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A policeman was going on his usual last round on a quiet road in New York around ten at night. The climate was bad with chilly winds and a drizzle, and so there were very few people on the road. Those who were on the road were walking with hurried steps towards their homes.
The policeman on his duty looked impressive as he went about checking closed doors of shops making various interesting and playful movements with his small stick. Most of these shops had either closed or were closing down. He could still see one or two all-night restaurants and some shops completing the day's work. The majority of these houses were business places which had closed due to bankruptcy long ago. One of them was the "Brady's restaurant".
The policeman let out a sigh as he saw the restaurant. Now and then he turned about the peaceful road, as if looking for someone. He thought about the appearance of the notorious criminal who had printed counterfeit notes, as described by his boss. He felt a little ashamed as that criminal was still at large.
"Chicago, a thousand miles away - no chance of that crook coming here. No chance to catch him either", he thought, "Never mind, Jim, never mind. Luck owes you a debt." He was, perhaps, in the habit of talking to himself when alone. That's sometimes a good habit though - you get a company for yourself. Even then, some say that it may split your personalities into two if you take it a bit too much. That, however, didn't matter for him. He, being a policeman, had very rare chances -like this one, to be alone.
There was something else playing on his mind though. He glanced at his watch which showed quarter past ten. "Fifteen minutes more".
Suddenly, in the face of the dark, he saw the outline of a man. He quickened his steps, perhaps with a sub-conscious hope that that man might be the criminal. The outline now morphed into a recognizable shape. He kept walking, but opened his mouth, while still far away from him, to speak to the man, but changed his mind.
That man, realizing that his way of standing there might seem suspicious to a policeman, opened his mouth to address the officer. "Its all right, officer. I'm waiting here for a friend of mine. It is an appointment made twenty years ago."
The man had a feeling that the policeman was about to burst out in a laughter, though he was not sure whether or not that feeling was true. So he added as the policeman walked up to him, "It sounds funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I can explain. About twenty years ago, there used to be a restaurant where this store stands, Brady's restaurant"
"Until five years ago", the officer said with a slight rise in his enthusiasm. He was about to introduce himself to the man, but checked himself. The man struck a match and lit his cigar. The policeman had, for the first time, a chance to look at his face.
The man continued, "Twenty years ago, on this night, I dined here with Jimmy Wells, my best chum. He was for me the finest chap in this world. Both of us had been brought up here in New York, just like two brothers. The next morning I was to leave for the west to make my fortune. Jimmy was a drab homing bird. He could never think of any other place on this earth except New York. So, we agreed that night to meet here again exactly after twenty years, at ten thirty. We agreed to meet, whatever our conditions would be."
"It all sounds pretty interesting. But didn't you hear from your friend since you left?", said the policeman.
"Erm, yeah. We corresponded for a year or two. But, I was not settled yet. So we lost track of each other then." The man answered to him. In reply all that the policeman did was to raise an eyebrow. The man took this as an expression of disbelief to the success of their meet given the fact they had never corresponded in the last eighteen years.
"But I trust Jimmy. He'll meet me here if he is alive. He'll never forget our meet. I have come here from Chicago to stand at this door. Jimmy was finer than me, there is no way he won't turn up."
The man took out of his pocket a beautiful watch with diamonds embedded on it. "Ten twenty-five", he said, "It was exactly half-past ten when we parted here at the restaurant door."
"Made lots of money out in the west, didn't you?", asked the policeman.
"Well, to be frank, yes. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest brains in the world. The west requires fighting and teaches it."
"I hope your friend comes around all right," he said. "Are you going to wait for some time in case he doesn't turn up at the appointed time?"
"I'll give him half an hour," said the other "If Jimmy is in existence he'll be here by that time".
The officer did not have a good feeling when he heard these words. "Goodnight, sir" he said; and walked away examining closed doors as he went.
The chilly winds blew faster and the drizzle thickened, and so the few people who were walking on the road were emptying the road with quickened steps and at the same time, wondering on the static posture of the man who had come from a thousand miles far-away place to fulfill an appointment that was made twenty-years ago.
