The characters we meet in the story under analysis are:
1) Harvey Maxwell
2) Miss Leslie
3) Mr. Pitcher
"The Romance of a Busy Broker" mostly told about how busy the main character that is Harvey Maxwell, a Manhattan broker, with his work until became forgetful.
"Pitcher, confidential clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, allowed a look of mild interest and surprise to visit his usually expressionless countenance when his employer briskly entered at half past nine in company with his young lady stenographer. With a snappy "Good-morning, Pitcher," Maxwell dashed at his desk as though he were intending to leap over it, and then plunged into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting there for him."
In this opening paragraph, O’ Henry told the reader that how busy Harvey Maxwell. When Harvey gave greeting to Pitcher, his clerk, he was in a hurry. It was proven when he run into his desk and did his daily work. These kinds of activities were also done by average people living in New York City.
"The machine sitting at that desk was no longer a man; it was a busy New York broker, moved by buzzing wheels and uncoiling springs.
"Well--what is it? Anything?" asked Maxwell sharply. His opened mail lay like a bank of stage snow on his crowded desk. His keen grey eye, impersonal and brusque, flashed upon her half impatiently."
Once again the author showed the reader that this kind of business life happened in New York at that time. In this story, Harvey was in a stressful condition. His desk was crowded. Harvey also became impersonal and brusque. He could become impatient when he had to talk with other people.
"He who has been denied the spectacle of a busy Manhattan broker during a rush of business is handicapped for the profession of anthropology. The poet sings of the "crowded hour of glorious life." The broker's hour is not only crowded, but the minutes and seconds are hanging to all the straps and packing both front and rear platforms."
O. Henry tried to hyperbole a rush of business in New York. In this case, Harvey could not denied the crowded of Manhattan broker. Every second, every minute, every hour, and every day, Harvey was lack of time. He was full of ambition to finish the demand of his work.
"Lady from the Stenographer's Agency to see about the position," said Pitcher.
Maxwell turned half around, with his hands full of papers and ticker tape.
The hand full of papers and ticker tape showed the reader that Harvey couldn’t be free from such kind of job. Although there was someone wanted to talk with him, the thick paper was still on his hand.
"You are losing your mind, Pitcher," said Maxwell. "Why should I have given you any such instructions? Miss Leslie has given perfect satisfaction during the year she has been here. The place is hers as long as she chooses to retain it. There's no place open here, madam. Countermand that order with the agency, Pitcher, and don't bring any more of 'em in here."
The silver heart left the office, swinging and banging itself independently against the office furniture as it indignantly departed. Pitcher seized a moment to remark to the bookkeeper that the "old man" seemed to get more absent-minded and forgetful every day of the world.
These paragraphs showed the reader that Harvey became forgetful day after day. Besides, Harvey became easy to be angry when there was a problem with his clerk. Actually at that time the clerk misunderstood about Harvey’s instruction. The clerk thought that his boss was disappointed with the stenographer and wanted to get the new one. Therefore, the clerk brought a new stenographer. Unfortunately, his boss was angry at him because at the fact Harvey was really satisfied with Miss Leslie, his stenographer who had worked at his office for one year. This kind of angriness usually happened in a big town like New York which had a rush hour.
The rush and pace of business grew fiercer and faster. On the floor they were pounding half a dozen stocks in which Maxwell's customers were heavy investors. Orders to buy and sell were coming and going as swift as the flight of swallows. Some of his own holdings were imperilled, and the man was working like some high-geared, delicate, strong machine--strung to full tension, going at full speed, accurate, never hesitating, with the proper word and decision and act ready and prompt as clockwork. Stocks and bonds, loans and mortgages, margins and securities--here was a world of finance, and there was no room in it for the human world or the world of nature.
In this part, the author showed the reader that a man worked like a strong machine. He never thought about how much time and energy that he sacrificed for his work. People seemed never got recreation or some refreshment in their life.
He dashed into the inner office with the haste of a short trying to cover. He charged upon the desk of the stenographer.
She looked up at him with a smile. A soft pink crept over her cheek, and her eyes were kind and frank. Maxwell leaned one elbow on her desk. He still clutched fluttering papers with both hands and the pen was above his ear.
"Miss Leslie," he began hurriedly, "I have but a moment to spare. I want to say something in that moment. Will you he my wife? I haven't had time to make love to you in the ordinary way, but I really do love you. Talk quick, please--those fellows are clubbing the stuffing out of Union Pacific."
In this paragraph, Harvey could ignore his crowded for a while when he attracted with a beautiful woman. She is Miss Leslie. However, Harvey still forced Miss Leslie to answer his proposal quickly because he had so much works.
"Don't you understand?" said Maxwell, restively. "I want you to marry me. I love you, Miss Leslie. I wanted to tell you, and I snatched a minute when things had slackened up a bit. They're calling me for the 'phone now. Tell 'em to wait a minute, Pitcher. Won't you, Miss Leslie?"
Here, Harvey had to express his feeling straightly because there were many calls waiting for him. The romanticism aspect were less in this moment. However, Harvey could do unusual thing. That was postponing all the calls. This kind of attitude was also usually done by busy people when they had to do the same thing. That was expressing their love feeling to their beloved people.
We have no detailed description of Maxwell, but with the help of indirect characterization the author reveals the character's personality through his words, doings, interactions with others.
The description of Miss Leslie`s appearance is very detailed . This helps us to imagine how did she look like. The author depicts her as a very smart, beautiful and plain woman who always wears gray or dark colored dresses.
Pitcher`s description is not directly given in the text, but with the help of some phrases and sentences we can understand that he is an obedient office worker.
