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CONTENTS

Part One

Unit 1. Lost in the Post. A. Philips ............................6

Unit 2. Success Story. J.G. Cozzens ....................... 10

Unit 3. Hunting for a Job. S.S. McClure .................15

Unit 4. A Foul Play. R. Ruark .................................. 20

Unit 5. Jimmy Valentine's Reformation. O. Henry ......................................................... 24

Unit 6. Letter in the Mail. E. Caldwell ....................29

Unit 7. The Brumble Bush. Ch. Mergendahl...........33

Unit 8. The Beard. G. Clark ....................................37

Unit 9. Lautisse Paints Again. H.A. Smith .............41

Unit 10. A Good Start..............................:........................................ 45

Unit 11. The Filipino and The Drunkard. W. Saroyan ....................................................49

Unit 12. The Dinner Party. N. Monsarrat ................ 54

Unit 13. Fair of Face. C. Hare ..................................... 59

Unit 14. Caged. L.E. Reeve .........................................66

Unit 15. The TV Blackout. Art Buchwald ................71

Unit 16. Then in Triumph. Frank L. Parke .............75

Unit 17. The Verger. W.S. Maugham .......................81

Unit 18. A Lion's Skin. W.S. Maugham ....................86

Unit 19. Footprints in the Jungle. W.S. Maugham ..............................................91

Unit 20. The Ant and the Grasshopper. W.S. Maugham .............................................. 96

Unit 21. The Happy Man. W.S. Maugham ............ 100

Unit 22. The Escape. W.S. Maugham......................107

Unit 23. Mr. Know-All. W.S. Maugham .................111

Unit 24. Art for Heart's Sake. R. Goldberg .............116

Unit 25. Wager with Destiny. E.Z. Gatti ................122

Part Two

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (R. Kipling).............................................. 130

The Fisherman and His Soul (O. Wilde).............................................. 143

The Surprise of Mr. Milberry (J.K. Jerome).............................................. 166

The Alligators (J. Updike).............................................. 173

The Flock of Geryon (A. Christie).............................................. 196

Unit 1

Lost in the Post

A. Philips

Ainsley, a post-office sorter, turned the envelope over and over in his hands. The letter was addressed to his vrife and had an Australian stamp.

Ainsley knew that the sender was Dicky Soames, his wife's cousin. It was the second letter Ainsley received after Dicky's departure. The first letter had come six months before, he did not read it and threw it into the fire. No man ever had less reason for jealousy than Ainsley. His wife was frank as the day, a splendid housekeeper, a very good mother to their two children. He knew that Dicky Soames had been fond of Adela and the fact that Dicky Soames had years back gone away to join his and Adela's uncle made no difference to him. He was afraid that some day Dicky would return and take Adela from him.