Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-07-26

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nose-I forget which-Jim himself ap-
peared and sulkily demanded the pri-
vacy of the roof for his training hour.
Yes, he was training. Flanagan
claimed to know the system that had
reduced the president to what he is.
and he and Jim had a seance every
day which left Jim feeling himself for
bruises all evening He claimed to
| be losing flesh; he said he could ar-
tually feel it going, and he and Flan-
nigan had spent an entire afternoon in
| the cellar three days before with a
potato barrel, a cane-seated chair anc
lamp.
The whole thing had been shroud' d
in mystery They sandpapered the in
side of the barrel and took out all the
nails. and when they had finished they
carried it to the roof and put 1t in
corner behind the tent. Everybody
was curious. but Flanagan refused
any information about it, and merely
said it was part of his system. Dal
said that if he had anything like that
in his system he certainly would be
glad to get rid of it.
At a quarter to six Jim appeared.
still sullen from the events of the af-
ternoon and wearing a dressing gown
and a pair of slippers, Flanagan fol-
lowing him with sponge, bucket of
water and an armful Of bath towels.
Everybody protested at having to
move, but he was firm, and they all
filed down the stairs. l was the last.
with Aunt Selma just ahead of me. At
| the top of the stairs she turned around
suddenly to me.
That policeman looks cruel" she
said. whats more, he's been in a
bad humor all day. More than likely
hell put James fiat on the roof and
tramp on him, under pretense of
training him. All policemen are inhu-
man."
He only rolls him over barrel or
something like that" l protested.
James had bump like an egg over
his ear last night" Aunt Selma insist
ed, glaring at Flannigan's unconscious
back. Il don't think it's safe to leave
him. 1t is my time to relax for thirty
minutes, or l would watch him. Yon
will have to stay" she said, fixing me
with her imperious eyes.
So l stayed. Jim didn't want me,
and Flanagan muttered mutiny. But
it was easier to obey Aunt Selma
than to clash with her, and anyhow I
| wanted to see the barrel in use.
never saw any one train before. 1t
is not joyful spectacle. First. Flanni-
gan made Jim run, around and around
the roof. He said it stirred up his
food and brought it in contact with his
liver, to be digested.
| Flanagan. from meekness and sub
mission, of a sort, in the kitchen, be-
came an autocrat on the roof
| "Once more" he would say. Pick
up your feet, sir! Pick up your feet!"
And Jim would stagger doggedly
past me, where l sat on the parapet,
his poor cheeks shaking and the tail
of his bath-robe 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 horse with string halt?"
He let him stop finally, and gave him
a moment to get his breath. Then he
set him to turning 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
a sausage and come up gasping, as if
he had been pushed off a boat.
Five pounds a day; not less, sir"
Flanagan said encouragingly. you'll
drop it i'm chunks
Jim looked at the tin as if he expect
ed 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 hundred and fifty
pounds. Don't forget to stop in time,
Flanagan I 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 gong
to look as angular as a problem in
geometry Ill-Tll be the original rr
ductio ad absurdum. Do you want me
To stand on my head, Flanagan?
Wouldn't that reduce something?"
Your brains, sir" Flanagan retort-
ed gravcly, and presented a pair of box
ing gloves. Jim visibly quailed, but
he put them on.
DO you know. Flanagan" he re-
marked, as he fastened them, I'm
thinking of wearing these all the time.
They hide my character"
Flanagan 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 run
ming rapidly around the roof, and an
occasional soft thud. Each thud was
accompanied by a grunt or two from
Jim. Flanagan was grimly silent.
once there was a smart rap. an oath
from the policeman. and mirthless
chucklc from Jim. The chuckle ended
in crash, however, and | turned. jim
was lying on his back on the roof, and
Flanagan was wiping his ear with
towel. Jim sat up and ran his hand
down his ribs.
"They'rc all here" he observed after
minute. Il thought | missed one.
The only way to take mans
weight down." Flanagan said dryly.
Jim got up diZZily.
Down on the roof. | suppose you
mcan," he said.
The next proceedings were myster-
ious. Flanngan rolled the barrel into
the tent, and carried in n small glass
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