Summary of the The Stranger

The Title : The Stranger
Author : Norman Whitney
Publisher : Dian Rakyat
Year : 2003
City : Jakarta

This story tells about a stranger, Dave Slatin who comes in an small village in Woodend. It was on Saturday, 31st October, 1964, late in the evening. He was searching for a hotel. But in Woodend there wasn’t any hotel. Then, someone told him that he can sleep for a night in Mrs Harrison’s house. When the citizen came out of the church, Dave has gone. A number of weeks later, he came back. It was cold and dark. ‘Hello,’ he said to a citizen. ‘Perhaps you can help me, I’m looking for a house.’ The women looked surprised but she said that Mr. Smith had died in the summer. His house was empty. It was a house on a corner. A number off days later, the young stranger arrived. He renovate the whole house. And at monday, 21st December had Dave Slatin the first shop in Woodend opened: THE CORNER SHOP Proprietor: Dave Slatin. In the shop, there was a room where only Dave came. On the door of the room notice: "Special Orders Only: Keep Out". The shop opened on Monday, 4th January, 1965. Soon the shop was busy and Dave needed an assistant. The new assistant in The Corner Shop was Anna. She started work in late January. Dave advertised in newspapers and the village products sold well. People from Lidney came to The Corner Shop. There gone a number of months over. And in April came into the shop a beautiful woman. She came for Dave. Anna was talking with her. And she said that she was Miss. Gordon, Miss. Greta Gordon. Anna was looking to the hand of Miss. Greta Gordon. She wearing a beautiful diamond ring. Then came Dave downstairs and Miss. Greta Gordon going with Dave to the special order room. After a few minutes later Miss. Greta Gorden come back alone and without her beautiful diamond ring. Anna ask to Miss. Gordon, if she maybe could help her. But there is nothing matter said Miss. Greta Gordon and she said to Anna that she never talk about her visit to the Corner Shop. She give Anna a photograph of her with a signature. A week later Anna was reading the Film news and she saw Miss. Greta Gordon with good news. She got a big part in Beautiful Women. Their gone again a number of month over. And now came again a Special Order customer. It was Mike Bailey. He had a case in his hands. When he came back of the conversation with Dave Slatin, his case were gone. Mike want gone away from the shop but Anna said the he was something forgotten. His case. Mike give Anna an angry look and going out of the Corner shop. Peter needed Anna before a night to see a football game in TV and Anna saw Mike Baily standing. With the last goal happen an accident. Mike Bailey kicked the ball into the goal, but not into the goal, just in the neck of het keeper. The keeper broken his neck.

A few months over. Now came again a Special Order customer. This times was Arthur Riseman. He has a briefcase with him with the signatures ‘A.R. I.C.S.’. Arthur Riseman gone with Dave Slatin in the Special Order-room and he came back without briefcase. Anna was waiting for news of Artur Riseman. Because the big news about Miss. Greta Gordon and Mike Bailey. She wait and wait, but there isn’t anything what look like at big news about Arthur Riseman. Then, she went to London for the letters ‘I.C.S’. Anna came at the station and their was waiting for her answer! ‘I.C.S.’ means International Computer Services. She was happy. And she looked in a newspaper and she saw the news about Arthur Riseman. He was the new Chairman of International Computer Services. But the first Chairman was dead in an airplane crash. Now, Anna had the answer and gonna back to the Corner shop. Dave wasn’t there, Anna opened the shop and she gonna try if the door from the Special Orders Room was closed or opened. It was opened. She looked around and she saw the diamonds ring from Miss. Greta Gordon, the case from Mike Bailey and the briefcase from Arthur Riseman. But too a lot of boxes, some old magazines and newspapers. Underneath, there were some dirty, old clothes. But underneath the clothes she discovered some money. Suddenly there was a noise behind her. Someone was standing at the door. It was Dave Slatin. He was not angry but he wanted to marry with Anna. Anna don’t know what to do. But Dave Slatin explain everything and at Sunday, 31st October, was a terrible day. In the evening, at seven o’clock, people were running and shouting, ‘Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! There’s a fire at the Corner Shop!’ Dave is in the house. Everyone saw him standing, the people said: ‘Jump! Save yourself.’ But Dave Slatin did not move. He was laughing. No one ever saw him again. Anna was sick, the doctor came to her. Later he talk with Anna’s mother in the kitchen. Anna’s mothers going to Anna, but she was too late. Anna was dead.