Lesson 13Lesson 13After Twenty YearsAfter Twenty Years

1.1. TextText2.2. Information Related to the TextInformation Related to the Text

3.3. ExerciseExercise4.4. Questions about the TextQuestions about the Text

Distant Education College of Jilin UniversityDistant Education College of Jilin University

Extensive Reading IIExtensive Reading II

13. After Twenty Years13. After Twenty Years O. Henry O. Henry

As young men, Bob and Jimmy parted at “Big Joe” Brady’s restaurant door and promised to meet each other after twenty years. Did they fulfill the appointment? What had happened during the twenty year?

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, for spectators were few. The time was hardly ten o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had almost emptied the streets.

Trying doors as he went, swinging his club with many clever movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye down the peaceful street, the officer, with his strongly-built form and slight air of superiority, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. The area was one that kept early hours. Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter; but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long since been closed.

When about midway of a certain block, the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke quickly.

“It’s all right, officer,” he said, confidently. “I’m just waiting for a friend. It’s an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight. About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands — ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant”.

“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. “It was torn down then.” The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white mark near his right eyebrow. His tiepin was a large diamond, oddly set.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best friend, and the finest man in the world. He and I were brought up here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. We thought that in twenty years each of us ought to have our fate worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”

“It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman. “Rather a long time between meetings, though, it seems to me. Haven’t you heard from your friend since you left?”

“Well, yes, for a time we wrote,” said the other. “But after a year or two we lost track of each other. You see, the West is a pretty big place, and I kept running around over it pretty lively. But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s alive, for he always was the truest, best old friend in the world. He’ll never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight, and it’s worth it if my old friend turns up.”

The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with small diamonds.

“Three minutes to ten,” he announced. “It was exactly ten o’clock when we parted here at the restaurant door.”

“Did pretty well out West, didn’t you?” asked the policeman. “You’re right! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was a kind of slo

w man, though, good fellow as he was. I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest brains going to get my money. A man gets stuck in New York. It takes the West to make a man really keen.”

The policeman swung his stick and took a step or two.“I’ll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Are you

going to leave immediately?”“I should say not!” said the other. “I’ll give him half an hour at least. I

f Jimmy is alive on earth he’ll be here by that time. Good-bye, officer.”“Good night, sir,” said the policeman, passing on along his beat, tryin

g doors as he went.There was now a fine, cold rain falling, and the wind had risen to a ste

ady blow. The few foot passengers in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to foolishness, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.

About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long overcoat, with collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street. He went directly to the waiting man.

“Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.“Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried the man in the door.“Bless my heart!” exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both of the othe

r’s hands with his own. “It’s Bob, sure as fate. I was certain I’d find you here if you were still in existence. Well, well, well! — twenty years is a long time. The old restaurant’s gone, Bob; I wish it had lasted, so we could have had another dinner there. How has the West treated you, old man?”

“Fine; it has given me everything I asked it for. You’ve changed lots, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.”

“Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.”“Doing well in New York, Jimmy?”

“Moderately. I have a position in one of the city departments. Come on, Bob; we’ll go around to a place I know of and have a good long talk about old times.”

The two men started up the street, arm in arm. The man from the West, full of pride at his success, was beginning to outline the history of his career. The other, hidden in his overcoat, listened with interest.

At the corner stood a chemist’s, brilliant with electric lights. When they came into this brightness each of them turned simultaneously to gaze upon the other’s face.

The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.“You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he said sharply. “Twenty years is a long ti

me, but not long enough to change a man’s nose from long to short.”

“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, “Silky” Bob. Chicago thinks you may have come over our way and telegraphs us she wants to have a talk with you. Going quietly, are you? That’s sensible. Now, before we go to the station here’s a note I was asked to hand to you. You may read it here at the window. It’s from policeman Wells.”

The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed to him. His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he had finished. The note was rather short.

Bob: I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted by the police in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got a plainclothes man to do the job.

Jimmy From The Moth and Other stories, ed., Barry Taylor, Longman, 1962.

