The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-05-13

BY N. QUAD.

t~opvriSht, 1903, by 4. G. McCiura.I
Prudence Smith and Zabed Winters
met At spelling school and were I'm
pressed with each other. Zabed would
have married her II the widow Fen
rose hadn't mixed in. She wanted the
young man for herself, and 10 ave
some whispers she impaired the infor.
nation that Prudence Smith was
knockkneed and would never be able
70 stand &C washtub or run up and
down tho cellar stairs. The young man
was at once impressed. He ceased to
spark Prudence on Sunday nights and
assure her that he longed to jump
over precipices for her sake, and Of
course she resented It. She went about
with her chin in the air and asked for
no explanations. and SO relations were
strained for many long months Then
zahed's mother found out what was
the matter with him and set him
right. The widow had He'd. Zabed
made It up with the girl The doves
came back again and turtled, new
date was set for the marriage, and
Farmer Smith reached out his henry
hand for shake and said:
-zabed. sol durn your buttons, you're
gittin the real thing, and you orter
DO the happiest man In Woodchuck
county,
zabed was fer about two weeks.
Then Deacon Gray, who was widow
er and wanted Prudence for bis second
wife. gave up some information about
zabed. When he had sworn her to the
most awful secrecy he confessed that
the young man had live frog IN his
stomach and would probably 20 mad
within two years and cut the throat of
his wife II he had one. The frog had
jumped down Zahed's throat one day
when he was drinking from the horse
pond, and, though thousands OF In
ducements had been held out to him,
nothing could prevail upon him to
jump out
Well where Is The young girl, ne
matter how her heart turks with love,
who 10 going to marry a young man
with live and growing frog IN bis
stomach? she can't be found. She
wasn't found Ia this case. Prudence
Smith cooled OF on Zabed Winters,
and be went about with his chin in
the afr and was too proud TO ask for
an explanation. IL wns a year before
one came Then q lightning rod man
stayed overnight at Smiths. and after
supper be got TO talking about frogs.
Seeing be was posted on the subject
Prudence MADE bold to ask him IL be
had ever heard Of frog taking up In
side quarters, and be answered that
such a thing was absolutely impossi-
bic and beyond BELIEF zabed Winters
had probably swallowed a small fish
and the fab might be growing, but II
LEFT alone he could IN time be fished
for and caught. That settled the frog
question, and Zabed was invited to
come around and make up. He got
hustle On him. and the turtledoves
sang soft and low, new date was ap.
pointed, and Farmer Smith stopped
chopping wood long enough to extend
a hand and say.
"Zabed, you gol burned idiot don't
you know when you've got good
thing2 Don't fool around any more"
2abed didn't want to, but before It
had been decided which minister
should marry them old Mrs. Snyder
struck his trail She was too old to
marry, but net too old 10 utter warn
ing for the benefit Of young man
who had put in day hoeing her gar
den and refused to take pay for tt
She told him right straight out that
Prudence Smith snored like a steam
engine that she had six toes on her
right foot and only four on her left,
that she had had St, vitus' dance when
a baby and that 1t was sure 10 come
back on her some day. It might not be
q year after marriage that Xabed
would come up from the cornfield
some afternoon and ind her dancing
ali around the dooTyard and kicking as
high as fence. That settled zabed.
Ffe wanted Prudence, but he didn't
want dancing dervIsh. More cold
ness. more strained relations. 1t was a
fun year before old Mrs. Snyder was
proved a iiar, and 1t took three months
longer to make up and set another
date. Things had run smoothly to
within fortnight Of the date when
tan peddler came along and bought a
sheepslan Of zabed and then told him
that Prudence Smith was deaf in the
right ear, nsarsighted In both eyes and
would be tongue tied before she was
two years older. zabsd hadn't noticed
the deafness OF blindness, but he be-
lieved IN tin peadlsFs and at once grew
ffigid. Result, another year lost.
Fate was Htlil in the game, however,
ind when everybody, including the
two principals, haf made up their
minds that there wTuld be no marriage
she came loafing around to do her
duty. Farmer Smith and his daughter
were IN the village one day buying
calico and brown sugar when Zabad
winters appeared. He had eggs to sell
sor. hickory shirting. The Lovers were