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Short Fiction · Chapter

No Story explained

The narrator, a space-work reporter for the Morning Beacon, is approached by Tripp, a miserable and whiskey-dependent employee from the mechanical department, who claims to have a great story about a beautiful young woman from Long Island w

What happens

The narrator, a space-work reporter for the Morning Beacon, is approached by Tripp, a miserable and whiskey-dependent employee from the mechanical department, who claims to have a great story about a beautiful young woman from Long Island who came to New York looking for her lost love, George Brown. The narrator reluctantly accompanies Tripp to a boardinghouse where they meet Miss Ada Lowery, who is engaged to marry Hiram Dodd but still pines for George, with whom she split a dime as a token of fidelity. The narrator convinces her to return home, spending his own money on her ferry ticket. After seeing her off, the narrator discovers that Tripp himself is George Brown, revealed by the half-dime he carries. Despite his earlier resolve, the narrator gives Tripp a dollar for whiskey.

Themes in this chapter

  • Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

    Tripp presents himself as a down-and-out helper, but is revealed to be George Brown, the very man Ada seeks. The narrator's initial contempt for Tripp contrasts with his final act of generosity.

  • Love and Romance

    Ada Lowery's journey to New York is driven by her romantic attachment to George Brown, symbolized by the split dime. The story explores the tension between youthful romance and practical marriage.

  • Humor and Irony

    The ironic twist that Tripp is George Brown, and the narrator's reluctant expenditure on a story that yields no newspaper copy, provides a humorous and poignant conclusion.

Characters to notice

Key passages

  • “No Story To avoid having this book hurled into corner of the room by the suspicious reader, I will assert in time that this is not a newspaper story.”

    To prevent the reader from throwing this book aside in disbelief, I promise upfront that this is not a typical newspaper tale.

    The narrator directly addresses the reader to set expectations for the unconventional narrative.

  • “I wrote whatever the city whispered or roared or chuckled to me on my diligent wanderings about its streets.”

    I wrote about whatever the city communicated to me—whether softly, loudly, or humorously—as I walked its streets working diligently.

    Describes the narrator's method of gathering stories from urban life.

  • “She was a flawless beauty. Crying had only made her brilliant eyes brighter. When she crunched a gumdrop you thought only of the poetry of motion and envied the senseless confection.”

    She was perfectly beautiful, and her tears only enhanced her bright eyes. Even the way she chewed a gumdrop seemed poetic, making you jealous of the candy.

    Vivid description of Ada Lowery's beauty, emphasizing her allure even in distress.

  • “Barring the W.C.T.U., I’d like to know if anybody disapproves of my having produced promptly from my pocket Tripp’s whiskey dollar and unhesitatingly laying it in his hand.”

    Except for the Women's Christian Temperance Union, I wonder if anyone would criticize me for immediately giving Tripp the dollar he wanted for whiskey.

    The narrator justifies his final act of giving Tripp money for alcohol, acknowledging the irony.

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