Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-08-05
Finding OUT the secret.

| tN&itE tsut4 4bnc ScCECt.
Mrs. Brown and her gossip, Mrs
White, were conversing about hus,
bands and the secrets of Free Ma,
sonry. Mr.. Brown was o Free Ma
son, 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 for the thousandth
time, II wonder<what they do in the
lodge-room2'
al have no doubt but it's dreadful, +"
replied Mrs. White. sBut if my
husband was a Mason, I'll bet I'd
find out what he did"
ssBut how2 They dare not tell"
"Ah. but I'd make him tell"
"How. oh, how?" asked Mrs.
Brown, anxiously.
sHush. I'll tell you; but don't
breathe it for the world, because it is
dead Secret
''No, no; / won't"
"Well, do you know that tickling a
persons ear when they are asleep
will make them talkY'
"No; WILT thOughw
"Yes. Now you wait till Brown
comes home from the lodge next
time, and have broom-straw in bed
with you. When he gets asleep you
tickle his ear with it 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."
"Gracious me! You don't say so,
Mrs. White?"
''To he sure l do. l always get
my husbands secrets out of him in
this way
''Tll do it."
"And you'll tell me all about it,
won't your
"Certainly. But you must never
say anything about it."
ooh, of course not. / am very
close mouthed," replied Mrs. White.
earnestly.
So it was agreed upon, and they
separated. But, unfortunately, Mr..
White had overheard the conspiracy,
and lost no time in informing Mr.
Brown, who laughed heartily over it.
A few evenings afterward Brown
attended n meeting of his lodge, and
his wife was all anxiety regarding it.
On retiring she armed herself with
spray from her broom and waketully
awaited her lord and master to re-
turn. 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.
Ofcourse she pretended to he asleep.
and did not see the comical smile on
her husbands face as he turned up
the gas and commenced disrObing
for bed. But he said nothing, and
in-a few-minutes hezVwas carefully
tucked in and giving out prcmonitory
indications of approaching sleep.
Then Mrs. Brown opened hereyes
cautiously, and convinced herself
that he had gone to that land from
which sleepy husbands never return
until sometime next day. Cautious
ly she reached under the pillow and
took the straw from it's 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
Finally he began to talk little,
and her ears were keenly alive to ev-
cry syllable.
"Yes, he must die" said he. ale
betrayed our secrets to his wife. I've
got to kill him-the lot fell on me-"
Mrs. Brown screamed and leaped
from the bed, while her husband, I'M
able to control himself, gave vent to
his laughter and disturbed the neigh |
hnrs for the next ten minutes. But
they never came to any understand
ing about the strange affair. She
never asked him what he was laugh
ing at, and he never inquired what it
was that 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 re-
garding the secrets of Free Masonry,