The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-06-23
Finding Out the Secret.

Mrs, Brown and her gossip, Mrs.
White, were copyersing about husbands
and the secrets of Freemasonry. Mr..
Brown was Freemason; and the fact of
not being able TO share the secrets Of the
Order with him made Mrs. Brown very
unhappy. She was pouring out her grief
to Mrs. White, and saying tor the thou
sandth time, Il wonder what they do in
81 have no doubt but it's DREADFUL" re-
plied Mrs. White. ''But if my husband
was Mason, I'll bet I'd lind out what
he did,"
"But howf They dare not tell" !
sab! but I'd make him tell"
"How2 oh, howw asked Mrs. Brown
anxlously.
it for the world, because it is dead se-
cret."
"No, no; WON'T"
swell, do you know that tickling a
persons ear when they are asleep will
make them talkp
"No. WHIP thoughW
s.Yes. Now you wait till Brown comes
home from the lodge next time, and have
broom-straw in the bed with you.-
When he gets asleep you tickle his ear
with 1t gently, and he will begin to talk
about what he has been doing at the
lodge, and in this way you can get the
whole OF the business out of him."
'sGracious mel You don't say SO, Mrs.
WhiteW
ssTo be sure I do. / always get my
husbands secrets out OF hIm in this
way"
"Tn do itp
"And you'll tell me all about it, won't
your
s'Certainly. But YOU must never say
anything about it,"
@Oh, Of course not. Pm very close
mouthed," replied Mrs. White, earn
estly. ,
So it was agreed upon, and they sep.
arated. But unfortunately Mr.. White
had overheard the conspiracy, and lost
Emo time in informing Mr.. Brown, who
| laughed heartily over it.
| A few nights afterWard Brown at
| tended meeting 0f his lodge, and his
| wife was all anxiety, regarding it. On
retiring, she armed herself with spray
from her broom and wakefuliy waited tor
her rlord and master to return. At last
she had almost broken down the veil OF
secrecy which had troubled her so long,
and her heart beat wildly when she
heard him open the front door and come
in.
OF course she preferred to be asleep
i anu ulu uVts1GC tAS COMlSdl 8L0ll6 Uu 0eT
| husbands face as he turned up the gas
and began 'disrobing for bed. But he
said nothing, and In a few moments he
was comfortably tucked in and giving
out premonitory indications OF approach
Then Mrs. Brown opened her eyes eau
uously, and convinced herself that he
had gone to that land from which sleepy
husbands never return until some time
next day. Cautiously she reached I'M
from its hiding place. Then she reached
over carefully and began to tickle her
husbands ear, and he was all the while
doing his best to keep from exploding
with laughter.
Finally be began to talk little, and
her ears were keenly alive TO every syl-
labis.
ssYes, he must,die," said be. aHe be-
trayed our secrets to his wife. pYe got
to kill him-the lot fell on ME-"
Mrs. Brown screamed and leaped from
the bed, while her husband, unable to
control himself, gave vent to his laughter
and disturbed The neighbors for the next
ten minutes. But they never came to
any understanding about the strange af-
fair. She never asked him what he was
laughing at, aud he never inquired what
it Was.which made her scream and leap
out of bed so quickly.
Mrs. Brown and Mrs. White don't
speak now. She thinks Mrs. White
played joke on her, and she seems to
have lost much Of her anxiety regarding
the secrets of Freemasonry.
--e ee->----
A loss. similar to the one which now