The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-09
THE Seven RECORDS
BY RICHARD BARKER SHELTON.
(Copyright.)

(Copyright)
There were many conflicting rumors
afoat concerning old Bill briggs
Some said there was untold wealth
concealed beneath the floors Of the
dismal little house where he had lived
quite alone for more than half a cen.
tury; some said he was practically
, pauper, living scantily on the msager
pension the government granted him
q q 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 a recluse In his little wealth
esAbeaten 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 he hobbled into
town thrice a week to procure.
He left the world to its own de-
vices. and expected the world to do as
much for him in return. His excessive
economy extended even to his words;
he spoke seldom, and then bluntly and
to the point. 1t was said he never for
got an injury and never forgave one.
In the autumn Of his sixty-ninth
year old Bill briggs was stricken with
paralysis, which left him with pair
of useless legs. It was a question as
to who should look after hiU-his sole
relative. a nephew, or the overseers
of the poor.
The nephew was we'll to do. He
owned grocery and a comfortable
house on one Of the pretentious
streets of the town.
1t was probably the fear OF gossip
ing tongues, rather than any prompt.
inss Of kinship, that induced the
nephew to take the old man in
grudgingly, it is true, for he had NO
faith in the reports Of his uncles
wealth.
Old Bill turned over to his nephew
the rsmshackle house, the two acres
Of land and his pension, by way Of pay
ing his board for the rest Of his life.
Then he settled down to pass. Al
best he might the helpless. unhappy
} years that must intervene until the
? end. And those were unhappy year.
to old Bill briggs.
There was NO attempt tn hi
J nephews household to conceal the fac
that the old man was an unwelcom<
burden. Old Bus keen gray eyes and
his sharp old ears saw and heard ia
moro than his thin lips ever told.
Three years his unwilling existence
ut his nephew's house dragged on
and then. one October day, the bitter
ness of his heart merged into q great
unending peace. Old Bill died.
A month before his death old Bill
sent for lawyer, and for several day
the attorney was closeted with him
The nephew, recalling the rumors o
the old mans wealth, covertly endeav
oEed to draw the lawyer out; but tn
lawyer was politely vague In his re
plies. The old man opened his hear
to him and disclosed all its ranking
discomfort and bitterness.
A lew days after old Bills funera
the lawyer called at the house an
It placed In the aephew's hands wha
v was probably the longest message oil
. briggs had ever dictated.
Horace briggs h0rriedly broke tn
seals, and read Is follows:
Nephew Horace:
I am not the penniless pauper you thin
al me. doubt not. II you knew the trutf
q my treatment here in your house would
vastly different from that which 10 nov
accorded me- But that Is neither here nc
there.
In the course Of my life I have manage
to make-and better yet to save-some VI
tie money. This have placed In negotia
. Bile bonds.
All told, there u something like $500
~ worth of them. Thet are stored in a II
!, trunk and where that trunk Is no one b.
myself knows.
/, have decided to leave these bonds I
/, you. I do this from precisely the sam
i, reason that led you to take me into yOI
8 home when l was old and broken an
= helpless-not from any ties of love or kir
4 ship, but simply because there seen
s nothing else to do.
4 Moreover, do this in the same spir
= in which you did your part-grudgingl
- The trunk and the bonds are yours whe
Z you find them. Tho clue rs to where the
4, are you will get in this way.
q Upon Receipt OF this you will 90 to Il
= ofice OF Wadsworth & Barstow. my Law
- Nuh,