Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-11-30
SMART CHILDREN
BY MARY LOUISE CORNER.

Il say, pater, can you let me nave
$50 on account? There was the usual
solicitous expression on William Syl-
westerns young face as he made his IA
miliar request Old John Pennynickle
dropped his copy of the Evening Ga
xette and his mild gray eyes looked
out troublously at the boy from behind
q barricade of shabby, misshapen spec
tacles.
"You haven't spent all of your al
lowance this early, WIFI" he demand
ed. "Why, when l was your age an al
lowance like that would keep me in
funds for u year"
"But, pater, this is the Twentieth
century," William Sylvester's stock
wall was delivered with the open exas-
perati0n of seventeen. Besides, in q
one-horse town like Needs. $50 a
month is barely enough to get by on
and keep up appearances, l meant"
The boy In concluding shot an appeal
ing sidelong glance at his mother
And that lady, whose ruling ambition
was to see her children firmly and
safely established "in the right Glass;"
rallied to his defense.
Sylvester Is right" she declared in
the judicial tone Of one used to hand
ing down fual decisions; ut is only
reasonable to expect that the son Of
one Of Needs leading citizens should
keep up a decent front"
II was thinking Of the store" said
''pater," Offering a feeble defense.
eve had to sell that last lot of hard
ware at loss. Business is pretty dull
Just now, you know"
Business again I" Mrs. John Penny
nickle's crisp voice pOunced upon the
word scornfully. do you consider
business more important than your
children's future? l must say, John
Pennynickle-"
ooh, all right. mother, all right"
capitulated the old man hastily. Any.
thing, he told himself, to escape an
other Of Carries tongue-lashings. "You
come around to the store in the MORN
ing, Will, and I'll fix you up"
Thanks. pater," William Sylvester
flashed look Of triumph in his
mothers direction. Then he turned
back to his father with an apologize
grin.
II wouldn't have asked you for this"
he explained, III it wasn't for the fact
that Norry and Christine are coming
home next week. They'll probably
bring along some Of their swell friends
and-well, you know what that means,
pater."
Yes" Pater knew what 1t meant.
we'll enough. Money! Each time the
children came home from college he
made feverish trips to the bank. He
would do so again.
Norris was the first to tap the pa
rental resources. He and college
chum were planning to establish sum-
mer restaurant.
..Mints of money in it, pater," he
confided earnestly. "All I need to
start in with is about $500. You could
rater let him have 1t. No sooner was
this affair concluded than Christine re-
vealed her plan for an elaborate black
and white frOlic.
"Just little welcome home party"
she told her father sweetly. please do
this for me. pater, darling" And Of
course "pater darling" did.
Christine's little party was a pic
turesque affair that cost several hun
dred dollars. Needs flocked to 1t and
ar jOyoI itco1f bvUolv
The day after the black and white
frolic pater was knocked down by an
autombile on South Main street. His
family was deeply shocked.
"But l didn't suppose anything could
ever happen to pater!" Christine
moaned to Doctor Stanton when they
went to visit Pennynickle in the Hill
side hospital.
ooh. yes" he responded with thinly
yelled sarcasm. "You know even the
best machine made is subject to wear
and tear. In pater's ward the chill
dred fingered about uncomfortably and
blamed themselves mercilessly for the
calamity. Once outside-they blamed
SdCu why SoiiiC SCCuCu SChu~
inely affected by the accident.
I'm ashamed Of myself. john" she
whispered to the bandaged figure on
the hospital cot. We've all been driv-
ing you like an old workhorse-"
Pater reached up and patted her
hand
Its all right, mother" he mumbled
weakly. We've had to think Of the
children's future, you know. Don't
worry. I'll be out Of here In week."
But he was wrong. 1t was whole
month before he was able to leave the
hospital. At home he found two let
tiers awaiting him.
One, containing bill, was from
Christine. who was in the White noun
tains, "recuperating from nervous
breakdown" The other was from Nor
riS.
1.-THE restaurant Is coming along