Life, 1925-11-12 · page 8 of 41
Life — November 12, 1925 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **"The Conscientious Story-Teller"** is a humorous anecdote about competitive retail marketing. The joke centers on three clothing store owners engaged in escalating "Sale" sign warfare—each trying to outdo the others with increasingly dramatic promotions ("Fire Sale," "Clearance Sale," etc.). The satire mocks both the stores' desperate competitive tactics and the narrator's breathless retelling of this commercial arms race. **"What Can It Be?"** is a brief joke about a customer asking a drug store clerk for a confessional magazine, with the clerk joking it's "just as bad"—likely satirizing popular magazines' sensational content. The top illustration depicts the physical exhaustion caused by walking, relating to the "Strait and Narrow" caption about daily exertion. The bottom image, captioned "Arrows Indicate Course Taken by Pilgrim Father," appears to be unrelated satirical content about historical routes or movements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
STRAIT AND NARROW Sue: 1 WALKED THIRTEEN MILES YESTERDAY. Lou: FoR GoopN Sue: Yes. The Gonscientious Story-Teller “QPEAKING of signs,” I said to Tompkins at the Club, “that re- minds me of a story | heard this sum- mer. It seems there were three fellows had clothing stores right next to each other-——" “Hello, boys,” said Wilkins, strolling up and resting a hand on a shoulder of each of us. “Hello, Eustace,” he nod- ded to me. “I was just telling Charlie here of a story I heard this summer,” I explained to Wilkins. “You see, there were these three fellows had clothing stores right side by side, arid so one morning the fellow on one end, he puts out a big sign: ‘Special Sale,’ you know, ‘Big Bargains,’ all like that, you know? Well—" “Jim!” burst out Wilkins suddenly, as another gentleman joined us. “Where you been, Jim? Jim, this is Mr. Til- ley,” he introduced. “He was telling us a good story.” “Just a little yarn I heard this sum- mer,” I added modestly. “About three fellows, you know, storekeepers, like? Well, anyway, as I was telling the boys, it seems the first fellow he puts out a big sign: ‘Fire Sale,’ or like that, y'know, and so the second fellow on the other end puts out another sign next morn- ing: ‘Clearance Sale,’ you see, ‘Buy Here Pete!” “Hello, Eustace,” grinned Jenkins, as he joined us. “What's all this confer- ence, eh? Gonna clean up the market, ch?” and he nudged us in the ribs. “[ was just telling Tommy and Save Money,’ and—hello, and Charlie here a little yarn I heard this summer,” I rushed on breathlessly. “[ thought it was kind of funny, about those three fellows who had clothing stores, and first the fellow on one end he advertises a big Sale, you know, big signs: ‘Sale,’ and all like that, ar what does the second fellow ¢ panted, “but he puts out another sign: ‘Fire Sale’ over his store, and so what does the fellow in the middle do— hello, Ed,” weakly. “Hello, Eustace,” nodded Si s. “Have you heard story where three fellows had stores,” I gasped, wiping off a fleck of foam, “and one fellow hangs out big sign, ‘Special Sale.’ and next morning other fellow goes and he puts sign, ‘Special Sale,’ and so nest morning third fellow——' “Oh, you mean where the third fel- low puts up a sign: ‘Main Entrance asked Simpkins. " I said faintly. “Yeh,” he nodded, that.” “yeh, I heard Corey Ford. What Can It Be? USTOMER: Have you a confes- sional magazine? Druc Store Crerk: something just as bad. OWADAYS, for — the there's only a slip 'twixt the frock and the hip. No, but here's EARLY NEWS PICTURE ARROWS INDICATE COURSE TAKEN BY PILGRIM FATHER. comicbooks.com