Approximately 1,300 words. Return

part

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v. (cause somebody to) go away or separate from somebody （使某人）离开或与某人分离 eg. They exchanged a kiss before parting. 他们相互亲吻，然后分离。

foot passenger

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a person who passes by 过路行人 eg. He said that a foot passenger saw the accident. 他说一名过路行人目睹了那场事故。

(be) set with

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(something esp. a precious stone) firmly into (a surface or an object) 镶嵌有 eg. Her bracelet was set with emeralds. 她的手镯上镶着绿宝石。

watchful

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adj. watching or observing closely; alert 提防的，留心的 eg. Let’s remain watchful for any sign of enemy activity. 我们要随时提防敌人的一举一动。

now and then

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at times; occasionally 偶尔，有时eg. I don’t think about my friend Mary very much, only every now and then.我并不十分想我的朋友玛丽，只是偶尔想想。

fulfill

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v. perform (something) or bring (something) to completion 履行（某事）；使 ( 某事 ) 实现 eg. I will fulfill my promise to the letter. 我会不折不扣地履行自己的诺言。

impressively

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adv. having a strong effect on somebody, esp. through size, grandeur, or importance 予以深刻印象地，威严地 eg. Tom told us his adventure impressively. 汤姆向我们讲述了他的冒险经历，给我们留下了深刻的印象。

spectator

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n. person who watches (esp. a show or game) 观众，旁观者eg. The big match attracted about 10,000 spectators. 大比赛吸引了大约一万名观众。

chilly

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adj. rather cold; unpleasantly cold 颇为寒冷的eg. It is really a chilly day. 今天可真冷啊。

club n. heavy stick with one end thicker than the other, used as a weapon ( 一端粗一 端细的沉重的 ) 棍棒（可用作武器） eg. He beat a mad dog to death with a club. 他用棍子打死一条疯狗。now and then: at times; occasionally 偶尔，有时eg. I don’t think about my friend Mary very much, only every now and then.我并不十分想我的朋友玛丽，只是偶尔想想。

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cast

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v. turn or send （ something ） in a particular direction 投射（光、视线等）eg. Tom cast a furtive glance at her. 汤姆偷偷瞥了她一眼。watchful adj. watching or observing closely; alert 提防的，留心的 eg. Let’s remain watchful for any sign of enemy activity. 我们要随时提防敌人的一举一动。

superiority

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n. state of being superior 优越（性） eg. The superiority of your facilities to ours is obvious. 与我们相比你们设备的优越性是很明显的。

majority

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n. the greater number or part; most 多数，大半eg. The majority of people seem to prefer TV to radio. 大部分人似乎喜欢看电视而不喜欢听收音机。

belong to

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be the property of; be connected with 属于eg. That coat must belong to Uncle Tom. 那件外套一定属于汤姆叔叔。

block

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n. the distance along one of the sides of a building or group of buildings built between 2 streets 街区 eg. The People Cinema is four blocks from here. 人民电影院距离此处有四条街区。

hardware

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n. metal tools and household implements 金属器具eg. Mr. Smith is the owner of a hardware store. 史密斯先生是一家五金店的老板。 make certain: enquire and make sure 弄清楚，确定eg. We went to the cinema early and made certain we all got seats. 我们提前到达电影院，以保证大家都有座位。

tear down

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pull down; destroy 拆除；拆毁eg. The big building is being torn down to make room for the new school. 为了建立新学校，那座高大的建筑正在被拆除。

keen

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adj. (of the mind, the feelings, the 5 senses, etc.) good, strong, quick at understanding, deeply felt, etc. 敏锐的 eg. Dogs have a keen sense of smell. 狗的嗅觉很灵敏。

tiepin

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n. ornamental pin for holding a tie together or in place 领带别针eg. The tiepin doesn’t match your tie. 那个别针与你的领带不配。

oddly

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adv. in a strange or peculiar manner 古怪地eg. Mary is behaving rather oddly this evening. 玛丽今天晚上的行为真古怪。

bring up

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educate and care for ( a child ) until grown-up 养育，教育eg. She brought up five children. 她养育了五个孩子。

drag

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v. pull somebody or something along with effort and difficulty 拖，拉eg. We dragged the fallen tree clear of the road. 我们把倒下的树从路上拖走。

work out

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devise; to plan 设计出，制定出 eg. Scientists may work out a new interpretation of that phenomenon.科学家们可能会对那个现象作出新的解释。

lose track of

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fail to keep oneself informed 不晓得……的情况，失去联系 eg. I lose all track of time when I read this book. 当我读这本书时就不知道时间了。

turn up

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come to notice; become visible 出现 eg. His name is often turning up in the newspaper. 他的名字经常出现在报纸上。

lid

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n. hinged or removable cover for a box, pot, etc. 盖子 eg. Don’t touch the lid of the kettle, since it’s very hot. 别碰那个壶盖，因为它很热。 (be) set with: (something esp. a precious stone) firmly into (a surface or an object) 镶嵌有 eg. Her bracelet was set with emeralds. 她的手镯上镶着绿宝石。

compete

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v. try to win something by defeating others who are trying to do the same 比赛，竞争 eg. Ｉ have to compete with four other persons for the money. 我不得不为了钱和其他四个人竞争。

