Diverse set of short stories by Brian Devitt including: Cowboy Fred: A down and out ranch hand who loses his sweetheart and goes to work in a slaughterhouse where he finds redemption from the most unlikely source. Catfish Catch: Two children make an incredible discovery of an old cemetery on Halloween that leads to an extraordinary adventure. Spots: After a little boy breaks out with mysterious spots in London the family is pulled into an international crisis involving the Soviet KGB. Cars Only: A lonely, single mother who works at a toll booth tries to escape her mundane existence only to be reminded of what really matters in life. Battle At Sea: Cold war scenario becomes hot when Soviet and American ships square off in a duel to the finish. Sisters: An obsessively close relationship between two women in the workplace becomes explosive when one tries to pull away. Charleston: A man relives the joys and sorrows of first love making with a woman he still desires.

George, Bess, and I were so excited when we won an amazing vacation at an eco-resort in Costa Rica. Fun, sun, surf -- all in the name of ecology and helping to keep our planet clean. But, as always, dirty business seems to follow me wherever I go, and this resort isn't as spic 'n' span as we originally thought. After a string of increasingly dangerous "accidents," it seems that there is a jealous predator staying at the resort, making trouble for the management and the guests. Against the urging of my friends, I know that I need to take this case and get to the bottom of it before our entire week at Casa Verde is ruined -- or worse. Can I uncover who is sabotaging the press tour before it's too late? Or will our vacation come to an unhappy end?

Sergeant Hamish Macbeth—Scotland's most quick-witted but unambitious policeman—is back and may have finally met the woman of his dreams in this new mystery in M.C. Beaton's beloved, New York Times bestselling series. Hamish's new constable, Dorothy McIver, may be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Completely bewitched by her sparkling blue eyes, Hamish spends the summer traveling with her up and down Sutherland until finally, he can take it no longer. He gets down on one knee beside the Land Rover and begs her to marry him—and to his amazement and delight, she says yes. But just as the town of Lochdubh gets ready to celebrate, Hamish finds himself with a new murder on his hands. If he doesn't find the killer fast, Hamish's dream wedding could become a nightmare.

Wny You BY WEBB B. GARRISON Illustrated ly Henry R. Martin ABINGDON PRESS NEW YORK NASHVILLE To BRUCE and BEATRICE BLACKMAR GOULD Connoisseurs of Words Foreword Words and phrases are like persons. Some are dull and stodgy, while others are very good company indeed. It is from the ranks of the latter group that the words in this volume have been selected. Interest is the standard which determined whether or not a particular word or phrase should be included. Dedicated though it is to the general reader, it may be used with confidence by persons with special interests. In general, word-histories are developed along lines of standard scholarship. There are a few exceptions accounts based upon tradition. These stories, included because of their interest, are clearly indicated as based upon popular accounts. Much of the material included in this collection was originally pub lished in the popular magazines which are listed on the acknowledg ments page. Final research was done in the Joint University Library, Nashville, Tennessee. Many courtesies were extended by Dr. A. F. Kuhlman, director, and Mrs. Paul L. Wayman, circulation librarian. A Ladies Home Journal reader first suggested that this material should be published in book form. Coming as it did from a reader in the Transvaal, Africa, the suggestion carried much weight though it was not acted upon for some months. Unfortunately, that readers letter has been lost, so it is impossible to give due credit by name. WEBB B. GARJEUSON 7 Acknowledgments Much of the material in this volume was originally published as short features in general and specialized magazines. Special thanks are due editors and publishers of these magazines, both forencouragement in research and for permission to reprint numerous items. Publishers involved, and magazines in which the material was originally pub lished, are listed below Andrus Publishing Co. for cushion, furniture, mahogany, and suite from Furniture Digest. Catholic Digest, Inc., for asylum awful, batiste, bedlam bead cancel, canter, cardinal, to chime in, clerk, crib, diaper, dumbbell, gabardine, helpmate, journal, ledger, lobby, marigold, musical notes noon, polite, primer sign, to a t, and thinking cap from Catholic Digest. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway for caboose, to call on the car pet conductor, crosstie, deadhead, engineer, freight, gon dola, hogger, news butch, spur, station, train, and tun nel from Tracks. Chilton Company, Inc., for boot, heel, last, moccasin, shoe, and sole from Boot and Shoe Recorder. The Curtis Publishing Company for Bible, bigwig, blarney, blue jeans, Blue Monday, bombast, boss, to bring home the bacon, calendar, camera, canary, compact companion, Dixie, doily, to eat ones hat, a feather in ones cap, flower names, fruit names, grass widow, heckle, husband, infan try, lord, to nag patent, salary, soft soap sundae, to 9 WHY YOU SAY IT take with a grain of salt to tie the knot and wife from Ladies Home Journal. Dell Publishing Co., Inc., for serenade from Dell Crossword An nual easel, earshot villain from Dell Crossword Puzzles con template, fanatic, pedigree, zoo from Official Crossword Puzzles and abracadabra, ancient gods anecdote, banquet, bogey, spire from Pocket Crossword Puzzles. Detective World, Inc., for aboveboard, apache, assassin, bobby, carpetbagger, catchpenny, to crib, double cross, fili buster, footpad, gun, gyp, hoax, moll, to pull the woolover ones eyes, to steal thunder, stool pigeon, and thug from Detective World. Farrell Publishing Corp, for apple-pie order etiquette, mil liner, mind your ps and qs, mug, and pin money from The Woman. Father Bakers Homes of Charity for best foot forward boner, chairman, coward, czar, falsehood, to get hep grain, grocer, in the groove, learn by heart, lion, mail, outlaw, parlor, to pay the piper piano, piker, to put a flea in ones ear, to read the riot act, roughneck, shoddy, vandal, and to be at loose ends from The Victorian. Fawcett Publications, Inc...