Short Fiction by O. Henry

Guessed Everything Else

Words you’ll meet in this part (12)
gloomy
Dark or poorly lit; dim.
brow
The forehead or the ridge of hair above the eye.
elegant
Gracefully stylish and refined in appearance or manner.
illustrated
Decorated with pictures or drawings.
lace
A delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern.
curtains
Fabric panels hung to cover windows for privacy or decoration.
handmade
Made by hand, not by machine.
bargain
An agreement between parties on terms of a transaction.
vestige
A trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
laborsaving
Designed to reduce the amount of work or effort required.
smallpox
A highly contagious viral disease with fever and skin eruptions, often leaving scars.
convulsive
Relating to or causing sudden, involuntary muscle contractions.

Short Fiction by O. Henry 12 new words

Guessed Everything Else

A man with a long, sharp nose and a big bundle which he carried by a strap went up the steps of the -looking brick house, set his bundle down, rang the bell, and took off his hat and wiped his .

A woman opened the door and he said: “Madam, I have a number of not only useful but necessary articles here that I would like to show you. First, I want you to look at these books of travel and biography, written by the best authors. They are sold only by subscription. They are bound in—”

“I don’t care to see them. We have sm—”

“Small children only, eh? Well, Madam, here are some building blocks that are very instructive and amusing. No? Well, let me show you some beautiful window for your sitting room, and a great . I can—”

“I don’t want them. We have sm—”

“Smoking in the house? It won’t injure them in the least. Just shake them out in the morning and I guarantee not a of tobacco smoke will remain. Here also I have a very ingenious bell for awakening lazy servants in the morning. You simply touch a button and—”

“I tell you we have sm—”

“Have smart servants, have you? Well, that is a blessing. Now, here is a clothes line that is one of the wonders of the age. It needs no pins and can be fastened to anything—fence, side of the house, or tree. It can be raised or lowered in an instant, and for a large washing is the most convenient and invention that—”

“I say we have small—”

“Oh, you have a small family. Let’s see, then I have here a—”

“I’m trying to tell you,” said the woman, “that we have in the family, and—”

The long-nosed man made a grab at his goods and rolled down the steps in about two seconds, while the woman softly closed the door just as a man got out of a buggy and nailed a yellow flag on the house.

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