The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-01-05

| Sam and Herman and Verman lifte,
! their right hands. while Penrod placed
| the other end Of the clothes-prOp In
hole in the ground. with the prnnoI
futtering high above the shack. II,
then raised his own right hand, anC
I the four boys repeated something il
concert. It was inaudible to Mrs. vii
| llamS, but she was able to make on
the inscription upon the pcnnon j
consisted Of the peculiar phrase, In
Or-ln," done in black paint upon ;
muslin ground. and consequently seem
ing to be in need of blottcr
1t required to her mind. later that
evening, when she happened to tint
herself alone with Sam in the library
and, in merest idle curiosity, she
asked:
Sam. what does Tn-Or-n mcan:"
Sam, bending over an arithmetic. I'M
creased his brow till it became Of Il
blank and marble SrnoothneSS.
'Ma'am
What are those words on your
f1ag?"
Sam gave her n long. cold. mystic
look. rose 10 his feet, and left the
room with emphasis and dignity. For
Il moment she was puzzled. But Sans
Older brother was this year completing
his education Mt 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 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 n decided opinion
that If he and Ferman were questioned
upon the matter at home and adopted
the line of conduct required by the
new rule, it would be well for them TO
depart not only from the room in
which the questioning took place but
from the house, and hurriedly at that.
AN stay away" he concluded.
Nerman, being tongue-tied-no with
ont advantage in this case, ana surely
an ideal qualification for membership
was not so apprchensivc. 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 We're 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
1apenent 'Nevolent lodge $50 stated by
ffermam and their mother to the Or
Ter Of White Doves.
From these and other sources. Pen
cd found no difficulty in compiling
material for what came to be known
IS the "riXual;" and it was the ritual
re was reading to the members when
MrS. Williams happened to observe
he ceremonial raising of the emblem
If the order.
The ritual contained the oath. key
0 the secret language, or code ode /
Used by PenrOd for use in uncertain
and passwords for adj |
mission to the shack, also instructions /
or recognizing a brother member in /
he dark. and Il rather alarming sketch |
II the things to be done during the |
of candidate.
This last was employed for the bene- |
it of Master ROderick Magsworth |
Bits, Jr., on the Saturday following |
he flag-raising. He presented himself |
n Sans yard, not for initiation, in /
eed-having no previous knowledge /
f the Society of the In-Or-In-but for /
eneral purposes Of sport and pastime.
It first sight of the shack he expressed I
OF pleasure, adding some |
uggestiOns for improving the archi-
ectural effect. Being prevented, how
yer, from entering, and even from
landing in the vicinity Of the sacred
uilding, he pIaintively demanded an
Xplanatinn; Whcreup0n he was COM
handed to withdraw to the front yard
or time, and the members held meet
II in the shack. R0ddy was elected,
nd consented to undergo the initia-
on.
He was not the only new member
nat day. A short time after Roddy
ad been taken into the shack for the
eading of the ritual and other cere-
lonies, little Maurice Levy entered the
Villains gate and strolIed round to
le backyard, looking for Sam. He was
lrpriSed and delighted to behold the
shack. and. like Roddy, en-
fair hopes for the future.
The door of the shack was closed;
board covered the window, but
lurmur of voices came from within.
laurce stole close and listened.
through crack he could see the flick