after 20 years

Home Unit 14 After Twenty Years
Background Information
Extended Reading
Warm-up Questions
Free Discussion
Detailed ReadingBefore Reading Global Reading After Reading

Warm-up Questions
1. Have you heard about O. Henry before?
For example, “The Cop and the Anthem”, “The Gift of
the Magi”, “The Last Leaf”, etc.
2. Have you read some of his works?

Possibility 1: A couple parted because of some
misunderstandings twenty years ago. Twenty years later
the truth was out.
Possibility 2: Two good friends met each other again
twenty years after they departed. They found that great
changes had occurred.
“After Twenty Years” is a title that may suggest some
event that takes place twenty years after some other
event.
3. Have you heard about his short story named “After Twenty
Years” before?
4. What can the story be about?
5. What could such events be?

6. What do you anticipate?
A story about love, friendship, revenge, etc.

Background Information
About the author
• “Life is made of sobs, sniffles, and
smiles, with sniffles predominating.”
• “A good story is like a bitter pill, with the
sugar coating inside of it.”
— O. Henry

O. Henry is one of the most widely published of modern
writers. He has been called “The American De Maupassant”.
His works have been translated into many languages and have
run into innumerable editions in his own country.
O. Henry was born William Sydney Porter in Greenboro,
North Carolina. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a
physician. When William was three, his mother died, and he
was raised by his paternal grandmother and aunt. William was
an avid reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school, and then
worked in a drug store and on a Texas ranch. He continued to
Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of
bank clerk.

In 1894 Porter started a humorous
weekly The Rolling Stone. It was at this time
that he began heavy drinking. When the
weekly failed, he joined the Houston Post as
a reporter and columnist.
His first work, “Whistling Dick’s
Christmas Stocking” (1899), appeared in
McClure’s Magazine. The stories of
adventure in the U.S. Southwest and in
Central America gained an immediate
success among readers. After doing three
years of the five years’ sentence, Porter
emerged from the prison in 1901 and
changed his name to O. Henry.

O. Henry moved to New York City in
1902 and from December 1903 to January
1906 he wrote a story a week for the New
York World, also publishing in other
magazines. Henry’s first collection,
Cabbages and Kings, appeared in 1904. The
second, The Four Million, was published
two years later and included his well-known
stories “The Gift of the Magi” and “The
Furnished Room”. The Trimmed Lamp
(1907) explored the lives of New Yorkers
and included “The Last Leaf” — the city
itself Henry liked to call “Bagdad-on-the-
Subway”.

O. Henry died of cirrhosis of the liver on June 5, 1910, in
New York. Three more collections, Sixes and Sevens (1911),
Rolling Stones (1912) and Waifs and Strays (1917), appeared
posthumously.

Extended Reading
Directions: Listen to the following information for a
better understanding of the text. While
listening, please fill in the blanks with the
information you hear.

William Sydney Porter, who wrote under the pen name
O. Henry, was born in North Carolina in . He started
writing stories while in for embezzlement, a crime
for which he was convicted in 1898 (it is uncertain if he
actually committed the crime). His writing career was short
and started late, but O. Henry proved himself a and
widely read short story writer in the twelve years he devoted
to the craft, and his name has become with the
American short story.
His years in Texas inspired many lively Westerns, but
it was City that galvanized his creative powers,
and his New York stories became his claim to .
1862____
prison_____
prolific______
synonymous___________
New York_________
fame____
■

His known story, “The Gift of the Magi”, was
written in and has become an American treasure. It is
the story of a man who sells his watch to buy a set of hair
combs as a Christmas present for his wife, who in the
meantime has sold her luxurious locks to buy him a watch
chain. “ ” is another O. Henry favorite. It is the
story of a woman who falls ill with pneumonia and
pronounces that she will die when the last leaf of ivy she sees
outside her Greenwich Village window falls away. She hangs
on with the last stubborn leaf, which gives her the resolve to
recover. She eventually learns that her inspirational leaf
wasn’t a leaf at all, but rather a painting
best____
1905____
The Last Leaf____________
real___
■

of a leaf. Her neighbor, who has always dreamed of
a masterpiece, painted it on the wall and caught pneumonia
in the process.
painting_______
His work made him famous, but O. Henry was an
extremely man who, sadly, preferred to spend his
time and money on , and ultimately it was the bottle
that did him in. He died alone and penniless in . O.
Henry’s legacy and his of the short story was
such that in 1918 Doubleday, in conjunction with the Society
of Arts and Sciences, established the , an
annual anthology of short stories, in his honor.
private______
drink____
1910____
popularization___________
O. Henry Awards______________
■

Free Discussion
What changes can take place in twenty years?
Open-ended question. Students are expected to discuss
the changes that have occurred to themselves in the past
years, such as their study, their family members, their
friendship, their dreams, etc.

Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
Skimming

Skimming
Use a few sentences to summarize the story synopsis.
One night, a policeman on the beat finds a man
waiting for his friend Jimmy Wells, an appointment they
had made twenty years ago. The policeman then walks
away and shortly after a tall man comes to fill the
appointment. However, it turns out that the tall man is a
cop who has been sent by the former policeman to arrest
the man waiting, and that the former policeman is Jimmy
Wells, who came to meet his friend, but found that he was
a wanted criminal.

Directions: Please divide the text into 6 parts and work
out the main idea for each part.
Part Division of the Text
Main IdeasParts
1
2
Paras
1~2
3~6
A man in the darkened doorway of a
hardware store is waiting to see a friend.
A policeman is on the beat in a street in
New York at about ten o’clock at night.
3 7~17 The man tells the policeman about the
appointment he made with a friend twenty
years before.

Main IdeasParts
4
5
Paras
18~27
28~31 Bob is arrested by the plain-clothes man
who is disguised as Jimmy Wells.
“Jimmy Wells” comes to fill the
appointment with Bob — excitement and
exchange of news.
6 32 Jimmy Wells’ note explains to Bob that he
has identified him as the man wanted in
Chicago and has asked the plain-clothes
man to arrest him.

1. What kind of people were the two characters Bob
and Jimmy?
Further Understanding
Bob was an ambitious man. Unsatisfied with his dull
and monotonous life in New York, he started for the
West to make his fortune. He was also a capable, daring
and rough fellow. He entered into a fierce rivalry with
other more shrewd and cunning people and tried every
means to protect his large accumulation of wealth.
Judging by his nickname, we can well say that he was a
“dandy” or a “city slicker”. In spite of all these, he was
Comprehension Questions

devoted and faithful to his friend. He came a thousand
miles to fill an appointment with a friend of his youth.
Jimmy was an honest man satisfied with what he was
and what he had, never thinking of leaving New York to
make a fortune in the West. He was firm, dependably
loyal and true to his friends. He was a man of principle.
He didn’t let the man wanted by the police escape even
though the man had once been his close friend.

2. Was Bob successful in his career? Why?
In terms of money, he was “successful”. He was rich and
had accumulated a large fortune. He appeared to be well-
dressed: his scarfpin was a large diamond, and the lids of
his handsome watch were set with small diamonds. But
most probably he accumulated his wealth by dishonest or
even violent means.

3. Are there hints in the story to indicate that Bob was
no longer a respectable man? What are they?
Yes, there are. Here are some of the indicators:
1) He stood in the doorway of a darkened hardware store,
with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. When the
policeman walked up to him, he spoke up quickly, and
explained that it was “all” straight. This showed that he
had a guilty conscience.
2) His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set, which
hinted that he could be an upstart who had made his
fortune by dishonest means.

3) His appearance — a square-jawed face with a scar
near his right eyebrow — suggested that he had been
wounded in a fight for some reason.
4) He kept hustling around in the West and had to
compete with some of the sharpest wits. In other words,
he had to be very sharp himself. He might have got his
“pile” by clever but dishonest means.

4. What is implied when the patrolman asked, “Going
to call time on him sharp?”
It means, “Are you going to leave here if he doesn’t come
on time?” The patrolman asked this question because he
wanted to be certain how long the man would wait there
and whether he would have sufficient time to ask a plain-
clothes man to arrest him.

5. Why did the plain-clothes man ask “Is that you,
Bob?” doubtfully?
Because he had never seen Bob before and he was not
sure whether he was speaking to the right person. As he
was asked to arrest the man waiting in the doorway of a
hardware store, he had to make sure that he was the very
person whom the police in Chicago wanted.

6. What is the implied meaning of “I was certain I’d
find you here if you were still in existence”?
The surface meaning of the sentence is obvious: I was
sure that I’d find you here if you were still alive. It was
quite natural for Bob to hear “Jimmy” say so, and this
way it would not arouse any suspicion on the part of Bob.
But the plain-clothes man was asked to arrest Bob. So
perhaps his implied meaning was: “So long as Bob was
alive in New York, he would be found and arrested.” So
what he said actually had double meanings.

7. Why did the plain-clothes man listen with interest
when Bob outlined the history of his career to him?
Since Bob was the man wanted by Chicago, the plain-
clothes man wanted to know what he had been doing in
the past twenty years — the history of his career. What
Bob said would serve as his own confession and the most
effective piece of evidence at the trial. So the plain-
clothes man was eager to listen.

