Life — August 7, 1924 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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# "Wad the Cad and Cad's Wad" This is a satirical comic story about two characters: Wad (the protagonist and "hero") and Cad (the villain). The narrative follows their romantic and financial rivalry. The satire mocks class pretension and get-rich-quick schemes. Wad is portrayed as a scheming fortune-hunter who pursues the wealthy Josie Hickup. Cad is his jealous rival. The humor centers on Wad's attempts to gain money through marriage and manipulation—offering Cad investment opportunities, negotiating dowries, and ultimately "buying" the bride. The comic satirizes Gilded Age materialism: romance reduced to financial transaction, with judges and legal systems complicit in the mercenary nature of marriage among the wealthy. The characters' names themselves—"Wad" (money) and "Cad" (unscrupulous man)—signal the story's cynical view of relationships.