By Courier (Henry)

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By Courier
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Summary of the Short Story
from the Collection «The Four Million»
Microsummary: A young lady, upset over a perceived betrayal, sat in a park. A young man sent a boy to deliver a message, explaining his innocence. After reading a letter, she realized her mistake and reconciled.

A young lady sat alone on a park bench, deep in thought and seemingly upset. It was neither the season nor the hour for the park to have many visitors, so her presence there appeared to be the result of a sudden impulse to enjoy a taste of the coming spring. Her melancholy seemed recent, as it had not yet altered her youthful features or the determined curve of her lips.

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Young Lady — upset and pensive; has high ideals of loyalty and truth; mistakenly believes her love interest was unfaithful; eventually realizes her mistake.

A tall young man, accompanied by a boy carrying a suitcase, walked through the park and noticed the young lady. His face turned red and then pale as he observed her, hoping for a sign that she was aware of his presence.

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Young Man — on his way to San Francisco; wrongly accused of being unfaithful; tries to explain himself through the boy; loyal and caring.

He passed by her without any indication that she had noticed him, and then sat down on another bench some distance away. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief and instructed the boy to deliver a message to the young lady.

The boy approached the young lady and relayed the young man's message, explaining that he was on his way to San Francisco and then to Alaska for a moose-hunting expedition. The young man wanted to make a final appeal to the young lady's sense of justice, as she had commanded him not to speak or write to her. The young lady responded by explaining that she had seen the young man embracing another woman, Miss Ashburton, in a conservatory, and that this had shattered her ideals of loyalty and truth.

I saw him and Miss Ashburton beneath the pink oleander.

The young man, upon hearing her response, sent a letter to the young lady through the boy. The letter was from the father of Miss Ashburton, thanking the young man for his timely assistance when Miss Ashburton had suffered a heart attack in the conservatory. The young man had caught her as she fell and provided the necessary medical attention. The young lady read the letter and realized her mistake in judging the young man's actions.

With a newfound understanding of the situation, the young lady sent the boy back to the young man with a message that she wanted him. The young man's loyalty and truth had been proven, and the misunderstanding between them was resolved. The story concluded with the young lady's eyes shining brightly, filled with happiness and relief, as she eagerly awaited the reunion with her love interest.

Tell that guy on the other bench that his girl wants him.