Congratulations for reaching Year 4 of your American English studies. This year we will read numerous American short stories to build American English listening and reading comprehension skills. Please pay close attention to each American short story assigned here and share your insights and what you’ve learned in the comments section below.
Directions: Listen and read each short story and then share what you learned in the comments section below.
4.13.4: Lesson 13- American short stories.
” The Romance of Busy Brooker”, written by O.Henry.
The story is all about a workaholic man, Harvey Maxwell, who has no time for anything besides work. His stenographer, Miss Leslie is a beautiful lady. She wears a black hat which contains the gold green wing of a macaw bird, her dress is grey and discreet. One day Pitcher, who is a clerk observes her from his desk and thinks she looks different today, instead of going straight to the room, where she works and waits, she seems not to know what to do. Once she goes over to Maxwell’s table, near enough for him to see that she was there. The machine is sitting at that table is no longer a man, it is a busy New York broker.
When Maxwell asks her why she is loitering outside his office, she simply smiles and says nothing. She moves towards Pitcher’s table. Miss Leslie asks him, if Mr. Maxwell said anything the day before about hiring a new stenographer. Pitcher answers that he has contacted the agencies. Leslie tells Pitcher that she will continue to do the work until a replacement is found, the day is a busy on the stock market and the office is a hive of activity. The busy day continues until lunchtime, when Maxwell takes a break from his work, having smelt the Leslie ‘s sent. Maxwell expresses a desire to asks Leslie something which he has clearly been thinking about for a while, so he goes to her desk and promptly proposes marriage to her. Rising from her seat with tears in her eyes Miss Leslie tells him they are married the evening before, and he is so wrapped up his work that he has forgotten this. Interesting story, I liked it.