Comments on: Alfred Hitchcock story?

Question: Alfred Hitchcock story?

cribcage — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:12:32 -0800

Identify this story about an unhappy man, an exclusive travel agency, and a magical transporting barn. Possibly from an old Alfred Hitchcock magazine.

Posting for a relative. Here's what she remembers:

The story was about an unhappy man (I think it was a man.) He had a dreary life and job. He heard about a travel agency that offered "special" vacations. He went to the agency and they asked him questions. After he answered them and they determined they would accept him, they told him to leave all his money on the counter. (He had to decide to leave his life behind right at that moment.) They transported him (I think in a bus) with other people to a large barn in the country. No one talked to one another on the bus or in the barn. They all sat on benches around the barn and they waited and waited.

Finally the man decided they had all been taken for suckers and he got up and yelled at all the other people--the gist was: Don't you see we've all been tricked? They all sat there and I think they ignored him.

He ran out of the barn.

As the barn door was almost completely closed, he turned around and looked. He saw a brief glimpse of the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen. (I assume it was another planet.) The people were all dancing and happy. He noticed the air smelled incredibly sweet.

He tried to get back into the barn. It took him a few minutes. By the time he got the door open, it was an empty barn. All the people were gone. The barn was as it had been before, with empty benches around the walls.

He returned to the travel agency to beg for another chance. The woman at the desk looked at him and said "You left your money on the counter last time you were here. I cannot imagine why."

He had his one chance and he lost it.

I would very much like to find this story.

Thank you.

By: dual_action

dual_action — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:56:41 -0800

It's called "Of Missing Persons" by Jack Finney. Great story. I have it in an old copy of "Stories of Suspense" (selected) by Mary E. MacEwen that I picked up second hand years and years ago.

By: dual_action

dual_action — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:59:28 -0800

Also found in this book. Hope that helps!

By: reynir

reynir — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:00:47 -0800

Jack Finney, "Of Missing Persons", apparently.

(found here, and I think you can get a copy here).

By: reynir

reynir — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:01:58 -0800

Ah, not quick enough.

By: cribcage

cribcage — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:07:31 -0800

Armed with that answer, I found the story in About Time, a collection of Finney's stories — and I just ordered a copy.

Thank you very much. This is maybe my favorite internet experience, seeing the reaction from a relative who doesn't have much experience online, when they get a quick answer to some obscure question that's been bugging them for years.

By: cribcage

cribcage — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:10:15 -0800

"Of Missing Persons" text online.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:23:08 -0800

I just ordered About Time (LOVE LOVE LOVE "Time and Again" and didn't know he had short stories too) and another collection of time travel stories. Thanks cribcage and reynir.