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Project Gutenberg
2021-06-02
Public domain in the USA.
92
Pendexter, Hugh
1875
1940
Rochester, Faunce
It Might Have Happened Otherwise
Roger Frank. (This file was produced from Adventure Magazine, October 1915 images generously made available by The Pulp Magazine Project)
"It Might Have Happened Otherwise" by Hugh Pendexter is a dramatic short story written during the early 20th century. The narrative revolves around the internal conflict of a lonely station agent, Parsly, who grapples with the temptation of theft due to his dissatisfaction with his low salary and mundane life. Through Parsly's thoughts and actions, the story explores themes of morality, desperation, and self-deception. The story follows Parsly, a station agent and telegraph operator, who becomes obsessed with the idea of stealing express money he handles due to a feeling of entrapment in his monotonous life. As he devises intricate plans to fake a robbery and escape with the money, he wrestles with conflicting emotions of guilt and the allure of freedom the stolen money would represent. However, his plans take an unexpected turn when he becomes embroiled in a real robbery attempt by a gang of criminals. In a twist of fate, Parsly finds himself in a position of heroism during the confrontation, ultimately leading him to a promotion rather than the disgrace he initially contemplated. The story concludes with Parsly’s altered perspective on crime and a deepening aversion to the very money that had once tempted him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 71.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Short stories
Criminals -- Fiction
Railroad station managers -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Short Stories
Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
Category: American Literature
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