"John Fenton decides—very suddenly, during a walk with his family—that he can no longer continue with his life as it is. He randomly picks out a house and is overcome with a desire to murder its occupants, a poor young woman and her son. To explain his presence there he comes up with the explanation that he is an artist who needs somewhere to paint: he is surprised to find himself actually enjoying the charade, and forgetting his original plan. He begins to live a double life in order to continue painting, but it can't go on forever..." -- <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/440451180">Blair</a>
Published in Ladies' Home Journal, April 1959. Contento states a first publication date of 1956 but without saying where that publication was; this editor has not been able to find any further information about a 1956 publication in secondary sources.
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The Breaking Point: Eight Stories | Gollancz | Collection | ||
| 1966 |
|
The Gothic Reader | Ace Books | Anthology | 98 |
| 1970 |
|
The Blue Lenses and Other Stories | Penguin Books | Collection | 7 |
| 1971 |
|
Mordende Leichen | Luther | Anthology | |2 |
| September 1987 |
|
Classics of the Macabre | Gollancz | Collection | 193 |
| September 1987 |
|
Classics of the Macabre | Gollancz | Collection | 193 |
| November 1987 |
|
Classics of the Macabre | Doubleday | Collection | 193 |