Bob is a confident and talkative man who has returned to New York City after twenty years out West. He left at eighteen to seek wealth, and his attire, featuring a large diamond scarfpin and a handsome, jewel-set watch, demonstrates that he achieved financial success. Despite his worldly travels and the sharp wits he developed competing for fortune, he retains a deep sentimental attachment to his youth, traveling a thousand miles in harsh weather to keep a promise.

Jimmy is a dutiful New York resident and Bob’s closest friend from two decades prior. While Bob sought adventure, Jimmy viewed New York as the only place on earth worth living and chose to establish a steady life there. Bob remembers him as a deeply loyal, if somewhat stationary, companion who could always be trusted to keep his word. He represents the ordered, community-focused life of the city.

A serious, tall individual who arrives at the designated meeting spot on the dark, wet street. Protected from the freezing wind by his long overcoat, he approaches Bob and engages him in conversation about the past twenty years. He listens carefully to Bob’s stories about the West and notes how much the city has grown since the old friends last met.