A Cold Greeting

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. He wrote the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and compiled a satirical lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary. His vehemence as a critic, his motto "Nothing matters", and the sardonic view of human nature that informed his work, all earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce". A Cold Greeting is a story told by the late Benson Foley of San Francisco. Benson Foley came to introduce his two friends Conway and Barting. The two of them came to an agreement that whomever makes it to the afterlife first, should do their best communicate with the other. Some time later, Foley runs into Conway who only nods but keeps walking. Later, Conway is about to do this again, but Foley demands explanation. Conway says that since this is how Barting treated him a few days prior, he had assumed he had upset Barting and by proxy, Foley. Foley assures Conway that is not the case.…How will the story end? Read the story to find out.