More "Short Sixes

A city man purchases a Pennsylvania farmhouse dreaming of solitary genius: he'll finally write his monumental "History of Prehistoric Man" far from civilization's distractions. Instead, he finds an unwanted white horse, befuddled locals, and the quiet comedy of a man who mistook rural life for a writers' retreat. H. C. Bunner's stories operate on gentle misfires: the gap between what we imagine and what actually arrives, the small humiliations of trying to be important, the absurdity hidden in everyday transactions. These are not laugh-out-loud farces but quieter stuff, the kind of humor that sneaks up on you a day later. Written for an era that still believed in the short story as a perfectly formed thing, "More Short Sixes" captures a world where a horse becomes a philosophical problem and a neighbor's visit feels like an existential threat. Perfect for readers who want to step into a veranda chair, pour something cold, and remember what reading slowly used to feel like.