The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-20
CHAPTER XIII

CHAPTER XIII
 Sven, the physical director, stood eyer Susie. How much is the weight?" he asked.
 About to hedge she answered honestly, "One hundred and sixty"
 And the height9"
 "Five feet, two-with my shoes off"
 He puffed out his cheeks and whistled. We get you down to 12O. We drop off four pounds the week, yesP"
 But hoWp" Susie gasped.
 Sven shook 8 blunt finger under her silly little nose. You will do as I say or ve stop now. AS say, Susie" He pronounced 1t zuzzle. "If you break one little rule we quit" He threw up his arms to show how they would quit.
 When the conference finally ended MT. Harker said, How about it, Susie? Ready to start?"
 She nodded, drawing a long breath. The patient was ready. How about the operating roomP Did the patient realize that there would be no anestheticP Crazily these thoughts scampered across the blankness of Susie's mind. Submissively she went with Sven to the gymnasium on the roof,
 The gymnasium was MT. Hark- 1r's great pride and joy. He had spared no expense in making It complete. There was one large room with every conceivable gadget, rings and bars, mats for tumbling, trapeze, stationary oi- cycles, punching bags, vibrasors, soft balls and bats, Indian clubs, dumbells, basketball equipment, a piano and radio. There was a room with cots, there were show CTS and dressing rooms.
 of the large room was roof garden, umbrellas and tables and comfortable, canopied couches. There was an infirmary with a nurse in attendance. Certain hours were given to the employees for re- taxation.
 Upon taking Susie to the gymna- sium Sven turned her over to his athlete wife, a grim-faced woman named Emma. She led Susie to a dressing room and literally squeezed her into a play suit. It was the largest play suit carried by Harker's s aud in 1t Susie looked like some- thing from a comic trip. Reluctantly she went back to Sven. In bus iness-like manner he checked her weight and height.
 Then he started her on simple exercises. Fifteen minutes work, 15 minutes rest, Susie panted and groaned. She was unable to touch the floor when bending by good ten inches. Her muscles shrieked her bones rebelled. Knowing that she resembled nothing so much as a clumsy bear cub she struggled on.
 At noon, when Susie was weak with hunger, & girl, starchy in a green uniform, brought her lunch, wrapped in a robe Susie was taken to the roof where she dropped, ex- hausted, into @ chair. Hungrily she uncovered the tray. A thick slice of tomato on a crisp lettuce leaf, sec- ton of lemon to squeeze over 1t, one thin slice of whole wheat toast with out butter, a pot of tea, no sugar. Susie looked up at Emma.
 Isis this all?" she inquired blankly.
 That's all, Susie."
 Susie ate every wisp of lettuce, every crumb of toast. Her palate, accustomed to rich waffles, syrup, butter, thick cream, found slight satisfaction in the fare, the lemon juice puckered her mouth, the tea was bitterly distasteful. Lunch so called, finished, another girl, this one in starchy white, ap- peared on the roof with a brush. While Susie rested the girl brushed her hair in the sunshine, strand by strand, over and over. For an hour she brushed and mas- saged Susie's scalp. Then she gave her shampoo, and such a sham poo, and dried her hair by hand in the sun. After came another hour of exercise, extremely mild according to Sven, fiendish from Susie's point of view.
 During a rest period Jeff came in with the proofs of Susie's pictures. They were photographic triumphs, pictures of large homely girl but, as MT. Harker had promised, only dimly suggesting the bad features. Susie's bulk faded into a shadowy background, her face was an inde- terminate blur of contradictory lines.
 After looking at the pictures, the robe pulled decorously to her neck, Susie said, They'll know I'm home- ly, but they won't laugh" Impul- sively she chose the least fiattering. "Use this one, Jeff. Let's give Mir. Harker all the credit that's due him"
 Jeff looked at her admiringly. Good sport" he said. How you coming. Susie?"
 She sighed wearily and pushed at her soft hair. My back is broken, my stomach is gnawing on itself and I'm a martyr to the cause"
 Jeff laughed. Keep the upper