Intentional or not, The Trimmed Lamp (1907) seems to sound a darker note than The Four Million. Alongside the light-hearted stories, there are many tales of despair. Often in these stories a sudden gush of pain will erupt. At times a story ends on a note of bleak tragedy and hopelessness. The word "lost" echoes time and again. "Brickdust Row" ends with: "But man, it's too late, I tell you. It's too late. It's too late. It's too late." The story of "Elsie in New York" tells of young girls who are "lost thus around us every day." "The Guilty Party" chronicles the neglect of a young child, who eventually kills her lover and commits suicide. The hero of "The Assessor of Success" concludes with a cry of despair, "God! I wish I could die."

Once again O. Henry presents a kaleidoscope of characters; the millionaire, the...