Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-10
PROSECUTED MAN.
RY EREN Z. REXFORD.

He had felt some personal---very. VI
evil from the time he began to talk
of making the visit something had
impressed him with a vague sense
of danger. AS he assembled the
steps that morning he had not
dreamed what the danger consisted
in, nor how very near, it vas.
Now he knew.
dts a widoww groaned Mr..
Bundle. "a widow
Evidently Mr.. Bundle hadn't
any particular love for widows.
"Here l am, an innocent, unsus-
pecting man." went on Mr.. Bum
BILE, d~olefully. "John who's put his
foot i'm it by getting married, IN
vites me down to see how much
like fools he and his wife a act,
and /, like a fool, came down; 1
| hardly step nv foot inside the door
before John tells me that there's
some one else coming-hls dear
RaIinda's sister, a widow, and such
a nice woman, and | see through it
All in a minute. It's all a plot,
THEY'VE got me down here for her
to marry. Yes, for her TO marry"
Mr.. Bundle shivered at the
thought. He was in 4 cold sweat all
over.
"And now she's here" Mr..
Bundle shook his fist at something
in the corner-an imaginary wild
ow, probably; "she's here, and I'll
be prosecuted and pestered from
morning till night. She knows
what John and his wife have got n
to their heads, and is willing to
help 'em along i'm their wickedness.
Iwish,r Mr.. Bundle waxed warm
i'm his gestures with his earnestness
on the subject, 81 wish there was a
law abolishing widows, 1 do, l
swear L do"
"Rravo for you, Tim" laughed
his brother John, sticking his head
i'm at the door. ''I'll tell you how
you can begin the reform and abol-
ish this one. Just marry her." and
John Withdrew, laughing.
Eyes, you've made a fool of your
self by getting married, and want
other folks to, on the principle that
misery loves company" declared
Mr.. Bundle, blowing his nose ex-
plosively. "Of curse the first
thing when / GO down they'll in
troduce me. Hang it all, | wish
I'd stayed at home. 1t does make
me out of patience to see people
make such fools out of themselves"
John came back pretty
"Are you ready to go down ?" he
asked.
"Yes, I s'pose so,'' answered poor
Mr.. Bundle, not very graciously.
"But I'll tell you what it is, John,
I'll not marry her."
John laughed outright. "You
seem to think that getting married
is about the worst fate a man. can
have happen to him. l think it
about the best"
ayes, you," exclaimed Mr.. Bum
BILE, explosively. "Of course you'll
say SO now; but wait-just wal! ~
very solemnly and with awful! I'M
pressiveness.
"Well, PIl watt" replied John.
"Come on, if you're ready" .
Mr.. Bundle groaned and followed
his brother down like a lamb led to
the sacrifice. He began 20 tremble
before he reached the parlor door.
He remembered, ~afterward, of see
ing something in the shape of a
woman rise up as they entered the
room, and of hearing John say,
"Mrs. Blake, my brother Timothy"
And the shape swoOned down upon
him like a hawk upon a dove, and
for ten minutes thereafter all was a
blank.
When he regained his scattered
senses-it always served him in the
same way to be introduced to a VIC
man, especially a widow-she was
| talking away at an awful rate, and
he was sitting before her with his
hands folded meekly, in becoming
resignation, At first he didn't dare
to look at her; but after his first
awe began to subSide he stole a
glance or two at her. The investi-
CATION made him tremble. She
wasn't one of your cooling, gentle
widows, but one of the strong mind
ed class. He felt sure of it. And
by-and-by-how, he never knew
she began to talk woman's rights.
AZ do think" declared Mrs.
Blake, laying her hand on Mr..
BUNDLES knee by the way of en-
phasis, and causing the poor man to
finch terribly, lido think that we
poor females have rights which you
men are bound to respect. Mrs.
Blake looked straight at Mr.. Bum
bic as she said this, as ifdaring him
to deny it.
"Undoubtedly," responded Mr.
Bundle, feebly, feeling that some
thing was expected of him.
ayes, undoubtedly" repeated
Mrs. Blake, al think you are sensi
BILE i'm making that admission, Mr.
Bundle, and / like you for it."
Mr.. Bundle wished lie had said
that they had more rights now thar
they knew how to take care of, bur
he knew that he hadn't moral cour
age TO say any such thing. Tit
widow kept him there all the after
noon. TWAS a torment to him, bu'
he couldn't get away.
"Dear 2" exclaimed the poor NAL
that night, in the solitude of hi:
chamber, "Tm afraid she'll get me-
cornered up and marry me-"
His sleep was haunted with
widows, One leaned down from thu
headboard 10 pull his hair, and ont
shook her fist at him from the foot
board, while another leaned over tn
side of the bed, and requested him
in dulcet tones, to kiss her. Tha
woke Mr.. Bundle up, and not an
other wink of sleep did he get tina
night.
"Oh, MI. Bumbler cried tn
widow at breakfast, Belinda say
they have the prettiest view iron
the hill beyond the meadow, and
. want to see it. Won't you go wit
me this morning ?"
Poor Nh. Bundle consented, be
cause he didn't dare to do othel
wise.
spm i'm for it," he groaned, as h
went up stairs 20 get his buster. |"
hope she won't propose before W
get back. If she should"
, Mr.. Bundle was Mortified at tn
prospect. He never had though
of such a thing before. Blu
this widow was strongminde
. and believed in "rights." Nigh
not the right to propose be one {
them? And if she should propOs