English
"Isthatyou,Bob?"heasked,doubtfully.
"Isthatyou,JimmyWells?"criedthemaninthedoor.
"Blessmyheart!"exclaimedthenewarrival,graspingboththeother'shandswithhisown."It'sBob,sureasfate.IwascertainI'dfindyouhereifyouwerestillinexistence.
Well,well,well!---twentyyearsisalongtime.Theoldrestaurant'sgone,Bob;Iwishithadlasted,sowecouldhavehadanotherdinnerthere.HowhastheWesttreatedyou,oldman?"
"Bully;ithasgivenmeeverythingIaskeditfor.You'vechangedlots,Jimmy.Ineverthoughtyouweresotallbytwoorthreeinches."
"Oh,IgrewabitafterIwastwenty."
"DoingwellinNewYork,Jimmy?"
"Moderately.Ihaveapositioninoneofthecitydepartments.Comeon,Bob;we'llgoaroundtoaplaceIknowof,andhaveagoodlongtalkaboutoldtimes."
Thetwomenstartedupthestreet,arminarm.ThemanfromtheWest,hisegotismenlargedbysuccess,wasbeginningtooutlinethehistoryofhiscareer.Theother,submergedinhisovercoat,listenedwithinterest.
Atthecornerstoodadrugstore,brilliantwithelectriclights.Whentheycameintothisglareeachofthemturnedsimultaneouslytogazeupontheother'sface.
ThemanfromtheWeststoppedsuddenlyandreleasedhisarm.
"You'renotJimmyWells,"hesnapped."Twentyyearsisalongtime,butnotlongenoughtochangeaman'snosefromaRomantoapug."
"Itsometimeschangesagoodmanintoabadone,"saidthetallman."You'vebeenunderarrestfortenminutes,'Silky'Bob.Chicagothinksyoumayhavedroppedoverourwayandwiresusshewantstohaveachatwithyou.Goingquietly,areyou?That'ssensible.
Now,beforewegoontothestationhere'sanoteIwasaskedtohandyou.Youmayreadithereatthewindow.It'sfromPatrolmanWells."
ThemanfromtheWestunfoldedthelittlepieceofpaperhandedhim.Hishandwassteadywhenhebegantoread,butittrembledalittlebythetimehehadfinished.Thenotewasrathershort.
Bob:Iwasattheappointedplaceontime.WhenyoustruckthematchtolightyourcigarIsawitwasthefaceofthemanwantedinChicago.SomehowIcouldn'tdoitmyself,soIwentaroundandgotaplainclothesmantodothejob.
JIMMY.
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