Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note:

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. Additional notes are at the end of the book.

THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1922

THE
BEST SHORT STORIES
OF 1922

AND THE

YEARBOOK OF THE AMERICAN
SHORT STORY

EDITED BY
EDWARD J. O’BRIEN

EDITOR OF “THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1915”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1916”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1917”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1918”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1919”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1920”
“THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1921”
“THE GREAT MODERN ENGLISH STORIES,” ETC.

BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1921, by Broom, The Curtis Publishing Company, Brief Stories Publishing Company and The Pagan Publishing Company.

Copyright, 1922, by The Boston Transcript Company.

Copyright, 1922, by The Dial Publishing Company, Inc., The Pictorial Review Company, The Junior League Bulletin, George H. Doran Company, The Century Company, The Metropolitan Magazine Company, Smart Set Company, Inc., Margaret C. Anderson, The International Magazine Company (Cosmopolitan), and Waldo Frank.

Copyright, 1923, by Conrad Aiken, Sherwood Anderson, Konrad Bercovici, Susan M. Boogher, Frederick Booth, Edna Bryner, Rose Gollup Cohen, Charles J. Finger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, David Freedman, Katharine Fullerton Gerould, Ben Hecht, Joseph Hergesheimer, William C. G. Jitro, Ring W. Lardner, James Oppenheim, Benjamin Rosenblatt, Wilbur Daniel Steele, and Clement Wood.

Copyright, 1923, by Small, Maynard & Company, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PRESS OF THE MURRAY PRINTING COMPANY
KENDALL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE

Forest Hill, Oxon, England,
October 10, 1922.

_My dear Mr. Herford_:

I had just finished star-stamping for the year, and I felt a bit exhausted when one of those kind friends every one has, sent me a copy of “Say It with Asterisks,” beautifully bound. Picture my delight when I discovered that a baffling problem which had haunted me for weeks was solved. To whom should I dedicate “The Best Short Stories of 1922”? I could not inscribe it to our Mr. Anderson always, and yet he insisted upon writing the best stories year after year. At last I knew. _Palmam qui meruit ferat._ No curate’s egg this time! The dedication should read:

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* *
* TO *
* *
* OLIVER HERFORD *
* *
* “SUCH IS LIFE” *
* *
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

For we both deserve it.

Cordially yours,

EDWARD J. O’BRIEN.

BY WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Grateful acknowledgment for permission to include the stories and other material in this volume is made to the following authors, editors and publishers:

To the Editor of _Broom_, the Curtis Publishing Company, the Editor of _Brief Stories_, the Editor of _The Pagan_, the Editor of _The Dial_, the Editor of _The Pictorial Review_, the Editor of _The Bookman_ (New York), the Editor of _The Century_, the Editor of _The Metropolitan_, the Editors of _The Smart Set_, Miss Margaret C. Anderson, the Editor of _The Cosmopolitan_, Mr. Conrad Aiken, Mr. Sherwood Anderson, Mr. Konrad Bercovici, Miss Susan M. Boogher, Mr. Frederick Booth, Miss Edna Bryner, Miss Rose Gollup Cohen, Mr. Charles J. Finger, Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mr. David Freedman, Mrs. Katharine Fullerton Gerould, Mr. Ben Hecht, Mr. Joseph Hergesheimer, Mr. William C. G. Jitro, Mr. Ring W. Lardner, Mr. James Oppenheim, Mr. Benjamin Rosenblatt, Mr. Wilbur Daniel Steele, and Mr. Clement Wood.

Acknowledgments are specially due to _The Boston Evening Transcript_ for permission to reprint the large body of material previously published in its pages.

I shall be grateful to my readers for corrections, and particularly for suggestions leading to the wider usefulness of this annual volume. In particular, I shall welcome the receipt, from authors, editors, publishers, of stories printed during the period between October, 1922 and September, 1923 inclusive, which have qualities of distinction and yet are not printed in periodicals falling under my regular notice. Such communications may be addressed to me at _Forest Hill, Oxfordshire, England_.

E. J. O.

CONTENTS[1]

PAGE
INTRODUCTION. By the Editor xv

THE DARK CITY. By Conrad Aiken 3
(From _The Dial_)

I’M A FOOL. By Sherwood Anderson 13
(From _The Dial_)

THE DEATH OF MURDO. By Konrad Bercovici 25
(From _The Pictorial Review_)

AN UNKNOWN WARRIOR. By Susan M. Boogher 42
(From _The Junior League Bulletin_)

THE HELPLESS ONES. By Frederick Booth 49
(From _Broom_)

FOREST COVER. By Edna Bryner 70
(From _The Bookman, N. Y._)

NATALKA’S PORTION. By Rose Gollup Cohen 83
(From _The Pictorial Review_)

THE SHAME OF GOLD. By Charles J. Finger 100
(From _The Century_)

TWO FOR A CENT. By F. Scott Fitzgerald 115
(From _The Metropolitan_)

JOHN THE BAPTIST. By Waldo Frank 132
(From _The Dial_)

MENDEL MARANTZ--HOUSEWIFE. By David Freedman 151
(From _The Pictorial Review_)

BELSHAZZAR’S LETTER. By Katharine Fullerton Gerould 171
(From _The Metropolitan_)

WINKELBURG. By Ben Hecht 195
(From _The Smart Set_)

THE TOKEN. By Joseph Hergesheimer 203
(From _The Saturday Evening Post_)

THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. By William Jitro 232
(From _The Little Review_)

THE GOLDEN HONEYMOON. By Ring W. Lardner 242
(From _The Cosmopolitan_)

HE LAUGHED AT THE GODS. By James Oppenheim 260
(From _Broom_)

IN THE METROPOLIS. By Benjamin Rosenblatt 270
(From _Brief Stories_)

FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SOUTH. By Wilbur
Daniel Steele 273
(From _The Pictorial Review_)

THE COFFIN. By Clement Wood 293
(From _The Pagan_)

THE YEARBOOK OF THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY,
OCTOBER, 1921, TO SEPTEMBER, 1922 303

Addresses of American Magazines Publishing
Short Stories 305

The Biographical Roll of Honor of American Short
Stories 307

The Roll of Honor of Foreign Short Stories in
American Magazines 316

The Best Books of Short Stories 319

Volumes of Short Stories Published in the United
States: An Index 320

Articles on the Short Story: An Index 324

Index of Short Stories in Books 337

I. American Authors 338

II. English and Irish Authors 341

III. Translations 344

Magazine Averages 346

Index of Short Stories Published in American
Magazines 349

I. American Authors 352

II. English and Irish Authors 382

III. Translations 386

[1] The order in which the stories in this volume
are printed is not intended to indicate their
comparative excellence; the arrangement is
alphabetical by authors.

INTRODUCTION