SHE COULD KEEP A SECRET.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4010, 29 May 1884, Page 4

SHE COULD KEEP A SECRET.

" Wore bound to be equal to you men," said the Mason's wife ; "we formed a secret society of our own last night." " Indeed," said the worshipful master, composedly ;'' then I hope, my dear, your project will be successful. Is it a benevolent society, or what?' , "That's none of your business. It's a secret society, and we've sworn by solemn oath not to divulge anything relating to it." "Very good, my dear," observed the worshipful master, returning to his paper ; "I'm sure I do not wish yon to violate your oath." "It wouldn't matter if you did, I wouldn't. You keep your secrets close enough—and to think of that stupid Mrs Furbelow! she could recollect neither the grip nor the sign. It took us an hour to teach her. When I gave her the sign, like this (suits the action to the word), she would make it in this way, ha ! ha ! Her stupidity would have been exasperating if it hadn't been ridiculous ; and as for learning the grip, why she would have it that it was this way —give me your hand a minute—there, she would have it that way, while it was this way ; and the pass word ! she couldn't keep it in her memory two minutes. Over and over again I told her it was, 'Be just, and fear not,' and she would have it, ' Swear not at all,' or, 'Do unto others as you would be done by,'ha ! ha! we almost despaired of getting it through her head. But we made her understand at last. Oh, yes ;we are going to have a flourishing society, and we can be as secret about it as you men are about yours." Then the lady went off to attend to her household duties, and the worshipful master hid his face behind his paper and smiled.