Short Fiction by O. Henry

A Startling Demonstration

Words you’ll meet in this part (11)
startling
Causing sudden surprise or alarm.
whisper
To speak very softly using one's breath without vocal cords.
illustration
A visual explanation or decoration, often in books or media.
exhibitions
Public displays of art, artifacts, or other items of interest.
porch
A covered entrance to a building, typically at the front, often with a roof and open sides.
astonished
Greatly surprised or amazed.
maud
A Scottish term for a plaid or shawl, typically made of wool.
silk
A fine, soft fiber produced by silkworms, used to make fabric.
rusk
A dry, crisp bread slice, often twice-baked.
cedar
A type of coniferous tree known for its aromatic wood.
supper
The evening meal, typically lighter than dinner.

Short Fiction by O. Henry 11 new words

A Demonstration

What a terrible state of affairs it would be if we could read each other’s minds! It is safe to say that if such were the case, most of us would be afraid to think above a .

As an , a case might be cited that occurred in Houston. Some months ago a very charming young lady came to this city giving in mind reading, and proved herself to be marvelously gifted in that respect. She easily read the thoughts of the audience, finding many articles hidden by simply holding the hand of the person secreting them, and read sentences written on little slips of paper by some at a considerable distance from her.

A young man in Houston fell in love with her, and married her after a short courtship. They went to housekeeping and for a time were as happy as mortals can be.

One evening they were sitting on the of their residence holding each other’s hands, and wrapt in the close communion of mutual love, when she suddenly rose and knocked him down the steps with a large flowerpot. He arose , with a big bump on his head, and asked her, if it were not too much trouble, to explain.

“You can’t fool me,” she said with flashing eyes. “You were thinking of a redheaded girl named with a gold plug in her front tooth and a light pink waist and a black skirt on Avenue, standing under a bush chewing gum at twenty minutes to eight with your arm around her waist and calling her ‘sweetness,’ while she fooled with your watch chain and said: ‘Oh, George, give me a chance to breathe,’ and her mother was calling her to . Don’t you dare to deny it. Now, when you can get your mind on something better than that, you can come in the house and not before.”

Then the door slammed and George and the broken flowerpot were alone.

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