Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-08-12
yus Aaeeles 4eraid.
THURSDAY, AUGUST l2, 1875.
Masonic Secrets.

Mrs. Brown and her gossip, Mrs.
White were conversing about husbands
and the secrets of Freemasonry. Mr..
Brown was Freemas0n, and the fact
of not being able to share the secrets
of the Order with him made Mrs.
Brown very unhappy. She was pour
ing out her grief to Mrs.. White and
saying for the thousandth time, eI
wonder what they do in the lodge
roomw
II have no doubt but its dreadful"
replied Mrs. White. "But ii my hus-
band was Mason, I'll bet I'd find out
what he did.
"But how? They dare not tell,"
"Ah! but I'd make him tell.n
"How? oh, how?" asked Mrs. Brown
anxiously.
"Hush! I'll tell you; but don't
breathe it for the world, because it is
q dead secret.n
mo no; won't"
"Well, do you know that tickling
PERSONS ear when they are asleep will
make them talk?"
mo. Will it though9'
"Yes. Now you wait till Brown
comes home from the lodge next time
and have broomstraw in the bed
with you. When he gets asleep you
tickle his ear with it gently, and he
will begin 10 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,
Mis-. White?.
''ro be sure / do. Ialways get my
husbands secrets out of him in this
way.n
''I'll do itv'
"And you'll tell me all about it,
won't you"
"Certainly. But you must never
say anything about it."
"Oh, of course not, Pm very close
mouthed, /" replied Mrs. White earnest
ly.
So it was agreed upon, and 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 few nights afterward Brown at
tended meeting of his lodge, and his
wife was all anxiety regarding it. On
retiring, she armed herself with q
spray from her broom and wakefully
waited for 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 be asleep,
and did not see the c0mical smile on
her husbands face as he turned up the
gas and began disrobing for bed. But
he said nothing, and in few moments
he was comfortably tucked in and CIV
ing out premOnitOry indications of ap-
preaching sleep.
Then Mrs. Brown opened her eyes
cautiously, and convinced herself that
he had gone to that land from which
sleepy husbands never return until
some time next day. Cautiously she
reached under the pillow and took the
broom straw from its hiding place.
Then she reached over carefully and
began to tickle her husbands ear, and
he was all the time doing his best to
keep from exploding with laughter.
Finally he began to talk a little,
and her ears were keenly alive to
every syllable.
eyes, he must die" said he. "He
betrayed our secrets to his wife. I've
got to kill him-the lot fell on me.n
Mrs. Brown screamed and leaped
from the bed, while her husband, un-
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 him 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 q joke on her, and she seems to
have lost much of her anxiety regard
| ing the secrets of Freemasonry.