He waited for some time after that. In the few minutes that he waited, he never failed to glance at his watch twice in a minute. He took out the watch from his pocket another time, but quickly put it back in its place when he saw a man hurrying from the opposite end of the street. The man waited there doubtfully, and asked with a hope, "Are you Jimmy Wells?". "Is that you Bob?" asked the other man.
"Well, well, well. Its you then, Bob. Twenty years is a long time. But even then, I knew we would meet again", the new arrival replied.
"Well, Jimmy, you are still that good old chap I knew. I've heard that the old restaurant is gone."
"I wish it had lasted. That was our hangout - and I wished we could have another dinner there. Anyways, how has your life gone in the West?"
They now begin to walk down the streets hands in hands.
"Nothing to complain of, it has given me everything that I wanted. But yes, you've changed quite a bit. You look a lot taller than we met last time. How has your life been here in New York?"
"Not bad. I am working in a local departmental store as a manager. Come on Bob, we'll go to a place I know of, and have a good talk about our old times"
"Nostalgia, ain't gonna be the same", replied Bob with a twinkle in his eyes. But the other man was not able to notice it. Owing to the dark, they never had a chance to have a good look at each other's face. Bob was rather pumped up by his success, and the other man was listening to him in rapt attention. Eventually, they came under a brilliantly lit street lamp. There each of them turned simultaneously to gaze at each other's face.
Bob let go of the other's arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells", he stammered, "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's sharp nose into a flat one!"
"But it is enough to change a good man into a bad one. You've been under arrest for the last ten minutes Bob, or whatever your name is. The commissioner of New York wants to have a chat with you with regards to the counterfeit notes that have come this way. Before we go to the police station, here is a note I was asked to give. It is from Assistant Sub-Inspector Jimmy Wells."
Bob read the note steadily, but his hands did tremble as he neared the end of the note. The note, by itself, was rather short.
"Bob, I was there at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw that it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. I couldn't do it myself. So I went around and got a plain-clothes policeman to do the job."
The policeman on his duty looked impressive as he went about checking closed doors of shops making various interesting and playful movements with his small stick. Most of these shops had either closed or were closing down. He could still see one or two all-night restaurants and some shops completing the day's work. The majority of these houses were business places which had closed due to bankruptcy long ago. One of them was the "Brady's restaurant".
The policeman let out a sigh as he saw the restaurant. Now and then he turned about the peaceful road, as if looking for someone. He thought about the appearance of the notorious criminal who had printed counterfeit notes, as described by his boss. He felt a little ashamed as that criminal was still at large.
"Chicago, a thousand miles away - no chance of that crook coming here. No chance to catch him either", he thought, "Never mind, Jim, never mind. Luck owes you a debt." He was, perhaps, in the habit of talking to himself when alone. That's sometimes a good habit though - you get a company for yourself. Even then, some say that it may split your personalities into two if you take it a bit too much. That, however, didn't matter for him. He, being a policeman, had very rare chances -like this one, to be alone.
There was something else playing on his mind though. He glanced at his watch which showed quarter past ten. "Fifteen minutes more".
Suddenly, in the face of the dark, he saw the outline of a man. He quickened his steps, perhaps with a sub-conscious hope that that man might be the criminal. The outline now morphed into a recognizable shape. He kept walking, but opened his mouth, while still far away from him, to speak to the man, but changed his mind.
That man, realizing that his way of standing there might seem suspicious to a policeman, opened his mouth to address the officer. "Its all right, officer. I'm waiting here for a friend of mine. It is an appointment made twenty years ago."
The man had a feeling that the policeman was about to burst out in a laughter, though he was not sure whether or not that feeling was true. So he added as the policeman walked up to him, "It sounds funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I can explain. About twenty years ago, there used to be a restaurant where this store stands, Brady's restaurant"
"Until five years ago", the officer said with a slight rise in his enthusiasm. He was about to introduce himself to the man, but checked himself. The man struck a match and lit his cigar. The policeman had, for the first time, a chance to look at his face.
