The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-31

girl Us DOODLE. JuSt as tnOuBn l.
rhymed to noodle"-as he Indignantly
expressed it. But the most important
hint was given the night after Mrs.
Burton's ball, at which we had all been
present. We've lounging in Budell's
rooms, and Smithers was giving MS a
highly-colored and graphic illustration
of the frivolity that passes for CONVEX
saticn between young men and maidens.
That's all nonsense" broke in Budell;
its your own fault at any rate. Why,
last night L had quite serious and in
teresting conversation about woman's
education, with maiden 1 even
quoted Scripture to her."
"Bet you hat you misquoted," said
the irreverent Smithers, who thought
every one was as ignorant rs himself.
mo, I'm not joking; it's fact, and L
got an idea or two, let me tell you.
Had he only told us that he had vent
ured into the conversation in order to
carry on his conversation without in
terruption, am convinced that L, at
least, would have surmised that the ac-
QUESTION of an idea or two was not the
only result. However, / was not long
in my state of ignorance. One day, n
month or so after, Budell hunted me
up to contde TO me that the bachelors
club was all bosh; he was over head
and ears in love, and did L think he
ought to tell the other men? Then
there followed q shower of apologetics
in which soft brown eyes, and good
ness knows what other personal at
fractions were prominent, When L re-
covered breath L assured him that L
thought it was quite incumbent upon
him TO inform the club. L was rigid
and cold with him, for felt indignant /;
it was almost an insult to select me as
his confidant, as though my celibate
principles were less fixed than Marby's
or Smithers'
His announcement that evening was
received in silence by the Square Club /;
even Smithers had at first nothing to
say. At last Marby asked
rs it permitted to inquire the lady's
name, and when the marriage is to take
placer" Budell looked uncomfortable
We'll, the fact is" he said, Il
thought L ought to tell the club at
once; but / haven't-that is, L don't
quite know how to set about asking the
lady"
Budell looked so comically distressed
as he made this confession that the
club hailed it with Il shout of laughter
The notion of the bold and confident
Budell finding himself muzzled by tho
tender passion was too suggestive for
our visibility. Budell was seriously an
noyed. Il don't think, he said, that
my courtesy to the club has been met
with courtesy He glared at me as if
L especially had been guilty of reveal
ing his confidence. We apologized
humbly, and at last pacified him. He
really was puzzled as to how to accom-
plish his proposal. Marby suggested
the old-fashioned plan OF Pumping
down on his knees, like swain in a
valentine; but Budell paled visibly. 1t
was such cold-blooded way, he OBJ
jected; yet it appeared he had almost
adopted it on two occasions. The first
time little brute of brother had in
opportunely appeared. Il never knew
a nice girl that hadn't brute of n
BROTHER" exclaimed Budell, hastily
generalizng, and on the second oc-
casion he had even got to the length of
informing the object of his affections
Ito adopt phrase that used to madden
Budell) that he had something to tell
her, when her mother entered and he
! had hastily to devise some idiotic fact
about fowershow. 1t was quite evil
dent that his nerve was not quite equal
to n third attempt. l suggested that
he should write, but it seemed that the
young lady, in talking about certain
novel, had laughed the hero to scorn
for resorting to SO cowardly plan as
writing his proposal.
Cant You save her life in some thrill
ing manner, and then cast yourself at
her feet? asked the romantic Marby.
"Or can't you get overtaken in a
shower, and then You could neatly ask
her to share your lot as well rs your
umbrella?" suggested Smithers.
Budell smiled family. Its all very
well for you fellows to make fun of it
when you haven't TO do it yourselves;
but all the same it's n ticklish thing to
do we'll. / wish to do it in neat and
direct manner without any humbug."
Its my opinion" said Smithers,
"that you'll end by popping the
question: Ill some aluOSeUner extra
ordinary and absurd manner"
Very well, sir, said Budell with
dignity, 1--WE shall see."
But when we left him, the idea of the
irrepressible Budell being tongue-tied
before dainty little damsel who
couldn't even sit on jury, came upon
us again with redpubled force, and we
awoke the echoes of the silent street
with renewed shouts of laughter.
Poor Budell could find no oppor-
tunity of settling his fate. He reyolved
drearily round my rooms, where he
materially interferred with my work by
constantly putting skillfully-elaborated
questions to me- devised to extract my
opinion as to his lady-love, without re-
vealing her name. j rose and fell In
his estimation as my answers were what
he desired or not, and l committed
} myself to an immense number of definite
opinions as to the preference between
blondes and brunettes, large mouths
, and small ears, etc. Whether do you
} prefer Greek or Saxon names for
ladies?" he once asked me. L answered
at random that / liked them both
4