The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-09-29

ne Telnarheu 10 lie upTOpOS ueS Oottoe
'Met rather an interesting girl last night;
quite agrees with me on the subject OF
names.'' 1 may be excused for neglecting
this hint; Budell l think would have
found a mollusc Interesting" if it had
only agreed with him that there was moth
ing more Objectionable than to have ones
name murdered. He was nervously anx-
ious that his name should be pronounced
with the accent on the second syllible;
and l afterwald found that he had been in
troduced Gor the second time.) to this
interesting girl" as Doodle" Just
though [ rhymed to noodle"-as he indig-
nantly expressed it. But the most i'm
portant hint was given the night after
Mrs Burton's ball, at which we had all
been present. We were lounging in
Budell's rooms, and Smithers was giving
us a highly colored and graphic illustra-
lion of the frivelity that passes for CONVEX
>ation between young men and maidens.
''it's your own fault at any rate. Why,
last night | had quite serious and inter-
esting conversation about woman's edaca-
ton. with maiden | even quoted
scripture to her."
"Bet you hat you misquoted,' said the
irreverent Smithers, who thought every
one was as ignorant as himself.
mo, Pm not joking; it's fact, and
got an idea or two, let me tell you"
Had he only told us that he had ventur-
ed into the conservatory in order to carry
on his conversation without interruption,
/ am convinced that |, at least, should have
surmised that the acquisition of an idea or
two was not the only result. However,
WAS not long in INV state of ignorance.
One day mouth or so after, Budeli hunt
ed me up to contide to me that the Bach
eor's Club was bosh; he was over head
and ears in love, and did | think he ought
to tell the other men? Then there followed
shower of apologetics, in which ''soft
brown eyes, and goodness knows what
other personal attractions were prominent.
When I recovered breath / assured him
that I thought it quite Incumbent upon
him to inform the club. | was rigid and
cold with HIM, for felt indignant; it was
almost an insult to select me as his conf
dant, as though my celibate principles
were less fixed than Marby's or Smithers'.
His announcement that evening was re-
ceived in solemn silence by the Square
Club; even Slnithers had at first nothing
to say. At last Marby asked, ''ls it per-
mitted to ask the lady's name, and when
the marriage is to take placer"
Budell looked uncomfortable. "Well,
the fact is" he said, Il thought ought to
tell the club at once; but [ havell't-that
is, don't quite know how to set about
asking the lady,"
Budell looked SO comically distressed as
he made this confession that the club hail
ed it with shout of laughter. The notion
of the bold and confident Budell finding
himself muzzIed by the tender passion was
too suggestive for our risibility. BudeH
was seriously annoyed. 81 don't Think"
he said, "that my courtesy to the club has
been met with courtesy"
He glared at me as if specially had
been guilty OF revealing his confidence.
We apologized humbly, and at last paci-
fed him. He really was puzzled as to how
to accomplish his proposal. Marby sug-
gested the old-fashioned plan of Pumping
down on his knees, like swaine in a val
entine, but Budell paled visibly. 1t was
such cold-blooded way, he objected; yet
it appeared he had almost adopted it upon
two occasions. The first time little brute
of brother had inopportunely appeared:
II never knew a nice girl that hadn't
little brute of a brother," exclaimed Bu-
dell, hastily generalizing, and on the sec
ond occasion he had even got the length OF
Informing the object Of his affections Ito
| adopt phrase that used to madden Bu
delD that he had something to tell her,
when her mother entered, and he had
| hastily to devise some idiotic fact a flower
show 1t was quite evident that his nerve
was not quite equal to ii third attempt.
suggested that he should write, but it
seemed that the young lady, in speaking
about certain novel, had laughed the hero
to scorn for resorting to SO coWardiy a
plan as writing his proposal.
.sCan't you save her life in some thrill
| ing manner, and then cast yourself at her
feet ?" asked the romantic Marby.
s'Or can't you get overtakenin shower,
aud then you conld neatly ask her to share
your lot AS well as your umbrella?" sng-
gested Smithers.
Budell smiled family. "Its all very well
| for you fellows 10 make fun of it when
you haven't to do it yourselves, but all the
same it's tiekiish thing to do we'll. Iwish
to do it il neat and direct manner with
outany humbug."
'.It's my opinion" said Smithers, ssthat
you'll end by popping the question in
some altogether extraordinary and absurd
Manner
"Very we'll" said Budell with indignity
1--WE shall see."
But when we left him, the idea Of the
irrepressible Budell being tongue-tied be
fore dainty little damsel VITO couldn't 81,
on jury, came upon US again with re-
doubled force, and we awoke the echoes o1
/ the silent street with renewed shouts Of