The man continued, "Twenty years ago, on this night, I dined here with Jimmy Wells, my best chum. He was for me the finest chap in this world. Both of us had been brought up here in New York, just like two brothers. The next morning I was to leave for the west to make my fortune. Jimmy was a drab homing bird. He could never think of any other place on this earth except New York. So, we agreed that night to meet here again exactly after twenty years, at ten thirty. We agreed to meet, whatever our conditions would be."
"It all sounds pretty interesting. But didn't you hear from your friend since you left?", said the policeman.
"Erm, yeah. We corresponded for a year or two. But, I was not settled yet. So we lost track of each other then." The man answered to him. In reply all that the policeman did was to raise an eyebrow. The man took this as an expression of disbelief to the success of their meet given the fact they had never corresponded in the last eighteen years.
"But I trust Jimmy. He'll meet me here if he is alive. He'll never forget our meet. I have come here from Chicago to stand at this door. Jimmy was finer than me, there is no way he won't turn up."
The man took out of his pocket a beautiful watch with diamonds embedded on it. "Ten twenty-five", he said, "It was exactly half-past ten when we parted here at the restaurant door."
"Made lots of money out in the west, didn't you?", asked the policeman.
"Well, to be frank, yes. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest brains in the world. The west requires fighting and teaches it."
"I hope your friend comes around all right," he said. "Are you going to wait for some time in case he doesn't turn up at the appointed time?"
"I'll give him half an hour," said the other "If Jimmy is in existence he'll be here by that time".
The officer did not have a good feeling when he heard these words. "Goodnight, sir" he said; and walked away examining closed doors as he went.
The chilly winds blew faster and the drizzle thickened, and so the few people who were walking on the road were emptying the road with quickened steps and at the same time, wondering on the static posture of the man who had come from a thousand miles far-away place to fulfill an appointment that was made twenty-years ago.
He waited for some time after that. In the few minutes that he waited, he never failed to glance at his watch twice in a minute. He took out the watch from his pocket another time, but quickly put it back in its place when he saw a man hurrying from the opposite end of the street. The man waited there doubtfully, and asked with a hope, "Are you Jimmy Wells?". "Is that you Bob?" asked the other man.
"Well, well, well. Its you then, Bob. Twenty years is a long time. But even then, I knew we would meet again", the new arrival replied.
"Well, Jimmy, you are still that good old chap I knew. I've heard that the old restaurant is gone."
"I wish it had lasted. That was our hangout - and I wished we could have another dinner there. Anyways, how has your life gone in the West?"
They now begin to walk down the streets hands in hands.
"Nothing to complain of, it has given me everything that I wanted. But yes, you've changed quite a bit. You look a lot taller than we met last time. How has your life been here in New York?"
"Not bad. I am working in a local departmental store as a manager. Come on Bob, we'll go to a place I know of, and have a good talk about our old times"
"Nostalgia, ain't gonna be the same", replied Bob with a twinkle in his eyes. But the other man was not able to notice it. Owing to the dark, they never had a chance to have a good look at each other's face. Bob was rather pumped up by his success, and the other man was listening to him in rapt attention. Eventually, they came under a brilliantly lit street lamp. There each of them turned simultaneously to gaze at each other's face.
Bob let go of the other's arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells", he stammered, "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's sharp nose into a flat one!"
"But it is enough to change a good man into a bad one. You've been under arrest for the last ten minutes Bob, or whatever your name is. The commissioner of New York wants to have a chat with you with regards to the counterfeit notes that have come this way. Before we go to the police station, here is a note I was asked to give. It is from Assistant Sub-Inspector Jimmy Wells."
Bob read the note steadily, but his hands did tremble as he neared the end of the note. The note, by itself, was rather short.
"Bob, I was there at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw that it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. I couldn't do it myself. So I went around and got a plain-clothes policeman to do the job."
