Best Stories, October 1947

This October 1947 issue of Best Stories magazine contains five complete short stories. "Clouds in a Black Sky" by Orville T. Barnett concerns a struggling machinery salesman named Johnny Powers who faces pressure from his wife Evelyn to secure a salary increase. After drinking martinis at his club, Johnny encounters his neighbor Hank Thompson, who offers to introduce him to J.J. Revere, president of Sheffield Steel Stamping—a major prospective client. When Johnny finally speaks to his boss Mr. Peters, he impulsively claims he will secure a $600,000 order, putting himself in a difficult position. The story involves themes of salesmanship, marriage dynamics, and professional ambition. The other four stories listed are "The Transferred Ghost" by Frank R. Stockton, concerning a meddlesome ghost; "The Passing of Diamond Dick" by Wilbur W. Wheeler, about a gunman confronting changing values; "The Invader" by Robert Anderson, involving a mysterious threatening presence; and "Good-Bye Sweetheart" by Devantha Caldwell, depicting a woman's difficult choice between love and pride.