Ladder
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
34. A Short Trip Home
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
35. The Bowl
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
36. Magnetism
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
37. The Scandal Detectives
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
    6. VI
38. A Night at the Fair
39. The Freshest Boy
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
    5. V
40. He Thinks He’s Wonderful
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
    4. IV
41. The Captured Shadow
    1. I
    2. II
    3. III
42. Colophon
43. Uncopyright

Imprint

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Tarquin of Cheapside

I

Running footsteps⁠—light, soft-soled shoes made of curious leathery cloth brought from Ceylon setting the pace; thick flowing boots, two pairs, dark blue and gilt, reflecting the moonlight in blunt gleams and splotches, following a stone’s throw behind.

Soft Shoes flashes through a patch of moonlight, then darts into a blind labyrinth of alleys and becomes only an intermittent scuffle ahead somewhere in the enfolding darkness. In go Flowing Boots, with short swords lurching and long plumes awry, finding a breath to curse God and the black lanes of London.

Soft Shoes leaps a shadowy gate and crackles through a hedgerow. Flowing Boots leap the gate and crackles through the hedgerow⁠—and there, startlingly, is the watch ahead⁠—two murderous pikemen of ferocious cast of mouth acquired in Holland and the Spanish marches.

But there is no cry for help. The pursued does not fall panting at the feet of the watch, clutching a purse; neither do the pursuers raise a hue and cry. Soft Shoes goes by in a rush of swift air. The watch curse and hesitate, glance after the fugitive, and then spread their pikes grimly across the road and wait for Flowing Boots. Darkness, like a great hand, cuts off the even flow the moon.

The hand moves off the moon whose pale caress finds again the eaves and lintels, and the watch, wounded and tumbled in the dust. Up the street one of Flowing Boots leaves a black trail of spots until he binds himself, clumsily as