Extract I

As they passed down the aisle of the coach…….owner was accustomed to

speak and be heard.

1)Which coach is referred to in the extract? How can you conclude that the
coach was crowded?

Ans. The coach of the Eastbound train, B & M Express is referred to in the
extract. The only vacant seat left was a ‘reversed one facing the attractive young
woman.’ This tells us that the coach was crowded.

2) Name the young woman in the coach. What is said about her just before the
extract?

Ans. The name of the young woman was Miss Fairchild. She is described as an
elegantly dressed, pretty young woman who had all the luxuries and who loved
travelling.

3) Which linked couple is referred to in the extract above? In what way were
they linked?

Ans. The linked couple were Mr Easton and the marshal because they were
handcuffed together.

4) Describe the reaction of the young woman on seeing the two men.

Ans. At first, the young woman saw them indifferently with a ‘distant, swift
disinterest.’ As soon as she recognized Mr Easton, she smiled at them and
started conversing.

5. What is revealed from the extract about the young woman’s nature? What
was the relationship between Mr Easton and the young woman?

Ans.The young woman in the coach is named as Miss Fairchild.

She is dressed as elegantly looking young woman, who had all the luxuries and
who had loved to travel.
Mr. Easton and Miss. Fairchild seems to be good old friends who had some
good memories from the past . There is some indication that they used to have a
soft corner for each other.

Extract II
“It’s Miss Fairchild,” he said, with a smile……glances from his keen, shrewd
eyes.

1) Who said, “It’s Miss Fairchild”? Which hand of his was engaged? How?

Ans. Mr Easton said the above words. His right hand was engaged as it was
handcuffed to the left hand of the marshal.

2) Why did the young lady’s look changed to bewildered horror? What changes
were seen in her due to the horror?

Ans. As soon as the lady saw Mr Easton being handcuffed, her look changed to
bewildered horror. She was no longer glad; ‘the glow faded from her cheeks’
and ‘her lips parted in a vague, relaxing distress.’

3) What did the glum-faced man say about the marshal? As per the context here
where was the glum-faced man being taken? Why?

Ans. The glum-faced man spoke as if Mr Easton was the marshal. The glum-
faced man was a convict being taken to Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting.

4) With reference to question 3 above explain what happened in reality.

Ans. In reality, the glum-faced man was the marshal who was taking the convict
Mr Easton to the prison. The marshal, to save Mr Easton from embarrassment in
front of Miss Fairchild, presented himself as the convict.
5) Explain the significance of ‘hands’ in the story. What role do the
eavesdroppers play in the story?

Ans. The story begins with two people, Mr Easton and the glum-faced man
hand-cuffed together. It is the handcuffing that lends to the ‘Hands’ part of the
title. In fact, it is the hands which are significant for revealing the true
identities of the two men. Miss Fairchild was misled by the unnamed man about
the identity of Mr. Easton as he wanted to save Mr. Easton from an
embarrassing situation by revealing that he was a convict and was being taken
by him to the prison. The eavesdroppers in the coach, discovered that a marshal
would not handcuff his own right hand with that of a convict, as was the case
with Mr Easton and the marshal and thus reveal the twist in the story.

Extract III
“Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning colour….quite as high a
position as that of ambassador, but…..

1) Why did Miss Fairchild call Easton, a marshal? What was he in reality?
Explain the meaning of ‘returning color’, with reference to Miss Fairchild’s
behaviour.
Ans. She called Easton, a marshal because she was made to believe so by the
real marshal. Easton, in reality, was a convict being taken to a prison on charges
of counterfeiting. The meaning of ‘returning color’, with reference to Miss
Fairchild’s behaviour is that she was too blind in her feelings for Mr.Easton.

2) Explain the verbal irony in the statement "I had to do something”. What
opening did Easton see in the West?
Ans. The statement," I had to do something ." is an example of verbal irony ,
since , Mr. Eastern did not want Miss Fairchild to understand what the
'something' truly was as he was going to be imprisoned in Leavenworth for
seven years on charges of counterfeiting . The opening that Mr. Easton, was to
see a job of a marshal in the west which is better than an ambassador.

