- Sam, in love with Katie, drinks too much absinthe and dreams he is a hero saving Katie from danger.
- Sam Tansey adores Katie, daughter of his landlady, and she would be his for the asking. But intimidated by her brutal father, Captain Peek, he cannot bring himself to make advances to her even when taunted by his fellow-boarders, envious because they see all so clearly how the land lies. O. Henry from this point on develops the story by having his hero driven to a chance drink of absinthe. Under the influence of this desperate draught, Tansey rises to imaginary splendor in gallantry and courage. His delirium is an fantastic round of prodigies of valor, in which the girl, her father, and all sorts of grotesque villains revolve in a dizzy plot - Sam always to the rescue. Captain Peek, dwarfs, allegorical figures, nymphs, cavaliers, old hags and a Mexican, ages old, who keeps up the semblance of youth by eating the flesh of a young maiden every little while, these participate in an orgy of violence and intrigue against Katie - and Sam saves her. She rewards him- in the dream - with a warm kiss which he multiplies masterfully. Coming out of his trance to reality, and supposedly inspired and heartened by it, Sam goes home. Kate is there waiting for him by the door, now is his time. But he wavers, loses courage. He clambers awkwardly up the stairs condemned to Katie's withering scorn forever.—Moving Picture World, December 22, 1917
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