why did the man speak up quickly when the police man approached him
Answers
Why did the man in the doorway start speaking to the policeman in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?
Bob speaks to the policeman because he doesn’t want his behavior to raise suspicion.
Jimmy and Bob have been friends for a long time. They made a date twenty years before to meet on a certain spot on a certain date. When Bob arrives, having gone out west, he discovers that the restaurant is now a hardware store. He wants to keep his date, so he stays in the doorway of the now-closed hardware store.
When Bob sees the policeman, he doesn’t want his behavior to seem suspicious. Bob is a criminal, so he is used to acting suspiciously and being suspected. He calls out the policemen to let him know what he is doing there. He speaks “quickly” when the cop walks toward him.
“It’s all right, officer,” he said. “I’m waiting for a friend. Twenty years ago we agreed to meet here tonight. It sounds strange to you, doesn’t it? I’ll explain if you want to be sure that everything’s all right. About twenty years ago there was a restaurant where this shop stands. ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”