After Twenty Years
The Policemen on duty moved up the avenue impressively, The look of impressiveness was from habit and not for show, because there were few poople to notice him. The time was barely ten o'clock at night, but a chilly wind with a few drops of rain in it had driven most of the people off the streets.
he tried the doors as he went along, swinging his club with many complicated and artful movements, Now and then he turned ton look watchfully down the quiet avenue. The policeman, with his strong form and confident manner, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. The district was one that closed up early, From time to time you might see the lights of a cigar store or an all night restaurant, but most of the doors belonged to places of business that had closed hours before.
About midway of a certain block, the policeman showed his walk. A man with an unlighted cigar in his mouth was standing in the doorway of a darkened stone front. As the policeman walked over to him, the man spoke up quickly, It's all right, officer he said, I'm just waiting for a friend. It's an appointment madeu twenty years ago," The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar, The light showed a pale square jawed face with keen eyes and a little white car near his right eyebrow. There was a diamond pin in his necktie.
Twenty years ago tonight, the man continued, I dined here at Joe Brady's restaurant with Jimmy Wells, my best friend and the finest fellow in the world.He and I grew up here in New York together just like two brothers. I was eighteen and Jimmy didn't want to go ; he thought New York was the best place on earth to live, Well, we agreed that we would meet here exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our condition might he or what distance we might have to travel. We supposed that in twenty years each of us ought to have our fortunes made and we ought to have found our rightful in the world by that time,
It sounds pretty interesting, the policeman remarked, " Rather a long time between meeting, though, it seems to me, Haven't you heard from your friend since you left?
" Well, yes.For a time we wrote to each other," the other man continued, but after a year or tow we lost contact with each other completely," You see, the West is pretty big place, and I kept moving around all the time, But I know Jimmy will meet me here tonight if he's alive, for he always was the truest, most loyal fellow in the world. He'll never forget,I came a thousand miles to stand in this doorway tonight, and it's worth the trip if my old friend comes to meet me,
The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lid of which was set with small diamonds.
Three minutes to ten," he announced." It was exactly ten o'clock when we parted here at the restaurant door. You did well in the West, didn't you? the policeman said.
You're right I hope Jimmy had done half as well. He was sort of dull, although he was a very nice fellow, I've had to compete with some of the sharpest people in the country to make my fortune. A man gets dull in New York. But the West makes him sharp, " The policeman twirled' his club and took a step or two.
I'll be on my way, I hope your friend comes Are you going to leave it he's not here exactly at ten o'clock.
Oh' no, the other said, I'll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is alive, he'll be here by that time, Good night, officer.
Good night, sir, the policeman said, continuing along his route, trying the doors as he want. There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling. and the wind was blowing steadily. The few people walking around that district hurried along silently with their coat collars turned up and with their hands in their pockets. And in the doorway of the store, the man who had come a thousand miles to keep an uncertain appointment with a friend of his youth smoked his cigar and waited.
About twenty minutes later a tall man in a long overcoat, with collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street.He went directly to the waiting man.
Is that you, Bob? he asked doubtfully.
Is that you, Jimmy Wells? responded the man in the doorway,
It's good to see you" the new arrival said grasping both the other's hands in his own. It's good old Bob.I knew I'd find you here if you were still in existence.Well , well, well Twenty years is a long time.The old restaurant's gone. Bob, I wish it had remained, so we could have had another dinner there, How did you like the West, old fellow?"
Marvelous, I found everything I wanted there. You've changed a lot, Jimmy,I never thought you were so tall"
Oh' I grew a little after I was twenty." Are you doing well in New York,Jimmy ?
Moderately, I have a job in one of the city departments.Come on, Bob, We'll go around the corner to a place I know wand have a long talk about old times.
The two men started up the street arm in arm. The man from the West, his egotism" enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career, The other man listened with interest.
At the corner there was drug store, brilliant with electric lights. When they reached this lighted area, they turned to look at each other, The man from the West stopped suddenly and released the other man's arms.