come around

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＝ come round: arrive; recur 再度降临，顺便来访 eg. Christmas seems to come round quicker every year. 圣诞节似乎一年比一年来得快。foot passenger: a person who passes by 过路行人 eg. He said that a foot passenger saw the accident. 他说一名过路行人目睹了那场事故。

dismally

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adv. causing or showing sadness; gloomily 悲哀地，忧郁地 eg. Our team played the game dismally. 我们队在这场比赛中打得很沉闷。

grasp

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v. seize firmly with hands, fingers, teeth, etc. 紧紧抓住，握住 eg. He grasped her firmly by the arm. 他紧紧地抓住她的胳膊。

moderately

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adv. to a moderate extent; not very 一般地；温和地 eg. She only did moderately well in the exam. 她考试成绩尚可。

outline

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v. give a short general description of something 概述 eg. We outlined our main objections to the proposal. 我们扼要地说明了反对该建议的意见。

chemist’s

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n. where esp. medicines are sold 药店 eg. There is a chemist’s at the end of the road. 街角处有一家药店。

brilliant

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adj. very bright, sparkling 光辉的，卓越的 eg. That’s really a brilliant diamond. 那可真是一颗耀眼的宝石。

simultaneously

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adj. happening or done at the same time 同时 eg. I will interpret for you simultaneously. 我会为你作同声翻译。

release

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v. allow to go; set free or liberate 放走，免除 eg. Every animal in the zoo had been released from its cage. 动物园的每只动物都从笼子中放了出来。

sensible

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adj. having or showing good sense; reasonable明智的，明事理的 eg. It is very sensible of you to wear a thick coat. 你穿上厚衣服可真明智。

appoint

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v. fix or decide on something 约定，指定 eg. Let’s appoint a day to have dinner together. 让我们约定一个日子一起吃饭。

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. 巡逻的警察威严地沿着大街走着。 The policeman on the beat: The policeman on duty, i.e., walking around, or patrolling, the particular area for which he or she is responsible.“ 正在巡逻的警察”， beat 在此处为名词，意为“警察巡逻路线，常走的地段”。

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The time was hardly ten o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had almost emptied the streets. 还不到晚上 10点钟， 可是一阵阵的凉风夹杂着蒙蒙细雨已使街上空无一人。这是一个并列分句，第二个分句的主语是 chilly gusts of wind ， 谓语是 had emptied 。 empty 在此处是动词，意为“变空，用空”。

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The area was one that kept early hours. Most shops in this area closed early in the evening. 这个地方的店铺关门很早。 one代表 area这个词， that 引导定语从句修饰 one 。

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Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight. 好吧，如果你真想弄清我是不是说了实话，请听我一一说来。 straight 在此处意为“坦白的，诚实的”。

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The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. 第二天早晨我正准备动身到西部去发财。 start for 意为“启程，动身”， make one’s fortune意为“赚钱，发财”。

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You see, the West is a pretty big place, and I kept running around over it pretty lively. 你知道，西部是个大地方，而我又东奔西跑，漂泊不定。 keep running around: keep moving from one place to another 不断地东奔西跑。 pretty 此处用作副词，意为“相当地，颇”。

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He was a kind of slow man, though, good fellow as he was. 他虽然是个好小子，但有些迟钝。 as 表示“即使，虽然”之意，常采用倒装结构。 though在此处为副词，表示转折。

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I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest brains going to get my money. 为了赚钱，我不得不跟最精明强干的人较量。 the sharpest brains: the most quick-witted men 最精明强干的人。

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A man gets stuck in New York. It takes the West to make a man really keen.A man becomes dull and slow-witted in New York, but the West makes a man a sharp competitor. 人要是待在纽约就没出息，还是西部能锻炼出精明的人来。

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And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to foolishness, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited. 那个不远千里来赴约的人站在五金店门口，真不知道青年时代的朋友是否会来，他抽着烟，等待着，茫无头绪。 uncertain almost to foolishness: not certain whether his friend would turn up or not. So he felt it was almost foolish to just stand there waiting.

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It’s Bob, sure as fate. 是鲍勃，千真万确。 Sure as fate: There is no doubt about it.

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True or false Questions

1.Policeman Wells was on the beat in the street, where he met an old friend of his by chance.2.Bob came to New York to fulfill an appointment made twenty years ago with Jimmy Wells.3.Twenty years in the West changed Bob from an innocent young man to a criminal.4.When policeman Wells recognized Bob as the man wanted by the police he walked away without saying a word to him.5.Bob did not know the policeman was the man he had been waiting for until he read the note.

