Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-10-09
CLEVER Mr.. BRIGGS
A MAN WHO PRIpEp HIMSELF ON
Hie TACT.
He ExplsIns . Little Detail 81 Dusi.
ness 20 Mrs. Briggs In Connec-
tIsn With the Signing 81
q Check.


When Mr.. Briggs came home enc
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 He studiously guided the cor
versation on commonplace subjects
while they sat at supper. Mrs. Briggs
answered in monosyllables OF forced
cheerfulness.
"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 redness about the eyes. She has
been weeping. Ergo, she has some
thing troubling her." soliloquised
Briggs in a humorous way he had Of
burlesquing the famous detective OF
fiction.
Mrs. Briggs pouted. hesitating be-
perfume moment her husband arose.
went around the table and put m
arm about her shoulders.
Nov. tell me all about It. nttIe
woman" he said. You see. II does
no good denying that something Is
troubling you. Ny powerfully analytic
and Unexpectedly deductive mind
tells me otherwise"
After q moment Mrs. Briggs spoke.
I'll never give another cent - that
hateful Fresh Air fund, never" she
said and held a handkerchief 70 her
eyes.
What have they done to hurt yssr
he ventured.
Mrs. Briggs arose, went to The ade-
board and took out paper Pointing
to q paragraph she babe her husband
read. II was under the list Of fresh
air fund subscriptions and read a. FOL
lows:
"One check was received signed "A
Friend This. of course. sannoA -
credited"
Briggs read the item and LOOKED at
his wife.
Butt don't see-does this make
YOU feel bad?" he puzzled.
why. certainly, stupid, i sest tbs
check" she explained. You see
had been reading about the poor waits
that live In those big tenements On
the East Side and have such pinehed
little lives, and lots of them die every
summer And they keep one a them
in the country, where they can drink
milk and pick flowers and romp ON
the green grass and get healthy for
IS. So ! decided ! could spare SO,
and sent it. Oh, felt so good think
ing that tive little children were cut
having a good time on my $40
And how did you sign the check
you sent?" asked Briggs, trembling
with q suspicion OF the truth.
Il just signed II A Friend" Pc
piled his wife II didn't want - Iet
my right hs-nd know what my left
hand was doing. So I signed II that
way, and now comes that horyid iet-
ter"
Briggs spared for breath. When
he could trust himself to SPEAK he
did 30. guardedly.
HIN II most extraordinary" he
unused judicially. Very untactfuI on
their part. to say the least. Still, it
may happen that they use the full
name system. II is, in fact, quite pos
sible. l may say probable"
The full name SYSTEM asked Mrs
Briggs doubtfully.
YES" explained Briggs. "You see.
II 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, l 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.