3) What is Easton hinting at while saying that ‘marshal ship isn't quite as high a
position as that of ambassador’?
Ans. Easton feels that being a marshal is not so fully dignified and respected
post as of being an ambassador. The contrast of dignity between each of them is
being hinted to when Mr. Easton says these above lines.

4) Strike off the first question. Why was Miss Fairchild not likely to see
Easton in Washington soon?

Ans. Miss Fairchild was not likely to see Easton in Washington soon, because
he was to be confined in Leavenworth prison. Miss Fairchild, assumed that he
would be extremely busy in his new job as the marshal.

5) Give the meaning of :

a)Money has a way of taking wings unto itself
Ans: Money has the ability to make one feel respected and dignified. Money
can make one fly and soar high.

b)To keep step with our crowd

Ans: To compete with the crowd or to feel one with the high class society in
Washington.

Extract IV
The girl’s eyes, fascinated, went back……my butterfly days are over.

1) Why were the girl’s eyes fascinated? Who were handcuffed? Why?

Ans. The girl’s eyes were fascinated with the handcuffs on the hands of Mr.
Easton. Easton was handcuffed to the marshal because he was being taken to the
Leavenworth prison for counterfeiting.

2) Why did the glum-faced man say, “Mr Easton knows his business”?

Ans. Miss Fairchild was glaring at the handcuffs. The glum-faced man asked
her not to worry as it was Mr Easton’s business as a marshal to handcuff the
convict to keep from getting away.
3) What kind of relationship existed between Mr Easton and Miss Fairchild?

Ans. The word ‘Hearts’ in the title is indicative as relationship something more
than friendship between Miss Fairchild and Mr Easton. When she saw Mr
Easton, there appeared a lovely smile on her face and her cheeks turned pink.
She even told him that she loved the West, suggesting that she would settle
down with him in the West.

4) Why won’t Easton be in Washington in the near future? What is meant by

‘my butterfly days are over’?

Ans. Mr Easton would be imprisoned in Leavenworth prison on the charges of

counterfeiting therefore, he won’t be in Washington in the near future. “My
butterfly days are over’ signifies that Easton’s good and adventurous days of
making money by deceiving people are over.

5) How is the mistaken identity used in the plot of the story give examples to
support your answer.
Ans: This idea of mistaken identity has been applied by the master of short
stories, O. Henry in his short story, "Hearts and Hands". The mistaken identity
gives the story a dramatic irony as we the readers judged Mr. Easton, and the
real marshal by their outer appearance.

Explanation: Reason to support my answer

1. In the beginning Mr. Easton felt a bit embarrassing in front of his old friend
but by sensing this the marshal hid his own identity and basically swap their
identities which shows compassion of the marshal as he was a golden hearted
person.

2. The last plot can be formed as when the other passengers who heard the
conversation indirectly reveal that Mr. Easton is not the marshal rather the glum
faced man is the marshal surprises the readers
Extract V
The two men sidled down the aisle……..a prisoner to his right hand?

1) What did the glum-faced man do to cut short the conversation between
Easton and Miss Fairchild? What could be the reason for his action?

Ans. The glum-faced man interrupted the conversation between Easton and
Miss Fairchild and requested Easton that he should be taken to the smoker
room. The glum-faced fellow did so to prevent Mr Easton from revealing that
he is a convict.

2) What reason did the glum-faced man give for his going for a smoke? What
was the real reason for his going there?

Ans. The glum-faced man said he was in need of a drink and a smoke. He asked
Mr Easton to accompany him to the smoker car as he was ‘half dead for a pipe.’
The glum-faced man takes Mr.Easton into the smoker room to save him from
the conversation with Miss Fairchild and prevent Mr. Easton from revealing that
he was a culprit and not the marshal.

3) Do you like the way the story ends? Give reason to justify your opinion.

Ans. There is always a twist in O. Henry's stories at the end which I like the
most. This is a similar case. But it is really sad as the marshal tried so much to
hide their identities in front of others but at last their identities get revealed.

