The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-06-18
Xhs Secret Let Out.

The lodge of. o. o. F., at M, deter
mined to have their lodge room done up
clean and nice and, it was resolved unani-
mously that Mrs. K should be hired
to do the job
Aftor the lodge adjourned. the guardian,
who knew the inquisitlve character of Mrs.
K procured abilly-goat and placed him
in closet. He then informed the lady of
the wishes of the lodge, and said he wished
her to come early next morning, as he
then would be at leisure to show her what
was and what was not to be done. Morn
ing came, and brought with. it Mrs. K,
with her broom, brushes, pals, tubs &C.,
prepared and armed for the job, and the
guardian waiting for her arrival.
"Now, madam" said he, I'll tell you
what we want done, and how we came to
employ you. The brothers said it was diff
fettlt to get any one to do the job who
wouldn't msddls with the secrets in that
little closet (poihting to the goats prison.)
We have lost the key and can't find it to
lock the door, | assured them that you
could be depended on"
depended on !" said she, 81 guess l can.
My poor dead and gone husband who be-
longed to the Free and Anti Masons used
W ltlt IisS all IilC ScCISIS VI buC COuCeIu,
and Showed me the marks the gridiron
made when he was, ventilated, and l have
never told living soul to this day. If
nobody troubles your closet to find out
secrets till I do, they will lay there till they
rot-so they will"
81 thought So" answered the guardian;
"and now l want you to commence in that
corner and give the room decent cleaning,
and l have pledged my word and honor
for the fidelity of your promises so don't
go into to the closet and all will be WE'LL"
and he left the lady to herself
10 sooner had she heard the sound of
his foot on the last step of the stairs than
she exclaimed:
Don't go into that closet I'll warrant
there's a pesky gridiron or two, or some
other nonsense in there-just like the Anti
Masons for all the world, I'll see, any way !!
1 can take q little peep, and nobody will be
any wiser. guess l can keep secret.
Suiting the action to the word, (think-
ing all the while what glorious secret
she would have to tell Mollie Trump, her
next door neighbor) she stepped lightly
and cautiously to the door, peeped mys-
teriously about, to see if any one could see
her. and then quickly opened the door,
What was her horror to see coming from
far corner of the room, after having uttered
most unearthly shrek, living, actual,
bona tide billy goat, with perfect torrent
of wrath flashing out of his eyes. Max
ing tremendous rush for his liberty he
reached the threshold of his prison almost
by the time the old lady had sufficiently
recovered to screech, "murder" ami fire"
without getting choked, and came near
upsetting the dame at the door. Both
made q rush for the head of the stairs but
the door was full of implements for house
cleaning, and all were swept clear from
their position down to the bottom Of the
steps.
The noise and confusion occasioned by
such unceremonious coming down stairs,
drew half the town to witness Mrs. KS
Efforts to get from the pile of pals, tubs,
brooms and brushes into the street.
Who should be the first at the spot but
the rascally guardian, who, after releasing
the goat, which was crippled for life, and
uplifting the rubbish that bound the good
woman to the earth, anxiously inquired if
she had been taking the degrees
"Takin' the degrees" exclaimed the now
irate lady, "you fetch-t taxed hateful, you
If you call tumbling from the top to the
bottom of the stairs, and bein' scared to
death, takin' things by degrees, why have
taken them. And if you brighten and hurt
other folks as you have me, I'll warrant
they'll make as much noise as l did, and
mebby more"