The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-03-09


oam and Herman and Verman lifted
their right hands. while Penrod placed
the other end of the clothes-prop in a
hole in the ground, with the pennon
fluttering high above the shack. IIe
ken raised his own right hand, and
the four boys repeated something in
concert. 1t was inaudible to Mrs. WI.
,iamS, but she was able to make out
the inscription upon the pennon. II
consisted of the peculiar phrase. an.
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 Glld
herself alone with Sam in the library Y,
and, in merest idle curiosity, she
asked:
"Sam, what does 'In-Or-In' mean?'
Sam, bending over an arithmetic, un-
creased his brow till it became of a
blank and marble smoothness.
"Ma'am?"
"What are those words on your
flag?"
Sam gave her a long, cold, mystic
look, rose to his feet, and left the
room with emphasis and dignity. For
a moment she was puzzled. But Sans
older brother was this year completing
his education at Il university, and Mrs.
Williams was not altogether ignorant
of the obligations of secrecy imposed
upon some brotherhoOds; so she WIS
able TO comprehend Sans silent with
drawal, and, instead of summoni1lg
him back for further questions, size
waited uptil he was out of hearing and
then began to laugh.
Sans action was in obedience to ole
of the rules adopted, at his own sug-
g%estion, as a 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 ia it with re.
l%uctanee, expressing Il decided opinion
that if he and Ferman were questioned
upon the matter at home and adopted
AAo III VI NpliAiu1I lONulItd ny lit
new rule, it would be well for them to
depart not only from the room in
which the questioning took place bat
from the house, and hurriedly at that.
"An' stay away !" he concluded.
Verman, being tongue-tied-not with
out advantage in this case, and surely
m ideal qualification for membership
was not so apprehensive. He voted
with Sam and Penrod, carrying the
day.
New rules We're adopted at every
meeting (thOugh it cannot be said that
all of them were practically for, In
addition to the information possessed
by Sam and Penrod, Herman and Ver-
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 ESQ 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, a key
to the secret language, or code (de-
YiSed by PenrOd for use in 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 to be done during the
initiation of a candidate.
This hst was employed for the bene-
fit of Master Roderick Magsworth
Bits, Jr., on the Saturday following
the f1ag-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
handed to withdraw to the front yard
for a 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 3;
q board covered the window. but a