| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Market-Place by Harold Frederic: thought he preferred this restrained aristocratic glimmer.
He had completed his toilet, and was standing at the
bay-window, with his shoulder holding back the edge
of the curtain, looking out upon the darkened lawn and
wondering whether he ought to go downstairs or wait for
someone to summon him, when he heard a knock at his door.
Before he could answer, the door opened, and he made
out in the candle-and firelight that it was Lord Plowden
who had come in. He stepped forward to meet his host who,
clad now in evening-clothes, was smoking a cigarette.
"Have they looked after you all right?" said Plowden,
The Market-Place |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: was done for our benefit. It elected the Ranchers' Commission."
"A lot of benefit we got out of the Ranchers' Commission,"
retorted the other.
"And then," protested a third speaker, "that ain't the way to do--
if he DID do it--bribing legislatures. Why, we were bucking
against corrupt politics. We couldn't afford to be corrupt."
Keast turned away with a gesture of impatience. He pushed his
way farther on. At last, opening a small door in a hallway back
of the stage, he came upon Magnus.
The room was tiny. It was a dressing-room. Only two nights
before it had been used by the leading actress of a comic opera
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: me and asks the time.
"'Half-past ten,' says I, 'and you are Andy Tucker. I've seen you
work. Wasn't it you that put up the Great Cupid Combination package on
the Southern States? Let's see, it was a Chilian diamond engagement
ring, a wedding ring, a potato masher, a bottle of soothing syrup and
Dorothy Vernon--all for fifty cents.'
"Andy was pleased to hear that I remembered him. He was a good street
man; and he was more than that--he respected his profession, and he
was satisfied with 300 per cent. profit. He had plenty of offers to go
into the illegitimate drug and garden seed business; but he was never
to be tempted off of the straight path.
|
