1. 《101 Classic Short Stories _ After Twenty years》

The story took place on a street in New York City.

A policeman walked along the street and checked if doors were locked and secured.

In the doorway of one store, there was a man standing there with an unlit cigar.

He told the policeman that he was waiting for his friends, since they promised to each other that they would meet after twenty years, at the restaurant called “Big Joe”, where was used to located the place where he was standing at that moment. 

Twenty years ago, the man and his friend had dinner at the restaurant. They had grown up together, he was 18 and his friend was 20 at that time. They were the closest of friends. The man would like to go to West to make some fortune. He hoped that his friends would go with him. But his friend would like to stay in New York. He didn’t know where else he can go, he would never leave New York. 

After the dinner, they decided no matter what would happen, both of them would return the same restaurant after twenty years, exactly the same month and same day. 

He also answer the policeman’s question, why they had not been in contact so often over past twenty years. He told the police office that they kept the contact at the beginning, and he was working hard in the West to make his fortune. 

After the talking, policeman left him. Finally, there came a man, a little bit tall. He called the man’s name, the man thought that guy was the man he was waiting for all this time. And the taller guy did not deny and suggested a place that he know nearby, where they can walk to and have a long talk about the last twenty years. 

However, when they pass through a drug store, the man realised that this guy was not the man he was waiting for. Because of the shape of his nose was different. And the man was under arrest because some warrants issued in Chicago.

The he realised that the policeman who was talking with him was the real man he was waiting for. When he lighted his cigar, the policeman recognised the man’s face, which was wanted in Chicago. He did not want to arrest his old friends, so he asked somebody else to arrest the man.