Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-02-22

VI his pain rope wrapping 1LS6u
around his legs. Yes. he ran in the
bath robe in Difference to me. It seems
there isn't much to 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 momentto 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'll chunks"
Jim looked at the tin as if he ex-
pected TO see the chunks lying at his
feet
YES" he gid, wiping the back of
his neck. IF we're in here 80 days
that will be $50 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 going
to look as angular as a problem in
geometry Pll-TIl be the original re-
ductio ad absurdum. Do you want me
to stand on ny head, Flanagan?
Wouldn't that reduce something's"
Your bra ms, sir" Flanagan retort-
ed, gravely, and presented pair of
boxing gloves. Jim visibly quailed,
but he put them on.
''Do you know, Flannigan,' 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 de-
manded 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 accompanied by a 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
chuckle ended in a crash, however,
and l turned. Jim wSe 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're all here" he observed
after minute. 81 thought I missed
one"
"The only way to take a mans
weight down." Flanagan said dryly.
Jim got up dizzily.
"Down on the roof, / suppose you
mean" he said.
The next proceedings were mysteri-
Gus. Flanagan rolled the barrel into
the tent, and carried a small glass
lamp. With the material at hand he
seemed to be effecting combination,
no new one, to judge by his facility.
Then he called jim.
At the door of the tent Jim turned
to me, his bath-robe toga fashion
around his shoulders.
This is a very essential part of the
treatment" he said, solemnly. "The
exercise, according to Flanagan,
1oosens up the adipose tissue. The
next step is to boil it out I hope,
unless your instructions compel you,
that you will at least have the de-
cency to stay out Of the tent"
''I am going at once" 1 said, out
ragged. I'm not here because I'm mad
about it, and you know it. And don't
pose with that bath robe. If you think
you're a character out Of Roman his
tory, look at your legs"
st didn't mean to offend you," he
said suldly. "Only Tn tired Of having
you choked down my throat every
time I open my mouth, Kit. And don't
go just yet. Flanagan is going for
my clothes as soon as he lights the
the lamp, and-somebody ought to
watch the stairs"
That was all there was to it. / said
would guard the steps, and Flanni-
gan, having ignited the combination,
whatever it was, went downstairs.
How was l to know that Bella would
come up when she did? Was it my
fault that the lamp got too high, and
that Flanagan couldn't hear Jim call
Eng? or that just as Bella reached the
top of the steps Jim should come to
the door of the tent wearing the bar
rel part of his hot-air cabinet, and yell
ing for a doctor?
Bella came to a dead stop on the
upper step, with her mouth open. She
looked at Jim, at the inadequate bar
rel, and from them she looked at me.
Then she began to laugh, one Of her
historical giggles, and she turned
and went down again. AS Jim and
stared at each other we could hear
her gurgling down the hall below.
She had violent Mysteries for an
hour, with Anne rubbing her forehead
and Aunt Selma burning a feather out
of the feather buster under her nose.
Only Jim and 1 understood, and we
did not tell. Luckily, the next thing