Cabbages and Kings

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer.

Porter was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and later moved to Texas in 1882. It was there that he met his wife, Athol Estes, with whom he had two children. In 1902, after the death of his wife, Porter moved to New York, where he soon remarried. It was while he was in New York that Porter's most intensive writing period occurred, with Porter writing 381 short stories.

Porter's works include "The Gift of the Magi", "The Duplicity of Hargraves", and "The Ransom of Red Chief". His stories are known for their surprise endings and witty narration. Porter also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His work has transformed into film and even on the stage as an opera.

Porter may have embezzled or otherwise mismanaged funds while working as a bank teller and bookkeeper. He was indicted and convicted and served his time at a penitentiary in Ohio where he worked as a pharmacist and published a dozen stories.

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