The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-08-30
young lady is at present in this house,
and that her name Is Miss Maxwell

young lady is at present in this house,
and that her name Is Miss Max we'll
"Guod heavensl' calculated Budell.
aWell;' said Marby, II may ~ we'll
take this opportunity 6f infJrming the
club that l, too, am going to follow
suit. Only I've taken the precaution to
speak to the lady first, and Fanny Car
lyon is shortly going to become Mrs.
Marby."
was thunderstruck. "In that case"
/ said, with dignity, 40 / strobe from
the room, Il am the only member Of
the Square Club"
just as / was tying my necktie few
minutes before dinner, and rejecting
that, through nervousness, want Of leis-
ure and even blighted affections might
be got over, /, at least, had reason
that would preserve me from matri-
mony, Budell hurried into my room.
"Look here, he said. "I'm in deuce
of . box! Smithers is going to propose
to Miss Maxwell, and, hang it, that's
Ldith!'
"What! You both in love with Miss
Maxwell?'
"Yes, and that forward beast, Smith
ers, will he sure to propose right off;
and I've never had a good opportunity
MY dear Budell, you must make
your opportunity. DO it tonight"
Tonight! Why, it's dinner time al
ready; and after dinner we're to have
those blessed tableaux vivants; and
goodness knows what Smithers will do
while I'm looking after the wretched
affairs. And then, tomorrow, I've
promised Car.yon to start for the east
moor at o'clock"
I endeavored to comfort him by sug-
gesting that possibly Miss Maxwell
might refuse Smithers; but Bndell
shuddercd at the possibility Of being
forestalled. He was palpablv upset,
and he looked nervous and anxious all
dinner-time. The company generally
attributed it to the theatrical respon-
sibility, but they were wrong, Budell
was too old hand to he anxious about
anything % simple as tableanx vivants.
Smithers, on the other hand, had Sc
cured seat beside Miss Maxwell and
seemed to be making himself vastly
agreeable.
The tableanx began Immediately after
dinner, and they were great success.
Budell had skillfuliy arranged them,
without attempting to make them into
series. and music, supposed to be APP
propriate or to have reference to each
tableau, was played while the curtain
was mp. Curiouslv enough in the sec
ond last tableau, Miss Maxwell, Smith
ers and Budell were to appear by them
selves, and still more curiously the sub
iect Of it was "Thc Rivals Where
Budell had got it don't know. prob
ably in his inner consciousness. It was
supposed to be q woodland scene in the
paint-and-powder days. A young lady
was discovered seated on bank with a
lover kneeling at her seat, and holding
one of her hands. At little distance,
and unseen by either Of the lovers, was
a rival glaring from among the trees at
the unsuspecting pair. The tableau
was very effective. Miss Maxwell
looked very charming in her costume,
and Smithers glared splendidly. Bu-
dell's face it was impossible to see, for
his back was turned to the audience
Up till now the performers had all man
aged to remain rs rigid as statues, but
in this tableau Miss Maxwell, who had
already appeared several times, seemed
to lose her nerve. The curtain had not
been up minute when she started,
looked down at Budell. and at last,
flushing crimson, fairly ran off tho
stage. However, the last tableau went
off without hitch. and the slight mis-
take did not affect the general verdict.
An adjournment was made to have a
dance in the hall, and / was standing
idly looking on when Budell, once more
in his usual garb, rushed up to me in 0
fever Of excitement
by George, SIR he whispered,
congratulate me! I've done it; it's all
right
| And he dragged me along with him
from the hall into the empty library.
"What on earth do you mean, man -
I exclaimed. "What have you done ?"
I've proposed, sir, and I've been ac-
cepted."
/ cordially congratulated him, and
then I inquired: "How did You manage
it-when did you find the time-and
where the courage?"
I'll tell You. did it in that tab
lean. Under cover of music told
Edith that in all sober earnestness
was ut her feet, not'in Jest alone; and
asked her to be my wife. That's why
she ran away
no wonder.' l interjected.
wasn't it splendid doing it under
Smifhers' very eyes2 And then al
course, / saw Edith afterward in the
little drawing-room; and she'll be here
directly, whenever she has changed hel
costume"
well, I'm glad you've settled it
and think Smithers was right when he
said you would end by proposing il
some extraordinary way. And it seems
to me that it was decidedly embarrass
ing for Miss Maxwell.
Smithers married Edith Maxwell's
sister eighteen months after the tab
leau.
A