O'Henry was born on September 11. 162 in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father was a physician. He lost his mother to tuberculosis when he was just three after which he and his father went on to live with his paternal grandmother. His remarkable compilation of short stories are Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Millions (1906), The Gentle Grafter (1908), Roads of Destiny (1909) and Whirligigs (1910). His most famous short stories are The Gift of the Magi, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Caballero's Way and The Duplicity of Hargraves among others.
Click here to solve ⇒ MCQ on Hearts and Hands About the Story "Hearts and Hands" "Hearts and Hands" by O' Henry is a story that deals with the compassion of a marshal for his convict. The three main characters are Miss Fairchild, her acquaintance, Mr. Easton, and the marshal. All the characters in the short story are on a train bound for Denver. When Mr. Easton encounters Miss Fairchild, he is hancuffed to another man, the Marshal who is escorting Mr. Easton on a train to Leavenworth for the crime of counterfeiting. On noticing Miss Fairchild's "bewildered horror" and Easton's hesitation, the real marshal proclaims himself as the convictand he is being taken to the prison by Mr. Easton. Miss Fairchild readily believes him and fails to notice that her old friend's right hand is handcuffed. The marshal is really a compassionate man. He saves his convict Easton from embarrassment. He doesnot reveal their true identities to Miss Fairchild. He even prevented Easton from speaking and presents him as the marshal who is taking the real marshal (that is the glum - faced man) to prison on account of counter feiting. On passenger on the train, however, realizes that things are not as they seem. Out of the two passengers sitting nearby, one passenger remarks that Easton is not the marshal but actually he is the counterfeiter.
Question And Answer
Q1 What is the ironical situation in which we find Miss Fairchild and the other two passengers in the train ? Ans. The story "Hearts and Hands" is based on irony, the irony of situation. Appearances are deceptive. Two passengers board the train at Denver. Miss Fiarchild is aquainted with one of the passengers namedd Mr Easton. Soon she notices the fact that both the passengers are handcuffed to each other. She is distressed to think that Mr Easton has been arrested by the Marshal and is being taken to a prison. This is actually the position. But the situation takes a turn when the companion of Mr Easton poses to be a criminal and describes Mr Easton as a marshal. Pointing to the handcuffs, he says to Miss Fairchild. "Don't you worry about them, Miss. All marhsals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr Easton knows his business." This relieves the distress of Miss Fairchild.
Q2. How does Easton's companion save the situation with his presence of mind? Ans Mr Easton's companion is a clever man with a great presence of mind. He quickly senses the girl's distress when she sees Mr Easton in handcuffs. He intervenes to introduce himself as a prisoner and Mr Easton as a marshal. He states that he has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for counterfeiting and Mr Easton is taking him to Leavenworth prison. This statement relieves the girl quite a lot and the usual glow returns to her cheeks. She now thinks that Mr Easton has taken up the job of Marshal and is doing well in life. Now, Mr Easton is also encouraged to keep up the lie. He explains to Miss Fairchild that he had to do something by way of career. His money had dwindled fast and one needs money to comete with the crowd in a city like Washington. He saw this opportunity in the West and accepted the position of a marshal. The young girl, Miss Fairchild, is excited to hear this. She begins to think of him as a dashing western hero who rides and shoots and goes into all kinds of dangers and risks. Thus she has romantic notions about the job of marshal.