Life, 1908-05-07 · page 37 of 48
Life — May 7, 1908 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short story satirizing greed and deception. Two business partners scheme over a wealthy widow's inheritance of $200,000. One partner, Gideon Slater, courts and marries her while the other, Peter Sande, pretends to congratulate him—but reveals in private that he's actually won the larger prize: he told Gideon there were only $100,000 in bonds when there were actually $200,000, keeping half for himself while Gideon gets the widow and her apparent fortune. The satire mocks male avarice and scheming: both men's actions are morally corrupt, though Sande's betrayal is more cynical. The story's irony—that deception ultimately profits the more ruthless deceiver—reflects turn-of-the-century anxieties about dishonest business practices. The page also includes unrelated humorous anecdotes and advertisements (Waterman fountain pens, Emily Lester Munn's mail-order chintz belts).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
this is the Leahy, with ber tly at ber Wieas ee dollar, ne daria’, wrban car hbor at advert 1 and read pincot's s like this, acher asked t. Nowe + pointedly nt and said 2" Jokes e We jest His partner raised his hand. His face turned pale “Stop!” he cried. “Don’t say another word. Tunderstand it all” He looked Mr. Gideon Slater over calmly, from ¢ brilliant rose in his buttonhole to his brand- patent leathers. leon,” he said, with a smile,“ you’re a won- er and no mistake! What an ass I’ve been! Here you've been working night and day making love tathat widow, and now you're going to marry her and gobble the whole thing. And me! What haye I been doing. Am I right?” “T guess you are!” grinned Gideon. ‘You see, I just couldn’t let that twenty thousand dollars ip away from me. And so I've been busy. And | Te won her.” His partner advanced. His whiskers shone | bsilliantly in the light of the morning sun. “My friend,” he said, all traces of rancor gone from his voice, “far be it from me to com- shin. 1 bow to your ability. I honor you above all men. Accept my congratulations.” Thank you, Gideon. You are magnanimous. Of course, you must accept your share of the ex- ecutors’ commission.” “Don’t mention it.” “And I suppose the transfer can be made”. “Atonce.”” “Then, if you'll excuse me, I’ll go and tell dear Eselle. She’s waiting outside.” “By all means. Just wait, and I'll bring back the papers.”” Mr. Peter Sande stepped into his own office to execute his commission. As he did so, he paused ia front of a small mirror that hung beside his . He stroked his whiskers complacently. He niled pleasantly. “My boy,” he said, as he gazed at himself, “bow liule my dear friend Gideon knows that re were two hundred thousand of those bonds astead of one hundred thousand, as I told him. What an instinct it was that made me so cautious a giving only half the amount. Now he has a tundred thousand and the widow, and I have a hundred thousand without her. Well! I guess, in tbelong run, I’ve got the best of the bargain!” THE END But Wait for Vacation n, on his round of visits, wed a youngster as to his acquaintance with Bible stories, “My lad,” he said, “you have, aca urse, heard of the parables?” shyly answered the boy, whose mother| duc ted him in sacred history, “Good!” said the clergyman. them do you like the best of all The boy squirmed, but at last, heeding his moth- . he replied: “1 guess I like that one ‘body loafs and fishes.”—The Argonaut, | | Fame HE boys in this town must have heard all about ne before we moved here,” boasted Tommy after the family’s arrival. “But there’s no one here that knew us,” objected kis mother “That's all right,” persisted Tommy. “Just as 828 T came in the school yard th’s morning, they Hello, Bricktop!” just the way they used -—Lippincott’s. me TheGreatest fin hol MM pra “Cheon € Comer AIT S GOORALET acter ood © Paling Medes Terminal Dubiiag woe te tacagrowed ‘Sieger Stee Hige *Mid Castles in the Air The Waterman Building (31,000 square feet floor space) remains the only home in this vicinity devoted entirely to any one business enterprise. It is surrounded by business quarters of nearly 100,000 people. Advance Style in English Chintz SENT BY MAIL POSTAGE PREPAID ON RECEIPT OF 75c CHINTZ BELTS. $1.00 EMILY LESTER MUNN 103 PLYMOUTH AVE.. ROCHESTER. N. Y comicbooks.com