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A policeman was going on his usual last round on a quiet road in New York around ten at night. The climate was bad with chilly winds and a drizzle, and so there were very few people on the road. Those who were on the road were walking with hurried steps towards their homes.
The policeman on his duty looked impressive as he went about checking closed doors of shops making various interesting and playful movements with his small stick. Most of these shops had either closed or were closing down. He could still see one or two all-night restaurants and some shops completing the day's work. The majority of these houses were business places which had closed due to bankruptcy long ago. One of them was the "Brady's restaurant".
The policeman let out a sigh as he saw the restaurant. Now and then he turned about the peaceful road, as if looking for someone. He thought about the appearance of the notorious criminal who had printed counterfeit notes, as described by his boss. He felt a little ashamed as that criminal was still at large.
"Chicago, a thousand miles away - no chance of that crook coming here. No chance to catch him either", he thought, "Never mind, Jim, never mind. Luck owes you a debt." He was, perhaps, in the habit of talking to himself when alone. That's sometimes a good habit though - you get a company for yourself. Even then, some say that it may split your personalities into two if you take it a bit too much. That, however, didn't matter for him. He, being a policeman, had very rare chances -like this one, to be alone.
There was something else playing on his mind though. He glanced at his watch which showed quarter past ten. "Fifteen minutes more".
Suddenly, in the face of the dark, he saw the outline of a man. He quickened his steps, perhaps with a sub-conscious hope that that man might be the criminal. The outline now morphed into a recognizable shape. He kept walking, but opened his mouth, while still far away from him, to speak to the man, but changed his mind.
That man, realizing that his way of standing there might seem suspicious to a policeman, opened his mouth to address the officer. "Its all right, officer. I'm waiting here for a friend of mine. It is an appointment made twenty years ago."
The man had a feeling that the policeman was about to burst out in a laughter, though he was not sure whether or not that feeling was true. So he added as the policeman walked up to him, "It sounds funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I can explain. About twenty years ago, there used to be a restaurant where this store stands, Brady's restaurant"
"Until five years ago", the officer said with a slight rise in his enthusiasm. He was about to introduce himself to the man, but checked himself. The man struck a match and lit his cigar. The policeman had, for the first time, a chance to look at his face.
The man continued, "Twenty years ago, on this night, I dined here with Jimmy Wells, my best chum. He was for me the finest chap in this world. Both of us had been brought up here in New York, just like two brothers. The next morning I was to leave for the west to make my fortune. Jimmy was a drab homing bird. He could never think of any other place on this earth except New York. So, we agreed that night to meet here again exactly after twenty years, at ten thirty. We agreed to meet, whatever our conditions would be."
"It all sounds pretty interesting. But didn't you hear from your friend since you left?", said the policeman.
"Erm, yeah. We corresponded for a year or two. But, I was not settled yet. So we lost track of each other then." The man answered to him. In reply all that the policeman did was to raise an eyebrow. The man took this as an expression of disbelief to the success of their meet given the fact they had never corresponded in the last eighteen years.
"But I trust Jimmy. He'll meet me here if he is alive. He'll never forget our meet. I have come here from Chicago to stand at this door. Jimmy was finer than me, there is no way he won't turn up."
The man took out of his pocket a beautiful watch with diamonds embedded on it. "Ten twenty-five", he said, "It was exactly half-past ten when we parted here at the restaurant door."
"Made lots of money out in the west, didn't you?", asked the policeman.
"Well, to be frank, yes. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest brains in the world. The west requires fighting and teaches it."
"I hope your friend comes around all right," he said. "Are you going to wait for some time in case he doesn't turn up at the appointed time?"
"I'll give him half an hour," said the other "If Jimmy is in existence he'll be here by that time".
The officer did not have a good feeling when he heard these words. "Goodnight, sir" he said; and walked away examining closed doors as he went.
The chilly winds blew faster and the drizzle thickened, and so the few people who were walking on the road were emptying the road with quickened steps and at the same time, wondering on the static posture of the man who had come from a thousand miles far-away place to fulfill an appointment that was made twenty-years ago.
