After Twenty Years

It was almost ten o’clock at night, and the cold wind had emptied the streets.A policeman walked slowly along his beat, trying the doors of the shops as he passed.In a dark doorway a man was standing, with an unlit cigar in his mouth.

“It’s all right, officer,” the man said. “I’m only waiting for a friend.”“Twenty years ago tonight, I had dinner in this very spot with my best friend, Jimmy Wells.”“The next morning I left for the West to make my fortune, and Jimmy stayed in New York.”

“We promised to meet here again exactly twenty years later, whatever had become of us.”“I’ve done well out West,” the man said, showing a fine watch set with small diamonds.“I hope your friend comes,” said the policeman. “Good night.” And he walked on down the street.

A fine, cold rain began to fall, but the man went on waiting in the doorway.After about twenty minutes, a tall man in a long overcoat came hurrying across the road.“Is that you, Bob?” he called. “Jimmy Wells!” cried the man in the doorway, and the two shook hands.

They walked along together, and Bob talked happily about all his years in the West.At the corner stood a shop with bright lights. Bob turned to look at his friend’s face — and stopped.“You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he said. “Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man’s nose.”

“It is long enough to change a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago asked us to look out for you.”Then he handed Bob a note: Jimmy had come to the meeting on time, had known Bob’s face at once as a wanted man, and — unable to arrest his old friend with his own hands — had sent another officer instead.