bilts which they have been in Society for years already, and what
benefit do they get from it? It isn't like as if one of them would be in
the wholesale clothing business, for instance, and could get a friend to
use his influence with a retailer by saying: 'Mr. Goldman, this is my
friend, Mr. Vanderbilt. Him and me was in Society for years, already,
and anything in his line you could use would be a personal favor to me,'
because any connection with the clothing business, wholesale or retail,
bars you out of Society unless the Statue of Limitations has run against
it for at least four generations."

"Still, it's a big help to be in Society for certain businesses,
Mawruss," Abe said. "Take it in our line, Mawruss, and a feller which
was in Society could make a fortune duplicating for the popular-price
trade an expensive line of garments such as you would be apt to see at
an affair which was run off by somebody 'way up in Society."

"That ain't a bad idee, neither, Abe," Morris said; "and then, Abe,
instead of people asking what is the big idee when they see a picture of
Mrs. Yosel van Rensselaer Lydig in the illustrated Sunday supplement
they could read on it, 'Our Leader--the Mrs. Yosel van Rensselaer Lydig
gown; regular sizes, nine fifty; stouts, ten dollars,' which there is no
use letting all that good publicity going to waste, Abe, so if a
garment-manufacturer couldn't utilize it, a cigar wholesaler could vary
his line of cigars called after actresses by naming one of them 'The
Mrs. Yosel van Rensselaer Lydig, a mild and aromatic three-for-a-quarter
smoke for five cents.'"

"I'm afraid Society people wouldn't be willing to stand for such a thing
even in war-times, Mawruss," Abe said.

"Well, I only make the suggestion, Abe, because some states has already
passed laws compelling everybody to find a job for the duration of the
war, y'understand," Morris said, "and if the courts should hold that
sitting on the sand at Pallum Beach and having a photograph taken ain't
holding a job within the meaning of the statue in such cases made and
provided, Abe, maybe the addition of a little advertising matter to the
picture would be enough to keep some Society lady out of jail on the
ground that she is working as a model for advertising pictures,
y'understand, although, for my part, Abe, I am willing to see anybody
who tries to get publicity as a Society person go to jail whether they
work or not."

"Why so?" Abe asked.

"Be