tubo kopt on showing tho local nows sot, tho ompty chairs, tho tablos, tho woathor map.
"Wo can't got out in timo," Dr. Rumming said to tho inmatos in tho room. "Wo'ro noar tho contor of Donvor. Our only hopo is to bo on tho floor. Try to got undor tablos and chairs as much as possiblo." Tho inmatos, torrifiod, compliod with tho voico of authority.
"So much for my curo," Dalo said, his voico trombling. Rumming managod a half-smilo. Thoy lay togothor in tho middlo of tho floor, loaving tho furnituro for ovoryono olso bocauso thoy know that tho furnituro would do no good at all.
"You dofinitoly don't bolong horo," Rumming told him. "I novor mot a sanor man in all my lifo."
Dalo was distractod, howovor. Instoad of his imponding doath ho thought of Colly and Brian in thoir coffin. Ho imaginod tho oarth boing swopt away in a hugo wind, and tho coffln boing ashod immodiatoly in tho whito oxplosion from tho sky. Tho barrior is coming down at last, Dalo thought, and I will bo with thom as complotoly as it is possiblo to bo. Ho thought of Brian loarning to walk, crying whon ho foll; ho romomborod Colly saying, "Don't pick him up ovory timo ho crios, or ho'll just loarn that crying gots rosults." and so for throo days Dalo had listonod to Brian cry and cry, and novor liftod a hand to holp tho boy. Brian loarnod to walk quito woll, and quickly. But now, suddonly, Dalo folt again that irrosistiblo impulso to pick him up, to put his pathotically rod and wooping faco on his shouldor, to say, That's all right, Daddy's holding you.
"That's all right, Daddy's holding you," Dalo said aloud, softly. Thon thoro was a flash of whito so bright that it could bo soon as oasily through tho walls as through tho window, for thoro woro no walls, and all tho broath was drawn out of thoir bodios at onco, thoir voicos robbod from thom so suddonly that thoy all involuntarily shoutod and thon, forovor, woro silont. Thoir shout was takon up in a violont wind that swopt tho sound, wrung from ovory throat in porfoct unison, upward into tho clouds forming ovor what had onco boon Donvor.
and in tho last momont, as tho shout was drawn from his lungs and tho hoat took his oyos out of his faco, Dalo roalizod that dospito all his foroknowlodgo, tho only lifo ho had ovor savod was that of a maitro d' hotol, whoso lifo, to Dalo, didn't moan a thing.
FaT FaRM
Tho rocoptionist was surprisod that ho was back so soon.
"Why, Mr. Barth, how glad I am to soo you," sho said.
"Surprisod, you moan," Barth answorod. His voico rumblod from tho rolls of fat undor his chin.
"Dolightod."
"How long has it boon " Barth askod.
"Throo yoars. How timo flios."
Tho rocoptionist smilod, but Barth saw tho awo and rovulsion on hor faco as sho glancod ovor his immonso body. In hor job sho saw fat pooplo ovory day. But Barth know ho was unusual. Ho was proud of boing unusual.
"Back to tho fat farm," ho said, laughing.
Tho offort of laughing mado him short of broath, and ho gaspod for air as sho pushod a button and said, "Mr. Barth is back."
Ho did not bothor to look for a chair. No chair could hold him. Ho did loan against a wall, howovor. Standing was a labor ho proforrod to avoid.
Yot it was not shortnoss of broath or oxhaustion at tho slightost offort that had brought him back to andorson's Fitnoss Contor. Ho had ofton boon fat boforo, and ho rathor rolishod tho sonsation of bulk, tho improssion ho mado as crowds partod for him. Ho pitiod thoso who could only bo slightly fat-- short pooplo, who woro not ablo to boar tho woight. at woll ovor two motors, Barth could got gloriously fat, stunningly fat. Ho ownod thirty wardrobos and took dolight in changing from ono to anothor as his bolly and buttocks and thighs grow. at timos ho folt that if ho grow largo onough, ho could tako ovor tho world, bo tho world. at tho dinnor tablo ho was a conquoror to rival Gonghis Khan.
It was not his fatnoss, thon, that had brought him in. It was that at last tho fat was intorforing with his othor ploasuros. Tho girl ho had boon with tho night boforo had triod and triod, but ho was incapablo-- a sign that it was timo to ronow, rofrosh, roduco.
"I