akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

The Great Gatsby - Ch 3 - F Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby - Ch 3
F Scott Fitzgerald
There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft, or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before.

The Great Gatsby - Ch 2 - F Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby - Ch 2
F Scott Fitzgerald
About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashes — a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight. But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg.

The Great Gatsby - Ch 1 - F Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby - Ch 1
F Scott Fitzgerald
Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,I must have you!"
THOMAS PARKE D'INVILLIERS

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 28, 29, 30, 31 - THE END - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 28, 29, 30, 31 - THE END
Agatha Christie
“I suspected her from the first,” explained Anthony. “There was a light in her room on the night of the murder. Afterwards, I wavered. I made inquiries about her in Brittany, and came back satisfied that she was what she represented herself to be. I was a fool. Because the Comtesse de Breteuil had employed a Mademoiselle Brun and spoke highly of her, it never occurred to me that the real Mademoiselle Brun might have been kidnapped on her way to her new post, and that it might be a substitute taking her place. Instead I shifted my suspicions to Mr. Fish. It was not until he had followed me to Dover, and we had had a mutual explanation, that I began to see clearly. Once I knew that he was a Pinkerton’s man, trailing King Victor, my suspicions swung back again to their original object.”

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 26 & 27 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 26 & 27
Agatha Christie
At ten o’clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 13th of October, Anthony Cade walked into Harridge’s Hotel and asked for Baron Lolopretjzyl who was occupying a suite there.After suitable and imposing delay, Anthony was taken to the suite in question. The Baron was standing on the hearthrug in a correct and stiff fashion. Little Captain Andrassy, equally correct as to demeanour, but with a slightly hostile attitude, was also present.The usual bows, clicking of heels, and other formal greetings of etiquette took place. Anthony was, by now, thoroughly conversant with the routine.“You will forgive this early call I trust, Baron,” he said cheerfully, laying down his hat and stick on the table. “As a matter of fact, I have a little business proposition to make to you.”

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 25 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 25
Agatha Christie
Lord Caterham, Virginia and Bundle were sitting in the library after dinner. It was Tuesday evening. Some thirty hours had elapsed since Anthony’s rather dramatic departure.For at least the seventh time Bundle repeated Anthony’s parting words, as spoken at Hyde Park Corner.“I’ll find my own way back,” echoed Virginia thoughtfully. “That doesn’t look as though he expected to be away as long as this. And he’s left all his things here.”“He didn’t tell you where he was going?”“No,” said Virginia, looking straight in front of her. “He told me nothing.”

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 23 & 24 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 23 & 24
Agatha Christie
At 2:30 a little party met together in the Council Chamber: Bundle, Virginia, Superintendent Battle, M. Lemoine and Anthony Cade.“No good waiting until we can get hold of Mr. Lomax,” said Battle. “This is the kind of business one wants to get on with quickly.”“If you’ve got any idea that Prince Michael was murdered by someone who got in this way, you’re wrong,” said Bundle. “It can’t be done. The other end’s blocked completely.”“There is no question of that, milady,” said Lemoine quickly. “It is quite a different search that we make.”“Looking for something, are you?” asked Bundle quickly. “Not the historic whatnot, by any chance?”

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 22 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 22
Agatha Christie
“Superintendent Battle was standing in the library at Wyvern Abbey.George Lomax, seated before a desk overflowing with papers, was frowning portentously.Superintendent Battle had opened proceedings by making a brief and businesslike report. Since then, the conversation had lain almost entirely with George, and Battle had contented himself with making brief and usually monosyllabic replies to the other’s questions.On the desk, in front of George, was the packet of letters Anthony had found on his dressing table.“I can’t understand it at all,” said George irritably, as he picked up the packet. “They’re in code, you say?”

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 20 & 21 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Chs 20 & 21
Agatha Christie
Anthony said nothing. He continued to stare out of the window. Superintendent Battle looked for some time at his motionless back.“Well, goodnight, sir,” he said at last, and moved to the door.Anthony stirred.“Wait a minute, Battle.”The superintendent halted obediently. Anthony left the window. He drew out a cigarette from his case and lighted it. Then, between two puffs of smoke, he said:“You seem very interested in this business at Staines?”“I wouldn’t go as far as that, sir. It’s unusual, that’s all.”“Do you think the man was shot where he was found, or do you think he was killed elsewhere and the body brought to that particular spot afterwards?”

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 19 - Agatha Christie

The Secret of Chimneys - Ch 19
Agatha Christie
They all stared at the French detective, who smiled back at them.“But yes,” he said, “it is true.”There was a pause for a general readjusting of ideas. Then Virginia turned to Battle.“Do you know what I think, Superintendent Battle?”“What do you think, Mrs. Revel?”“I think the time has come to enlighten us a little.”“To enlighten you? I don’t quite understand, Mrs. Revel.”“Superintendent Battle, you understand perfectly.”