Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1867-04-25
{" i think that can trust you. Well, Ralpl

z" think that can trust you. Well, Ralph.
7 am obout to make kncwa to you one Of the
great secrets OF Masonry When you wish 10
form the acquaintance Of a Mason, all you have
to do is 10 whisper in his ear the mysterious
password. That password is--sPooss y
spoons Oh, ,ha, be- calculated Ralph
as smile on his face was displaced by fr"wn.
al tel you truiy---the Masonic password Is
spoons"
Spoons. Hsl ha ha% and Ralph made .
feeble attempttolaagh. Spoons that's ALL
Of password! You mus, ,hink l'n con-
founded fool~
"I'm in earnest Ralph. When yAsons se,
iato difficulty, AID nc,d assistance. they roar
out tie word spoons three times. Werc yon
10 say spoons three times, even here on the
public street, and Mason should hear you, be
would Immediately rush to your assistance,
thinking that you needed aid
Ralph. did not believe him; and to show
that he could not be so easily gulled, be roared
on. at the top Of bis voice, "spoons Spoons
Spoonsr
Ere the second syllable had passed bis
mouth, Mr. ninslow turned round and faced
Ralph.
"You said spoons, did you7 Take that. and
thstp As he spoke, Hinslow struck Ralph
between the eyes, and then under the ear, the
second blow lifting the inquisitive man of his
feet, so that he staggered and fell to the pave
ment. completely stunned.
"Tn give you.spoons y roared the excited
Hinslow, as he advanced and repeatedly kick
ed the PROSTATE man.
As Ralph made no eiFor, to rise, the enrsged
Hinslow soon tired Of kicking him, and slowly
passed on, occasionally looking behind to see
If Ralph were following 10 obtain satisfaction.
Ralph did not require satisfaction, thinking
he might get too much of it-so he prudently
postponed returning consciousness until his
enemy had disappeared.
AS he rose to his feet he said to Jacob in a
subdued tone" Why did that man strike me q
Because You uttered the Masonic password,
but could not respond to the colintersign. lie
is Mason and, as he is solemuly bound to do,
Immediately answered the password by making
the countersign with his hand You were un-
able to answer his countersign. and for that
reason he knew YOU TO be clandestine Mason
"a man who had learned the secrets in an inn
proper way. Therefore it was his duty to
chastise yon. Your life may yet be forfeited
for that indiscreton."
my life! BY the grest Jehovah, thought
you were only humbugsiug me, when you said
that spoons was the password"
"Sh-h-hl Beware said Jacob, putting
bis hand on RalpRs mouth. Never utter
that word again. Masons are ubiquitous, and
you mIghr lose yournre. Ast Is you are IN
danger; for all the lodges in the city will bs
Immediately convoFed to adopt measures that
may discover who has betrayed them. My
life as well as yours is in jeopardy Promise
me that you will never again utter the pass,
word"
"And SO spoons is the password ?" Ralph
was at last convinced that his old friend had
been telling him the truth. q" Well may ! be
broiled on Masonic gridiron, and turned over
with red hot trowel, if ever hslloo spoons
again"
Ralph has most relgiously kept his word
Should he need spoon while at the table, he
now asks his wife for "sugar shovel. fearing
that if he mentioned the proper name Of the
required article, some pugnacious member o.
the mystic brotherhood might respond to the
Masonic password