Gillian Tolman’s uncle,

LITER ATURE – 4A
Septimus Gillian, has died. His
lawyer, Tolman, has just read
the will.

START THINKING … The rest goes to a hospital to get rid of the bacteria he’s inventing!
There are one or two trifling gifts on the side. The butler and
1 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions. the housekeeper get a seal ring and $10 each. His nephew gets
●● What would you do with $1,000? $1,000.’
35 ‘You’ve always had plenty of money to spend,’ observed Old
●● Do you prefer to spend or to save money? Why?
Bryson.
●● Can money buy happiness? Why or why not? ‘Tons,’ said Gillian. ‘Uncle was the fairy godmother as far as an
allowance was concerned.’
‘Any other heirs?’ asked Old Bryson.
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS 40 ‘None. There is a Miss Hayden, a ward of my uncle, who
(1908) O Henry lived in his house. She’s a quiet thing – musical – the daughter of
‘One thousand dollars,’ repeated Lawyer Tolman, ‘and here is somebody who was unlucky enough to be his friend. I forgot to
the money.’ say that she was in on the seal ring and $10 joke, too. Don’t be
‘You heard the reading of your uncle’s will,’ continued Lawyer superior and insulting, Old Bryson – tell me what a fellow can do
Tolman. ‘I do not know if you paid much attention to its details. 45 with a thousand dollars.’
5 I must remind you of one. You are required to render to us an Old Bryson rubbed his glasses and smiled. And when
account of the manner of expenditure of this $1,000 as soon as Old Bryson smiled, Gillian knew that he intended to be more
you have disposed of it. I trust that you will so far comply with the offensive than ever.
late Mr Gillian’s wishes.’ ‘A thousand dollars,’ he said, ‘means much or little. One man
‘You may depend upon it,’ said the young man politely, ‘in 50 may buy a happy home with it. Another could send his wife South
10 spite of the extra expense it will entail. I may have to engage a with it and save her life. A thousand dollars would buy pure milk
secretary. I was never good at accounts.’ for one hundred babies during June, July, and August and save
Gillian went to his club. There he hunted out one whom he fifty of their lives. It would provide an education to an ambitious
called Old Bryson. boy. You could rent Madison Square Garden for one evening
Old Bryson was in a corner reading a book, and when he saw 55 with it, and lecture your audience, if you should have one, on the
15 Gillian approaching he sighed, laid down his book and took off his precariousness of being the heir to a fortune.’
glasses. ‘People might like you, Old Bryson,’ said Gillian, always
‘Old Bryson, wake up,’ said Gillian. ‘I’ve a funny story to unruffled, ‘if you wouldn’t moralize. I asked you to tell me what I
tell you.’ could do with a thousand dollars.’
‘I wish you would tell it to someone in the billiard room,’ said 60 ‘You?’ said Bryson, with a gentle laugh. ‘Why, Bobby Gillian,
20 Old Bryson. ‘You know how I hate your stories.’ there’s only one logical thing you could do. You can go buy Miss
‘This is a better one than usual,’ said Gillian, ‘and I’m glad to tell Lotta Lauriere a diamond pendant with the money, and then take
it to you. It’s too sad and funny to go with the rattling of billiard yourself off to Idaho and inflict your presence upon a ranch. I
balls. I’ve just come from my late uncle’s firm. He leaves me an advise a sheep ranch, as I have a particular dislike for sheep.’
even thousand dollars. Now, what can a man possibly do with a 65 ‘Thanks,’ said Gillian, rising, ‘I thought I could depend upon
25 thousand dollars?’ you, Old Bryson. You’ve hit on the very scheme. I wanted to chuck
‘I thought,’ said Old Bryson, ‘that the late Septimus Gillian was the money in a lump, for I’ve got to turn in an account for it, and I
worth something like half a million.’ hate itemizing.’
‘He was,’ assented Gillian, joyously, ‘and that’s where the joke Gillian phoned for a cab and said to the driver:
comes in. He’s left his whole fortune to a bacteria. That is, some of 70 ‘The stage entrance of the Columbine Theatre.’
30 the money goes to a man who is inventing a new bacteria.

