| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: "The windows were open, and I recollect there was a strong draught,"
remarked Ferguson thoughtfully. "But not sufficient to carry away
that envelope."
"Exactly." Kent stepped closer. "Did you observe which one of our
companions stood nearest the porch table?"
Ferguson eyed him curiously. "Say, are you insinuating that one of
those people took your envelope?"
"Yes."
A subdued whistle escaped Ferguson. "What was in that envelope.
Mr. Kent," he demanded, "to make it of any value to that bunch?" and
as Kent did not answer immediately, he added, "Are you sure it had
The Red Seal |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: never seen him look as he did now, not even in Pitchstone Canyon
when we came upon the bodies of Hank and his wife. Until this
moment we had found no chance of speaking together, except in the
presence of others.
"Seems to be raining still," I began after a little.
"Yes. It's a wet spell."
He stared out of the door, smoothing his mustache.
It was again I that spoke. "What time is it?"
He brooded over his watch. "Twelve minutes to seven."
I rose and stood drawing on my clothes.
"The fire's out," said he; and he assembled some new sticks over
The Virginian |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Across The Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson: broader, with which I here endow the public. It is brief and
simple - radiantly simple. There is one place where five cents are
recognised, and that is the post-office. A quarter is only worth
two bits, a short and a long. Whenever you have a quarter, go to
the post-office and buy five cents worth of postage-stamps; you
will receive in change two dimes, that is, two short bits. The
purchasing power of your money is undiminished. You can go and
have your two glasses of beer all the same; and you have made
yourself a present of five cents worth of postage-stamps into the
bargain. Benjamin Franklin would have patted me on the head for
this discovery.
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