| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: the money stolen from the Marquis de Montefiore?"
"Monsieur Diard," she replied, "said something to me vaguely about a
heap of stones, under which he must have hidden it."
"Where?"
"In the street."
The two magistrates looked at each other. Juana made a noble gesture
and motioned to the doctor.
"Monsieur," she said in his ear, "can I be suspected of some infamous
action? I! The pile of stones must be close to the wall of my garden.
Go yourself, I implore you. Look, search, find that money."
The doctor went out, taking with him the examining judge, and together
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: rather, as I suppose, it had run out already, and the month
of grace would expire upon that day, after which any American
citizen might post a notice of his own, and make Silverado
his. This, with a sort of quiet slyness, Rufe told me at an
early period of our acquaintance. There was no silver, of
course; the mine "wasn't worth nothing, Mr. Stevens," but
there was a deal of old iron and wood around, and to gain
possession of this old wood and iron, and get a right to the
water, Rufe proposed, if I had no objections, to "jump the
claim."
Of course, I had no objection. But I was filled with wonder.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: the soldiers upon the bridge, the captain, the sergeant, the
two privates, his executioners. They were in silhouette
against the blue sky. They shouted and gesticulated,
pointing at him. The captain had drawn his pistol, but did
not fire; the others were unarmed. Their movements were
grotesque and horrible, their forms gigantic.
Suddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the
water smartly within a few inches of his head, spattering his
face with spray. He heard a second report, and saw one of
the sentinels with his rifle at his shoulder, a light cloud
of blue smoke rising from the muzzle. The man in the water
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
