Life, 1922-06-08 · page 23 of 34
Life — June 8, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a serial comic strip satirizing social mobility and class pretensions in early 20th-century America. The protagonist, Adalbert Phipps, a lowly notions counter clerk, rescues Lady Muriel Worcestershire and wins her hand through sheer persistence rather than breeding or wealth. The satire targets several things: the arbitrary nature of aristocratic approval (the Duke consents despite Adalbert's obvious unsuitability), the gap between romantic ideals and reality (Muriel forgets shrimps when meeting her "rescuer"), and the ultimate leveling effect of modern life—even dukes suffer from income taxes alongside their upstart son-in-law. The comic mocks both the class system's brittleness and the nouveau riche aspirations of working-class climbers. By story's end, financial hardship unites all classes equally, suggesting social hierarchies matter less than practical survival.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ng. ves ach hat le's nto ped but not ere ony ing of lost No with hen, ued. eart ance + of nped had dat and rortl wiul Adalbert Phipps was not exactly hand- some, bu! something about him attracted attention—his legs, perhaps. He aspired above hi. humble station in the Notions; in fact, he had set his goal as the Ladies’ Underwear Counter. Fortune favored him, Next Sunday, while strolling in the park, he heard cries for help. Stealing bravely from the scene he ran thirty blocks without stopping; then he returned with a policeman. Lady Muriel was still breathing. Susans witiaes They need not have worried, for Adal- bert's ardor did not cool. He proposed for Muriel. “Top hole,” cried his Grace. Td begun to fear I’d never get the gal of my hands. She's a dud, but take her and God help you!” * LIFE - From Counter to Coronet Though not exactly pretty, Lady Muriel Worcestershire had a face you could not forget, however hard you tried. When she saw Adalbert, her breath quickened. “I knew I'd forgotten the shrimps for dinner,” she murmured. Invited to dinner, he more than held his ii the brilliant conversation. the beef’s too rare,” said the Duke. jairnets ain't what they was,” said Adalbert. Duchess and Lady Muriel nothing. Everyone was in good spirits at the wed- ding. Even the dowager Countess of Weems, who had not made a pleasant remark for forty years, said that they were well matched. Her record is still unbroken. That night our hero, pursuing his earnest studies in “Film Frolics,” resolved to win the Lady Muriel. “By diligently knocking down thruppence on every sale, I shal soon be in a position to ask her hand,” he soliloquized. But the Duke, seeing how Adalbert re- garded his daughter, was anxious. Some- thing must be done about it! He sum- moned all the other dukes in the family, and they agreed with him. But no one had any ideas. They never did have. Happy Adalbert! He won his promotion; twins came to bless his home; also the Duke and the Duchess, hard hit by the income tax. “A_ jolly "he often hisses of an evening. “What's that girl done with the dishmop? comicbooks.com