The Carlisle independent., 1918-01-03

E
 w having tea on the front
 porch.
 We certainly do." I assented idly.
 .Why not give our digestive appa- ratus rest?" she propounded.
 "Why not?" I rushed to my doom. was having my two weeks vacation and was too happy at being able to spend it on the island to care any thing about an argument.
 q suggest that we fast for week." 4 suggestion like that put me in nice fix. 1 don't mind stating that at that time 1 was about 210 pounds of eligible bachelor, aged thirty-fve, com forta6ly in love with Lucille, but too old and set in the cemplacent selfish ness of single bessedness ever to pre- tend to be a Romeo. The idea of fast ing gave me sinking sensation right where there was the most room to sink.
 'What?" I calculated, forgetting for the moment that had reputation for ready repartee.
 T said, Why not fast for a week.? I read an article by Lipton S. Clair about it just this morning. He claims that fasting thoroughly rebuilds the k system, gets rid of all toxins and in- ereases the mental efficiency 50 per cent
 She picked up magazine which was propped open face downward on the lower shelf of the porch table.
 sListen to this,'', she continued. Eat ,J. i,I, ft. We have made tyrants of our stom- achs. They demand to be fed every few hours, and if we answer that de- mand we are slaves There, that sounds like the reasoning of q thinker, doesn't it?"
 Tt sounds more like the reasoning of a thinker than of an eater"
 Lucille reproved my tiippancy. T think it would do us all good"
 But I feel all right now" I called her attention to an obvious fact.
 She dismissed my objection. You can't be healthy unless you fast for week at least once a year. Upton s. Clair says so. Mother, you'll try it, won't you"
 'Try what ?'
 Fasting for a week"
 "Why, yes. if you want to-" Her mother picked up a book as if she had decided nothing more momentous than a question as to whether she preferred cream or lemon in her tea. She had been used as an experiment station for so many years that nothing surprised her.
 I got up casually and tried to slip in- doors, but Lucille stopped me. Don't you think it will be lovely, Montmo- rency?"
 I collapsed into a chair. which col lapsed immediately after l did. She had called me by my first name! Yes; Montmorency is my first name It sounds like several names. but it is only my first. That first name thing made it very hard to refuse. AS l sat there on the porch surrounded by legs. rung and other parts of chair a ter rife struggle went on in my being be- tween my heart and my stomach, and the weaker party won. Possibly my mind was stunned by my fall, although I have no recollection of hitting my head. I felt that Lucille was putting me to the test. From the look in her eye I knew that she was asking me to choose between love and beefsteak. So rising phoenix like l answered bravely "Yes; l think fasting would be delightful.
 So that was how we began. As you can easily see, the cause of the trouble was that Lucille is one of those persons who take the magazine health and hygienie writers in good faith. It is impossible to convince her that those fellows have to make liv- ing by their pens the same as other human authors and that every bizarre idea they can bounce on means just so much more copy at q regular rate per word. No, Lucille must needs try by experiment every new theory, using herself or any convenient relative or friend as a laboratory.
 The absurdity of Lucile's attempt to improve upon her health and looks is apparent to any one who has ever been blessed with a sight of her. You can't make n sim young body like hers by simply rolling on the floor for an hour every day, nor are soft brown eyes with long, curly lashes the result of chewing any particular number of times upon q piece of stea'.. Nature must have been experimenting good many centuries before she got just that particular texture for hair and