The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-13
IS if ter say, Thet's one of

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u.s..
Should think he'd hey a headache
alter that" said M'linda.
"Nop said strange voice.
'T looked at M'linda, Mlinda looked
at me an both of us looked at Elderkins.
He bust out laughin'."
"We didn't speak," we said.
"No more did l" said Elderkins. "Wus
it You; gu, Napr
The words seemed to gurgle right out
bilin' out,n
Wonderfully I cried.
"Fool youw came from that confound-
ed frog, lookin' $ innocent 'es lamb.
shet up.
"He don't mean to be sassy" said FL
derkins, "talks thet way to everybody"
Then he went on to say that the EN-
p'rer came out of rock in the quarry,
out of a hole in rock cracked open by a
workman, an might hev been there a
million years, an turnin' to him asked !;
"Know Nolh, old feller?"
"No-ahI" answered the frog, his chin
putin out with gusts of wind, and slow
ly blinkin' his eyes.
"Bring him ashore" cried M'linda.
II want to take hold of him."
"Can't take co-o-old OF me-" said the
rascal, an he opened his mouth nigh big
enough to swallow us.
"Nap will hev his jokes" said Elder
kins. "Now, Nap, what do this lady and
gentlemen resemble when they're alone
with each other?"
"Fishin' smacks," hoarsely cried the
frog, an the next instant he jumped
five feet if an inch, an sunk clean out of
sight.
M'linda was red'sa beet. '
"Your frogs mighty sassy" she said !;
che mustn't talk that way bout US.
Good day, SIR" And drawin' herself up
as proud as any queen she TUX my arm
an walked away, sayin': II never did
eat frogs before, but I'll eat 'em now, jest
for revenge--the mean, nasty things"
There was station half Il mile from
Elderkins. We walked to it. I carried
Mlinda on one arm. an one Of my boots
under t'other. We was tired; we was
mad. She didn't speak for ten minutes.
Then she said:
"Zeek, like the circus better. / amt
sure, either, that there frog talked"
"But you heard him, M'linda," op-
served.
"Yes-oh, yesl" she said, in doubtful
voice.
was tellin' the station feller about
Elderkins and the Emp'rer Nap. while
we wus a-w itin' for the train, an he Just
bust out a-laughin'.
"The frog talked, did heT' he asked.
"Now, tibet is too good!' an he went off
he went agin with his roarin' laugh.
"What you maxim 50 much fuss
about?' / said.
"Thet frog, young man, an you, an
your girl, an Elderkins."
swell, what's there funny in them you
mention?
"Why, he amt got no talkin' frog.
Elderkins' been a foolin' Nv you. He
likes his jokes wonderfully. He's ven
triloquist, is Elierkins. He talked fur
thet frog. He was hoaxin' Nv ye, he
was"
M'linda heard the last part of that re-
mark. Wasn't she mad, though?
"ralkin' for the frog, wus hep she
cried. Gle wus hoaxin' of us, wus he :?
Zekiel, put on that boot. Well 90 back
an teach him thet we amt the kind NV
grasshoppers that don't bite. Come
along, an you shall shake him out Nv
his Shoes"
"We didn't go, though, cause the
train came along. But the spirit of that
gal, as shown then and heretofore, was
Of such a gt-up-and-git character that l
he'd to make her Mrs. Cleghorn fore the
year was out, jest to save her for myself.
Do you think | ever regretted it? Then
you don't know Zeke; thet's all I've got
to say about it. Still, I never say talkin'
frog to her, less Pm further away from
the house'n she can throw. She's NV a
powerful Uneasy make-is M'linda."
AGUE CURE.