Our Midnight Visitor
Our Midnight Visitor is a short story written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in Temple Bar magazine in february 1891.
Editions
- in Temple Bar (february 1891 [UK])
- in The Pittsburg Dispatch (28 february 1891 [US]) 1 ill.
- in The New-York Times (15 march 1891 [US])
- in The Eclectic Magazine (april 1891 [US])
- in Reading Times (23, 25 & 26 january 1892 [US]) 4 ill. by 'Fitz'
- in The Public Ledger (5, 12 & 19 august 1892 [US]) 4 ill. by 'Fitz'
Plot summary
On the small island of Uffa, young Archie McDonald sees a man spying through the window of his room. He goes out furious and they have some fight, but finally the stranger explains his presence. His name is Charles Digby. He just landed on the island. He says he wants to spend a few days with the locals. Archie and his father agreed to host him. The following days, Digby behaves strangely. Archie surprises him in an isolated area admiring a large diamond and hiding it in a little pouch around his neck. On the evening, McDonald's father falls on a newspaper article about the theft of one of the biggest French diamond. The description of the thief matches with Digby. They understand that their tenant is actually Achille Wolff sought by all polices. McDonald's father decides to take his diamond while Archie just wants to report the man to the police for the reward. A few days later, the three men take the boat to a neighbouring island. During the crossing, McDonald's father attacks Wolff with a hatchet, but the latter fights back. Both wounded, the two men fall in the water and they drown. The diamond is lost forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment