The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-24
WHY BRIGGS MOVED.

George Briggs has moved from his late
boarding house into a downtown hotel
Every time George rings the bell for ice
water he gives the boy a quarter and
apologies 10 him fer the trouble TO which
he has been put. If the porter moves a
trunk for George ne gets half dollar and
a very sincere excuse me for having TO
call on you" Georges friends say that
he'll get over this sort Of things in time
but that il may need one hotel experience
like unto that which he underwent in his
boarding house before thorough cure
can be effected.
George Briggs is easy. He is the kind
OF a man whom a woman viii ask with
cut a moments hesitation after one look
into his face 10 hold her baby while she
fumbles in her pocket TO see If she's lost
her car fare. In the course Of a week
George Briggs helps more decrepit men
and timid women over crossings when the
corner cops are at dinner than any other
ten men in Chicago Even with such
men as George Briggs, whose only mis-
sion in life appears 10 be making them
selves uncoun Portable that others may be
happy. there may be piled on last straw.
There are some people who never know
when they have a good thing. They'll
ride a free horse to the limit and then
kick because the willing but unfortunate
Pease's boarding house for three years
He'd be living there yet II Mrs. Pease
had been able TO properly discriminate be
tween the free horse and the one that %
hired at the livery. The landlady has
one Of the best boarding houses on the far
south side. She keeps a good boarding
house because she knows it pays. She Is
wise enough in her generation TO realiz
that if she gives a person porterhouse
ste md l-1c ont of cha Il
better OFF than If she gives him hash and
makes only a dime. All Mrs. Pease board
ers. bar George Briggs were content to
pay their bills. take advantage OF the
good things in the house and let Mrs
Pease d severely alone as possible. The
landlady never asked Chris Butler. the
board Of trade man, nor jim Raymond.
the jeweler, TO do errands for her. She
had asked them, but they turned her
iOv-r arS ~hen George Briggs came there
TO live they told him that Mrs. Pea
would attelnpt 10 work him. and that If
he wanted happiness and contentment ne
must do as they had done. The trouble
with George was that he wasn't built that
way. He simply had 10 do things for
others.
George Briggs always thought there
must be something out of joint with the
times when a day passed and he was not
Pease. One day il was. 4 know. Mr..
Briggs, youn pay my gas bin for me
when YOU go down town. If paid at the
main Office it Will save me cents
SO George would tuck the bill in his
pocket and pay il at the corner drug store
chipping in the extra nickel himself. He
was charitable enough to think that II
never entered into Mrs. Pease's head that
his Office was five blocks from the head
quarters Of the gas company. one thing
led TO another. Mrs Pease saw that she
could play the thing 10 the limit. and
George became a veritable beast of bur
den. Kerosene oil was cents a gallon
cheaper at the big department store than
It was Al the corner grocery. Mrs. Pease
used kerosene in the kitchen. They won't
deliver keroeenei in the great stores wagon
because it Stops on things. George Briggs
carted the stun home himself twice In the
elevated train. Once, going round q
curve the can keeled over, the cork came
out and Georges new $ trousers we're a
sight and a smell to boot. He put the s.
down on the lost side Of his account book
and still kept his good nature
once George Briggs conscience troubled
him for a month. He was the possessor
Of an awful secret. which he felt was his
duty to share with his fellow boarders
but which ne did not. Just as he was
preparing to leave the office for the day
the telephone rang and over the wire Mrs
Pease spoke 70 him pathetically. There
was a bundle at the department store /
which should have been delivered hours |
before She must have It before dinner I
II was very carefully done up because /
she had told them TO wrap il closely. and 7.
it wouldn't be much bother if good Mr.. (
Briggs would only call for il and bring II I
home with him. George went over, secur- (
ed the package. which had a handle stick I
ing out of "A great quantity OF unmarked 4
paper, and started home with il. re I
boarded an electric car and. 10 get the /
package out of the way, he stuck il under
radiator" was on full blast. and pretty
soon something sprung leak There
was A grease food on the floor and some !
of it on another pair OF George trousers. /
He grabbed the offending bundle and got /
off the package and found that he had
pail with a leak in it. and a large label /
which declared the stuff 20 be butterine. /
He dropped the whole thing in the gutter. I
bought FIVE pounds of the best creamery /
at a grocery, had it wrapped up carefully. /
went home give it to his landlady and /
never said a word He eased his mind 4
and conscience by rejecting that as long
as the boarders didn't know that they
" ere eating "oleo" they were in a state
OF bliss born of ignorance which he did
not care 10 disturb.
One night two weeks ago George +
Briggs went home late II was
lust I o'clock when he turned into bed
Not five minutes later there was a rap At
his door. and the pleading voice Of the
Widow Pease was herd. 20. Mt Briggs
Widow Pease was hazard. go. Mr.. Briggs
on an errand Of life and death. Won't
you please dress and go with me-
There was a sort OF half-sob IN the land
adys voice that reused all the sympa-
-hetc in the boarders nature and that's
saying a good deal. He lighted the gas.
threw on mis- clothes and pat himself at
Mrs. Pease's disposal They passed out
nto the cold night and walked FIVE blocks
10 Thirty-Einth street. Wen have 20
AXE a cab" said the widow. II want 20
20 10 Wood and Harrison streets. way
,ver on the west side The cabby said
{ would be- 81 George paid o.. and paid
[ knowing that such was Mrs. Pease'
memory that all thought of the = would
20 out Of her mind before they had gone
block. With nothing else 70 do. Georges
thoughts reverted 10 a iiftle account book
shich had in il two items Of ruined trous-
rs. FIVE pounds q butter. So ~ borrow
"a money. one or two gas bills and in
lumerab bic car fares. Amounting in all
without the nights cab on. 70 about f5A B
They reached wood and Harrison street
iualiy. Where 90 Won want 20 g07' said
George % AIRS. Pease.
TO the rorgue." she answered with
.ort % half gasp
The morguee echoed George IN a hol- q
0w voice.
yes she said. and held out cippiHa !
rom an evening paper George Teaf - Z
r-- 49, A. rt-A. - -.-..- ~F.f..- III Z .