Project Gutenberg 2005-04-30 Public domain in the USA. 240 Phillpotts, Eden 1862 1960 The Torch and Other Tales 'Santa Claus' -- The returned native -- John and Jane -- The old soldier -- When Fox was ferryman -- Mother's misfortune -- Steadfast Samuel -- The hound's pool -- The price of Milly Bassett -- The amber heart -- The wise woman of Walna -- The torch -- 'Spider' -- The woodstock -- The night-hawk. E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Project Gutenberg Beginners Projects, Dainis Millers, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) "The Torch and Other Tales" by Eden Phillpotts is a collection of short stories likely written in the early 20th century. The stories encompass various themes and characters, exploring intricate human relationships and moral dilemmas. The opening tale introduces Teddy Pegram, a mysterious newcomer to Little Silver, whose kind demeanor wins over the local residents, especially a young boy named Joey Ford. However, as Pegram's past is called into question with rumors of poaching, tensions arise that challenge the community’s perception of him. The opening of this narrative focuses on the arrival of Teddy Pegram in the village of Little Silver, detailing how he quickly becomes a beloved figure among the locals, particularly the Ford family. Pegram's friendship with young Joey is established as he delights the boy with toys and games, embracing the role of a benevolent "Santa Claus." However, when rumors about Pegram's possible involvement in poaching circulate, they create a rift in his friendships and raise moral questions about loyalty and truth. Tension builds as Joey's admiration for Pegram conflicts with the growing suspicion among the townsfolk, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of character and consequences in the unfolding drama. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- Fiction PR Text Category: Short Stories 636434 2025-07-07T04:06:35.315351 text/html 634828 2020-12-14T11:02:24 text/html 291261 2025-07-07T04:06:43.046333 application/epub+zip 293526 2025-07-07T04:06:37.485381 application/epub+zip 293527 2025-07-07T04:06:36.114364 application/epub+zip 509483 2025-07-07T04:06:47.415327 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 461770 2025-07-07T04:06:42.210398 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 419256 2022-09-07T23:27:50.357530 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 514183 2025-07-07T04:06:34.696361 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 514135 2020-12-14T11:02:24 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19288 2025-07-07T04:06:47.546286 application/rdf+xml 13202 2025-07-07T04:06:36.612348 image/jpeg 3765 2025-07-07T04:06:36.363364 image/jpeg 211032 2020-12-14T11:02:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 193911 2020-12-14T11:02:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 276728 2025-07-07T04:06:35.359358 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia