Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1907-11-07
MOVING BROWNS
TRUNK

stoop for Brown and Browns trunk.
He had promised to help Brown move
the trunk, because his friends eco
nomical soul had shrunk from paying
the express company so cents. I'm
only going to move block away"
Brown had coaxed, "and it's only a
little trunk"
If it was only little trunk Smith
decided that it must be very lively
one or else Brown was training him
self for baggage smasher. The
sounds as Brown brought his trunk
down stairs were loud and frequent
enough to have done credit to a first
class freight depot in full activity
during the vacation season. Brown
had left the front door open and he
presently shot out on the stoop as
though impelled by some unforeseen
force. The force did not long remain
unseen; it appeared directly behind
Brown and hurled itself out on the
stone platform of the stoop, where 1t
rested moment.
Smith did some mental calculation
as to the exact size of the trunk. Then
he complimented Brown upon his YER
acity.
lemon skim" be said. That's not a
trunk it's house.
1T does look large out here on the
stoop," admitted Brown, but it Is a
trunk"
Smith took one handle of the trunk
and Brown the other. 1t was d warm
night and Smith calculated that he
was losing gallon minute of the
large amount of water of which
human being Is supposed to be partly
composed. When they had both lost
few finger nails and several inches
of scarf skin had parted company
with their hands. Smith suggested
that they open the trunk and remove
some of the scrap iron and lead pipe
souvenirs with which 1t was evidently
filled. But Brown. always patient
and persevering when saving money,
overlooked the sarcasm and said that
the trunk contained nothing but
clothes and few books.
BY this time they had reached the
sidewalk and Brown suggested that
they rest a few minutes. Smith
thought they ought to call an express
before it should be necessary to- call
an ambulance. Brown had not moved
before for fifteen years. and he could
not bring himself to part with so
cents for such a little thing as the
moving of the trunk, estimated by
Smith in his least sarcastic moments
to be about six by ten feet square.
While they rested letter carrier
brought Brown letter, and he read
it seated upon the trunk and express
ing his satisfaction at the contents of
the letter by serious facial disturb
ances, which added to the unique en-
tertainment the trunk movers were
already affording a score of unwashed
unspanked kids.
Smith sat on the trunk and parted
more or less successfully the sarcas-
tic and personal remarks which the
little vagabonds were passing One
hlu dtLciupLGu W wary HIS iIiS Vi re-
partee with a rotten lemon, which
brought the trunk movers to their feet
again.
At the end of 20 or 30 minutes they
had succeeded in moving the trunk
half block Their hands were torn.
blistered, bleeding, and their tempers
touchy and unreliable.
Then Smith decided that he had full
ly responded to friendships sacred
call
You've got to get some one else to
finish this job he said to Brown and
simultaneously hailed truck driver
who was going to supper. The truck
driver said he could and would move
the trunk. Then Smith sneaked
The next morning Brown appeared
at the office minus the little temper
he had left the night before. His right
hand was bandaged and he waved it
angrily at Smith.
why didn't you make a bargain
with that MANI" he cried 'Iie made
me pay him rs cents"
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