Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-03-12
HER GIANT
FOLDING BED
Copyright. 1901. by C. II. Loomi..

BY c. B. LOOMS ....

Improvements" flat and he said
that such huge folding bed was out
of all proportion TO the size Of the bed
room. But Mrs. Bentley had set her
heart on Il. and Mr.. Bentley has rot
been husband SO long as TO feel like
thwarting any legitimate wish.
When she went down TO the store
she found she was just in time TO get
one at half price. What luck! She had
expected 10 pay $50 for the bed. and
she got it at $50. although by what
/ process of arithmetic twenty-five be-
comes the half Of thirty-five she did
not stop TO inquire.
But with the reduced price OF the
bed her good luck ended. and she en-
tered upon a chapter Of annoyances
that would have made the bed dear as
a gratuity.
The bed people were just moving out
and were too busy TO send thc bed
home. Five separate expreSsmen re-
fused 20 stir their wagons when they
learned that il was a giant. She began
70 wish that IL was Il trundle bed But
4 at last an eXpressman who was JUST
starting in business and who was
therefore inexperienced contracted for
S2Io deliver it,
She reflected that the salesman had
told her that it was very convenient
size. as one side of the room did not
need TO bc papered when the bed was
UP. for il took mp the entire wall space
SO she went aud waited for the bed
with all the ardor OF a small child
Every time the dumb waiter blew she
ran out TO see II they were trying &c
send it up that way but when il final
" arrived after wait OF four hours
II came i'm at the front door
After ten minutes or so Mrs. Bentley
heard mastodonic footsteps on the
stairs. the swish OF tearing wall paper.
the crash OF falling globes. and she
knew that they were bringing the bed
up stars. SO did all the other flat
dwellerS. When she looked over the
staircase there were from three 10
four heads beneath her. all looking
down.
The arrival al different landings was
punctuated by the crash Of glass and
the fall of plaster. And on the third
floor the bed fell on one OF the men.
Luckily he was fat German. and he
escaped with n barked shin and mis-.
laid temper
Long before that there was a string
of home returning heaCs OF families
separated from their little ones by the
Chinese wall of bed Those who
were athletic enough climbed over and
escaped TO their apartments. but the
rest had 10 content themselves with
throwing kisses 10 their beloved ones
and telling them not to despair
Mrs Bentley had MT hitherto known
there were 50 many people living in
the house. The stairs were black with
them and the bed moved with the de
liberation OF glacier
When the men reached the fourth
floor, they clamored for beer. and Mrs.
Bentley. being Inexperienced. sent for
two bottles. which were brought in by
the janitor'S n.
The two men sat down. or. rather. up.
way up. on the bed and opened Il bottle
apiece amid groanS from the belated
fat dwellers who lived above the third.
1t is probable that they had already
sOlaced themselves with beer. for they
became very merry and loquacious aft
er the bottles had been emptied. and
many of their kcs would not have
been allowed at 4 variety theater.
There is saying that there is al
ways room at the top. This did not
prove to be the case in regard to the
giant bed. The hallway at the top flat
was joint affair. two suits opening
on ii. and il was the narrOweSt in the
building. When the men finally arriv-
ed with their tremendous load. they
found that ii was going 80 be a Chinese
puzzle to set into Mrs. Bentley's. They
shattered the last globe and then sat
down on the stairs to ponder.
They finally came to the conclusion
that they could not get it in unless the
door Of the opposite apartment were
opened to admit of its being slewed
around.
Mrs. Cochran was the opposite neigh
Dor. She and Mrs. Bentley had been
as distant as such contiguous fiat
dwellers could be. Their bows in the
hall were as icy as the hall itself. Mrs.
Cochran thought Mrs. Bentley a fool
ish little new wife. and Mrs. Bentley
thought Mrs. Cochran common.
Still. there was nothing for il but TO
dSh MfS. COCHRAN TO open neT ffOnI
door and let the man swing the bed
into the doorway for just one moment.
The fat man rang her bell. She open
ed the door. with fire in her eyes. She
had been trying to get the youngest to
sleep. and the constant humping and
crashing and the objurgations and
beery laughter of the expreSSmen had
rolled the not too placid waters of her
disposition to foaming point.
Mrs. Cochran glowered
OH said Mrs. Bentley. with "A has
tily made veneer of sweetness. May
the men just swing the bed into your
hallway so that they can get IL into my
doorway? | didn't suppose it was Sc
big. | don't think 1t was so big in the
store"
Mrs. Cochran snifled at the inanity
OF the remark. but she said:
"Oh. suppose ! can't refuse.
hope you'll quit your humping after
. you get 1t in. ! can't get my child tC
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