give me the summary of the story the hearts and hand.
Answers
Summary of Hearts and Hands
Like many of O. Henry's short stories, a surprise ending awaits readers of 'Hearts and Hands.' The story is set on a train to Denver. An elegantly attired woman named Miss Fairchild is seated on the train when two men arrive and take the seat facing her. It quickly becomes apparent that the woman knows one of the men.
She speaks to this man, Mr. Easton, and then she is rather surprised to discover that he is handcuffed to the man seated beside him. As Easton greets the young woman, 'He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining 'bracelet' to the left one of his companion.'
Evidently, the man with Easton senses Easton's embarrassment and volunteers an explanation: Easton is the marshal, and the two are headed for Leavenworth prison. 'It's seven years for counterfeiting' Easton says. As the conversation continues, the woman is surprised to learn that Easton has discarded his life in Washington to become a marshal out West, but she finds the West agreeable as well.
The young woman continues to chat with her acquaintance, but she continues to stare at the handcuffs. To ease her concerns, the scruffy looking older man tells her, ''Don't you worry about them, miss,' said the other man. 'All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.'' As the two men stand to go to the smoker car, the young woman bids Mr. Easton goodbye.
All the while, two passengers seated nearby have listened to the conversation. One remarks on Mr. Easton's appearance, saying that he seems too young to be a marshal. The other eavesdropping passenger corrects the mistake, one that the young woman and readers have likely made as well. Mr. Easton is not the marshal; he is the counterfeiter. ''Oh! didn't you catch on?' the passenger says. 'Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?''
Answer:
The tale Hearts and Hands by O. Henry is played out on a train. The train journey is highlighted by a reunion of two former friends. Young and beautiful Miss Fairchild is surprised to see Mr Easton, her old friend on a train. He is sitting with another man, just in front of her seat.
On recognizing his old friend, Mr Easton offers his left hand for a shake as his right is locked in handcuffs. The other end of the cuffs is tied to a burly man seated next to him. Surprised to see him in cuffs, Miss Fairchild is lost for words.The strange man tries to break the awkward silence. He says that he was caught for a counterfeit fraud and was sentenced to a 7-year prison sentence. Mr Easton was the escorting Marshal and was responsible for his safe transportation to the prison in Leavenworth. This information settles Miss Fairchild’s nerves as she had already assumed the worst in regards to her old friend (Mr Easton). They start talking together making up for their time apart. Mr Easton tells her that he has adopted a life of struggle and responsibility as a law officer and given up his luxurious ways of the past. Now, he was living in the West after moving from Washington, where they both met. Miss Fairchild confesses her love for the West as well. She feels tied down and restrained in her life in Washington. She feels that there she has to live according to other people’s opinions and judgments there. All through the conversation, she continues to stare at the metal bracket around Mr Easton’s right hand. Observing her discomfort, the prisoner again offers an explanation saying that it was customary for the Marshal to keep them on so that the prisoner does not try to escape.
Then he asks Mr Easton to take him for a smoke as he has not smoked for a while and is craving it. Mr Easton wishes Miss Fairchild well and leaves with the prisoner.
Explanation: