as it is now. The currents of
literature as of all things change swiftly these times. This world of
ours has become very sophisticated. It has suffered itself to be
exploited till there is no external wonder left. Retroactively the
demand for mystery, which is the very soul of interest, must find new
expression. Thus we turn inward for fresh thrills to the human comedy,
and outward to the realm of the supernatural.

The riddle story is the most naive form of the mystery story. It may
contain a certain element of the supernatural--be tinged with
mysticism--but its motive and the revelation thereof must be frankly
materialistic--of the earth, earthy. In this respect it is very closely
allied to the detective story. The model riddle story should be utterly
mundane in motive--told in direct terms. Here again the genius of that
great modern master asserts itself, and in "The Oblong Box" we have an
early model of its kind. The stories of this collection cover a wide
range and are the choice of reading in several literatures.

JOSEPH LEWIS FRENCH.

CONTENTS

I. THE MYSTERIOUS CARD _Cleveland Moffett_

II. THE GREAT VALDEZ SAPPHIRE _Anonymous_

III. THE OBLONG BOX _Edgar Allan Poe_

IV. THE BIRTH-MARK _Nathaniel Hawthorne_

V. A TERRIBLY STRANGE BED _Wilkie Collins_

VI. THE TORTURE BY HOPE _Villiers de l'Isle Adam_

VII. THE BOX WITH THE IRON CLAMPS _Florence Marryat_

VIII. MY FASCINATING FRIEND _William Archer_

IX. THE LOST ROOM _Fitz-James O'Brien_

MASTERPIECES OF MYSTERY

_RIDDLE STORIES_

THE MYSTERIOUS CARD

CLEVELAND MOFFETT

Courtesy of the Author.

I

Richard Burwell, of New York, will never cease to regret that the French
language was not made a part of his education.

This is why:

On the second evening after Burwell arrived in Paris, feeling lonely
without his wife and daughter, who were still visiting a friend in
London, his mind naturally turned to the theatre. So, after consulting
the daily amusement calendar, he decided to visit the _Folies Bergere_,
which he had heard of as one of the notable sights. During an
intermission he went into the beautiful garden, where gay crowds were
strolling among the flowers, and lights, and fountains. He had just
seated himself at a little three-legged table, with a view to enjoying
the novel scene, when his attention was attracted by a lovely woman,
gowned strikingly,