THE CACTUS: A STORY ABOUT THE IRONY OF FATE

For O. Henry, the short story was not just a literary act of communicating his artistic imagination, but also a vehicle to explore the extreme possibilities of such an endeavor. 
”The Cactus” is no exception. The readers are , for the principal part of the story, invited into an assurance of predictable dullness when suddenly their trance is broken and they are awakened to a revelation.
In many works of Literature, the setting establishes a sense of place and lifestyle. Included in this set up are moral codes, customs, clothing style, technology, and perhaps a sense of the level of education of the locals. This can create a sense of whether or not character "fit" into their surroundings and create tension in a novel.