White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-24

Sam and Herman and Verman lifted
their right hands. while penrod placed
the other end Of the eiothes-prop in Il
mole In the ground. with the pennon
fiutterlng high above The shack. He
then raised his own right hand. and
the four boys repeated something In
concert. II was inaudible TO Mrs. VIII
ilams' but she was able to make out
me inscription upon the pennon. II
consisted of the peculiar phrase. TN
or-ln,' done In black paint upon n
muslin ground, and consequently seem
ing to be In need Of a blotter.
II REQUIRED to her mind. later that
evening when she happened To find
herself alone with Sam in the library.
and in merest idle curiosity. she
asked:
Sam, what does Tn-Or-In' mean?"
sam. bending over an arithmetic. un-
creased his brow till 1t became of IL
blank and marble sm~oothness.
"Ma'am?'
what are those words on your
fiag7'
Sam gave her Il long. cold. mystic
look, rose to his feet, and left the
room with emphasis and dignity. For
a She was puzzled. But Sans
older brother was this year completing
his education at a university, and Mrs.
Williams was not altogether ignorant
OF the obligations Of secrecy imposed
upon some brotherhoods: so she was
able TO comprehend Sans silent with
drawal, and, instead of summonlng
him back for further questions. she
waited uptil he was our of hearing and
then began TO laugh.
Sans action was In obedience 10 one
OF the rules adopted, at his own sug-
gestion, as "A Law OF the order. penrod
advocated II warmly. From Margaret
he had heard accounts of her friends
In college and thus had learned much
thai ought to be done. On the other
hand, Herman subscribed to ID with re-
l~nctance, expressing a decided opinion
that If he and Verman were questioned
upon the matter at home and adopted
the line of conduct required by the
new rule, II would be well for them 10
depart not only from the room in
which the questioning took place but
from the house. and hurrledly at that.
An stay away" he concluded.
Verman, being tongue-tied-not with
out advantage In this case, and surely
an ideal qualification for membership
vas not so apprehenslye. He voted
with Sam and Penrod, carrying the
day.
New rules were adopted at every
meeting Though IT cannot be said that
all of them were practicable) for. In
addition to the information possessed
by Sam and Penrod, Herman and Yer
man Ind many ideas Of their own,
founded upon remarks overheard at
home. Both their parents belonged to
secret orders, their father to the In
napenent 'Neyolent lodge $50 stated by
Herman) and their mother 10 the Or
der of White Doves.
From these and other sources. Pen
rod found no difficulty ia compiling
material for what anne to he known
as the "rixual - and it was the ritual
he was reading 10 the members when
Mrs. Williams happened TO observe
the ceremonial raising Of the emblem
Of the order.
The ritual contained the oath. a key
to the secret language, or code lde-
ylsed by penrpu for use I'm uncertain
emergencies). and passwords. for adj
mission TO the shack, also instructions
for recognizing a brother member in
the dark, and a rather alarming sketch
Of the things 10 be done during the
initiation of a candidate. .
This last was employed for the bene-
fit Of Master Roderiek Magsworth
Bits, Jr, on the Saturday following
the lag-raising. He presented himself
In Sans yard, not for initiation, In
deed-having no previous knowledge
of the Society of the In-Or-ln-but for
general purposes of sport and pastime,
Al first sight of the shack he expressed
anticipatlons of pleasure. adding some
suggestions for improving the archi-
tectural effect. Being prevented, how
ever. from entering, and ever from
standing In the vicinity Of the sacred
building, he plaintively demanded an
explanation whereupon he was COM
manded to withdraw TO the front yard
for a time, and the members held meet
ing In the shack. Roddy was elected.
and consented 10 undergo the initia.
ton.
He was not the only new member
that day. A short time after Roddy
had been taken into the shack for the
reading OF the ritual and other cere-
| monies, little Maurice Levy entered the
| Williams gate and strolled round to
the backyard. looking for Sam. He was
| surprised and delighted to behold the
| promising shack, and. like Roddy, en-
~tertained fair hopes for the future.
The door OF the shack was closed