The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-03-21
CHAPTER I-contInued.

l groaned. / had nearly forgotten
that there was to be no lunch. It's
curious how much you depend on meals
to break up the day. All the morning
long you keep thinking, Il must Iet
so much done before lunch" and then
in the afternoon you spur yourself on
to an extra effort with the thought
of better dinner than usual when you
get through. Take these meal land
marks out of your day and what is
left? Nothing but a dreary. dead level
desert of time, day whose limits seem
interminable.
How many days is it until we eat
again?" asked hopelessly.
six and a half" Lucille computed.
'Then we get some orange juice and a
few kernels of popcorn"
Then what?"
That's all for the first day"
A few kernels of popcorn! Can you
Imagine a kernel Of popcorn floating
hither and yon in all that sea of water
and finally giving up with a despairing
shrek when 1t finds there is no place
to land?
"YOu mustn't think Of things to eat
You're not really hungry. 1t is your
imagination. Tighten your belt and
you won't know that you haven't
eaten"
| followed her advice. True enough,
the belt was quite loose. A terrible
thought struck me-a few days Of fast
ing and l would have to wear suspend
ers! / had always prided myself on a
self supporting figure, as it were, and
had jeered at the fence rail build which
is obliged to hang all its garments
from its shoulders. Already with one
meal missing | was up to the last
notch in my belt.
Along toward noon l noticed dis
tinct headache.
THAT will pass away" Lucille assured
me. 'Lipton S. Clair says so, and he
ought to know"
why ought he to know" l snapped.
Did he invent headaches, or is he just
generalizing from reading about some
body else's headache? This pain I've
got here has settled in my region of
thought for long run, and defy any
Upton S. Clair to drive it out"
Don't be cross" Lucille soothed. LET
me dip my handkerchief in this spring
here and wet your forehead with it."
She did, and while it didn't do any
good l always like to have her fussing
around me.
The spring is one that every one WIS.,
its who comes to the island, and there
is a tin cup sitting on rock near by.
started to get drink.
"You mustn't drink that water" Lu-
cile stopped me. You must not drink
anything but distilled water while you
are fasting"
why nOt?"
Because when there is nothing else
in it the stomach is particularly sus-
ceptible to disease"
That was more of l.. S. Clair's maya
zinc stuff. l knew it. Probably he got
about cents word for it too.
THAT water, pure as it is, may have
microbes in it." she continued.
What chance would a microbe have
against my stomach?" l returned bit
terly, but / refrained from drinking
the water. In those days that woman
had me under her thumb.
At nightfall we sat around that white
| table once more. | think even LuciIe's
enthusiasm was wavering. 1t seemed
distinctly more of an effort to be cheer
full than it had at breakfast. Her moth
er was frankly miserable and eyed me
with d glance which warned me that
were we cannibals the laws of hos
pitality would hardly protect one Of
my build.
Have some water, Mr.. Blainey.'
Lucille said.
II won't drink another drop tonight, I"
/ declared, "unless can have some
havoring extract in it."
After that we sat around thinking
about sweet potatoes and hash and
steaks, but talking about the latest
books and the moonlight through the
trees But what is moonlight on an
empty stomach? Merely moonlight,
nothing more.
whats thatT demanded Lucille,
strGining her ears to catch lone sound
out on the water. There was a faint
''put-put" out somewhere.
ITS Johnsons launch" said Mrs.
Green. 81 can tell because it misses
every tenth explosion"
"Lipton S. Clair says that fasting
makes all the senses extraordinarily
acute" Lucille explained.
know Mrs. Green said g. Lipton
S. Clair!" under her breath, but I did
not hear it.
"I wonder what Johnson's boat can
be doing out here at this time of
night" Lucille speCulated.
HE must be bringing some one over
here" said her mother. "Ours is the
only island for miles which is inhab-
tied as late as this in the season."
"It can't be father" Lucille muscd.
HE said he wouldn't be home until
Sunday"
So we went down to the dock. 1t
was moonlight, and the old launch
coming in looking some way romantic.
What was she bringing us? Some
thing within me suggested food.
The launch came alongside; a man
with couple Of grips jumped ashore:
then the boat backed away and limped
or again into the darkness.
"Why, Frank BOppg' exclaimed Lu-
Gle, greeting the nAwcomer. eve