Why does an old builder leave all his money to a young lawyer? Who gives a government document to enemy spies? How is a young man tricked into taking a new job? What can a foreign king do when a beautiful woman from his past appears? Who can answer all these questions? 

A collection of classic and modern stories by some of America's finest writers. The collection brings together six stories which explore the development of the American short story over the past century - from a fierce critique of modern suburban family life to isolation and lost love in the deep mid-west.

Includes stories by Dorothy Parker, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Patricia Highsmith, O. Henry and Edith Wharton.

* The Gift of the Magi-- by O. Henry.
A young couple exchange Christmas gifts.

* The Lost Phoebe-- by Theodore Dreiser.
An old man cannot accept the loss of his wife.

* The Baby Party-- by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
A child's party has unexpected consequences.

* You Were Perfectly Fine-- by Dorothy Parker.
A young man hears of his adventures on an evening out.

* The Romantic-- by Patricia Highsmith.
A lonely woman finds a new way to create romance.

* Full Circle-- by Edith Wharton.
Fortune leads two writers down opposite roads.
Answer keys and further support are available from the Macmillan Readers student's site: www.macmillanenglish.com/readers