Holbrook argus., 1910-02-22
Some Social Problems

Say, papa" began Bobby after din ner one night, does box of choco- lates cost more than scroll saw?'
 It depends little on the quality of the chocolates replied his father laying down his paper. Were you thinking of buying some?"
 "N-no; you see, I haven't got any money" said Bobby hastily. Tt seems funny the way they put prices on things, doesn't it?"
 Tt certainly does," sighed his ia, ther Here's milk gone up again"
 q don't drink much lately said Bobby reassurlngly. And don't really need it on my breakfast food" Bless your heart!" cried his father with remOrse. Don't think your dad wants to limit your allowance of milk"
 T heard feller say prices are aw- full hard on the workingman," said Bobby. But, gee, doesn't everybody work?"
 Tt looks that way" said his fathear. "But how about the scroll saw"
 "Oh, just said that cause know how much they cost. 1 don't care about the candy, anyhow"
 Was the candy for your mother?" "N-no," said Bobby You see, ev- erybody's been having parties lately. Even Mamie Kelly's had one, and she's awful stingy. She's the funniest girl ever seen-saw. There ain't any of the fellers likes her, but she ast 'em all to her party. The ice cream was the limit. Mine was most melted and Jimmy's had salt in it. When people are going to give parties why don't they give 'em right?"
 T give it up."
 Well, anyhow" Bobby went on, "after Mamie Kelly's party Susie Her. rick she gave one It was a swell party, all right. Jimmy got four plates of ice cream. I didn't have but two, but had five pieces of cake. We played games and there was fel- Ter what could do tricks. Gee, he was some class, all right. He could keep four plates and two balls in the air an awful time and not smash one. His arms was all bunchy with muscle. Billy he tried juggling when he went bSlA.0 F he smashed two of his moth CTS saucers. told him he'd oughter cut 1t out, but Billys just like that. He won't listen to you, and then he gets sore when something happens and tries to make out like it was your fault"
 Whats the trouble with Billy lately?"
 'Well, don't like to say it about feller," said Bobby with fine reluct- ance, but Billy's got the big head. You see, his mother lets him do any thing and it's spelling him. He stays up awful late nights 'n' everything All the fellers is talking about it. Sometimes I thing maybe I'll tell him what Nellie Foster said''
 What was that?"
 "Oh, well, it wasn't so worse. be- cause Nellie Fosters awful kindheart- ed," acknowledged Bobby. But Billy oughter cut out lot O smart stunts He gets sore so easy you cant say a word"
 People don't usually like to hear such things"
 'I ain't going to say a word" said Bobby quickly. "Billy's all right, even if he does get sore easy. Every girls ast him to her party Saturday after moons. The next cnes going to be a evening party n mamma says I can go"
 Quite like real society. Who's glv- ing it this timer"
 "Nobody's giving it except us fel- lers, bur Nellie Fosters getting it. It's a surprise party"
 Who's in it?'
 Well, me for one. I got 1t up"
 And Billy and Jimmy, suppose?"
 "Yeh. I didn't want Jimmy, but Susie Herrick did. She's in it, too, because she's a friend of Nellie Eos ter's. l had enough of Susie Herrick when she was in my room at school,"
 ''Why are you giving it?"
 "Well, you see, Nellie Foster felt kinder bad about not having a party 'n' her mothers poor. Her fathers dead. Nellie's fether, I mean. So us fellers we met her mother on the street one day a and we ast her when was Nellie's birthday, n could we give her surpri SC if we brought ev- erything? So we re going to give it, n it costs me 25 cents on account of Sans backing out at the last minute and me having to pay his part
 What about the chocolates?''
 Well" said Bobby sheepishly, tits her birthday. and me and Billy we're Roinq to chin in fnr chncolateS to.