The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-10-29
Mr.. BRIGGS
WAS TACTFUl-,

w men MI bIlESp Nuiit itolilV oii'
evening and found his wife with eyes
suspiciously red he only kissed her
as usual and made no remarks
Briggs was a man who prided himself
on his tact lie studiously guided
the conversation on commonplace sub
jects while they sat at supper. Mrs.
Briggs answered IN monosyllables of
/ forced cheerfulness.
! Nov, my dear, what is the mat.
ter?' he suddenly asked when the
meal was finished,
"Oh, nothing" replied Mrs. Briggs.
biting her lip and with eyes cast
down.
Aha, Watson, the beautiful lady
has beautiful redness about the
eyes. She has been weeping Ergo,
she has something troubling her,
soliloquized Briggs in humorous
way he had of burlesquing the famous
detective of fiction.
Mrs. Briggs pouted, hesitaing be
tween tears and q smile. AT this op-
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, it does
no good denying that something is
troubling you. My powerful analy.
tic and Unexpectedly deductive
mind tells me otherwise
After a moment Mrs. Briggs spoke.
I'll never 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
your" he ventured
Mrs. Briggs arose, went to the side
board and took out paper. Pointing
to paragraph, she babe her husband
read. 1t was under the list of fresh
air fund subscriptions and read as fol
lows:
"One check was receiver signed "A
Friend This ~ course, cannot be
credited"
Briggs read the item and looked at
his wife.
But ! don't see--does this make
you feel bad?" he puzzled
Certainly, stupid, sent the check,
she explained you see | have been
reading about the poor waits that live
in those big tenements on the East
side, and have such pinched little
lives, and lots of them die every sum
mer And they keep one of them in
the country, where they can drink
milk, and pick flowers, and romp on
the green grass and get healthy for
five dollars. So | decided | could
spare ten dollars, and sent it. oh. |
felt so good thinking that two little
children were out having a good time
on my ten dollars"
And how did you sign the check
you sent?" asked Briggs, trembling
with suspicion Of the truth
Il just signed it 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, guardedly.
"M'm-most extraordinary" he
judicially. Very untactful on
their part to say the least. Still, II
may be that they use the full name
system, 1t Is, In fact. quite pos
sible, | may say probable"
The full name system" asked Mrs
Briggs doubtfully
Yes, explained Briggs. You see,
il is check system in which the
full name must be signed and no pseu-
donym. I think, # is my opinion, !
you should have signed your fun F.,
name. and then requested in an
accompanying letter that they should |
credit your subscription to A Friend. 1
This system is almost universally |
used now"
Mrs. Briggs eyes were wide with 4
wonder
Dear me, ! might have thought Of |
that" she said business is so com |
Dlicated I'll send another check"
Briggs was man who prided him
self on his tact.