A Startling Demonstration

"A Startling Demonstration" is a short story by O. Henry that showcases the author's signature wit and surprise twists. The narrative revolves around a man who sets out to demonstrate the power of a certain type of persuasion through a staged scenario involving a seemingly mundane interaction. As the plot unfolds, O. Henry explores themes of human nature, deception, and the unexpected outcomes that can arise from social experiments. The story highlights the cleverness of the protagonist and the humorous, ironic situations that emerge, showcasing O. Henry's talent for blending humor with poignant social commentary.

• Short story

								
What a terrible state of affairs it would be if we could read each
other's minds! It is safe to say that if such were the case, most of
us would be afraid to think above a whisper.

As an illustration, a case might be cited that occurred in Houston.
Some months ago a very charming young lady came to this city giving
exhibitions in mind reading, and proved herself to be marvelously
gifted in that respect. She easily read the thoughts of the audience,
finding many articles hidden by simply holding the hand of the person
secreting them, and read sentences written on little slips of paper by
some at a considerable distance from her.

A young man in Houston fell in love with her, and married her after a
short courtship. They went to housekeeping and for a time were as
happy as mortals can be.

One evening they were sitting on the porch of their residence holding
each other's hands, and wrapt in the close communion of mutual love,
when she suddenly rose and knocked him down the steps with a large
flowerpot. He arose astonished, with a big bump on his head, and asked
her, if it were not too much trouble, to explain.

"You can't fool me," she said with flashing eyes. "You were thinking
of a redheaded girl named Maud with a gold plug in her front tooth and
a light pink waist and a black silk skirt on Rusk Avenue, standing
under a cedar bush chewing gum at twenty minutes to eight with your
arm around her waist and calling her 'sweetness,' while she fooled
with your watch chain and said: 'Oh, George, give me a chance to
breathe,' and her mother was calling her to supper. Don't you dare to
deny it. Now, when you can get your mind on something better than
that, you can come in the house and not before."

Then the door slammed and George and the broken flowerpot were alone.
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