Final answer:
The shift in tone is from an initial sense of tension or uncertainty to a conclusion of resignation or recognition of defeat, as seen in different excerpts from the mentioned texts.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the examples provided, the phrase that best describes the shift in tone from the beginning to the end of the excerpt appears to be a move from uncertainty to a form of resignation or defeat. For instance, the beginning of the play "Horatio Alger" presents characters wandering in darkness, filled with tension and mystery regarding the 'apparition'. However, by the end, in the excerpt that mentions Wolfe, the tone changes to one of defeat and melancholy, as indicated by phrases such as 'the trial-day of this man's life was over, and he had lost the victory' and 'the night had come on foggy, damp'. Similarly, Twain's narrative goes from a frantic and frazzled mood during the 'Climax', full of panicky actions and fast-paced dialogue, to a moment of embarrassment and realization of folly when the character understands the situation and 'feels meaner than the meanest man in human history'.