W. W Jacobs
"Keeping Watch" is another in a series of W. W. Jacobs' tales that are the reminiscences of an on-duty nightwatchman. In this story, the guard catches a glimpse of a passing couple and is reminded of his own run-in with a seemingly innocent young woman whose coy beauty concealed a secret.
4) Deep Waters
Part of W. W. Jacobs' series of short tales featuring the observations and memories of a nightwatchman, "The Guardian Angel" finds our hero pondering the nature of charity and good works. The action of the tale centers around a conflict between friends that ended in an unexpected manner.
In this clever tale from W. W. Jacobs, a grocer is nagged to within an inch of his life by his pretentious wife and her family, who want the man to display finer manners. But when he takes their advice to the extreme, they soon find themselves longing for his former, more informal approach to life.
Notorious miser Mr. Lister is shown the error of his ways by his fellow sailors and finally bucks his lifelong habit of cadging drinks. Around the same time, an unusual friendship springs up between Lister and the ship's new cook. Is there a connection between these two events?
10) Dual Control
A young man is distraught over the fact that the lovely lady who has won his heart doesn't seem to return his affections. But when he turns to her uncle for advice in winning her over, the naive young lover is unwittingly ensnared in a contemptible plot.
12) Sea Urchins
The publication of this collection of short stories marked a turning point in author W. W. Jacobs' literary career. The book was a major success, and it was at this point that Jacobs turned his attention to writing as his full-time profession. Sea Urchins contains a variety of humorous tales set on ships at sea and the wharves of London.
13) Sailors' Knots
14) Easy Money
In this story, a group of sailor friends reminisce about their early love affairs and their feelings about marriage. "Easy Money" is part of the collection Night Watches, in which each tale is sparked by a nightwatchman's observations and thoughts.
15) The Convert
A man named Mr. Billings has hit rock-bottom and tries to turn over a new leaf with the help of his friends and family, giving up his love of fisticuffs and bar fights and cutting back on the booze. But when circumstances change, Billings finds that pacifism isn't always the best approach.
Another of W. W. Jacobs' stories told from the perspective of an irascible nightwatchman walking the wharfs of London, the hilarious "Bill's Paper Chase" focuses on the sailors the nightwatchman has known and their tendency toward financial insolvency and chronic overspending.
17) Bob's Redemption
One of W. W. Jacobs' most unforgettable characters is the cantankerous nightwatchmen on the wharf in London who spends his spare time reminiscing about past capers and misadventures. In this tale, he muses about the nature of gratitude and recounts some of the good deeds for which he's never been repaid.
18) His Other Self
The world's prickliest nightwatchman is at it again in this funny tale from W. W. Jacobs. After mistaking one sailor for his twin brother during a chance meeting on the wharf, the watchman reminisces at length about a case of mistaken identity in his own past.
19) Fairy Gold
In this funny tale from W. W. Jacobs, a pair of old friends enjoying a few beers at the local pub hatch a nefarious plot to steal the modest nest egg that one fellow's wife has managed to squirrel away over the years. Suffice it to say that things don't go exactly as planned.
20) Made to Measure
Fleeing big-city life in the aftermath of a tumultuous romance, a beautiful young woman retreats to the quiet country house of her uncle to recuperate and seek a new path in life. But when her scorned lover shows up to win her back with a few clever tricks up his sleeve, her resolve to live a solitary life begins to falter.