Roads of Destiny (short story collection, Henry)
Roads of Destiny
A young poet leaves his home to seek fame and fortune, but his journey takes unexpected turns, leading him back to his village and the love he left behind.
The Guardian of the Accolade
An old servant prevented his employer from making a terrible mistake by confronting him at a train station, reminding him of his family's honor and the promises he made to his late wife.
The Discounters of Money
A millionaire's belief in the power of money was challenged when his marriage proposal was rejected and his offer to help a young eloping couple was declined, leading him to reconsider money's true value.
The Enchanted Profile
A wealthy woman took a hotel typist under her wing, lavishing her with expensive clothes and a luxurious lifestyle, only to revert to her miserly ways, causing the typist to return to her old job.
Next to Reading Matter
A homely man named Judson Tate tells a story of his adventures in a foreign country, where he used his persuasive voice to win the heart of a beautiful woman for his friend, only to fall in love with her himself.
Art and the Bronco
A cowboy artist's painting, depicting a stampeding steer, gains recognition and potential purchase by the state due to his famous grandfather's legacy, but the artist decides to reject the state's offer.
Phoebe
A man meets Captain Patricio Maloné in a café in New Orleans and asks him about luck. The captain tells the story of Bad-Luck Kearny, a man whose life is plagued by misfortune. Despite his bad luck, Kearny joins the captain on an expedition to overthrow a tyrant in Esperando. Along the way, Kearny's bad luck causes mishaps and accidents, but he remains undeterred. When they finally reach their destination, they discover that Don Rafael Valdevia, the leader of the revolution, has been murdered. The expedition falls apart, and Kearny returns to New Orleans, where he marries a woman named Phœbe.
A Double-dyed Deceiver
A young outlaw, known as the Llano Kid, fled to South America after a deadly altercation and assumed the identity of a wealthy family's long-lost son, ultimately choosing to maintain the deception to protect the family's happiness.
The Passing of Black Eagle
A notorious bandit leader was replaced by a seemingly fearsome newcomer, who ultimately abandoned the gang during a train robbery attempt, revealing his true cowardly nature.
A Retrieved Reformation
A skilled safecracker turned his life around, opened a shoe store, and fell in love with a banker's daughter, but when a child was accidentally locked in a vault, he risked his new life to save her.
Cherchez La Femme
Two reporters investigated the disappearance of a woman's money, suspecting a religious goldsmith, but found it hidden as wallpaper in her own home.
Friends in San Rosario
A bank examiner arrives in San Rosario and inspects the First National Bank. The bank president, Major Tom Kingman, confesses to taking the missing securities to help a friend in need.
The Fourth in Salvador
An American man in Salvador, facing financial ruin, celebrated the Fourth of July with fellow expatriates, inadvertently aiding a local revolution and ultimately saving his business.
The Emancipation of Billy
A talented lawyer lived in the shadow of his father, a former governor, and declined a prestigious appointment to stay with his aging father, finding happiness in his hometown.
The Enchanted Kiss
A timid and dreamy young man named Samuel Tansey embarks on a series of fantastical adventures in his imagination, all while silently adoring Miss Katie Peek. After a night of strange encounters, he finally musters the courage to rescue Katie from a perilous situation and shares a long-awaited kiss with her.
A Departmental Case
An ex-ranger turned Texas commissioner helped his deceased friend's daughter by deliberately provoking her abusive husband, a notorious gunman, into a fatal confrontation to secure his life insurance.
The Renaissance at Charleroi
A Creole gentleman, Grandemont Charles, organizes a grand dinner at his old family plantation, Charleroi, in an attempt to revive the glory of his noble lineage and win the heart of Adèle Fauquier, who is waiting for her missing brother to return.
On Behalf of the Management
A man manager named Denver Galloway is offered a job as a campaign manager for General Rompiro in a South American country. Despite his efforts, Denver later finds out that the election had already taken place and the opposing candidate had won.
Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking
A professional tramp named Whistling Dick finds himself caught between a gang of criminals planning to rob a plantation and the kind-hearted plantation owner who offers him shelter and a job.
The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss
A young man took a job as a halberdier in a restaurant to win a bet with his girlfriend's father, proving he could work for three months without being fired.
Two Renegades
A man sentenced to death in a foreign country relied on the help of a doctor who claimed allegiance to the long-defunct Confederate States of America, ultimately securing his release through bribery.
The Lonesome Road
Two old friends reunited, one married and the other single, spent an afternoon playing checkers and reminiscing, only to be interrupted by a dangerous gang, forcing them to fight their way out.