The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-10-14
SMART CHILDREN
By MARY LOUISE CORNER
ooooooo0ooooo

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
zette and his mild gray eyes looked
out troublously at the boy from behind
barricade of shabby, misshapen spec
tacles.
"You haven't spent all of your al
lowance this early, WHIP" he demand
ed. "Why, when was your age an al
lowance like that would keep me in
funds for year."
"But, pater, this is the Twentieth
century," William Sylvester's stock
wall was delivered with the open exas-
peration of seventeen. Besides, in a
one-horse town like Needs, $50 a
month is barely enough to get by Or
and keep up appearances, / mean -
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 sin 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; sit is only
reasonable to expect that the son of
one of Needs leading citizens should
keep up a decent 'front.'
Il was thinking of the store" said
"pater," offering a feeble defense.
1--WE had to sell that last lot 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? 1 must say, John
PennynickIe-"
"Oh all right, mother, all right"
eapitulated 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.
Il wouldn't have asked you for this"
he explained, eff 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 it meant,
well enough. Money! Each time the
children came home from college he
made feyerish trips to the bank. He
would do so sgain.
Norris was the first to tap the pa
rental resources. He and a college
chum were planning to establish a sum-
mer restaurant
''Mints of money in it, pater," he
confded earnestly. "AH need to
start in with is about $500. You could
let me have that much, couldn't your"
Pater let him have il. No sooner was
this affair concluded than Christine re-
veaIed 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 J" And Of
course "pater darling" did.
Chrisine's little party was a pic
turesque affair that cost several hun
dred dollars. Needs f1ocked to it and
enjoyed itself hugely.
The day after the black and white
frolic pater was knocked down by an
autombiIe on South Main street His
family was deeply shocked.
"But didn't suppose anything could
ever happen to paterr' 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 uncomfortabIy and
blamed themselves mercilessly for the
calamity. Once outside-they blamed
each other. Only Carrie seemed genu-
inely affected by the accident.
"rm 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.
IT'S all right, mother" he mumbled
hoI 70 %hinI~ p <ha
children's future, you know. Don't
worry. I'll be out of here in a week."
But he was wrong. 1t was a 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, Incorporating from a nervous
breakdown" The other was from Nor
ris.s
1.-THE restaurant is coming along
slowly" he wrote. do you think you
could wire an additional S2O0-just to
see the thing through?'' Pater showed
the two letters to Doctor Stanton, who
had accompanied him.
'Well," commented the cynical doc
tor, ST guess they'll never learn. They
should be ashamed of themselves
what forg' Pater's head shot up
aggressively. A tender light flooded
his gray eyes. Christine was elected
president of her class at Wellesley
last term. VIII made the high school
eleven, too. And Norris-what a head
for business that boy hasI Ashamed?