I shall be grateful to my readers for corrections, and particularly for suggestions leading to the wider usefulness of this annual volume. In particular, I shall welcome the receipt, from authors, editors, and publishers, of stories published during 1919 which have qualities of distinction, and yet are not printed in periodicals falling under my regular notice. Such communications may be addressed to me at _Bass River, Cape Cod, Massachusetts_. E. J. O. Contents INTRODUCTION THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF 1918 A SIMPLE ACT OF PIETY CRUELTIES BUSTER THE OPEN WINDOW BLIND VISION IMAGINATION IN MAULMAIN FEVER-WARD THE FATHER’S HAND THE VISIT OF THE MASTER IN THE OPEN CODE THE WILLOW WALK THE STORY VINTON HEARD AT MALLORIE THE TOAST TO FORTY-FIVE EXTRA MEN SOLITAIRE THE DARK HOUR THE BIRD OF SERBIA AT ISHAM’S DE VILMARTE’S LUCK THE WHITE BATTALION THE YEARBOOK OF THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918 ADDRESSES OF AMERICAN MAGAZINES PUBLISHING SHORT STORIES THE BIOGRAPHICAL ROLL OF HONOR OF AMERICAN SHORT STORIES THE ROLL OF HONOR OF FOREIGN SHORT STORIES IN AMERICAN MAGAZINES THE BEST BOOKS OF SHORT STORIES OF 1918: A CRITICAL SUMMARY VOLUMES OF SHORT STORIES PUBLISHED, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918: AN INDEX THE BEST SIXTY AMERICAN SHORT STORIES ARTICLES ON THE SHORT STORY, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918 MAGAZINE AVERAGES, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918 INDEX OF SHORT STORIES IN BOOKS, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918 INDEX OF SHORT STORIES PUBLISHED IN AMERICAN MAGAZINES, JANUARY TO OCTOBER, 1918 _Note._ The order in which the stories in this volume are printed is not intended as an indication of their comparative excellence; the arrangement is alphabetical by authors. INTRODUCTION