APES AND ANGELS
BY
RICHARD EDWARD CONNELL
Short Story Index Reprint Series
BOOKS FOR LIBRARIES PRESS
FREEPORT, NEW YORK
First Published 1924
Reprinted 1970
DEDICATION
To Apes playing Angels, and remembering their Haloswhile forgetting their Tails—
To the Earnest and Purposeful Men and Women, of theworld, who have made it what it is today—
To Kings, Generals, Ecclesiastics, Statesmen—
To Dignitaries generally, not forgetting Wearers of Regaliaand Phi Beta Kappa keys—
To All who, taking life heavily and solemnly, thank Godthey have a sense of Humor—
To Leaders of Movements, Champions of Causes and allMinor Messiahs—
To Those who have found Absolute Truth and know noDoubt—
To Prudent, Thrifty Souls who save up their pleasure in thisworld so they may enjoy it, with interest, in the next—
To Men who feel refreshed in the presence of ThoroughbredHorses—
To Patronizers of Humor—
To Artists who think an Important Manner makes MatterImportant—
To New-laid Æsthetes who bamboozle other New-laidÆsthetes by saying Nothing in a New Way—
To Revilers of Public Taste who forget that clarity beginsat home—
To Critics whose most lethal epithet is “light,” who deemtears more civilized than laughter, and the causing ofpain a higher art than the giving of pleasure—
To Weepers in Playtime and Dieters at the Banquet of Life—
To all Mental Masochists—
To the Serious Minded—
This book of light tragedies is dedicated in warm gratitudefor the joy they have given me.
RICHARD CONNELL
Green’s Farms, Conn.
February 11, 1924.
CONTENTS