In the short story, 'The Coming-Out of Maggie' by O. Henry, Maggie Toole, a plain, Irish woman, grows tired of going to the weekly dance with her best friend Anna McCarty instead of a date. She asks an Italian man to escort her, disguised under the name Terry O'Sullivan. O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.
William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 - June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. |
