Page 1 - Lesson Note

LESSON NOTES

Subject-English

Class-VIII

CHAPTER-2 “After Twenty Years” BY :O’ Henry

Summary- 'After Twenty Years'

William Sydney Porter, a.k.a. O. Henry, was a master of the twist ending
– a sudden and unexpected turn of events in a story’s conclusion’

In this short story, the two main characters , the outlaw Silky Bob has
come home to reunite with his friend Jimmy Wells after 20 years.. At one
time, the two had been as close as brothers. However, once Bob left to
pursue his fortunes in the West, the two eventually lost touch.
Nevertheless, they had promised to meet each other in 20 years, to the
hour, after their last dinner together at the same spot in New York City.

Twenty years later, Bob's waiting outside where the restaurant once
stood when he and Jimmy parted ways; the latter, who's now a
policeman, comes upon him while he's walking his beat. After hearing
Bob's story about the friends' pledge to meet up again and watching him
light up a cigar, Jimmy recognizes it's Bob. He also realizes his old friend
is a fugitive from Chicago, whom he'd seen earlier on a police bulletin. At
that point, Bob isn't aware that the policeman is Jimmy, who goes about
on about his patrol, leaving the outlaw to wait for his friend.

After a few moments, another man appears. At first, Bob thinks he is
Jimmy. Although Bob can't see the man too well in the dark, he begins to
notice that some things are off about him. Eventually, the man reveals
that he's a plainclothes officer taking Bob under arrest. Before he does
so, he hands Bob a note from the patrolman, who turns out to be his
former best friend and betrayer, Jimmy.