What in the hell is a “Veiled Prophet,” you might ask? And why is Blase’s history with it controversial (though not controversial enough to tilt the race in favor of Bush)? For answers to these questions and many more about the history of St Louis elite society, we turn to Devin Thomas O’Shea’s fascinating new book, The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St Louis. Above: The title page for the program of the 1883 Veiled Prophet Festival.