y. I believe your bill for clothes exceeds
mine."

"Oh, father, you want your son to dress well. People know you are
a rich man and they expect it."

"Humph! it may be carried too far," said Mr. Archer, who had just
paid a large tailor's bill for Sam.

"And you say the principal favors him?"

"Yes, everybody can see it."

"It is rather strange he should favor a penniless boy," said Mr.
Archer, himself a worshiper of wealth. "The man don't know on
which side his bread is buttered."

"So I think. He ought to consider that you are a man of
consequence here."

"I rather think I have some influence in Milltown," said Mr. Archer,
with vulgar complacency; "I fancy I could oust Mr. Taylor from
his position if I caught him indulging in favoritism. But you may be
mistaken, Sam."

Mr. Archer looked thoughtful.

Finally he said: "I think it will be well to pay some attention to Mr.
Taylor. It may turn the scale. When you go to school to-morrow
I will send by you an invitation to Mr. Taylor to dine with us.
We'll give him a good dinner and get him good-natured."

So when Sam went to school in the morning he bore a note from his
father, containing a dinner invitation.

"Say to your father that I will accept his invitation with pleasure,"
said the principal.

It was the first time he had received such a mark of attention from
Mr. Archer, and, being a shrewd man, he understood at once what
it signified.

"He's coming, father," announced Sam, on his return home.

"Did he seem gratified by the invitation?"

"I couldn't tell exactly. He said he would accept with pleasure."

"No doubt, he feels the attention," said Mr. Archer pompously.
"He knows I am a man of prominence and influence, and the
invitation will give him social status."

Mr. Archer would have been offended if he had been told that the
principal was more highly respected in town than himself, in spite
of his wealth and fine house.

When the principal sat down to Mr. Archer's dinner table, he
partook of a dinner richer and more varied than his modest salary
enabled him to indulge in at home. Nevertheless, he had more
than once been as well entertained by others, and rather annoyed
Mr. Archer by not appearing to appreciate the superiority of the
dinner.

"Confound the man! He takes it as coolly as if he were accustomed
to dine as sumptuously every day," thought Archer.

"I hope you are enjoying dinner, Mr. Taylor," he said.

"Very much,