Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-04
HE TOOK s3a DEGREES.
On, Mars WIFE Learns About "aS""'s
Her Husband Deceived Her ba"'S ~
iii, Game Is Up Forever.

tItr uSvtt
iii, Game Is Up Forever.
A middle-aged lady, with a black
alpaca dress, worn shiny at the elbows
and a cheap shawl aud a cheap bonnet
and her hands p~uckered up and blue,
as though she had just got ner Washing
out. went into the office of q prominent
Mason a few mornings ago, and TOOK a
chair.
She wiped her nose and the pecspira-
tion from her face on a blue checked
apron. and when the Mason looked az
her with an interested, b%cotberl.y look
as though she was IN trouble. she SAID:
Are you the boss Mason
He biushed and told her he was a
Mason, but not the highest i'll the land,
she hesitatel a moment, fingered the
corner of her apron, and curled it up
like a boy speaking a piece at school,,
and asked:
Have you taken the whole 233 de-
grees of Masonry?'
The man laughed and told her there
were only 80 degrees, and that he had
ONLY taken 30. The other degree could
not be taken only by a few, who were
recommended bv The Grand Lodge,
ard they had to go to New York to ees
the 33i degree.
The lady studied a minute, unpinnea
the safety pin that held her shawl to-
sether and put it in her mouth, took a
long breath and said:
where does my husband get the
other 200 degrees, then:'
The prominent Mason said he guessed
her husband never got 200 degrees, UNI
less he had a degree factory. He said
he didn't understand the lady.
Does my husband have to set up
with a corpse three nights a week.
she asked, her eyes flashing fire. DO
you keep a lot OF sick Masons on tap for
my husband to set up with"
The prominent Mason said he was
thankful that few Masons died, and only
occasionally was one sick enough to call
for Masonic assistance. When a Mason
was sick, and away from home, or when
his family desired it, the brethren We're
only too glad to sit up with him, but
there were so many Masons and so few
sick, that it was only once in two or
three months that a brother was called
upon to sit up with anybody.
AAS why ~ ia thoh bA41SS < ~
madame said the prominent Mason.
shawl, hung her head down, and said
We'll, my husband began to join the
Masons about two years ago, and he
has been taking degrees or sitting up
with people every night since, and he
comes home at all times Of the night
smelling Of beer and cheese. / thought
at first that the cheese was the result OF
his going to the morgue to help carry
brother Musons home after they had
been found in the river.
He has come home twice with the
wrong pair Of drawers on, aud when ]
asked him how it was, he said it was a
secret he could not reveal under penalty
Of being shot with q cannon. ALI he
could say was that he took a degree.
II have kept o little track of it, and ]
figure that he has taken 233 degrees
including the grand Skyfugle degree
with his lip cut and his ear hanging by
a piece of skin"
"Oh, madam said the prominent
Mason, "there is no Skyfug]e degree in
Masonry. Your husband has lied te
you"
That's what I think said she, as {
baleful light appeared in her eye. "He
said he was taking the Skyfugie degree
and fell through the skylight. Ihad
him sewed up, and he was ready for
more degrees.
After he had taken, [ think, about
$50 degrees, i told him I should think
he would let up on it, and put some
potatoes in the cellar for winter, but he
said when a man once got started or
the degrees he had to take them all, or
he didn't amount to anything.
"One time l wanted new hat to wear
to church, with a feather on, and he
said feathers we're all nonsense, and the
next day he brought home a leather case
with a felt coal scuttle in it, and q
feather on it that couldn't have cost less
than $40, the way l figure millinery
And when he put it on. and I laughed
at his ridiculous appearance, he began
to throw his arms around, and l asked
him what was the matter, and he said
that it was the grand hailing sign Of
distress, and if [ didn't look out an
avenger would appear from a dark closet
and run a toadsticker through me for a
%scotfer.
He must have spent a fortune on the
last $50 degrees. One morning he came
home with his coat tail split right up
his back and his pants torn just as
though a dog had chewed him, and one
eye closed up and a wad Of hair pulled
right out of his head, and he said he
had taken the 2Ooth degree, but he
wouldn't tell me how it happened, be
cause it was a dead secret.
Sometimes u brother Mason comes
home with him, along in the morning,
and they, CAB about "a full flush and
they both act full as they stand on the
step and CAB about their pat hands.
and raising 'em out, and calling and
D 'bobtail flush. One night when he was
asleep l heard him whisper, I raise YOU
: $40 and when | wanted to be told What
{ it meant he said they had been raising
: a purse for a poor widow. Anothe,
time he raised up in bed after he had
, been asleep, and shouted, 4 stand pat,