The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of the West, by O. Henry

Footnote 97:

Danaë—(Greek mythology) Danaë was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos. Because of a prophecy that Danaë's child would kill him, Acrisius had Danaë, who was childless, shut up in a bronze tower to prevent her from ever becoming pregnant. Zeus became enamored of Danaë and appeared to her as a shower of gold through the ceiling, impregnating her. When she gave birth to a son, Perseus, Acrisius had Danaë and Perseus locked in a wooden chest and set adrift in the ocean. They reached land and safety. Perseus grew up to be one of the great heroes of Greek mythology; slaying the gorgon Medusa was one of his many adventures. At an athletic contest he threw the discus, which by accident flew into the crowd, striking and killing Acrisius, who happened to be a spectator at the games.

Presumably O. Henry's metaphor refers to a shower of gold.
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Footnote 98:

lèse-majesté—(French) an affront to royalty
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Footnote 99:

Momus—(Greek mythology) the god of ridicule and mockery
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Footnote 100:

In Shakespeare's As You Like It the erudite Jaques, one of the banished duke's attendants in the Forest of Arden, is cynical and sarcastic.
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Footnote 101:

now in his sere and yellow leaf—Macbeth, Act V, Sc. iii:

"I have liv'd long enough: my way of life
Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf;
And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have; . . ."

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Footnote 102:

oriflamme—the red-orange flag of the Abbey St. Denis, used as a standard by early French kings
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Footnote 103:

Rat-trap—O. Henry was married twice, once in his twenties (she died a few years after they were married) and again near the end of his life. Both marriages were somewhat stormy, and he often complained that marriage was too confining.
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Footnote 104:

muchacha—(Spanish) young girl
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Footnote 105:

seidlitz powder—a medication made by mixing powders of sodium potassium tartrate, sodium bicarbonate, and tartaric acid, used for its laxative effect or to treat hangovers
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Footnote 106:

Annie and Willie's prayer—probably refers to a poem by Sophia Snow called "Annie and Willie's Prayer" which parodies "'Twas the Night before Christmas":

"'Twas the night before Christmas, 'Goodnight,' had been said,
And Annie and Willie had crept into bed; . . ."

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Footnote 107:

Violet de Vere—name of a poem by Robert William Service (1874-1958) about a strip-teaser brought before a judge for disturbing the peace. Violet is released when she reveals that the judge owes her money.
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Footnote 108:

Fredericksburg is in the Hill Country west of Austin and north of San Antonio. It is near but not "on" the Pedernales. Fredericksburg was settled largely by Germans (as was most of Central Texas), and as recently as the 1940's German was commonly spoken in its cafes. Even today (2004) the main street (named Der Hauptstrasse) boasts an array of German restaurants. Austin had a large German population when O. Henry lived there in the 1890's, and when he was publishing a weekly humorous newspaper called _The Rolling Stone_ he lost many subscribers and advertisers by satirizing the Germans. Note his treatment of a German accent later in this story.
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Footnote 109:

scat—skat, a popular German card game
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Footnote 110:

Donnerwetter!—(German) an exclamation, literally translated "thunder-weather!"
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Footnote 111:

Ausgespielt—(German) finished
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