Soapy is a homeless man who realizes that winter is
coming; therefore, he devises a plan to ensure that he will stay warm throughout the
winter. He decides that he will get himself arrested so that he can be sent to the
prison on Riker's Island and remain in jail throughout the cold
months.
So, Soapy breaks a plate glass window of a store
and stands waiting. However, the policeman refuses to believe that anyone who remains
at the scene would be the perpetrator of such an action. Discouraged, Soapy tries
another avenue to his goal of warm. Seeing an attractive young woman on a street five
block farther from his first attempt, Soapy adjusts the angle of his hat and plays "the
masher." He raising his hat, saying, "Ah there, Bedlia! Don't you want to come and
play in my yard?" With the policeman still watching him, Soapy feels confident that the
young woman will signal to this policeman. Instead, she finally
says,
"Sure,
Mike,...if you'll blow me to a pail of suds. I'd have spoke to you sooner, but the cop
was watching."
Ironically,
Bedelia, whose name is Irish for "exalted one," is a lady of the evening only; that is,
a prostitute. Therefore, she avoids the policeman and is happy accompany Soapy. But,
he shakes her loose and works again at getting arrested. Of course, in this
humorous story, every action has an ironic reaction.
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