As with many O. Henry stories, in Hearts and Hands things may not be as they first seem. An attractive, refined-looking young woman is returning East by train after spending time in the ‘Wild West’. She greets a handsome young man she knows, only to see that he is handcuffed to a roughly dressed, glum-faced companion. One of the men is a marshal, the other a criminal being escorted to prison for counterfeiting. Themes include understanding and compassion, deception, appearance vs. reality (beware of judging people by appearances), crime and justice, the lure of the West.
A fascinating aspect of the story is that its common interpretation relies on the observing passenger’s question: did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand? This is the only clue that suggests the glum-faced man is the marshal and Easton the criminal. If Easton was left-handed, the reverse interpretation could equally be true! The theme of deception still applies, but in this case O. Henry is be the one doing the deceiving.
Hearts and Hands Text / PDF / Audio (850 words)