8. Why did Bob’s hand tremble a little by the time he
had finished Jimmy’s note?
It never occurred to Bob that the policeman he talked to
some half an hour ago was Jimmy Wells himself and that
it was Jimmy who had identified him as the man wanted
by Chicago police. Bob had had great faith in Jimmy,
thinking that Jimmy was a staunch friend. It was a shock
to Bob that it was Jimmy who had “betrayed” him and
sent a plain-clothes man to arrest him.

9. Had you been Bob, how would you have reacted to
the letter?
Open-ended question.
10. If you were in Jimmy’s shoes, what would have been the
best thing to do from the following points of view?
a. your career as a policeman
b. your friendship with Bob
c. your own conscience
d. the law
Open-ended question.

Multiple Choices
1. The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue
impressively. On the beat means: A
A. on the route he was ordered to patrol
B. looking for wrongdoers
C. on duty
D. following his usual path
_____

2. The vicinity was one that kept early hours. This
sentence means: C
A. The people in the neighborhood did everything
early.
B. The neighborhood preferred to stop working early.
C. The shops in this neighborhood closed early.
D. The shops and stores in this neighborhood did not
like to do business late at night.
_____

3. Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar
store. The phrase in italics has all the following
meanings except: A
A. At regular intervals
B. Every now and again
C. Occasionally
D. From time to time
_____
4. I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all
straight. The part in italics is closest in meaning to: D_____
A. it is honest
B. it is upright
C. no crime has been committed
D. there is nothing illegal going on here

5. It was torn down then. The most appropriate
meaning of the italic part here is: C
A. damaged to pieces
B. worn out
C. pulled down
D. destroyed into pieces
_____
6. I was to start for the West to make my fortune. The
part in italics has the closest meaning to: D_____
A. to be a fortune-teller
B. to have great wealth
C. to earn a living
D. to make money

A. “You may be certain.”
B. “You can be sure.”
C. “You may risk money by making a bet.”
D. “Certainly.”
7. … if my old partner turns up.
The phrase in italics has all the following meanings except:
B
A. makes his appearance
B. moves up
C. arrives
D. presents himself
_____
8. “You bet!” The sentence means all of the following
except: C_____

A. to have
B. to keep
C. to fix
D. to make
9. I’ll be on my way. The sentence means all of the
following except: B
A. I must be going.
B. I must advance.
C. I must leave.
D. I must get going.
_____
10. … who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment
… To fill means: B_____

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The
impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few.
The time was barely 10 o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a
taste of rain in them had almost emptied the streets.
Trying doors as he went, twirling his club with many intricate and
artful movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye down
the peaceful thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and slight
swagger, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. The vicinity was
one that kept early hours. Now and then you might see the lights of a
cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter; but the majority of the doors
belonged to business places that had long since been closed.
After Twenty Years
by O. Henry (adapted)

When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly
slowed his walk. In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man
leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked
up to him the man spoke up quickly.
“It’s all right, officer,” he said, reassuringly. “I’m just waiting for a
friend. It’s an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny
to you, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all
straight. About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this
store stands — ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”
“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. “It was torn down then.”
The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light
showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar
near his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’
Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and 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 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 that night that we would 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,
whatever they were going to be.”
“It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman. “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,” said the other. “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 tonight, and it’s worth it if my old partner
turns up.”
The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with
small diamonds.
“Three minutes to ten,” he announced. “It was exactly ten o’clock
when we parted here at the restaurant door.”
“Did pretty well out West, didn’t you?” asked the policeman.

“You bet! I hoped 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-edge on him.”
The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.
“I’ll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going
“I should say not!” said the other. “I’ll give him half an hour at least.
If Jimmy is alive on earth he’ll be here by that time. So long, officer.”
“Good-night, sir,” said the policeman, passing on along his beat,
trying doors as he went.

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen
from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. The few passers-by bustling
about in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars
turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store
the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain
almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and
waited.
About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long
overcoat, with collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the
opposite side of the street. He went directly to the waiting man.
“Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.
“Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried the man in the door.

“Bless my heart!” exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both the
other’s hands with his own. “It’s Bob, sure as fate. I was certain I’d find
you here if you were still in existence. 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 changed
lots, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.”
“Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.”
“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.”

The two men started up the street, arm in arm. The man from the
West, his egotism enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the
history of his career. The other, submerged in his overcoat, listened with
interest.
At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights. When
they came into this glare each of them turned simultaneously to gaze
upon the other’s face.
The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.
“You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he snapped. “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,” said the tall man.
“You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago thinks
you may have dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a
chat with you. Going quietly, are you? That’s sensible. Now, before we
go on to the station here’s a note I was asked to hand you. You may read
it here at the window. It’s from Patrolman Wells!”

The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed
him. His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little
by the time he had finished. The note was rather short.
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 plain-
clothes man to do the job.
Jimmy