The Romance of a Busy Broker - by O' Henry

 About the Author:

O’ Henry is an American short-story writer. He discusses the failings of modern life style in his short stories. His stories always have surprise and unexpected endings. He wrote about average people living in New York city. He has used many literary elements such as characterization. Situation irony, symbolism and foreshadowing in his short stories.

Introduction:

 In “The Romance of a Busy Broker”, a broker forgets his marriage on the previous evening. We have the ridiculous spectacles of the man proposing marriage to his own wife.

Harvey Maxwell’s busy schedule:

Harvey is a New York broker. He deals in stocks and bonds, loans, shares and securities. Once he enters his office, he forgets his private life and plunges into his business. He works like a high powered machine going at full speed. He goes through a mountain of papers. He has always the right word and the right decision to satisfy customers. He is ‘prompt as clockwork’.

Miss Leslie:

Miss Leslie is Harvey’s secretary. She has all the graces required of a secretary. She is modestly dressed. On the day, she accompanies Harvey, she lingers around Harvey. The latter does not know the reason for her deviation from her routine. She asks Pitcher, the personal clerk in the office, whether Harvey is going to appoint any lady secretary in her place. a lady applicant does turn up. But Harvey unceremoniously sends her away. He says that he is perfectly satisfied with the performance of Leslie and does not want to appoint anybody in her place.

What happens during lunch break:

Harvey becomes very restless. He steps into Leslie’s room and tells her abruptly that he wants her to marry him. He says that he does not have the time to pay court to her and prepare the ground in the usual way. He is immersed so much in business that he had forgotten his own wife. Leslie is taken aback. Tears trickle down her cheeks. Yet, she smiles cheerfully. She embraces Harvey and tells him that they married each other on the previous evening in the little church around the corner. Thus the story ends with a surprise in O’ Henry’s style.

Conclusion:

Truth is stranger than fiction. Such things do happen in America. Thank God, Harvey does not in his forgetfulness, proposes marriage to some other woman.