Hearts and Hands

歐·亨利的作品廣受青睞，在讀者中最為熟知和稱道的自然是他小說結尾的出人意料，甚至可以這樣說“歐·亨利式的結尾”已經成了某種小說構思和創作模式的指稱。但作為小說，不只有技巧這一方面，在歐·亨利的作品里，情節內容的設置同樣精彩，他善于捕捉生活中細微的富有哲理的場景，善于把握瞬間人們的心理變化，并把它形象地展示出來。這次你能猜出戴手銬的兩個人誰是探長誰是罪犯嗎?

At Denver there was an influx of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together.

As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard.

"Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don’t vou ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?"

The younger man roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.