A Book of Shorter Stories -Volume II

This is the second Volume. As in the first Volume there are again twelve stories, all different and complete within themselves. Each story has at its beginning a synopsis of what the particular story is all about. the synopsis of all twelve stories is the following:Marlow's Mission: Rich Sabrina Goldstein is giving away an unwanted puppy, a doberman, but after two years her husband demands the dog's return to become a guard dog for his partner who had a burglary, as he had paid for the...
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This is the second Volume. As in the first Volume there are again twelve stories, all different and complete within themselves. Each story has at its beginning a synopsis of what the particular story is all about. the synopsis of all twelve stories is the following:Marlow's Mission: Rich Sabrina Goldstein is giving away an unwanted puppy, a doberman, but after two years her husband demands the dog's return to become a guard dog for his partner who had a burglary, as he had paid for the puppy's purchase But the new owners do not want to part with him after caring for him for all that time.the Cyclist: Gladys Middelton has been painting secretly since her childhood as her father thought it a stupid pursuit. Grown up she pursues her craft but her son thinks she should progress from painting flowers to something that honours her talent.Mattie's Legacy. Mattie Brightside loses his business and his home when he falls off a ladder. He is homeless and lives in a hostel for a year when his girlfriend Chantal finds a flat which is to their liking, but they haven't reckoned with their new landlord who is anything but nice.The Hoarder: For Gina and Dennis it is love at first sight. But when Dennis finds out that Gina's real love is that of an indiscriminate hoarder he changes his mind.Cornelius Quiller's Nightclub. Marigold Penfod is a young nightclub singer. With her pianist and bassist they fill the club to capacity. But Marigold has a secret and it is not any husband many club visitors suppose she has.Flowers for Rosie: At 16 Christy, daughter of a councillor, is pregnant. Father to be is Charlie, the baker's son. Father will not allow the marriage as he has different ideas about his daughter who he has marked for marriage to a solicitor. The solicitor agrees to marry her as long as she has the baby adopted.The Inn of the weary Traveller: it is an ordinary Inn except to people who believe in the magic powers the locals claim the Inn has for those who stay there. Caitlin and Al are trying this out on their honeymoon.House of Shadows: Alwyn and Britta are children, playmates who have in common that both have lost their mothers. They play togehter in their holidays all through their childhood but when they reach adulthood there is a change and Alwyn is devastated over the cards that fate deals him.the Village that time left behind: Villagers refuse to be dragged into the modern age and want to carry on in the same way as their ancestors. The village has a secret that Big Joe, the village's landowner, knows about and wants to get it out in the open.Lord Bing's Driver: Gaylord Bing has been suffering since childhood at the hands of his mother. During one of her frenzied attacks he kills her but escapes prison and is put instead into a mental institution from where he escapes after some years.Abduction: Camilla discovers she is pregnant with twins. She is in Hong Kong to keep her husband company who is working there until the Hand-over of the Colony to China. her husband Max is having an affair. He confesses to his wife and says it was all a mistake. The couple make a go of their marriage and when the twins are still little the family fly home. While playing in the garden one of the twins is abducted in broad daylight and the parents never see her again.the Gambler: Mander Hutchence is a gambler and in debt. He vows to quit but to pay off his debt he decides on one last poker game which he is convinced he will win. To this end he uses his wife's savings, aiming to double them. Instead he loses the lot but can't bear to tell her that all her savings, representing many years of scrifice, have gone.