It is very interesting story as in this story being a Marshal he helped a person

(who was a counterfeiter) in front of his childhood friend .He tried that Easton’s
image in front of his childhood friend should not destroy that is why he told
himself as a prisoner but I don't like its ending way as in the end the efforts of
Marshal become fail and truth revealed in front of Miss Fairchild.

4. What role do the ‘hearts’ play in the plot of the story?

Ans. It is the ‘hearts’ part of the title that explains the theme. It is because of
having a compassionate heart that the marshal told a lie to Miss Fairchild. He
did this to save Mr. Easton from the humiliation of being identified as a convict
in front of an old friend. He told Miss Fairchild that Mr. Easton was the marshal
and he was the convict, who was being taken to the prison by Mr. Easton. The
glum-faced man had golden heart. The effect of the lie was immediate in the
response of Miss Fairchild. She showed relief that Mr. Easton was not
convicted. She was shocked and horrified before the marshal told the lie to her.

5) Which hand of an officer is handcuffed to the hand of the convict? Why is

this information necessary to end the story? Who gives this information to the
reader?

Ans. Generally, an officer’s left hand is handcuffed to the right hand of the
convict. The information is necessary to end the story as it reveals that in reality
Mr Easton was the convict, and the glum-faced man was the marshal.
The eavesdroppers' brief conversation reveals the story's twist: that Mr. Easton
is not the marshal, but rather a prisoner handcuffed to the marshal on his way to
Leavenworth prison. We need the eavesdroppers to reveal this information
because Miss Fairchild's completely in the dark.

Extra questions
Write these answers in your Classwork

1. Justify the statement that “appearances can be deceptive” with reference to

the story

Ans: The story presents us with three Characters: a marshal, a convict, and a
young lady. On a train to Denver, there was a chance meeting between a young
lady and a convict who happened to be Old friends. O. Henry has artfully
depicted in the story that appearances can misrepresent reality. When the
marshal and convict boarded the train, their physical appearances are described
in such a way that it later misled not only Miss Fairchild but also the readers.
Mr. Easton is described as "one of handsome presence, with a bold, frank
countenance and manners" while the other as "ruffled, heavily built, roughly
dressed and glum-faced". Thus, when the real marshal tells Miss. Fairchild later
that he is the convict, who is being taken to prison by Mr. Easton, who is a
marshal' it appears to be true. Miss Fairchild does not notice that it is Easton's
right hand that is handcuffed. She believes that her old friend is indeed a
marshal. Appearances deceive her; O. Henry thus, suggests that people often
jump to conclusions that aren't true and ignore seemingly obvious details.
2. Which characteristic trait does the marshal reveal by choosing to lie for Mr.
Easton? How does this depict the overall theme of hearts and hands?

Ans: In O. Henry’s story “Hearts and Hands”, the marshal’s lie to save Mr.
Easton from embarrassment reveals his human nature and sympathy for others,
even for a criminal. Moreover, it is all about his common sense and the presence
of mind. Miss Fairchild was deceived by the duo of the marshal and Mr. Easton
into believing that Mr. Easton was the actual marshal. Only one passenger could
get hold of the catch. In the very last sentence of the story he commented that. It
was the common sense and his presence of mind which let him know the actual
truth while others including the readers were befooled. The Marshal, in the
story- Hearts and Hands, has played a role of concern towards the friendship of
Miss Fairchild and Mr. Easton. The entire story is built up on the basis of this
concern itself.

3. People often jump in to conclusions that aren’t true. They ignore obvious
details when the information is not appealing to them. How far are these
statements applicable in the story?

Ans: In the story Hearts and Hands by O. Henry, among the passengers in a
train were a pair of men linked by a handcuff. One of them was apparently the
Marshal and the other a criminal. A lady passenger apparently knows one of
them called Easton. She strikes a conversation with him. Like almost all the
other passengers, she thinks he is a Marshal. The statements made by the other
linked man also give no way to doubt this statement. What they failed to realize
was that the person whom they thought was the Marshal had linked his right
hand to the other’s left hand. This is very rarely the case when a Marshal links
his prisoner to himself. Since the passengers were not interested in the details
given by the two men, they did not notice the way the handcuff linked the two
men.