Answer

Answers for True or False Questions

1.Policeman Wells was on the beat in the street, where he met an old friend of his by chance. F2.Bob came to New York to fulfill an appointment made twenty years ago with Jimmy Wells. T3.Twenty years in the West changed Bob from an innocent young man to a criminal. T4.When policeman Wells recognized Bob as the man wanted by the police he walked away without saying a word to him. F5.Bob did not know the policeman was the man he had been waiting for until he read the note. T

True or false Questions

6.Jimmy asked a plainclothes man to arrest Bob. After all Bob was once his good friend and he could not bring himself to arrest him.7.When the policeman walked up to the waiting man, the latter thought that the policeman just wanted to chat with him.8.Bob didn’t realize that the policeman was his expected friend.9.Once he was certain that Bob was the man wanted by the police, Jimmy went away and sent another man to arrest him.10.With his keen eyes, Bob immediately discovered that the second man was not Jimmy Wells.

Answer

Answers for True or False Questions

6.Jimmy asked a plainclothes man to arrest Bob. After all Bob was once his good friend and he could not bring himself to arrest him. T7.When the policeman walked up to the waiting man, the latter thought that the policeman just wanted to chat with him. F8.Bob didn’t realize that the policeman was his expected friend. T9.Once he was certain that Bob was the man wanted by the police, Jimmy went away and sent another man to arrest him. T10.With his keen eyes, Bob immediately discovered that the second man was not Jimmy Wells. F

True or false Questions

11.Bob was frightened when he heard that he was arrested by the police.12.Bob’s hands trembled a little when he finished reading the note because he realized he had already met Jimmy but had not recognized him.

Answer

Answers for True or False Questions

11.Bob was frightened when he heard that he was arrested by the police. F12.Bob’s hands trembled a little when he finished reading the note because he realized he had already met Jimmy but had not recognized him. T

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Multiple Choice Questions

1.When the story began the policeman ______.A. was expecting to make an arrestB. was looking for the wanted manC. was on his usual beatD. was on his way home2.When the two men parted twenty years before, they promised

______.A. to be faithful to each otherB. to keep in touch with each otherC. to remember each otherD. to be at the appointed place on time

Answer

Multiple Choice Questions

1.When the story began the policeman C .A. was expecting to make an arrestB. was looking for the wanted manC. was on his usual beatD. was on his way home2.When the two men parted twenty years before, they promised D .A. to be faithful to each otherB. to keep in touch with each otherC. to remember each otherD. to be at the appointed place on time

Multiple Choice Questions

3.Which of the following statements best describes policeman Wells?A. He was a guardian of the peace.B. He was a true friendC. He was a man who kept his word.D. Though he was faithful to his friend, he was also aware of his duty as a policeman.4.Twenty years in the West .A. did not change Bob’s appearanceB. changed Bob from an innocent young man to a criminalC. made Bob forget his friend’s appearanceD. made Bob a cold hearted man

Answer

Multiple Choice Questions

3.Which of the following statements best describes policeman Wells? DA. He was a guardian of the peace.B. He was a true friendC. He was a man who kept his word.D. Though he was faithful to his friend, he was also aware of his duty as a policeman.4.Twenty years in the West B . A. did not change Bob’s appearanceB. changed Bob from an innocent young man to a criminalC. made Bob forget his friend’s appearanceD. made Bob a cold hearted man

Multiple Choice Questions

5.Jimmy wrote a note to Bob in order to ______.A. make Bob feel sorry for his crimeB. explain that he could do nothing but arrest himC. let Bob know his fateD. tell Bob why he couldn’t arrest him by himself6.Which of the following statement is false? A. The two men took different roads after they parted.B. Bob was boastful of his success in the West.C. All the time Bob was watchful. He knew he was pursued by th

e police.D. Policeman Wells did not expect that Bob was the man wanted

by the police in Chicago.

Answer

Multiple Choice Questions

5.Jimmy wrote a note to Bob in order to D .A. make Bob feel sorry for his crimeB. explain that he could do nothing but arrest himC. let Bob know his fateD. tell Bob why he couldn’t arrest him by himself6.Which of the following statement is false? CA. The two men took different roads after they parted.B. Bob was boastful of his success in the West.C. All the time Bob was watchful. He knew he was pursued by th

e police.D. Policeman Wells did not expect that Bob was the man wanted

by the police in Chicago.

Multiple Choice Questions

7.What can we infer about Bob and Jimmy from the story?A. They both changed completelyB. Jimmy was more successful in life than Bob.C. Their feelings towards each other remained unchanged.D. Jimmy was a dishonest man.

Answer

Multiple Choice Questions

7.What can we infer about Bob and Jimmy from the story? CA. They both changed completelyB. Jimmy was more successful in life than Bob.C. Their feelings towards each other remained unchanged.D. Jimmy was a dishonest man.

