作家 O Henry（1862-1910）所寫的短篇故事，常有出人意料之外的結局。

  律師告訴Gillian他的叔叔留給他一千元，而且規定他必須要詳列支出項目。Gillian向好友抱怨叔叔有五十萬元的遺產卻只給他一千，實在可笑！叔叔留給男女管家各十元和一枚雕花戒指，反而捐贈巨款給醫院研究細菌。叔叔是一位朋友女兒Hayden小姐的監護人，她也在十元和戒指名單中。Gillian說他寧願自己也名列其中，用十元買二瓶酒，戒指就給侍者當小費，就不必麻煩還要交代如何花用。

"There is a Miss Hayden, a ward of my uncle who lived in his house. She's a quiet thing—the daughter of somebody who was unlucky enough to be his friend. I forgot to say that she was in on the seal ring and $10 joke, too. I wish I had been . Then I could have had two bottles of brut, tipped the waiter with the ring, and had the whole business off my hands."

Gillian決定買個鑽石墜子送給舞台名伶Lauriere小姐。他坐計程車到劇院，沒想到Lauriere小姐只撥二分鐘和他說話，而且說她想要一條價格二千二百元的第凡內項鍊。Gillian由律師那裡確認Hayden小姐沒有得到叔叔其他的遺留下來的財產；他回到叔叔家，Hayden小姐正在書房寫信，她的個子瘦小纖細穿著一身黑，眼睛噙著淚水。Gillian用玩世不恭的口吻對她說：「律師剛才通知我，他們找到遺囑的修訂但書，後來老頭子後來心軟，要再給妳一千元。我正好路過這裡，律師要我順便帶錢過來，請妳點一下是否正確。」

Miss Hayden was writing letters in the library. She was small and slender and clothed in black. Gillian drifted in with his air of regarding the world as inconsequent."I've just come from the lawyers. They found an amendment or a postscript or something to the will. It seemed that the old boy loosened up a little on second thoughts and willed you a thousand dollars. I was driving up this way, and the lawyer asked me to bring you the money. Here it is. You'd better count it to see if it's right."

Gillian在便條上略述一千元給了Hayden小姐，裝在信封裡去找律師。律師從保險箱拿出一個大紙袋，並宣讀袋內文件內容：「遺囑附加條款如下：如果你謹慎明智地用掉這一千元，律師將再交給你價值五萬元的債券。你如果又和酒肉朋友一起揮霍，五萬元將交給Hayden小姐。現在讓我們來看看吧！」律師伸手要拿放在桌上的信封，不料Gillian搶先一步拿回，把信封和便條撕碎放進口袋裡。他笑著說：「不必麻煩了。你們看不懂我列的賭金細目，我這一千元都輸在賽馬上了！再見！」Gillian等電梯時還開心地吹口哨，律師們不解地搖頭、面面相覷。

The lawyer reached for the envelope. Gillian was a little the quicker in taking it up. He tore the account and its cover leisurely into strips and dropped them into his pocket. "It's all right," he said smilingly. "There isn't a bit of need to bother you with this. I don't suppose you'd understand these itemized bets, anyway. I lost the thousand dollars on the races. Good day to you, gentlemen." The lawyers shook their heads mournfully at each other when Gillian left, for they heard him whistling gaily in the hallway as he waited for the elevator.