The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-04-19

Your husband has lid to you."
sThats whsi thirk, = said shs as bale
fni light appeared 10 her eye. HE sais
hs Vas taking the stysasis degree and fol
through tAe skyllght had him sswet
ap and he vas ready for moro deGr~es
After be had taken, think, ahcat ~
degrees. | told him | should think hs
~cald lot up on u, and put some potatoes
10 the cellar for winter, but he saM ~her
. man once got started on the degrees hs
had to take them All, or he didn't Amousi
10 anything. One time | wanted hat u
w.u 10 church, with . feather on asd he
said feathers were all nonsense, and the
ne IT day he brought home = leather case
~Ilh felt scuttle In Il, and . feather on II
that couldn't have cost less than tl0, the
way ngurs millinery. And when he pu.
1t on, and laughed at his ridiculous sp-
pcarsnce, ;hs began TO th.ow his arms
aroupd, and asked him what wss the
matter, and he said that II WAS the grAnd
hsiling sign Of distress. and II | didn't
lock out An avsnger would appear from .
dark closet and run = toadsticker through
me for scoffsr. He must have spent a
fortune on the last l50 degrees. Ore
morsing he came home with his coattail
split right up his back, and his psnts tora
iust ~ though dog had chewed him. and
one eye closed up, and wad of hair pulled
right out OF his head, and he said he had
been taking the so0th degree, but he
wouldn't tell me how It happened, because
II was q dead secret. Sometimes brsthsr
Mason comes home with him along ia the
morning, and they CAB about full nush'
and they both act full ~ they stand on the
steps and CAB about their pat hands, and
raising 'em OUT and calling and bob
tail fush.' One night when he WAS asleep
heard him whisper, Il raise you tl0,' and
when wanted to be told what 1t meant he
said they had been raising . purse for =
poor widow. Another time he raised up
10 bed after be had been asleep, and shout
Cd, Il stand pat and when | wanted 10
know what that meant be said he'd be
ruined II | tsld Of II. He said he had
mentioned the password, and II the breth-
rem heard Of 1t they would put him out Of
the way. Mister, 10 Il stand pat your
password 2
The Mason told her II was not. That
the words she had spoken was an express
sion used by men when playing drsw-poksr,
and he added that he didn't bslIevs that
her husband was q Mason at all, but that
he had been lying to her all these years.
She sighed and said: That's what
thought when he came home with lot Of
vory chips In his pocket. He said they
used them at the lodge to vste on candi-
dates, and that white chip elects and .
blue chip rejects candidate. II you will
look the matter up and see II he has Joined
the hasons, l will be obliged to you. He
says he has taken oil the 933 degrees, and
now the boys want him to join the Knights
Of PythIas. want to get out an injunc-
tion to prevent him from joining ANYTHING
else uutil We get some undercl othss for
winter. I'll tell you what will do. The
next time he says anything about Skyfugls
degrees and csusistory nonsense ! will use
a washbcard and cause him 70 believe
there 10 one degree 10 Masonry he has
missed asd now goodby. You have COM
forted me greatly, and 1 will lay awake
tonight till my husband comes from the
lodge with his pat hand and ! will mako
him think he has forgot his ante"
The lady went out to . grocery to buy
some bar soap and the prominent Macon
resumed his business with feeling that
We are not oil truly good and there 10
going on oil around.- Peck's
Hun