You're not Jimmy Wells," he said angrily, Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a good man into a bad one. the tall man replied, "You've been under arest for ten minutes, Silky Bob.The Chicago police thought you might come to New York and they asked us to arrest you. I hope you'll go quietly. That's sensible Now, before we go to the station, have's a note I was asked to give to you, You may read it here at the window,It's from Officer Jimmy Wells"
The man from the West unfolded a little piece of paper handed him. His it trembled a little by the time he had finished. The note was rather ahort.
Bob, I went to the appointed place on time.I was the policeman you were talking to. When you struck a match to light your cigar, I saw it was the face of a man wanted the idea of arresting an old friend myself, I sent a plain clothes man to do it.
About midway of a certain block, the policeman showed his walk. A man with an unlighted cigar in his mouth was standing in the doorway of a darkened stone front. As the policeman walked over to him, the man spoke up quickly, It's all right, officer he said, I'm just waiting for a friend. It's an appointment madeu twenty years ago," The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar, The light showed a pale square jawed face with keen eyes and a little white car near his right eyebrow. There was a diamond pin in his necktie.
Twenty years ago tonight, the man continued, I dined here at Joe Brady's restaurant with Jimmy Wells, my best friend and the finest fellow in the world.He and I grew up here in New York together just like two brothers. I was eighteen and Jimmy didn't want to go ; he thought New York was the best place on earth to live, Well, we agreed that we would meet here exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our condition might he or what distance we might have to travel. We supposed that in twenty years each of us ought to have our fortunes made and we ought to have found our rightful in the world by that time,
It sounds pretty interesting, the policeman remarked, " Rather a long time between meeting, though, it seems to me, Haven't you heard from your friend since you left?
" Well, yes.For a time we wrote to each other," the other man continued, but after a year or tow we lost contact with each other completely," You see, the West is pretty big place, and I kept moving around all the time, But I know Jimmy will meet me here tonight if he's alive, for he always was the truest, most loyal fellow in the world. He'll never forget,I came a thousand miles to stand in this doorway tonight, and it's worth the trip if my old friend comes to meet me,
The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lid of which was set with small diamonds.
Three minutes to ten," he announced." It was exactly ten o'clock when we parted here at the restaurant door. You did well in the West, didn't you? the policeman said.
You're right I hope Jimmy had done half as well. He was sort of dull, although he was a very nice fellow, I've had to compete with some of the sharpest people in the country to make my fortune. A man gets dull in New York. But the West makes him sharp, " The policeman twirled' his club and took a step or two.
I'll be on my way, I hope your friend comes Are you going to leave it he's not here exactly at ten o'clock.
Oh' no, the other said, I'll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is alive, he'll be here by that time, Good night, officer.
About twenty minutes later a tall man in a long overcoat, with collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street.He went directly to the waiting man.
Is that you, Bob? he asked doubtfully.
Is that you, Jimmy Wells? responded the man in the doorway,
It's good to see you" the new arrival said grasping both the other's hands in his own. It's good old Bob.I knew I'd find you here if you were still in existence.Well , well, well Twenty years is a long time.The old restaurant's gone. Bob, I wish it had remained, so we could have had another dinner there, How did you like the West, old fellow?"
Marvelous, I found everything I wanted there. You've changed a lot, Jimmy,I never thought you were so tall"
Oh' I grew a little after I was twenty." Are you doing well in New York,Jimmy ?
Moderately, I have a job in one of the city departments.Come on, Bob, We'll go around the corner to a place I know wand have a long talk about old times.
The two men started up the street arm in arm. The man from the West, his egotism" enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career, The other man listened with interest.
At the corner there was drug store, brilliant with electric lights. When they reached this lighted area, they turned to look at each other, The man from the West stopped suddenly and released the other man's arms.
You're not Jimmy Wells," he said angrily, Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a good man into a bad one. the tall man replied, "You've been under arest for ten minutes, Silky Bob.The Chicago police thought you might come to New York and they asked us to arrest you. I hope you'll go quietly. That's sensible Now, before we go to the station, have's a note I was asked to give to you, You may read it here at the window,It's from Officer Jimmy Wells"
The man from the West unfolded a little piece of paper handed him. His it trembled a little by the time he had finished. The note was rather ahort.
Bob, I went to the appointed place on time.I was the policeman you were talking to. When you struck a match to light your cigar, I saw it was the face of a man wanted the idea of arresting an old friend myself, I sent a plain clothes man to do it.
