SUMMARY IN ENGLISH
The narrator in the story is a junior assistant clerk at a law firm. He used to do some petty work for the firm like preparing legal briefs, serving summons, etc. He had to go to the dirty corners of the city to serve summons to the victims. Some stronger and more self-confident ones used to beat him up. One day his firm asked him to serve summons to a person residing at New Mullion named Oliver Lutkins. When he reached New Mullion, he found a person of about forty years of age. His behavior was very friendly. The narrator went to that person and asked him if he knew Mr. Oliver Lutkins. The person replied that he had seen Lutkins an hour ago. The streets of the village were full of mud making it impossible to walk on foot in the streets. The narrator hired the hack from him in order to search Lutkins.
The narrator bargained and made a deal for two dollars an hour. Then they went in search of Lutkins. The hack driver told the narrator that his name was Bill. Bill behaved so nicely with the narrator that he became his fan. The narrator starts believing him a lot. Bill took him to Fritz but they did not find Lutkins there. Fritz admitted that Lutkins had come there but he had left for Gustaff’s to get a shave. Then the two went to Gustaff’s shop. They did not find him there also but a customer told them that he had seen him going down the main street. Bill guessed that Lutkins might have gone to Gray’s barber shop. When they reached there, they missed Lutkins just by five minutes. They were told there that he had gone towards the poolroom. At the poolroom, someone told them that Lutkins just bought a pack of cigarettes and gone out.
The narrator was feeling hungry and he suggested Bill to have lunch. At this, he told the narrator that the food available at the restaurant was not good and he could get him food prepared by his wife for only half a dollar. Then they went to a hill and ate a meal while enjoying the natural beauty of the village. At last, Bill asked one of Lutkins’ friends about him. They were told that he had gone to his mother’s farm three miles north. When they reached there, they were welcomed by a large woman who gave them a hot chase with an iron from the old-fashioned stove while laughing at the same time. At last, the narrator went back to the station without handing over the summons to Lutkins. When he reached the office the next day his boss rebuked him badly and sent him back with another guy who knew Lutkins very well. When they reached the station, the narrator pointed out to the man at the station saying that he helped a lot in searching Lutkins. Then his friend told the narrator that the Bill himself was Oliver Lutkins