Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-10-10
CLEVER Mr.. BRIGGS
A MAN WHO PRIpEo HIMSELF ON
HIS TACT.
He Explains a Little Detail Of Bust.
ness to Mrs. Briggs in connee.
ton With the Signing Of
a Check.

When Mr.. Briggs came home n
evening and found his wife with eyes
suspiciously red he only kissed her
as usual and made no remarks. Briggs
was a mar who prided himself on his
tact. He studiously guided the con
versation on commonplace subjects
while they sat at supper. Mrs. Briggs
answered In monosyllables OF forced
c~heerfulness.
Now, my dear. what is the mat.
teri" he suddenly asked when the
meal was finished.
"Oh, nothing replied Mrs. Briggs,
biting her lip and with eyes cast down
demurely.
Aha, Watson, the beautiful lady
has a redness about the eyes. She has
been weeping. Ergo, she has
thing troubling her" s~oliloquized
Er,ggs In a humorous wav he had Of
burlesquing the famous detective OF
fiction.
Mrs. Briggs pouted, hesitating be.
tween tears and a smile. At this OPP
perfume moment her husband arose,
went around the table and put an
arm about her shoulders.
Now, tell me all about it, little
woman" he said. You see, 1t does
no good denying that something is
troubling you. My powerfully analytic
and Unexpectedly deductive mind
tells me otherwise"
After a moment Mrs. Briggs spoke.
"Ill give another cent to that
hateful Fresh Air fund, never" she
said. and held a handkerchief to her
eyes.
What have they done to hurt you?"
he ventured.
Mrs. Briggs arose, went to the side
board and tool out a paper. Pointing
to a paragraph she babe her husband
read. II was under the list of fresh
air fund subscriptions and read as fol.
lows:
"One check was received signed "A
Friend This, OF course, annot be
credited"
Briggs read the item and looked at
his wife.
But don't see-does this make
you feel bad?" he puzzled.
why, certainly, stupid. ! sent the
check" she explained, you see
had been reading about the poor waits
that live in those big tenemeuts on
the East Side and have such pinched
little lives, and lots of them die every
summer, And they keep one Of them
in the country, where they can drink
milk and pick flowers and romp or
the green grass and get healthy for
s.. So l decided / could spare $40,
and sent it. Oh, | felt SO good think
ing that W little children were out
having a good time on my SO"
And how did you sign the check
you sent?" asked Briggs, trembling
with a suspicion Of the truth.
Il Just signed 1t A Friend" re.
piled his wife. Il didn't want to let
my right hand know what my left
hand was doing. So | signed 1t that
way, and now comes that horrid let
ter"
Briggs spared for breath. When
he could trust himself to speak he
did so, g~uardedfy.
HIN most extraordinary he
unused judicially. Very untactful on
their part, to say the least. Still, II
may happen that they use the full
name system. 1t is, in fact. quite pos
sible, ] may say probable"
THE full pane SYSTEM" asked Mrs
Briggs doubtfully.
Yes explained Briggs. You sec
1t is a check system in which the full
name must be signed and no pseudo
nym. ! think, II is my opinion, you
should have signed your full name
and then requested in an accompany,
ing letter that they should credit your
subscription in the printed list to A
Friend This system is almost uni
versally used now"
Mrs. Briggs eyes were wide with
wonder.
Dear me, | might have thought OF
that" she said. Business is so com
plicated, I'll send another check"
Briggs was a man who prided him
self on his tact.-New York Press.