The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-30

my lliue 10 relax Tor thirty min
utes, or l would watch him. You
will have to stay" she said, fixing
me with her imperious eyes.
So l stayed. Jim didn't want
me, and Flanagan muttered mu-
tiny. But 1t was easier to obey
Aunt Selma than to clash with her,
and anyhow I wanted to see the
barrel in use.
1 never saw any one train be-
fore. 1t is not joyful spectacle.
First, Flanagan made Jim run,
around and around the roof. He
said 1t stirred up his food and
brought it in contact with his
liver, to be digested.
Flanagan, from meekness and
submission, of sort, in the kitch-
en- became an autocrat on the roof.
"Once more" he would say.
Pick up your feet, sir! Pick up
your feet!"
And Jim would stagger logged
ly past me, where l sat on the
parapet, his poor cheeks shaking
and the tail of his bath-rolN
wrapping itself around his legs.
Yes, he ran in the bath-robe in
Difference to me. 1t seems there
isn't much to a running suit.
Head up" Flanagan would
say. Lift your knees, sir. Didn't
you ever see a horse with string
halt?"
He let him stop finally, and
gave him a moment to get his
breath. Then he set him to turn
ing somersaults. They spread the
cushions from the couch in the
tent on the roof, and Jim would
poke his head down and say
prayer, and then curve over as
gracefully as sausage and come
up gaspin,g as If he had been
pushed off a boat.
Five pounds a day; not less,
sir" Flanagan said encouraging
ly. you'll drop it in chunks"
Jim looked at the tin as if he
expected to see the chunks lying
at his feet.
YES" he said, wiping the back
of his neck. "If we're in here
thirty days that will be one hun
dred and fifty pounds. Don't for
get to stop in time, Flanagan.
don't want to melt away like a
candle"
He was cheered, however, by
the promise of reduction.
What do you think of that,
Kit?" he called to me. "Your
uncle is going to look as angular
as a problem in geometry. I'll
I'll be the original reductio ad alb
surdum. Do you want me to stand
on my head, Flanagan? Wouldn't
that reduce something's"
Your brains, sir" Flanagan
retorted gravely. and presented a
pair of boxing-gloves. Jim visibly
quailed, but he put them on.
DO you know, Flanagan, he
remarked, as he fastened them,
I'm thinking of wearing these all
the time. They hide my charac-
ter"
Flannigan looked puzzled, but
he did not ask an explanation. He
demanded that Jim shed the bath
robe, which he finally did, on my
promise to watch the sunset. Then
for fully minute there was no
sound save of feet running rapidly
around the roof, and an occasional
soft thud. Each thud was ac-
companied by grunt or two from
Jim. Flanagan was grimly silent.
Once there was a smart rap, an
oath from the policeman, and a
mirthless chuckle from Jim. The
ehuckle ended in a crash, however.
and / turned. Jim was lying on
his back on the roof. and Flanni-
gan was wiping his ear with a
towel. Jim sat up and ran his
hand down his ribs.
They're all here" he observed
after a minute. 81 thought |
missed one."
THE only way to take a mans
weight down." Flanagan said
dryly.
Jim got up dizzily.
Down on the roof, I suppose
you mean" he said.
The next proceedings were mys-
terious. Flanagan rolled the bar
rel into the tent, and carried in a
small glass lamp. With the ma
terial at hand he seemed to be eff
fecting combination, no new one.
to Judge by his facility. Then he
called Jim.
At the door of the tent Jim
turned to me, his bathrobe toga
fashion around his shoulders.
This is very essential part Of
the treatment" he said solemnly.
The exercise. according to Elan.
nigan, loosens up the adipose It's
sue. The next step Is to boil il
out. hope. unless your instruc-
lions compel you, that you will at
least have the decency to stay out
of the tent"
Il am going at once" said,
outraged. I'm not here because
I'm mad about 1t. and you know
1t. And don't pose with that bath
robe. II you think you're a
character out of Roman history.
look at your legs"
Il didn't mean to offend you. %
he said sulkily. "Only I'm tired
OF having you choked down my
throat every time open my
mouth XII Ana do,,st -