ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Of the stories in this collection, three originally appeared inThe Century Magazine(“Like Michael,” copyright, 1916; “The Emperor of Elam,” copyright, 1917; “The Emerald of Tamerlane,” copyright, 1918), two each inThe Bookman(“Unto the Day,” copyright, 1904; “Studio Smoke,” copyright, 1905), inScribner’s Magazine(“The Bathers,” copyright, 1903; “Henrietta StackpoleRediviva,” copyright, 1904), and inThe Smart Set(“Susannah and the Elder,” copyright, 1905; “The Undoing of Mrs. Derwall,” copyright, 1906), and one each inThe Associated Sunday Magazines(“Martha Waring’s Elopement,” copyright, 1904), inThe Outlook(“The Pagan,” copyright, 1905), inShort Stories(“Castello Montughi,” copyright, 1908), and inThe Sunset Magazine(“The Bald Spot,” copyright, 1909).
It may be added that the names of three of these stories are not the ones first copyrighted and that at least two of them have been completely recast, while not one of them has been left untouched in its earliest state. The writer nevertheless takes this occasion to express to the editors and publishers of the above periodicals, as well as to Mr. W. J. O’Brien and to Messrs. Small, Maynard and Company—who made use of “The Emperor of Elam” inThe Best Short Stories of 1917—his thanks both for their former hospitality and for their present courtesy in permitting him to reassemble his work. Nor would this small payment of indebtedness be complete without mention of Colonel J. R. M. Taylor, who wrote the first draft of “The Emerald of Tamerlane,” and who generously allows it to be reprinted over the signature of his collaborator.