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Show Keeping Up Willi the Joneses Dy THOMAS ARtvl.n CLARK DAn of Men, University of Illinois. , F HANK I. IN was Kvvontoon when he first entered t'hllmlelphlii hungry iiinl almost penniless. To tho bout-man bout-man who landed lilin lit the market Jlivet wharf, he fciivw nil Hie money lie luii In his possession and conshi crubly more than (ho circumstances warranted, "u innn helnu sometimes more generous," ho explained, "when lie has lit h lllllo money than when lie has plenty, perhaps through fear of liolng thought to hnvo but little." Frnnkllu lived very fru-nlly after Ufa uiarrlnte, for lie was considerably iu debt mul he wnnU'd very much lo Ket on. For his breakfast lit had only broad mid milk, eaten from a chenp howl wilh u pewter spoim. r.ul thoy hesan to get on and to ps ambitious, am-bitious, and Mrs. Franklin wanted lo live lu the same style ns thoir more prosperous friends wero living. So one morning at bro.ikfasl b'ranklln found his broad and milk In n china bowl, and a silver spoon was nf hand with which It was to be oaten. On thesa his wife had expended more than a pound. It was the same social mnhliiou ns we see lu people today, young and old, who want to keep up with their neighbor?. They have Hi-- Hi-- tie money, but they spend ' generously lost those who know them will tlilni; they have little. The fraternity was planning Its annual an-nual formal party and the suh.k-ct uppermost up-permost was how much the function should cost. There was the decora tlon of the house to be considered, and the dinner and the favors and the sort of orchoftrn that should he engaged, and the "imports" iind how they should be entertained for the ! week end. It could all be done sini I ply and yet in a dignified way or they ' could spread. To most of the fellows ; a little aoded expense did not mean ' any sacrifice, for eiich had a goner j ous allowance which would easilj : take care of the cost. But there weie a few fellows who were having a liard lime to make ends meet am) who j could not expect to receive unj fur : ther help from home. ! "We ought to keep the party down ' to a reasonable cost," Johnsou argued. ar-gued. "Welch and ArnolJ are work- ; ing their way, and they can't afford ; anything extravagant." Johnson had plenty of money; the i extra cost meant nothing to him. There was a good deal of discussion, and the more sensible members were Id favor of conservatism. "Let's put It to n vote," Johnson suggested dually. But on the vote Welch and Arnold were In favor of the more pretentious function Thoy hadn't the slightest Idea where the money would come from to meet the j expense, but having little money they couldn't quite bring themselves to ad- mlt Hint they had littlj. i Gliman has a car a very respect- j able-looking car which he and .Mis. i Gliman have found adequate to their needs. In his circumstances It Is about all he can afford ; but tie Joneses next door, who are In no better bet-ter circumstances than Gilman, have j an elegant new six-cylinder car whieii, parked in front of the Jones resl I dence, high-hats the modest Giiuiau car. The Gilmnns are contemplating buying a new car. 1027. Western Newspaper Unloa.) |