The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1921-11-22
SMART CHILDREN
By MARY LOUISE coRMlER.


$50 on acconltf' There was the usual
soIicitous expression on William Syl.
vester's young face as he made his ia
mlliar request. Old John Pennynickle
dropped his copy of the Evening Ga
zette and his mild gray eyes looked
out troublousiy at the boy from behind
bagricade Of shabby. misshapen spec
tacles.
"You haven't spent all of your al
lowance this early. Will?" he demand
ed. why. when / was your age ANAL
lowance like that would keep me in
funds for Il year"
But, paier. this Is the Twentieth
century :" William Sylyester's stock
wall was delivered with the open exns-
peration of seventeen. Besides, in a
one-horse town like Needs, $50 a
month is barely enough to get by on
and keep up appearances, | mean "
The boy lii 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 class"
rallied to his defense.
Sylvester is right" she declared in
the judicial tone of one used to hand
ing down final decisions; at is only
reasonable to expect that the son Of
one of Needs leading citizens should
keep up decent 'front.'"
II was thinking OF the store" said
"pater," offering a feeble defense.
1--WE had TO sell that last Tot of hard
ware at loss. Business is pretty dull
just now, you know"
. Business again |" 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-"
"Oh. 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. VIII. and I'll fix you up"
Thanks, pater," William Sylvester
flashed a 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, IF 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."
Eyes" Pater knew what it meant,
well 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 q college
chum were planning to establish a sum
mer restaurant
"Mints of money In 1t, pater," he
confided earnestly. "Ail l need to
start in with is about $500. You could
let me have that much, couldn't your"
Pater lei 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.
Christlne's little party was pic
turesque affair that cost several hun
dred dollars. Needs fiocked to 1t and
enjoyed itself hugely.
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 1 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.
"Oh, 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
bred fingered about uncomfortably and
blamed themselves mercilessly for the
calamity Once outside-they blamed
each other. Only Carrie seemed genu-
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 .Nworkhorse-"
Pater reached up and patted her
hand.
It's all right. mother" he mumbled
weakly. We've had to think of the
chiIdren's future. you know. Don't
worry. I'll be out of here in a week"
ButShe was wrong. II was whole
month before he was able to leave the
hospital At home he found two let
tiers awaitang him.
One, containing bill, was from
Christine, who was In the White noun
tains, Incorporating from nervous
breakdown" The other was from Nor
ris.
1.-The restaurant is coming along
slowly" he wrote. do you think you
could wire an additional $ROO-just TO
600 the thino tft.uoh y, pafar showad