O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), an American writer of outstanding short stories known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and surprise endings.

'Between Rounds' is the tale of a lost child, the six-year old son of the owner of a boarding house with a colourful and eclectic range of boarders. For a brief period of the child's absence, the inhabitants pause in their regular activities and relationships. The interlude is described in a warm and gently humorous manner.