A. 1. The vicinity was one that kept early hours.

Most of the doors belonged to business places

that were closed long time back. Only a few shops, like cigar stores or all-night lunch counters,
were still open.
2. The man wanted to assure the policeman that he was not a thief or a burglar, but a harmless
man.
3. Bob says that life in the West is very busy and hectic as compared to life in New York. One
has to compete with very sharp people, which makes one smarter. Also there is a lot of money in
the West.
4. The patrolman recognized Bob when Bob struck a match to light his cigar. He did not reveal
who he was because he saw that Bob was a criminal, wanted by Chicago police.
5. Bob wanted to get rich quick, and knew that the West offered a lot of opportunities to do so.
He could go to any extremes to make money. He was a good friend, though very proud of
himself and his achievements.
6. We learn that criminal activities are always punished, no matter how clever the criminal is. At
times, even a small act can be a clue that can help the criminal get arrested.
(Other suitable responses may be accepted.)
B. 1. a. Bob says this to the patrolman.
b. That he had come to keep an appointment made twenty years ago.
c. To assure that he was not a thief but an ordinary law-abiding man.
d. He said that there used to be a restaurant where they stood now, and he and his friend Jimmy
Wells had dined there twenty years ago, and agreed to meet at the same place same time twenty
years later.

2. a. The plain clothes man says this to Bob.

b. He means the good time. Bob has been recognized as a criminal and will be arrested soon. His
good time is over.
c. They might have had dinner at the same restaurant, but things have changed now. The
restaurant has been closed and Bob will be arrested soon.
C. 1. Patrolman, guardian of peace, a tall man in a long overcoat, the new arrival.
2. Jimmy Wells has been aptly called a plodder as he is an easy going man, contented and
satisfied with what life has offered him.
3. In New York one goes into a shell, as one does not get a lot of opportunities to blossom and
prosper. The West, however, makes a man smarter and more competent, as he has to compete
with the best.
4. The earth, motherland

5. Not required

6. Make your own sentence

D. Not required

Additional question
a. State the role of Light in the short story?
Answer: Light plays an extremely important part in the story. It is the interplay of light and dark
that helps the story to progress. The friends had decided to meet at ten o’ clock at night and it
was quite dark except for faint light from some stores. It was only when Bob struck a match to
light his cigar that the policeman was able to recognize him, not only as his friend but also as a
wanted criminal. Then when the new arrival came it was dark and Bob was unable to see him,
and thinking that he was Jimmy, he told him the history of his career, all about what he had done
over the years to gather wealth. Then they came to the corner of the street where there was
enough light for Bob to realize that he had told his story to a policeman and not Jimmy.
It is, therefore, light, and absence of light, that help the story to progress as it does.