Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-11-20

tf AIS0ulC SctIctS~
Mrs. Brown and her gossip, Mrs.
White, were conversing about hus-
bands and the secrets Of Freemasonry.
Mr.. Brown was Freemason and the
fact OF not being able to share the Sc.
crets Of the Order with him, made
Mrs. Brown very unhappy. She was
pouring out the grief to Mrs. White,
and saying for the thousandth time, Il
wonder what they do in the lodge
room?" a e 8s
II have no doubt but it's dreadful p
replied Mrs. White. But if my hus-
band was Mason, I'll bet 1 d 6nd out
what he did. -
But how? They dare not tell"
All but Il d make him telllD
How. oh how 2" asked Mrs. Brown
anxiously.
Hush I'll tell you; but don t
breathe it for the world, because it is
a dead secret" :"
" No. mol WON'T"
Well, do you know tickling a per-
sons ear when they are asleep will
make them falk2p EaHs
mol Wilt, though
Yes. Now you wait till Brown
comes home from the lodge. next time,
and have a broom straw in the bed
with you hen he gets asleep you
tickle his earwith 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 bus
iness out of him"
Gracious me- You don't say SO,
Hrs. White?"
To be sure l do /! I always get my
'hasband's secrets out of him IN This
way al aai
III do itl'' .o, as,es 3
And you'll tell ne all about it
"Ccrtainlyl Batsseu must never
say anything about itY
OH OF course not I'm very
elose-mouthed." replied Mrs. White,
earnestly.
So it was agreed upon, aud they sep
arated. But, unfortunately, Mr.. White
had overheard the conspiracy, and lost
no time in informing Mr.. Brown, who
laughed heartily over it.
A new nights afterwafd Brown at
tended the lodge, and his wife was all
anxiety regarding it. On retiring, she
armed herself with spray from her
broom. and wakefully waited for her
lord and master to return. At last she
had almost broken dowu the vail of
secrecy which had tr0ubled her so
long; and her heart bsst vil3ly. when
she heard him open the front door to
come 10.
OF course, she pretended to be
asleep, and did not see the comical
smile on her husbands face as he
turned up the gas and began disrob-
lug for bed. But he said nothing. In.
few moments he was comfortably
tucked in, and giving out premonitory
indications OF approaching sleep.
Then Mrs. Brown opened her eyes
cautiously, and convinced herself that
he had gone to that land from which
sleepyg.husbands never return until
some time pext day. Cautiously she
reached under the pillow and drew the
broeRl straw from its hiding place
Then she reached over carefully aud
began to tickle her husbands 8 ear, and
he was all the while doing his best to
keep from exploding with laughter.
Finally, he began to talk little,
and her ears were keenly alive to every
syllable.
Yes, be must dieI" said he. He
betrayed our secrets to his wife. I've
got to kill him-the lot fell on mel
p Mrs. Brown screamed and leaped
from the bed, while her husband, una
able to control himself, gave vent to
his laughter, and disturbed the neigh
bors for the next ten minutes. But
they never came to any understanding
about the strange affair, She never
asked what he was laughing at, and 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 regard
ing the secrets of FreemasoEry.