First published in 1889, this volume contains Louisa May Alcott's short stories "A Modern Mephistopheles" and "A Whisper in the Dark". Although best known for her children's classics, Alcott also wrote many "blood and thunder" stories in her early years. Her favourite of these was "A Modern Mephistopheles", a story of human evil and its appalling consequences that centres around Felix Canaris, a failing writer whose suicide attempt is interrupted by a fateful knock at the door. These chilling tales of lust, deception, and greed are highly recommended for short story lovers and are not to be missed by fans of macabre literature. Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888) was an American short story writer, novelist, and poet most famous for writing the novel "Little Women", as well as its sequels "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys". She grew up in New England and became associated with numerous notable intellectuals of her time, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Henry David Thoreau. Other notable works by this author include: "An Old-Fashioned Girl" (1886), "Eight Cousins" (1869), and "A Long Fatal Love Chase" (1875). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.