Examples

The following are three famous public domain short stories. Beneath the summary for each section is a link to the report.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe

In "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator, Montresor, seeks revenge on Fortunato for a past insult. Montresor lures Fortunato into the catacombs under his palazzo with the promise of a rare cask of Amontillado wine, only to then chain him to a wall and seal him in alive.

View the manuscript report for The Cask of Amontillado.

The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens

In "The Signal-Man" by Charles Dickens, a railway signal-man tells the narrator about mysterious and supernatural incidents he has experienced at his post, including ghostly appearances and a foreboding bell ring that seem to predict fatal accidents on the line. The story ends with the signal-man's own death, which tragically fulfills the ghostly warnings.

View the manuscript report for The Signal-Man.

Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street by Virginia Woolf

"Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street" is a short story by Virginia Woolf. In it, Clarissa Dalloway embarks on a simple errand to buy gloves, but her thoughts meander through memories, social observations, and reflections on life, death, and the changes wrought by World War I.

View the manuscript report for Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street.