The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-03-22
of her disposition to a foaming point.
Mrs. Cochran glowered.


Mrs. Cochran glowered.
"Oh p said Mrs. Bentley, with a
hastily made veneer of sweetness.
MAY the men just swing the bed
into your hallway so that they can
get it into my doorway? I didn't t
suppose it was so big. I don't think
it was so big in the store"
Mrs. Cochran shifted at the inanity
of the remark, but she said:
"Oh, I suppose can't refuse. I
hope you'll quit your humping after
you get it in. I can't get my child
to sleep while it's going on"
"I'm sure it will only be a minute.
You see, the worst is over.
''I should hope So" said Mrs.
Cochran, looking at the dents in the
wall and the broken globes. And
then the two expressmen put their
shoulders to the bed and swung it
into the doorway with such vehe-
mence that it stuck like fat cork in
a small bottle and refused to bulge.
"Well, this is pretty state of
things" said Mrs. Cochran from be-
hind the bed. "How do you suppose
we're going to close our front door
with that great bed in the way?"
"You Won't need to close it. No
one will COON in While der bet isdere.
1t is besser as door. And the
German laughed uproariously and
fatty.
ooh, but this is too awful % said
Mrs. Bentley, wringing her hands
helplessly.
81 should think it was, came the
voice of Mrs. Cochran from the other
side of the bed.
us your husband in there? Can't
he help push?" suggested Mrs. Bent
ley.
"No," snapped Mrs. Cochran.
"He hasn't come home yet, and,
what's more, he can't until this bar
ricade is removed. How anybody
but a fool could have bought such a
monstrous thing I don't see -
At this juncture Mr.. Cochran came
up stairs, with Mr.. Bentley just be-
hind him. Mr.. Cochran looked puz-
zled. Mr.. Bentley groaned. He had
come home too soon.
''What are you doing to the bed %
asked Mr.. Cochran.
eve amt doin' ting to id, - said
the fat German joyously.
Bentley and Cochran laughed, but
Mrs. Bentley saw no humor in the re-
mark, and certainly Mrs. Cochran
saw no funny side to the bed. Both
sides seemed tragic to her.
is that you, George?" she called
out.
''Yes, it's me. Shall come in ?"
''You can't except by the fire es-
cape" said Mrs. Cochran despair
ingly.
"What are you doing with it in the
wrong door?' asked Mr.. Bentley of
the expressmen.
''Sure 'twould have shtook as fasht
in amy dure," said the Irish express
man, and the German roared sympa-
thetically.
Mr.. Cochran is a man of action.
"Here; we four men ought to be able
to move little be-a bed. Now, al
together; pull p
Mr.. Cochran is successful politi-
clan, but he had the wrong kind of
pull with him, and the only result of
the effort was that Mr.. Bentley pull
ed off some of the molding and fell on
his back.
Nothing daunted, Mr.. Cochran
said, Lets go around by way of the
fire escape and push"
Thetwo expressmen and Mr.. Coch-
ran made nothing of passing from
Mrs. Bentley's parlor to Mrs. Coch-
rams parlor by the fire escape, but
Mr.. Bentley is light headed and had
to be helped across-by his wife.
Then the two entered the Cochran
apartments, for the first time, like
thieves in the night.
Now all six combined their strength
and pushed, but the bed only laughed
at them.
"Well, nothing more can be done
now,' said Cochran. The bed is
here, and it's got to stay here for the
present. Now, you men might as
we'll go about your business. You've
done what you set out to do-the bed
is up here fast enough
"How much do owe your" ask
ed Bentley Of the German.
"Two dollars. I'll sent arount a
carpenter if you want"
ooh, no p said Mrs. Bentley.
Hell be able to move it. !"
Back across the fire escape was Mr.,
Bentley helped by his faithful wife,
and then he bade the Cochrans good
night. 1t was such an impossible
thing that had happened that every
body felt good natured once more,
just as in a blizzard or period OF
excessive heat people make light oi
their misfortunes and passersby joke
one another.
Next morning Immediately after
breakfast Mrs. Bentley went down tc
the bed company to see whether they
could suggest a way of getting the
bed out of Mrs. Cochran doorway.
They had moved, and big sign il
the window bore the legend, "To Be
Opened In Few Days as Ladies
Lunchroom.
For the space of two days that bed
stood in the doorway while carpenter
after carpenter came and looked at il
and shook his head and went away.
Then came one who said: "I've
seen those beds before. The com
pany's failed that made them. Now
next door to my shop is vacant lot
and if 1 cut the bed to pieces I gues'
you can dump it there and the owne'
of the lot won't mind"