I kept it up largely for their sake.

They became highly trained, but developed temperament.

They were apt to get the signals mixed and open unexpectedly on the street, resulting in bad colds for me.
For six weeks, on every week day from three to five P.M.I maintained this schedule religiously--at least I used a good many religious words while so engaged--and then I went on the scales to find out what progress I had made toward attaining the desired result.

I had kept off the scales until then because I was saving up, as it were, to give myself a nice jolly surprise party.
So I weighed.

And I had picked up nine pounds and a half! That was what I had gained for all my sufferings and all my exertions--that, along with a set of snappy but emotional pores and a personal knowledge of how a New England boiled dinner feels just before it comes on the table.
"This," I said bitterly to myself--"this is sheer foolhardiness! Keep this up for six weeks more and I'll find myself fallen away to a perfect three-ton truck.