The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-10
Finding Out the Secrets.

Mrs. Brown and her gossip, Mrs. White
were conversing about husbands and The
secrets of Freemasonry. Mr. Brown was 8
Freemason, and the fact of not being able tC
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: III wonder wha
they do IN the loIgeroom:'
II have no doubt but it's dreadful" replied
Mrs. White. But if my husband was a
Mason I'll bet I'd fad out what he did
But how? They dare not tell
"Ah but I'd make him tell.'
How? oh, how" asked Mrs. Brown, anX
iousy.
Hush. III tell YOU but don't breathe ii
for the world, because il is a dead secret"
mo, no; won't"
"Well, do you know that tickling Il per
sons ear when they are asleep Will make
them talk"
mo; Whit, thought
Eyes. 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 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 business out of him.
"Gracious me. You don't say so, Mrs.
White"
ITO be sure do. always get my hus.
bands secrets out of him in this way
an do it; III do it,
"And you'll tell me all aooSt it, won't
you?'
"Certainly. But you must newer say any
thing about It,"
ooh, of course not I'm veryolose-
ed,' replied Mrs White, earnestly.
A.. toI
But unfortunately Mr.. White had overhead
the conspiracy and lost no time in informing
Mr.. Brown, who laughed heartily over it,
A few nights afterward Brown attended a
meeting of his lodge, and his wife was all
anxiety regarding it. On retiring she armed
herself with a spray from her broom and
wakefully waited for her lord and master to
return. AT last she had almost broken down
the veil of secrecy which had troubled her
so long, and her heartbeat wildly when she
heard him open the front door.
OF course she pretended to be asleep and
did not see the comical smile on her hus-
bands face as he turned up the gas and be-
gan disrobing for bed. But he SAID nothing,
and IN few moments he was comfortably
tucked in and giving out premonltory lndi-
cations Of approaching sleep
Then Mrs. Brown opened her eyes cautious
" and convinced herself that he had gone 10
that land from which sleepy husbands never
return until some time the next day. eau
tiously she reached under the pillow ana
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 while dong his best to keep from explod
ing with laughter.
Finally he began to talk little and her
ears were keenly alive to every syllable.
"Ycs, he must die" said he. "He betray-
ed our secrets to his wife. I've got to kill
the lot fell OR me-"
Mrs Brown screamed and leaped from the
bed, while her husband, unable TO control
himself, gave vent to his laughter and dis
turbed the neighbors for the next ten min
utes. But they never came to any under
standing about the strange affair. She never
asked him what he was laughing 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 regarding the secrets of Freema-
sonry-DetroU Free Press.