This week I've got a strong recommendation for a short story. Filling about nine pages of the (admittedly dense) Weird Tales, "The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other" is not a creepy story, but a strange tragedy!
Written by Valma Clark and published in the July/August 1923 issue of WT, it's excellently written, with a gentle but consistent flow and a timeless style. The prose is detailed without being overly flowery or wordy, and the three characters are developed quite well considering the limited space.
Clark's knowledge of ancient Greek art and mythology shines through as she walks us through a simple, believable plot pitting scholarly enthusiasm against greed.
You can probably guess the general flow of the story from the title alone, but Clark puts in enough detail to keep your attention, enough adventure to entertain, and a few extremely interesting twists that push this story from merely good to notably excellent.
The old hermit is written in a way that is both endearing and pitiful, and his nemesis is written well and convincingly, too.
It's a great short read.
Check it out on The Internet Archive for a scanned version, or on Wikisource for a slightly more readable copy.
And if you like this, you might enjoy the way my story "The Broken Home" goes.
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