The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-26
o . o o y O o q o O @ o u o o
o THE DAILY STORY {
o 0 o @ o 0 o o O @ 0 o o o o {
"THE SEVEN RECORDS"

AHNA y "'it many NPhAtANN4ht UNIV II
about concerning old BIZ briggs,
Some said there was untold wealth
concealed beneath the floors OF the
dismal little house where he lived
quite alone for more than half CEN
tury; some said he was practically a
pauper, living scantitly on the meag-
or pension the government granted
him as a disabled veteran.
II these rumors ever reached his
ears. he paid no attention to them;
he neither confirmed nor denied. He
lived the life of recluse In his little
weather-beaten house on the outskirts
OF the town; puttered about the little
garden in which he raised his own
vegetables, smoked his black clay
pipe, and read the papers, which h.
hobbled into town thrice a week to
procure.
He left the world to It's own devices
and expected the world to do as much
for him in return. His excessive econ
only extended even TO his words: he
spoke seldom, and then bluntiy and
To the point II was said he never
forgot IN injury and never forgave
one
In the autumn OF his 69th year, old
Bill briggs was stricken with paraly-
sis. which left him with a pair Of
useless legs. II was question as TO
who should look after him--his sole
relative, a nephew, or the oyerseers
OF the poor.
The nephew was welltc DO. He
owned grocery stcre an1 !, copliur..
sble house on Que Of the pre'entiuus
streets of the town.
II was probably the fear OF gossip
ing tongues, rather than any prompt
ings OF kinship, that induced the
nephew 10 take the old mal i'm
grudgingiy, II is true. for he had no
faith in the reports OF his uncles
wealth.
Old Bill turned over TO his nephew
the ramshackle house. the two acres
OF land and his pension. by way of
paying mis- board for the rest Of his
life
Then be settled down to pass, as
best he might. the helpless, unhappy
years that must intervene until the
end. And those were unhappy years
% old Bill briggs.
There was no attempt in his neph-
ews' household to conceal the fact that
the old man was an unwelcome burd-
en-. Old Bills keen gray eyes and his
sharp old ears saw an0 heard lar
more than his thin lips ever told
Three years his unwilling existence
at his nephew's house dragged on,
and then one October day. the bitter
ness Of mis- heart merged INTO great
unending peace, Old Biz died
A month before his death old Bill
sent for a lawyer. and for several days
the attorney was closeted with him.
The nephew recalling the rum9rs ot
the old mans hidden wealth, covcrtly
endeavored TO draw the lawyer out;
but the lawyer was politely vague
in his replies. The old man opened
his heart to him and disclosed all
its ranking discomfort and bitterness.
A few days after old Bills funeral
the lawyer called at the house and
placed in the nepnews hands what
was probably The longest message old
briggs had ever Dictated:
Horace briggs hurriedly broke the
seals. and read as follows:
Nephew horace
Il am not the pennless pauper you
think me. ] doubt not, II you knew
the truth. my treatment here in your
house would be vastly different from
that which is now accorded me. But
thai Is aeiiher here nor there.
In the course of my life ! hare
managed to make-and better yet to
save-some little money. This have
paced in negotiable bonds.
All told there Is something IKE
$780, 900 worth of them. They are