His Pension

Read the complete short story “His Pension” by O. Henry.

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“Speaking of the $140,000,000 paid out yearly by the government in pensions,” said a prominent member of Hood’s brigade to the Post’s representative, “I am told that a man in Indiana applied for a pension last month on account of a surgical operation he had performed on him during the war. And what do you suppose that surgical operation was?”

“Haven’t the least idea.”

“He had his retreat cut off at the battle of Gettysburg!”

Complete classic story. English source: Standard Ebooks. The source edition identifies the text as public domain in the United States; copyright rules vary by country.

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