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Questions about the Text

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1. Why did Bob journey thousands of miles to New York?

Answers for Questions about the Text

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1. Because Bob wanted to fill an appointment which was made twenty years ago with his best friend Jimmy.

Questions about the Text

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2. What do you think the author wanted to tell us in the story? For you, what is more important, friendship or duty? Explain your answer.

Answers for Questions about the Text

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2. The author wants to tell us duty is more important than friendship in the story. For me, I consider friendship to be one of the most important things in life — whatever your status. A good friendship is one where you accept and forgive faults, understand moods and don’t feel hurt if a friend doesn’t feel like seeing you. Although we always say “a friend in need is a friend indeed”, honesty is an essential part of any relationship, so when our friends have done something wrong, it’s our duty to correct them, help them honestly.

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Information Related to the Text

1. O. Henry (1862 1. O. Henry (1862 —— 1910): O. Henry was the pen name of Wil 1910): O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina and spent liam Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina and spent his early life there and in Texas, working as a ranch hand and lhis early life there and in Texas, working as a ranch hand and later as a bank clerk. In his thirties he became a newspapermaater as a bank clerk. In his thirties he became a newspaperman and began writing short stories. In nearly all of his works of n and began writing short stories. In nearly all of his works of fiction O. Henry showed his unusual cleverness at inventing plfiction O. Henry showed his unusual cleverness at inventing plots which build up to sharp, unexpected endings as in “After Tots which build up to sharp, unexpected endings as in “After Twenty Years”. His short-story collections include wenty Years”. His short-story collections include Cabbages and Cabbages and KingsKings, the , the Trimmed LampTrimmed Lamp, , Roads of DestinyRoads of Destiny, and , and sixes and Sevesixes and Sevensns. O. Henry described in most of his short stories amusing inc. O. Henry described in most of his short stories amusing incidents of everyday life. Though he criticized the evils of capitaliidents of everyday life. Though he criticized the evils of capitalist society, he rarely went into the root cause of things. His last st society, he rarely went into the root cause of things. His last years were damaged by an unhappy second marriage, financiayears were damaged by an unhappy second marriage, financial difficulties and alcoholism.l difficulties and alcoholism.

Information Related to the Text

2. After Twenty Years illustrates how different two men can become. Twenty years before, Jimmy was satisfied with what life offered him, while Bob, though innocent, was somewhat ambitious, but this did not present an obstacle to their good relations. After they parted, the two men took different roads: one became a supporter of the law and the other a violator of the law. One was respected by people, the other feared and despised.

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Exercises

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1.True or false Questions

2.Multiple Choice Questions

diamonddiamond

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O. Henry

William S. Porter"O. Henry" (1862-1910)

O.Henry

Born William Sidney Porter, this master of short stories is much better known under his pen name "O. Henry." He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood. His only formal education was received at the school of his Aunt Lina, where he developed a lifelong love of books. In his uncle's pharmacy, he became a licensed pharmacist and was also known for his sketches and cartoons of the townspeople of Greensboro. At the age of twenty, Porter came to Texas primarily for health reasons, and worked on a sheep ranch and lived with the family of Richard M. Hall, whose family had close ties with the Porter family back in North Carolina. It was here that Porter gained a knowledge for ranch life that he later described in many of his short stories. In 1884, Porter moved to Austin. For the next three years, where he roomed in the home of the Joseph Harrell family and held several jobs. It was during this time that Porter first used his pen name, O. Henry, said to be derived from his frequent calling of "Oh, 'Henry'" the family cat. By 1887, Porter began working as a draftsman in the General Land Office, then headed by his old family friend, Richard Hall. In 1891 at the end of Hall's term at the Land Office, Porter resigned and became a teller with the First National Bank in Austin. After a few years, however, he left the bank and founded the Rolling Stone, an unsuccessful humor weekly. Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. more

O.Henry

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Meanwhile, Porter was accused of embezzling funds dating back to his employment at the First National Bank. Leaving his wife and young daughter in Austin, Porter fled to New Orleans, then to Honduras, but soon returned due to his wife's deteriorating health. She died soon afterward, and in early 1898 Porter was found guilty of the banking charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison. From this low point in Porter's life, he began a remarkable comeback. Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity. He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer. O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on his first hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City. In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West, a volume that includes "The Reformation of Calliope," "The Caballero's Way," and "The Hiding of Black Bill." Another highly acclaimed Texas writer, J. Frank Dobie, later referred to O. Henry's "Last of the Troubadours" as "the best range story in American fiction." Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless.

A handsome watch with a lid

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