He waited for some time after that. In the few minutes that he waited, he never failed to glance at his watch twice in a minute. He took out the watch from his pocket another time, but quickly put it back in its place when he saw a man hurrying from the opposite end of the street. The man waited there doubtfully, and asked with a hope, "Are you Jimmy Wells?". "Is that you Bob?" asked the other man.
"Well, well, well. Its you then, Bob. Twenty years is a long time. But even then, I knew we would meet again", the new arrival replied.
"Well, Jimmy, you are still that good old chap I knew. I've heard that the old restaurant is gone."
"I wish it had lasted. That was our hangout - and I wished we could have another dinner there. Anyways, how has your life gone in the West?"
They now begin to walk down the streets hands in hands.
"Nothing to complain of, it has given me everything that I wanted. But yes, you've changed quite a bit. You look a lot taller than we met last time. How has your life been here in New York?"
"Not bad. I am working in a local departmental store as a manager. Come on Bob, we'll go to a place I know of, and have a good talk about our old times"
"Nostalgia, ain't gonna be the same", replied Bob with a twinkle in his eyes. But the other man was not able to notice it. Owing to the dark, they never had a chance to have a good look at each other's face. Bob was rather pumped up by his success, and the other man was listening to him in rapt attention. Eventually, they came under a brilliantly lit street lamp. There each of them turned simultaneously to gaze at each other's face.
Bob let go of the other's arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells", he stammered, "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's sharp nose into a flat one!"
"But it is enough to change a good man into a bad one. You've been under arrest for the last ten minutes Bob, or whatever your name is. The commissioner of New York wants to have a chat with you with regards to the counterfeit notes that have come this way. Before we go to the police station, here is a note I was asked to give. It is from Assistant Sub-Inspector Jimmy Wells."
Bob read the note steadily, but his hands did tremble as he neared the end of the note. The note, by itself, was rather short.
"Bob, I was there at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw that it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. I couldn't do it myself. So I went around and got a plain-clothes policeman to do the job."
The policeman on his duty looked impressive as he went about checking closed doors of shops making various interesting and playful movements with his small stick. Most of these shops had either closed or were closing down. He could still see one or two all-night restaurants and some shops completing the day's work. The majority of these houses were business places which had closed due to bankruptcy long ago. One of them was the "Brady's restaurant".
The policeman let out a sigh as he saw the restaurant. Now and then he turned about the peaceful road, as if looking for someone. He thought about the appearance of the notorious criminal who had printed counterfeit notes, as described by his boss. He felt a little ashamed as that criminal was still at large.
"Chicago, a thousand miles away - no chance of that crook coming here. No chance to catch him either", he thought, "Never mind, Jim, never mind. Luck owes you a debt." He was, perhaps, in the habit of talking to himself when alone. That's sometimes a good habit though - you get a company for yourself. Even then, some say that it may split your personalities into two if you take it a bit too much. That, however, didn't matter for him. He, being a policeman, had very rare chances -like this one, to be alone.
There was something else playing on his mind though. He glanced at his watch which showed quarter past ten. "Fifteen minutes more".
Suddenly, in the face of the dark, he saw the outline of a man. He quickened his steps, perhaps with a sub-conscious hope that that man might be the criminal. The outline now morphed into a recognizable shape. He kept walking, but opened his mouth, while still far away from him, to speak to the man, but changed his mind.
That man, realizing that his way of standing there might seem suspicious to a policeman, opened his mouth to address the officer. "Its all right, officer. I'm waiting here for a friend of mine. It is an appointment made twenty years ago."
The man had a feeling that the policeman was about to burst out in a laughter, though he was not sure whether or not that feeling was true. So he added as the policeman walked up to him, "It sounds funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I can explain. About twenty years ago, there used to be a restaurant where this store stands, Brady's restaurant"
"Until five years ago", the officer said with a slight rise in his enthusiasm. He was about to introduce himself to the man, but checked himself. The man struck a match and lit his cigar. The policeman had, for the first time, a chance to look at his face.
