LordPeter List Literary Contest

Call me Harriet. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having a little extra money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me in Town, I thought I would walk about a little and see a more countrified part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever I find myself staring into the night reliving passed injustices; whenever I find myself becoming vexed by the attentions of lords and editors to the point that it requires all of my self-control to keep from stepping into the streets and knocking the hats off of passersby - then I account it high time to get into the country as soon as possible.

I stuffed a skirt and shirt or two into my carpet-bag along with those oddiments the solitary traveler can expect, given the vagaries of the wandering life, to find a use for at some unlikely moment. Whether it was a gown or typewriter or change of stockings should not concern those who may, in some far off future examination of my toils, wish to know if I had this or that, or was I given a mortal's taste of the Maker's Plan and knew to carry the other; suffice it say that within the soft embrace of my worn and battered carpet-bag were those things that Providence had deemed neccesary in such proportion as to be equal to my strength, and slinging it over my shoulder, I started for the seaside.

Having by stages made my way to Wilvercombe the invisible police officer of the Fates, who has the constant surveillance of me, and secretly dogs me, and influences me in some unaccountable way contrived to cause my journey to be delayed, and it came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between more extensive movements in the performance. Now having a night, a day, and still another night following before me in Wilvercombe, ere I could embark, it became a matter of concernment where I was to eat and sleep meanwhile. In younger days and on meaner journeys it would have been with anxious fingers I would sound my pocket, and bring to the surface only a few pieces of silver, and measuring my means against the meanness of the night, would take myself off to those creaking hostels near the docks - So, wherever you go, Harriet, said I to myself, as I stood in the middle of the street shouldering my bag - wherever in your wisdom you may conclude to lodge for the night, do not this time worry about the price; and with steps that would have faltered in those wanderings of yore, I entered the Resplendent.

-- Paul Alexis Goldschmidt
One of the professional dancing-partners in the lounge here -- you know the sort.

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