O. HENRY (1862 –1910), born William Sydney Porter, was an American short story writer. Most of O. Henry's stories take place in New York City and deal with ordinary people: policemen, waitresses, bartenders, salesmen, etc.

O. Henry received widespread acclaim because of his trademark tales of gentle, warm-hearted characters and ironic plot twists at the end of the story. These iconic plot transitions were soon referred to as “O. Henry Endings.”

The personal favorites included in this volume, such as The Gift of the Magi, The Voice of the City and On Behalf of the Management are gems of their kind; mellow, humorous, ironic, and ingenious.

Author of hundreds of short stories including "The Ransom of Red Chief" (1910), "The Duplicity of Hargraves" (1902), and "The Gift of the Magi" (1905), his works have never been out of print and have been adapted for the stage, film, radio and television.

He died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty-seven. An alcoholic, he died penniless.