The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1918-03-08

Sam and Herman and Verman lifted
their right hands, while Penrod placed
the other end of the clothes-prop in
hole in the ground, with the pennon
fiuttering high above the shack. He
then raised his own right hand, and
the four boys repeated something In
concert. It was inaudible to Mrs. VIII
liams. but she was able to make out
the inscription upon the pennon. 1t
consisted of the peculiar phrase, Sin
! Or-In," done in black paint upon a
muslin ground, and consequently seem
| ing to be in need of a blotter.
1t required to her mind, later that
evening, when she happened to ind
| 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, I'M
I creased his brow till it became of
| blank and marble smoothness.
"Ma'am?"
"What are those words on your
| flag"
Sam gave her long, cold, mystic
| look, rose to his feet, and left the
room with emphasis and dignity. For
| d moment she was puzzled. But Sans
older brother" was this year completing
| his education at q 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 summoning
him back for further questions, she
waited uptil he was out of hearing and
then began to laugh.
Sans action was in obedience to one
, of the rules adopted, at his own sug
gestion as law of the order. Penrod
advocated it warmly. From Margaret
| he had heard accounts of her friends
in college and thus had learned much
| that ought to be done. On the other
hand, Herman subscribed to it with re-
luctance. expressing a decided opinion
that if he and VeFman were questioned
upon the matter at home and adopted
the line of conduct required by the
new rule, 1t would be we'll for them to
depart not only from the room in
which the questioning took place but
from the house, and hurriedly at that.
can stay awayw he concluded.
Verman, being ngue-tied-not with
out advantage in this case, and surely
nm ideal qualification for membership
was not so apprehensive. 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 had many ideas of their own,
| founded upon remarks overheard at
home. Both their parents belonged to-
| secret orders, their father to the In
napenent 'Nevolent lodge $50 stated by
Herman) and their mother to the Or
der of White Doves.
From these and other sources, Pen
rod found no difficulty in compiling
material for what came to be known
as the ''rixual;'' and it was the ritual
he was reading to the members when
Mrs. Williams happened to observe
the ceremonial raising of the emblem
of the order.
The ritual contained the oath, key
to the secret language, or code Ode
vised by Penrod for use in uncertain
emergencies), and passwords for adj
mission to the shack, also instructions
| for recognizing brother member in
the dark, and a rather alarming sketch
of the things to be done during the
initiation of candidate.
This last was employed for the bene-
fit of Master Roderick Magsworth
Bits, Jr., on the Saturday following
the flag-raising. He presented himself
in Sans yard, not for initiation, in
deed-having no previous knowledge
of the Society of the In-Or-In-but for
general purposes of sport and pastime.
At first sight of the shack he expressed
anticipations of pleasure, adding some
suggestions for improving the archi-
tectural effect. Being prevented, how
ever, from entering, and even 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 time and the members held meet
ing in the shack. Roddy was elected,
and consented to 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;
| n p6 hn hut