Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-05
BUDELL'S PROPOSAL.

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club was fiourishing; now l am sole
member. Budell, Marty, Smithers and
myself had formed ourselves into 8
private bachelors club for the purposes
of whist and other intellectual oceupa-
tons, and very good time We contriv-
ed to have together. We hadn't many
rules and by-lsws for our club. We
were sworn bachelors and each OF Us had
to alIege q reason why he did not intend
To wed: but we had so far recognized
the possibility ofa change in our senti-
ments as to solemnly bind ourselves to
inform the club at once five should
ever mediate "halving our pleasures
and doubling our expenses" Smithers
said he hadn't time to marry; l was too
poor, and Marby, who was regarded as
our. romantic member, gave us indehn-
itely to understand that "blighted atiec-
lions stood between him and the
hymeneal altar. Budell at first laughed
ut the idea of assigning reason; and
he wished to allege as his that he hadn't
met Mrs. Budell yet. That was unani-
mously rejected by the rest Of the club;
whereupOn he insisted upon our accept
ing as an alternative that he was SfIai /
of ladies. We were willing to stretch a
point In favor Of Budell, who was on
of the jolliest possible fellows at
batche,Or supper, and so We received
this second reason. FIR the rest We
uobly resolved not to fly, but to with
,tand temptation; our maxim was tHat
every lady is charming 80 long "a Que Is
not married to her; and we were all
ready to 60 into society, and even sllS-
tain the reputation Of being dancing
men" We used to relate TO each other
over our celibate pipes wonderful stor-
les Of narrow escapes from guiletul wo-
men every season but if these were au
as dependent upon the narrator's fancy
for their important details as my con-
tributiOns TO the conversation, the eS'
capeS were somewhat more than hairs
breadth. Budsll was especially tav-
Orte i'm society; he was one OF those
rare phenomena, young barriSterS with
some practice, and he had besides
father. Like the rest Cf the club, lhad
at first taken as q joke his assertion that
he was afraid of ladies; but ! gradually
came to SCI that there was some truth
i'm il, So long a. Budell was i'm a large
cOmpany-in n ball room or any place
like that-he was quite at his ease and
as bold as lion; but if by any chance
he happened 10 fall a temporary captive
he was almost overwhelmed with ner.
vOusness, and his usual powers of con-
versation completely deserted hun. |
once met him at the Royal
academy, escOrtiug very pretty
Young lady, and looking IS I'M
easy az If he had worse conscience
than King HeTOd; and have seen him
tremble at q mere passing mention OF
the conservatory by his partner at
dance. However, 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 10 lie married.
Had we been women we might pro-
badly have seen the symptoms of the
advancing malady; but we were only
Obtuse and short sighted men. Now rs
I look back over these months | recall
. incidents that might have been warn
ings. The gradual decrease of BudelIs
hiIarity at the club and the gradual in
crease of his excursions into society
could hardly, indeed, have been pOr-
tents. for Budell always did go more
into society than the rest of us The
first alIusiOn that he made to me about
the lady who was afterward to play
Beatrice to his Benedick was at con-
cert-Or rather in the cloak room after
a concert. That's what call pretty
girl" he whispered to me, THAT dark
eyed girl over there In the warm, tieecy
brown shawl none of your ttlmsy
white opera .clOaks.n The girl was
pretty in fresh piIuant sort of way;
and even q sworn bachelor might have
been excused for being pleased at re-
ceiving such q frank smile as she greet
ed Budell With. Again, not many days
after, he remarked to me aprOpos deS
bottles: "Met rather an interesting girl
last night; quite agrees with me on the
subject of namssn | may be excused
for neylecting this hint; Budell think
would have found y molluSck interest
ing" IL ii bad only agreed with him
that there was nothing more objection
able than to have ones name murdered.
He was DervOusly anxious that his
name should be pronounced with the
accent on the second syllable; and / at
terward found that he had been intro
duced for the second time), to this "in-
teresting girl" as Doodle" "Just as Ii
/ rbymed 10 nOOdle"-as he indignant
ly expressed it. But the most import
ant hint was given the night after Mrs.
Burton's ball, at which We had all been
present. We were lounging in Budelrs
rooms, and Smithers WAS given US a
highly cOlored and graphic illustration
of the frivolity that passes for converse
ton between young men and matdenS.
That's all nonsense" broke in Buhell;
ats your own fault at any rate. Why,
last night had quite q serious and In.
terestiDg conversation about wOman's
education, with = 'msiden.' I even
quoted scripture to her."
"Bet you hat you misquoted," said
the irreverrnt Smithers, who thought
every one was rs ignorant as himself.
"No, I'm not joking; it's faCt, and /
got an idea OF two, let me tell yOu.h
Had he only told US that he had ven
tursd into the conservatory in order TO
carry on his conversation without IN.
terruption, am convinced that I, al
least, should have surmised that the
acquisition of an idea or two was not
the only result. However, was not
long in my state Of ignorance. One day
q month or so after, Budell hunted me
up to eonfide to me that the Bachelors
club was all bosh he was over he d
and ears in love, and did think h.
ought to tell the other men? Then
there followed q shower Of spOlngetirs
in which "soft brown eyes" and good
ness knows what other personal attrac-
tions were prominent When recov-
cred breath / assured him that
thought ii 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 rs his
eonfidsnt, as though my eelibsts prin-
eiPles were less fixed than Msrby's or
Smithers'.
His announcement that evening was
received in solemn silence by the Square