, 1882-11-25
A Dreadful Husband.
N,lvaukee Sun

Hei 2e*eS PSoeAee W o1a oioc, -
though abe had just got her weeks wash.
Jug out, went into the Office Of q promi.
nent Mason a few mornings since and
took chair. She wiped her nose and
the prespirstion from her face with blue.
checked apron, and when the Mason
looked at her with an interested bro,herly
look, as though she Was in trouble, she
said:
"Are you the boss Mason"
/ He blushed, told her he Was Mason,
but not the highest in the land She hes
itEted moment, fingered the corner o:
her apron, and eurled it up Ike boy
speaking piece in school, and asked:
/ "Have You taken the whole two hun
dred and thirty degrees Of Ma
sonryl'
The man laughed, told her there were
only thrty-threc degrees and that he had
only taken thriy-two. The other de-
gree conld only be taken by a very few
whe were recommended by the grand
lodge, and had 10 60 TO New York to get
;he thirty degree.
The lady studded a while, unpinned
the safety-pin that held her shawl 20
yether, and put i; in her mouth, tool a
B Long breath and ,aId.
Where does my husband get the oth,r
two hundred degrees thenl'
the prominen. Mason said he guessed
her husband had never got two hundred
degrees unless he had degree factory.
He said he didn't understand the lady.
does my husband have to set up with
corpse three nights in the weekF she
asked, her eyes flashing hrs. "hna do
they keep a lot Of sick Masons on tap for
my husband to set up with the other
three nightsi
The prominent Mason said he was
thankful that few Masons died, and only
occasionally WAS one sick enough to call
for Masonic assistance.
But why do you ask these questions,
madami" SAID the prominent Mason.
The woman picked the fringe of her
shawl, hung her head down, and said:
"Well, my husband began to Join the
Masuns about TWO years ago, and he has
been isking degrees or srtiDg up with
people every niyht since He has come
I hume Nv &c with the wrong par Of draw
I cr. on, az d when asked btn how II Was
/ he -.id It MAS a secret he c uid not re-
seal ueder he penalty ;ha' h, r"uld be
shot with a cannon All tie would say
was that he had took degree. have
| kept a Little track oi It, Lnd | h2nre he
has aiken 233 degrees, r.c'udlng the
grand Sky Fugle degree. which he took
! the niyht he came hone with his lip cut,
and his ear hanging by piece Of SKIN"
"Oh, madam," said tho prominent
Mason, "there is no Sky Fugle degree III
Masonry. Your husband has deceived
you"
That's Whist | think" said abe, Is a
baleful light appeared in her eye. "he
SAID he va, taking The SKY FnCle degree
and fell through the SKY light. Ihad HIM
sewed up and he was ready for more de-
yrees After be had taken ebout a hun
dred and fifty degrees, Itold him | should
think he would let up on it, and put up
some potatoes in the cellar for winter, but
he said when man once got started on
the degrees he had To t1ke them all, or
he didn't amount to anything Some
time. a brother Mason comes home with
him in the morning and they talk about
\ full fiush,' and about their pat hands,
and 'rai,ing EN- out One night when
he WAS asleep | heard him whisper, L,
raise ,ou ten dollars, and when | asked
him what he meant he said they had been
raising a purse for poor widow. An
other time he raised u2 in bed, after he
had been asleep, and shouted, Il stand
pat.' and when asked him what 1t meant
he said he was ruined if ! told 1t. He
said he had spoken the password, and II
the brethren heard of it they would put
him out of the way, even as Morgan was
put ont Of the way. Mister, IS stand pat
your pass wordf'
The Mason told her it was not. Tha
the words she had spoken was an expires
sion used by men who play draw poker
and he added that he didn't believe he
husband was Il Mason at all, but that h
had been lying to her all these years.
She sighed and said, "Thats what
thought when he came home with 10
Of ivory chip. in hi. pocket. He 'a,t
;hey used them at the lodge to vote cI
candidates, and that a white chip e'ect
and blue chip rejects Candidate. L
you Viii look the matter up aud see II b
las jpiued he Ms,ons will be ob!ige'
o ;"u. He SAYS he has taken all the -
dr.,ets, aud now the boys want Eim e
jan the Knights of Pyth!as l want I
-ef our an injunction TO prevent h'tn iron
Joining anything else untIi' NC ge
some underclOthes for winter. II
tell You what will do. The ne-t TIM
he says anything about Sky Fugle degrees
will take a washbo.rd and make hin
think that there is one degree IN Masonr.
that he has skipped. and now geod-by
You have comfo,ted me greatly, and
will lay awake tonight till my hunbant
comes home from the lcdga with his p
hand. and | will make him think he hs
forgot his ante"
The lady went out to the grocery t'
buy some bar soap, and the prominen
Mason resumed his business with feel
ing that we are not all truly good. an
there is cheating going on al! around.
p,e<;v,oa oF waalthv GiriR.