Gaspar Ruiz by Joseph Conrad

Short excerpt: He had the courage of a lion and the cunning of a rat; and if he?s not in hell to-day, there?s no such place.

The World Set Free is s story about a fictional atomic bomb. Written well before the atom was split and before an idea for an atomic chain reaction had been conceived.

Rachel picked her way down the steep path. Small rocks caught in her sandals and she held tightly to the shepherd?s crook. The afternoon sun turned her hair damp and perspiration pooled in the hollow of her throat. Summer stalked the hills of Judea while spring still echoed in the song of a meadowlark. A sharp pain struck her ribcage and she caught her breath. Be careful where you kick, little one! Her free hand rubbed the hard little mound where the baby was making its presence felt and she smiled in spite of her weariness. Unaccustomed to walking the mile to town alone, she wondered briefly at her boldness. ?Tell Jacob not to worry, Rahab, and thank David for telling you about Mother.? Filling a small waterskin, she?d grabbed the crook she used when walking and headed for Bethlehem, finding courage in fear for her mother.

The Mintage is a collection of eleven short more often witty short stories by Elbert Hubbard, including the titles Sam, To The West and Five Babies.