Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-05-11
CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.)

Every one went up On the roof and
left him to his mystery. Anne drank
her tea in a preoccupied silence. with
half-clOsed eyes, an attitude that bod
ed i'll to somebody. The rest were fe-
verishly gay, and Aunt Selma, with
pair Of arctics on her feet and a hot
water bottle at her back, sat in the
middle of the tent and told me ia
miIiar anecdotes of Jimmy's early
youth chad he known, he would have
slain herr Betty and Mr.. HARRISON
had found a medicine ball, and were
running around like a pair Of children.
1t was quite certain that neither his
escape from death nor my accusation
weighed heavily on him
While Aunt Selma was busy with
the time Jim had swallowed an open
safety pin, and just as the pin had
been coughed up. or taken out of his
nose-I forget which-Jim himself ap-
peared and sulkily demanded the pri-
yacy 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 actually
feel it gong, and he and Flanagan
had spent an entire afternoon in the
cellar three days before with potato
barrel, a eane-seated chair and a lamp.
The whole thing had been shrouded
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 it in a
corner behind the tent Everybody
was curious, but Flanagan refused
any information about it, and merely
said it was part of his system. Dai
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
afternoon and wearing a dressing
gown and a pair of slippers, Flanagan
following him with a sponge, a 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. I 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
bad humor all day. More than likely
he'll put James fiat on the roof and
tramp on him. under pretense of train
ing him. All policemen are inhu-
man"
He only rolls him over barrel or
something like that" l protested.
James had a lump like an egg over
his ear last night" Aunt Selma in
sisted, glazing at Flannigan's uncon-
scious back. Il don't think it's safe
to leave him. 1t is my time to relax
for 80 minutes, or I would watch him.
You will have to stay" she said. fixing
me with her imperious eyes.
So ] stayed. Jim didn't want me,
and Flanagan muttered mutfny. But
it was easier to obey Aunt Selma
than to clash with her, and anyhow l
wanted to see the barrel in Use.
| never saw any one train before.
1t IS not a joyful spectacle First
Flanagan made Jim run, around and
around the roof. He said it stirred up
his food and brought 1t in contact
with his liver, to be digested
Flanagan, from meekness and sub
mission, of a sort, became an sutocrat
on the roof.
Once more" he would sag. Pick
up your feet, sir! Pick up rour feet!"
And Jim would stagger doggedly
past me, where I sat on me 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. It 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 gays
him moment to set his breath. Then
he set him to turning somersaur.s.
They spread the cushions from she
couch in the tent on the roof. and
Jim would poke his head down and
say prayer, and then curve OF er as
gracefully as q sausage and co ne up
gasping, as il he had been pushed of
a boat
Five pounds a day; not less, sir, "