The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-10-27
The Father S
Helper
-
BY Osborn Jones
BY Osborn Jones

per ShulCdlesJ
When Dick Stoner. after a stormy
and galloping sort of seaside court
ship, had actually heard Madeleine re-
turn all his vows of devotion he
thought his struggles to win her as
his wife were practically over. Made
lelne was visiting Il boarding school
chum when the Umance occurred, and
for that reason, perhaps, Dick had for
gotten that Madeleine probably pos
Sessed parents and that those parents
might have something to say before
permitting their eighteen-year-Old
beauty to become Mrs. Dick Stoner.
But Dick knew that, as parents usual
IT, rated sons-in-law-tO-be, he was not
undesirable. His record ut college
Hnd in business since then, though
not actually brilliant, was clean and
progressive, and any father-in-law or
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. would not have
much difficulty in discovering that his
share Of the Stoner fortune was a
large one.
So it seemed as If the matter was set
tied till, after n sudden burst Of en-
ihusiasm on the part of Medicine, as
they sauntered in and out around the
sand dunes at the seashore, she sud-
IDENTIFY changed her tone and her eyes
grew round.
ard forgotten about father" she
said. "He will never let us do my.
thing we want to-we are a great trial
to him, you know, and 1 don't know
how in the world 1 can ever be mar
couldn't elope."
Dick didn't like this intrusion of an
Directing father-in-law 1t was much
nicer hearing Medicines guideless
praise of his own many manly virtues
and good features. So he tried to per-
suade her that the father whom he
had never seen was not such a gruff
sort after all and that it would be an
easy matter to bring him around"
you haven't any idea how strict he
is," Madeleine protested. Hes a pro-
fessor of psychology and this year he's
crying to write his greatest book and
and, well, it is very hard to be the
dLutI VI hNS uuuSLllClo III n llLu
and Bennett and write a book on psy-
chology. It's hard to be the father of
five daughters anyhow, he says, espe-
clally when they are the kind of daugh-
tiers that we are"
"Why can't he shift responsibilities
till the book is done?" suggested Dick.
Couldn't your mother manage to keep
you within bounds?"
"0h, mothers just as busy as she
can be mending us and darning us and
planning meals and things. She has a
mothers helper to help her and still
she never seems to have time to
breathe. And poor old father said he
was going to try to get a fathers
helper'-to make his task of being our
father easy, just as mother does with
her mothers helper So far he hasn't
found anyone that wants the job"
"What would this fathers helper
have to do?" asked Dick, rather
amazed at the turn of Madeleine's con.
RersatiOn.
ooh, 1 suppose he would have tC
help Bennett with his Greek and spank
Arthur, and he'd have to come to meals
and see that we were all there anC
maybe say grace, and sometimes JUS
happen in the drawing room when Mi
nerva's suitOrs were there. Minerals
the sumner, you know, and she ha!
Just coolies of SuitOrs, and mother says
that father ought to appear once in
while just to show that there is some
one keeping track Of how often the,
come. But father can't stand tina
sort of thing. And I suppose the ia
theirs helper would have to scold N,
sometimes because 1 am so rockies.
when 1 ride-mother keeps at fatheI
To scold me for 1t, but he hates to; anC
he would have to scold the servan,
when mother couldn't manage them
and sometimes, if one Of US girls didn'
have an escort to a dance, l suppose
the fathers helper would have to g
with US. Father ought to, mother
says, but he hates to-"
my Greek Is a little rusty" an
nounced Dick, when Madeleine had fin
tshed her mOnOlOgue, 'but 1 think II
take that position. You say your ia
ther hasn't found anyone for 1t. Al
right, I'll make tracks for your place
tomorrow and by the time you have
come home I'll be installed and per
haps n of the first things 1 can de
will be to show father that it is to
his interest to let his daughter Made
leine become Mrs. Dick StOner."
When Madeleine reached home a
the end Of that week she found the
young nan whom her father had re
Gently employed to be identical witt
the man to whom she had recently be
come engaged, except that he wal
dressed in dark blue serge and hei
fance had Inclined to light tweeds
and white fannels. Besides he spok,
In a voice that was subdued and The
speech a free from slang-not very
much like the explosive discourse o.