The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Their Fathers Friends.
BY CATHERINE cRAhMER.


BY CATHERINE 5RAkMER.
Copyright, 1916, by = Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
A NYTHlNG startling in the eve.
~ ming paper, dad?" asked Betty
= Allen as she perched on the arm
OF her afther's chair and bent her
blond head to scan the headlines OF
the paper he was reading.
Nothing exactly startling. but
here's something that ought to inter.
est u.s." He pointed to a paragraph.
and Betty began to read:
THEREON NJ. Clay, candidate for
Congressional representative from the
Seventh district, will be one OF tho
speakers at the political mass meeting
at Sanhope Hall tomorrow evening"
MIR. Clay has q brilliant record as an
attorney and Is said to be gifted or.
ator.'
"Whew! That doesn't sound SO in
teresting to me-" said Betty. BE
sides I'm going to Mrs. Andrews ..n-
ner dance with Jerry Davis tomorrow
evening""
That's very awkward, daughter, for
was talking To Theron Clay Today By
telephone and ! invited him to have
dinner with US tomorrow evening.
Can't you cancel that engagement"
"Oh. dad!" protested Betty, with q
coaxing little squeeze of her fathers
gray head, would you have me miss
perfectly jolly evening to sit primly
At home and be bored by listening to
an old politician sing his own prais.
EST"
"You have enough jolly evenings to
spare one occasionally, 1t seems to
NO." said her father. stroking her hair.
"And 1t oughtn't to bore any girl TO
meet bachelor OF 30 who has good
prospects OF becoming as distinguish
ed as his illustrious kinsman, Henry
Clay"
Daddy. you shock me! You'll be
reminding me first thing l know that
this is leap year!"
mo. dearie, your dad Is in no hur-
~ to give up the little daughter who
has filled her mothers place SO admir-
ably, but he does want you to meet
some steady, balanced men as well as
rollicking scatter brains like Jerry
Davis"
I'll tell you. daddy-Ill entertain
your Henry Clay at dinner il you'll
let me motor to Hill Creek Lodge with
Jerry tomorrow to the tennis tourna-
ment. He never drives recklessly
when I'm with him. He's to call at s
to know whether Ill 60. There's the
phone now!"
Betty skipped to the telephone and,
with her hand on the receiver, looked
back at her father.
"Shall tell him ycs?" she asked
coaxingly. and her father nodded az
frmatively.
The tennis tournament ended at 1
O'Clock the next afternoon and Betty
found SO many friends 10 greet and so
many victors to congratulate that be-
fore she knew 1t 8 o'clock had come.
mercy me, jerry" she exclaimed
in dtsma.. Here am playing around
when l ought to be home SOLDERING up
for the ordeal OF being hostess to Hen
~ Clay. Let's 60 at once or I'll be
late for my own dinner party" But
even after they started to leave they
met still other friends. so that 1t was
f1ve.thirty before they were really
ttarted on the twcnty.mile run to
town.
Jerry's blue car shot smoothly out
tn. the rock roads, and Betty began
t9ifeel relieved. AS they went silent
ly coasting down q long hill at the
base Of which was huirpin curve,
Jerry neglected to obey the sisnboard
warning to blow his horn, and when
he made the turn he was compelled to
veer wildly to tho roadside to avoid
running into a farmer who sat lazily
On clumsy horse watching three men
replace tire on large touring car
that stood at the left of the road. In
the tall grass at the roadside, Jerry's
front tire fairly pinloncd itself on the
Jagged neck Of large broken bottle.
and deafening, long.drawn-out hiss
followed.
"Confound It," muttered Jerry. as he