The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-08-30
BuOELl's Proposal.

myself had formed ourselves into
private bachelors club. for the purpose
Of whist and other intellectual occupa-
tions, and a very good time we con-
trived to have together. We hadn't
many rules and bylaws for our club.
We were sworn bachelors aud each oil
US had to allegc reason why he did
not intend to we'd; but we had SO far
recognized the possibility of a change
in our sentiments rs to solemnly bind
ourselves to inform the club at once if
We should ever mediate "halving our
pleasures and doubling our expenses
Smithers said he hadn't time to marry !;
I was too poor, and Marby, who was re-
gardcd as our romantic member, gave
us indefinitely to understand that
@blighted affections" stood between
him and the hymeneal altar. Budell
at first laughed nj the idea of assigning
reason, aud he wished to allege that
he hadn't met Mrs. Budell yet. That
was unanimously rejected by the rest
Of the club; whereupon he insisted upon
our accepting as an alternative that he
was afraid of ladies. We were willing
to stretch point in favor of Budell,
who was one of the jolliest possible
fellows ut bachelor supper, and SO we
received this second reason. For the
rest we nobly resolved not to fly, but
to Withstand temptation; our maxim
was that every lady is charming SO long
as one is not married to her, and we
were all ready to 60 into society. and
even sustain the reputation Of Icing
dancing men," We used to relate to
each other over our celibate pipes won
dcrful stories Of narrow escapes from
guilefnl women every season; but il
these were all rs dependent upon the
narrator's fancy for their important de-
tails as my contributions to the
conversation, the escapes were
somewhat more than hair's-breadth.
Budell was especially favorite
in society; he was one Of those rare
phenomena, young barristers with some
practice, and he had beside very COM
Portable allowance from his father. Like
the rest of the club, | had taken rs n
joke his assertion that he was afraid of
ladies; but l gradually came to see that
there was some truth in it. So long Us
Bndell was in large companv--in u
ballroom or any place like that-he
was quite at his ease and rs bold as a
lion; but if by any chance he happened
to fall q temporary captive to a solitary
damsels bow and spear he was almost
overwhelmed with nervousness, and his
usual powers of conversation complete
" deserted him. once met him ut the
Royal Academy, escorting very pretty
young lady, and looking as uneasy as If
he had worse conscience than King
Herod; and / have seen him tremble at
mere passing mention of the conscrv-
atory by his partner at dance. How
ever, in the Square Club he was our
most enthusiastic member, and horror
and indignation filled our souls when
We realized the direful fact that Budell
was in love and doing his best to get
married. Had we been women We
might probably have seen the symptoms
of the advancing malady; hut we were
| only obtuse and short-sighted men.
Now rs look back over these months
/ recall incidents that might have been
warnings. The gradual decrease OF
Budell's hilarity ut the club and the
gradual increase of his excursions into
society could hardly, indeed, have been
portents, for Budell always did go into
society more than the rest of us. The
first allusion that he made to me about
the lady who was afterward to play
Beatrice to his Benedict was at con
cert--or rather in cloak-room after a
concert. "That's what l call pretty
girl, he whispered to me. "that dark
eyed girl over there in the warm, ficecy
brown shawl--none of your tiin,sy white
opera cloaks." The girl was pretty in
q fresh piquant sort of way; and even o
sworn bachelor might have been ex'
cused for being pleased at receiving
such a frank smile as she greeted
Budell with. Again, not many days
after he remarked to me apropos de,
bottes: Met rather an interesting CIR
last night; quite agrees with me on the
subject OF names.' may be excused
for neglecting this hint; Budell thinl
would have found mollusc "interest
ing" If it had only agreed with him tina
there was nothing more Objectionable
than to have ones name murdered. HI
was nervously anxious that his nam,
should be pronounced with the accen
on the second syllable; and ] afterwart
found that he had been introduced Gfo
the second time), to this "interestin:
girl" as Doodle" Just MS though
rhymed to noodles he indignant,
expressed it, But the most importan
hint was given the night after Mrs
Burton's ball, at which we had all beel
present. We were lounging in Budell'
rooms. and Smithers was giving us
highly-colored and graphic ILLUSTRATION
Of the frivolity that passes for conver
sation between young men and maidens
"Thats all nonsense" broke in Budell
sits your own fault ut any rate. Why