The Permanent Stiletto

William Chambers Morrow (1854-1923) was an American author famed for his short stories of horror and suspense.

'The Permanent Stiletto' is the story of a young man who has been stabbed close to the heart with a stiletto. The blade has pierced the aorta and come out the other side.

To withdraw the blade would mean the man would bleed to death...but so long as the blade is in place, it is blocking off the wound. The only solution is to leave the blade in place...after which the young man will live his life on a knife edge. Any excitement, sudden movement or emotion could cause the blade to slip and kill him instantly.