Glossary
will  a piece of paper that says who will get your money, ward  a child who is under the legal protection of
house, and things when you die someone else
expenditure  the total amount of money that a offensive  likely to make people angry or upset
government or person spends ambitious  wanting to be successful or powerful
late  no longer alive precariousness  a situation which is likely to get worse
allowance  an amount of money that is regularly given to inflict  to force someone to experience something very
somebody unpleasant
heir  someone who will get another person’s money and
things when that person dies

1 Think Level 3  Literature 4A PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2015

 4A   LITER ATU R E

2 4A.1   Read the text and listen. 8 LISTENING   4A.2   Listen to the next part of the
story. Complete the summary.
3 Read the text again. Mark the sentences T (true), Gillian gave Miss 1 $1,000 (not from his uncle
F (false) or DS (doesn’t say). – he lied). He said he 2 her – she didn’t feel
1 Gillian has to prove to Lawyer Tolman the same. Tolman and Sharp took an 3 out of
what he will spend the money on. the safe – a note from the uncle. If Gillian spends the
money well, he gets 4  . If not, it goes to
2 Old Bryson is asleep when Gillian sees him. 5 Hayden. Gillian says he spent the money on
3 Miss Hayden was Septimus’s daughter. the 6  .
4 Septimus was married.
9 4A.2   Listen again. Answer the questions.
5 The money could buy enough milk to save
a hundred babies’ lives. 1 How does Miss Hayden react when Gillian gives her
the money?
6 Gillian doesn’t think that Old Bryson is popular.
2 What animal does Gillian compare himself to? What
4 READ BETWEEN THE LINES   Answer the questions. do you think this means?
Give reasons and examples from the text. 3 How does Gillian travel to his lawyer’s office?
1 How do you think Gillian behaved while Lawyer
4 What was the relationship between Miss Hayden and
Tolman was reading the will? Gillian’s uncle?
5 How do the lawyers feel about Gillian when he leaves?
2 Did Gillian work hard for his money? How do
we know?
3 Why does Bryson tell Gillian to go to a sheep ranch? WRITING  An essay
What does this tell us about their relationship?
10 WRITING   ‘The finest inheritance you can give
4 Do you think Gillian is going to do what Lawyer to a child is to allow it to make its own way,
Tolman told him to? Why or why not? completely on its own feet.’ (Isadora Duncan)
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
5 VOCABULARY   Complete the sentences with the
Write an essay giving reasons for your view.
correct words from the glossary in the correct
form. 1 Paragraph 1 (Introduction): Say what the
WITmeans to you. Explain the key words.
quotation
1 When he died, the President End the paragraph with your initial opinion.
McKinley was replaced by Roosevelt in 1901. PEN NAMES
2 Paragraph 2: Give arguments that support your
2 It was common for people from wealthy families to
receive an if they chose not to work. MEMOIRS
opinion. Give clear examples and evidence.
3 Paragraph 3: Think about the opposite opinion.
3 Many poor Americans didn’t bother to write a THEMES
Give examples, but say why the argument is weak.
if they didn’t have any money or
4 Paragraph 4 (Conclusion): Summarise your essay
property. SHAKESPEARE’S
and restate your opinion in your first paragraph.
4 In 1901, the average American family’s ENGLISH
was $769 ($21,500 today).
5 Until the 20th Century, marriage was often seen as STYLE
a means to produce the to the family Irony
name and fortune.
The author uses irony (saying the opposite of what
6 A hurricane death upon 8,000 you mean in order to be funny) in the text. Gillian
Americans in Texas in 1901. tells Old Bryson ‘I’ve a funny story to tell you.’ It is
clear that Old Bryson will not find this story funny
6 Underline five words in the text that are new to
and that Gillian uses it to introduce his dilemma.
you. Look them up in a dictionary and then write
The whole story is also ironic: he will only receive
each of them in a sentence.
more money if he spends it well in the first place.
7 ROLE PLAY Work in pairs. Gillian meets Miss
11 Read the quotes below. Why are they ironic?
Lotta Lauriere at the theatre. He explains what
has happened as asks for advice. Student A is 1 ‘Mr President you can’t say that Dallas doesn’t
Gillian, Student B is Lotta. Read the beginning of love you.’ (to President J.F. Kennedy before he was
the conversation and then continue it with your assassinated)
own ideas. 2 ‘The war to end all wars!’ (by H.G. Wells about the
First World War)
GILLIAN Phew! You’re still here!
3 ‘Groups with guitars are on their way out.’ (by a music
LOTTA What is it, Bobby? I’m going on in two minutes. producer who didn’t want to be The Beatles’ manager)

Think Level 3  Literature 4A PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2015 2