The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-04-07
Dobley's Secret Society
He Is High wIelder Of the ~Sledgs"at
the Hammer Club.
nOBLEY came in late in the evening
in a mood of exultant eXuberance

nOBLEY came in late in the evening
in a mood of exultant eXuberance
that made his wife forget to look at the
clock and sigh as she usually did when
she had waited over long for his COM
ing. AS he removed his coat she no.
ticed with some amaZement that his
coat and waistcoat were wrong side
out and that various signs resembling
the printing on a Chinese laundry
ticket were inscribed upon his shirt
front.
Through long experience, however.
Mrs. Dobley had learned to be surprised
at nothing in the way of eccentricity
which might mark her husbands be-
havior OF attire when he arrived home
late. She only raised her eyebrows
slightly and swept them questioningly
over his makeup, with just a suspicion
of amazement in her glance.
MI. Dobley smiled a trifie APOLOGIZE
cally.
Il have been installed tonight" he
said, past master and high wielder
of the sledge in our new Lenten Ham
mer club"
"Lenten Ham," began Mrs. Dobley
in surprise.
That's a fact-I didn't tell you about
it, my dear, did I? The fact is, Fresh
ington and myself have had an idea for
some time in regard to the forming
of a powerful secret society. We felt
that, on certain lines, the club might be
made a marvelously strong organiza-
ton in the world of finance and in the
social world as we'll"
Mrs. Dobley's eyes again circled over
Dobley's disarranged attire and the hi
erogiyphics upon his shirt bosom, as
though trying to connect them with
the lofty purpose of the new organiza-
ton. Following her glance, Mr.. Dob
ley observed The inscriptions and col
ored slightly.
"Ah!" he said, while 1 was blindfold-
ed l see the boys have given me the
symbolic brandings of our society,""
II wonder if it will wash?" said Mrs.
Dobley, a%nxiously. ut is all crinkled
and damp"
THAT is the result of the siphon
baptism" said Dobley. seriously, "one
of the most beautiful rites of our or
der. 1t was Freshington's idea"
You seem to be encouraging the
laundry industry" said Mrs. Dobley.
Il suppose that is why you employ
the signs the Cinnamon use in their
wash lists?"
ut is not Chinese" said Dobley.
at is the sign language of our or
der. Each mark means a link Of
brotherhood that we at once recog-
nize. In any quarter of the globe
these mystic characters bind the
members in loyalty. We considered it
safer and newer than a grip"
And the reversing of your clothes"
said Mrs. Dobley; "has that any mys-
tic significance?"
Before the meeting begins" said
Dobley, 1--WE all put our coats and
vests on wrong side out in order to
be secure from the intrusion of any
one not in the ranks. 1t is a simple
method but absolutely safe"
"Why did you choose Lent as the
time to begin your club?' asked Mrs.
Dobley. ut isn't a high church af-
fair, 1 should judge?"
"The season of Lent" said Dobley,
sis the great ~club-forming season.
The sewing circle and the reading club
become rampant; the cooking class and
the Browning association flourish; the
golf club fever fairly sizzles at the win
ter resorts. Then neither Freshington
nor myself has ever belonged to a Sc
cret society. We felt that something
was lacking in our lives. We o no
mystic badge; no ton-weight watch
charm that identified us with the an
Gent order of anything-why, we had
mt even a dinky little button that sig
nifed that we were sons of anything.
We weren't in it, and we agreed that it
gave a man a certain distinction to
wear these things that he could never
get any other way. Even a fire badge
gives a man an air of power. So n