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Four. After twenty years, it was nearly ten o 'clock on a rainy and windy night. A policeman

was walking along one of the dark streets of New York City. He was a kind -looking man,

but he was very serious, and he felt important. He stood in front of every building on the

street and checked their doors. He wanted to make sure they were all closed.

This was not a busy part of the city. Most doors belonged to office buildings, and they were

closed at around six or seven in the evening. There was just one cigar shop and a cafe with

lights on. There were few cars and few people around. The policeman sometimes

stopped and looked up and down the street. It was his job to protect the area. The policeman

suddenly slowed down. There was a man in the doorway of a closed hardware store. He was

just standing there and looking at his watch now and then. He had a cigar in his mouth,

but it was not lit. When the policeman came near him, the man began to speak at once.

There is no problem, officer, he said quickly. I am waiting for a friend. We have an appointment

to meet here. We made the appointment twenty years ago. I know it sounds strange to you,

but I can explain. There used to be a restaurant here twenty years ago. It was called Big Joe's

Diner. The policeman said, yes, it was here. They tore down that restaurant five years ago

and built this hardware shop in its place. The man struck a match and lit his cigar. In the

right from the match, the policeman saw the man's face clearly. He had a little scar near

his right eyebrow and there was a big diamond pin on his tie. It was glittering in the dark.

My friend's name is Jimmy Wells, the man continued. Twenty years ago tonight Jimmy and I had dinner

here at Joe's Diner. I was eighteen years old and Jimmy was twenty. He was my best friend

and he was a very good fellow. We grew up together in the city. We were like two brothers.

I was going to the west the next morning. I wanted to earn a lot of money there and become

rich. Jimmy didn't want to leave New York. To him it was the only city in the world. The

man took a puff of his cigar and continued to explain. That night we promised to meet here

again, exactly at the same time, twenty years later. That is why I am waiting here now. That

is very interesting. Twenty years is a very long time. Haven't you heard from your friends

since that night? Ask the policeman. Yes, we often wrote to each other in the first one

or two years, but afterwards we stopped writing. I was very busy and I think he was too.

The west is very big and exciting. I moved from place to place and I had no time. Will

your friend remember the appointment? Do you think he will come? The policeman asked.

Yes, if he is alive and well, he will definitely be here. He is a true friend. He won't forget

his promise. You see, I travelled a thousand miles to come here and I am sure he will be

here very soon too. Then the man took out his pocket watch. The policeman noticed the

small diamonds on its lid. He looked at the time and said, it is three minutes to ten.

We said farewell to each other at exactly ten o 'clock that night and we were standing

right here in front of the restaurant's door. You got rich in the west, didn't you? asked

the policeman. Yes, but I had to try and work very hard. In the west you must fight for

success. I don't think Jimmy is as successful as I am. He wanted to stay here. It is hard

to be successful in New York, the man explained. Well, I must be on my way, said the policeman.

I hope you and your friend will meet tonight. Will you leave if he isn't here on time? No,

I will wait. I will wait for at least half an hour. I am sure he will come by that time,

answered the man. And then he added, if he is alive, of course. Thanks for listening

to me, officer. Well, good night, sir, the policeman said, and walked up the street,

checking doors as he walked. Now it began to rain and the wind became stronger. The man

from the west continued to wait in front of the hardware shop store and smoked his cigar.

About 20 minutes later, a tall man in a long coat crossed the street in a hurry. He stood

in front of the man from the west. He pulled the collar of his long coat up to his ears.

Is that you, Bob? He asked. You are Jimmy Wells, right? The man from the west also asked.

Oh, my good old friend, cried out the man in the long coat. He took his friend's hands

in his. It is so nice to meet you. After 20 years, it is a very long time. I knew that

you would be here. Our old restaurant is not here any more. But tell me, how is your life

in the west? Oh, I have everything that I wanted, answered Bob. But Jimmy, you look

different. You have changed so much. You are much taller. I grew a bit after I was 20,

said the man in the long coat. How are you, Jimmy? Bob asked. What have you done in the

past 20 years? I work in a city department here. Come on, Bob. I will take you to a good

place. Let's have some coffee and talk about our old days. Then the two men began to walk

arm in arm. The man from the west began to tell the other one about his life. The man

in the long coat listened to him. He was very interested in his friend's life story.

There was a brightly -laced store at the corner. When they were passing by that store, the

two men looked at each other's face in the light. Suddenly, the man from the west pulled

his arm away and cried out. You are not Jimmy. Twenty years is a long time, but a man's nose

cannot change, not even in twenty years. But a good man can change into a bad one in twenty

years, said the man in the long coat. I am arresting you. I am from the city police

department. Chicago police told us you were coming to New York and we were looking for

you. The man from the west was shocked. He could not say a word. Come with me quietly. But

first read this note. It is from one of our policemen. His name is Wells. The man in the

room from the west unfolded the piece of paper and began to read it. His hands were shaking

as he was reading it. The note said, Bob, I was at our meeting place three or four minutes

before ten and you talked to me. Then you struck a match to light your cigar. In its light

I saw your face. It was the face of criminal from Chicago. I knew that the police were looking

for you. It was my job to arrest you, but I couldn't do it myself because you were my

old friend. So I left and sent a plain clothes officer to arrest you. Jimmy.