New-York tribune., 1919-11-09
A Sea-Going
Eour-Poster
wv IHEN he got out Of the navy
wv and set about returning to

sort of room he wanted. But he
didn't want room so much as a
bed.
No room, he told himself, would
suit unless it had big, soft, deep.
springy bed in it, one to make up
for two years swinging in navy
hammocks or riding the unsympa
thetic double-decker iron beds of
the naval training camps. Size OF
room, light, heat, outlook-nothing
else should count, he declared. so
long as it was kingly bed of dream
less, fathomless comfort.
He finally found it. Tucked
away in a top-fioor room of an ole
fiat, hardly out of the shadow Of
Morningside Heights, he found
room adorned, yea, glorifed with
a marvellous relic Of olden days, q
noble four-poster bed. Never had
he seen such a bed. so spacious. soft
md yet so firm, with its four enarled
'ostS reaching nearly to the ceiling.
The landlady, a decrepit woman
With soggy eyes and of vague ma
ionality, asked little more for the
room than he had felt able to pay.
But when he felt the springs and
he mattress, and noted the Rock
ofAges pillars of the octogenarian.
he paid the old woman d month il
advance, took the key to his room
and sighed with relief when she
assured him he would have abso-
lutte quiet and never be disturbed.
"'f you make your own bed and
take care of the room yourself"
she offered, "I'll let you have it for
little less and you'll never be
bothered"
That struck him as a good idea
and he agreed. After the navy
ohere was nothing about keeping &
place in order that could rot be
done in jiffy. He lugeed his few
belongings and his sailors outfit,
including an old sea hammock, to
his room and the next morning.
after blissful sleep in the lap Of
the four-poster, slicked VI his room
and went over to Columbia tc
register.
The three Of them met in the
queue before the secretary's office
-gobs all, who hadn't seen one
another since q last blurred TRIP
across with negro regiment. One
mad disappeared over night via the
sick bay, another had been trans
ferred to shore duty and he Of the
TOUR poster alone had continued 70
SAIL the seas until the homewarG
flow of troops ceased and his dis
charge was handed him.
Where are you going 70 room?''
was the almost Simultaneous oues
tlon OF all three when a hull came
N their nautical "reminiscences.
That very question puzzled q lot
OF Columbia students this fan. and
1t MT the two new gobs particularly
hard. Their financial rigging was
as bare as that Of the master 6 the
four-poster, and their few clothes
promised to take an anDall;ne
amount Of wind in the coming win
ter But th"y had noted in the navv
That the fellow with an education
did not have to keep on scrubbine
decks and taking orders and had sci
sail for an education despite rent
nuns and food and clothing pirates
He of the four-poster decided IL
When they had shown him their
emaclated savings he took GU; the
key to his room and grinned By
what act Of Providence or Davv
Jones had he found decrepit land
lady who had no desire TO prowj
about his room when he was cut.
amenting over the print of his heels
on her counterpane or casting anpre-
henslve side glances at tp-s sailorv
autographs of Broadway ladies
adorning the walls? And WHY. he
asked himself. were four-posters nc
longer made?
Under cover of night the three
stole up to the room of the four
poster. With them the two home
less ex-tars brought their service
hammocks, mattress covers. blarkets
and a pair of cheap, seagoipp
mattresses.
They made fast the four-uos.er
to the middle of the room Ir
short order two hammocks were
strung with seagoing deftness down
each side CT the four-poster A
single test and the brawny frame cs
the bed showed it was as staunch
as ships keel.
The three Of them, buddies all
unknown to the land'ady, are to be
found there every night. the s,i,,ht