Short Fiction · Chapter
After Twenty Years explained
A policeman on his beat encounters a man waiting in a doorway for a friend he hasn't seen in twenty years.
What happens
A policeman on his beat encounters a man waiting in a doorway for a friend he hasn't seen in twenty years. The man, Bob, explains that he and his childhood friend Jimmy Wells made a pact to meet at that spot exactly two decades later. After the policeman leaves, a man claiming to be Jimmy arrives, but Bob soon realizes he is an impostor. The stranger reveals he is a plainclothes officer arresting Bob for a crime in Chicago, and hands him a note from the real Jimmy Wells, who recognized Bob as a wanted man and couldn't bring himself to make the arrest personally.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The man Bob believes he is meeting his old friend Jimmy, but the person who arrives is a plainclothes officer. The note reveals Jimmy's deception in arranging the arrest.
Nostalgia and the Passage of Time
The story revolves around a twenty-year-old promise, the changes in the characters' lives, and the vanished restaurant that once stood at the meeting place.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator describes the scene and the policeman's movements.
- Bob Hart
The man waiting for his friend Jimmy Wells; later revealed to be 'Silky' Bob, wanted in Chicago.
- Jimmy Valentine
Jimmy Wells, the friend who keeps the appointment but arranges for Bob's arrest.
Key passages
“The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few.”
The officer patrolled the street with a practiced dignity, even though few people were around to see him.
Establishes the setting and the policeman's demeanor.
“Twenty years ago tonight... I dined here at 'Big Joe' Brady's with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world.”
Two decades ago, I had dinner at this spot with my closest friend, Jimmy Wells.
Bob explains the origin of the appointment.
“You're not Jimmy Wells... Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman to a pug.”
You aren't Jimmy Wells; even after twenty years, a person's nose shape doesn't change that drastically.
Bob realizes the man is an impostor based on physical features.
“Bob: I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn't do it myself, so I went around and got a plainclothes man to do the job. Jimmy.”
Jimmy writes that he kept the appointment but recognized Bob as a fugitive, so he arranged for another officer to make the arrest.
The note reveals Jimmy's loyalty to duty over friendship.