Other Fiction Locke, William John: The Belovéd Vagabond. V1. 10 Jan 2010

[crutledge]

William John Locke (March 20, 1863 - May 15, 1930) was a novelist, short story writer, and playwright born in Demerara, in what is now Guyana. Educated in Trinidad and at Cambridge, he entered on a career as a teacher in 1890, but disliked it; in 1897 he became secretary of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a post he held for a decade. In 1894 he published his first novel, At the Gate of Samaria, but he did not achieve real success for another decade, with The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne (1905) and The Beloved Vagabond (1906). Chambers Biographical Dictionary wrote of his "long series of novels and plays which with their charmingly written sentimental themes had such a success during his life in both Britain and America... His plays, some of which were dramatized versions of his novels, were all produced with success on the London Stage" (p. 836).

Excerpt
This is not a story about myself. Like Canning's organ-grinder I have none to tell. It is the story of Paragot, the belovéd vagabond—please pronounce his name French-fashion—and if I obtrude myself on your notice it is because I was so much involved in the medley of farce and tragedy which made up some years of his life, that I don't know how to tell the story otherwise. To Paragot I owe everything.

This work is assumed to be in the Life+70 public domain OR the copyright holder has given specific permission for distribution. Copyright laws differ throughout the world, and it may still be under copyright in some countries. Before downloading, please check your country's copyright laws. If the book is under copyright in your country, do not download or redistribute this work.

To report a copyright violation you can contact us here.