This humorous but unlikely story by O. Henry is set in the office of Harvey Maxwell, a busy New York stockbroker, over the space of a single morning. When Harvey sits down at his desk, it is as if he changes from a man into a machine. He puts everything else out of his mind. It is a bad day on the stock market and, when things get quieter at lunchtime, he realizes that he has forgotten something more important than making money. Themes include the pressure of ‘modern’ business, love, preoccupation, workplace conflict, gender roles.
The title of the story is a clever play on words. It not only refers to Harvey’s relationship with Miss Leslie, but also to the excitement and adventure associated in his work.
Throughout his busy morning, Harvey gives little thought to the woman he married the previous evening. Later in the story, as he proposes, he admits to not having had time to “make love to her” in the ordinary way. He has forgotten their marriage, so this presumably means courting her. This all seems extraordinary as, having both came into the office late and at the same time, the two had seemingly spent the night together!
The Romance of a Busy Broker Text / PDF / Audio (1,400 words)