a bit of a long story
20 years long
[Music]
It's all right, officer
I'm just waiting for a friend.
it's a bit of a long story
20 years long
Sounds a little funny to you, doesn't it?
Well, I'll explain if you'd like to make certain I'm all right.
About that long ago
there used to be a restaurant where this store stands
'Big Joe' Brady's restaurant.
Until five years ago
They tore it down
Twenty years ago to¨Cnight
I dined here at 'Big Joe' Brady's with Jimmy Wells, my best friend,
and perhaps the finest chap in the world.
He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together.
I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty.
The next morning I was to start out for the West to make my fortune.
You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York;
he thought it was the only place on earth.
Well, we agreed to meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time
no matter what our conditions might be
or from what distance we might have to come
We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out
and our fortunes made
sounds pretty interesting
Rather a long time between meets, though,
it seems to me.
Haven't you heard from your friend since you left?
Well, yes, for a time we corresponded
But after a year or two we lost track of each other.
You see, the West is a pretty big proposition
and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively
But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he's alive
for he always was the truest, staunchest old chap in the world
He'll never forget
I came a thousand miles to stand in this door to¨Cnight
and it's worth it if my old partner turns up
Three minutes to ten
It was exactly ten o'clock when we parted here at the restaurant door
Made your fortune out west then?
You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well.
He was a kind of plodder, though, good fellow as he was.
I've had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile.
A man gets in a groove in New York.
It takes the West to put a razor¨Cedge on him.
I'll be on my way.
Sure hope your friend comes around all right.
Going to call time on him sharp?
I should say not!
I'll give him half an hour at least.
If Jimmy is alive on earth he'll be here by that time.
I'm sure of it.
So long, officer.
Good¨Cnight, sir
[Music]
Is that you, Bob?
Is that you, Jimmy Wells?
Bless my heart!
It's Bob, sure as fate.
I was certain I'd find you here if you were still in existence.
Well, well, well! twenty years is a long time.
The old restaurant's gone, Bob
I wish it had lasted, so we could have had another dinner there.
How has the West treated you, old man?
Bully; it has given me everything I asked it for.
You've certainly changed lots, Jimmy.
I never imagine you grow so tall in my absence
Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty
thank you!
Doing well in New York, Jimmy?
Moderately.
I have a position in one of the city departments.
Come on, Bob;
we'll go around to a place I know of
and have a good long talk about old times.
There was once a white fellowman, a reporter
he has a little white dog
and sailor friend
he was also hustling around
That¡¯s sounds quite interesting
It was quite exciting too
Always something new going on in Chicago?
How is that city job in yours?
Well, it¡¯s a job.
Someone is going to do it.
What is it to do?
Hold it, button
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.
It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one
You've been under arrest for ten minutes, 'Silky' Bob.
You know, Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way
and wires us she wants to have a chat with you.
Hey! Hey!
Quietly! Be sensible!
Now, before we go on to the station here's a note I was asked to give you.
You may read it here in the light.
It's from Officer Wells.
Bob: I was at the appointed place on time.
When you 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 plain clothes man to do the job.
JIMMY.
[Music]