The man continued, "Twenty years ago, on this night, I dined here with Jimmy Wells, my best chum. He was for me the finest chap in this world. Both of us had been brought up here in New York, just like two brothers. The next morning I was to leave for the west to make my fortune. Jimmy was a drab homing bird. He could never think of any other place on this earth except New York. So, we agreed that night to meet here again exactly after twenty years, at ten thirty. We agreed to meet, whatever our conditions would be."
"It all sounds pretty interesting. But didn't you hear from your friend since you left?", said the policeman.
"Erm, yeah. We corresponded for a year or two. But, I was not settled yet. So we lost track of each other then." The man answered to him. In reply all that the policeman did was to raise an eyebrow. The man took this as an expression of disbelief to the success of their meet given the fact they had never corresponded in the last eighteen years.
"But I trust Jimmy. He'll meet me here if he is alive. He'll never forget our meet. I have come here from Chicago to stand at this door. Jimmy was finer than me, there is no way he won't turn up."
The man took out of his pocket a beautiful watch with diamonds embedded on it. "Ten twenty-five", he said, "It was exactly half-past ten when we parted here at the restaurant door."
"Made lots of money out in the west, didn't you?", asked the policeman.
"Well, to be frank, yes. I've had to compete with some of the sharpest brains in the world. The west requires fighting and teaches it."
"I hope your friend comes around all right," he said. "Are you going to wait for some time in case he doesn't turn up at the appointed time?"
"I'll give him half an hour," said the other "If Jimmy is in existence he'll be here by that time".
The officer did not have a good feeling when he heard these words. "Goodnight, sir" he said; and walked away examining closed doors as he went.
The chilly winds blew faster and the drizzle thickened, and so the few people who were walking on the road were emptying the road with quickened steps and at the same time, wondering on the static posture of the man who had come from a thousand miles far-away place to fulfill an appointment that was made twenty-years ago.
He waited for some time after that. In the few minutes that he waited, he never failed to glance at his watch twice in a minute. He took out the watch from his pocket another time, but quickly put it back in its place when he saw a man hurrying from the opposite end of the street. The man waited there doubtfully, and asked with a hope, "Are you Jimmy Wells?". "Is that you Bob?" asked the other man.
"Well, well, well. Its you then, Bob. Twenty years is a long time. But even then, I knew we would meet again", the new arrival replied.
"Well, Jimmy, you are still that good old chap I knew. I've heard that the old restaurant is gone."
"I wish it had lasted. That was our hangout - and I wished we could have another dinner there. Anyways, how has your life gone in the West?"
They now begin to walk down the streets hands in hands.
"Nothing to complain of, it has given me everything that I wanted. But yes, you've changed quite a bit. You look a lot taller than we met last time. How has your life been here in New York?"
"Not bad. I am working in a local departmental store as a manager. Come on Bob, we'll go to a place I know of, and have a good talk about our old times"
"Nostalgia, ain't gonna be the same", replied Bob with a twinkle in his eyes. But the other man was not able to notice it. Owing to the dark, they never had a chance to have a good look at each other's face. Bob was rather pumped up by his success, and the other man was listening to him in rapt attention. Eventually, they came under a brilliantly lit street lamp. There each of them turned simultaneously to gaze at each other's face.
Bob let go of the other's arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells", he stammered, "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's sharp nose into a flat one!"
"But it is enough to change a good man into a bad one. You've been under arrest for the last ten minutes Bob, or whatever your name is. The commissioner of New York wants to have a chat with you with regards to the counterfeit notes that have come this way. Before we go to the police station, here is a note I was asked to give. It is from Assistant Sub-Inspector Jimmy Wells."
Bob read the note steadily, but his hands did tremble as he neared the end of the note. The note, by itself, was rather short.
"Bob, I was there at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar, I saw that it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. I couldn't do it myself. So I went around and got a plain-clothes policeman to do the job."
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