The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-11-25


knockknccd aud would never be alb
10 stand M a washtdb or run up an
down the cellar stairs The young ma
was at once Impressed lie ceased
spark Prudence on sunday nights an
assure her thar he lnngcd to Jun
over preciplccS FOR her sake. and a
course she resented It. She went abou
with her chin In Tie air and asked IL
no explanations. and so relations WEI
strained for many long months. The
Zabed's mother found out what wa
the matter with him and set hin
right The widow had lied. Zabe,
made It up with the girl. The dove
came back again and turtled, a new
date was set for the marriage ant
Farmer Smith reached out his horn,
hand for shake and said:
~Zabed. gol durn your buttons. your,
gittin' the real thing. and you ortei
be the happiest man in WoodchucL
! county"
Zabed was for about two weeks
Then Deacon Gray. who was n widow.
er and wanted Prudence for his 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 a live frog I'm 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 Zabed's throat one day
when be was drinking from the horse
pond. and. though thousands OF In
ducements had been held out 10 him.
nothing could prevail upon him to
jump out
Well. where is the young girl. no
matter how her heart turks with love.
who is going 20 marry a young man
with live and growing frog in his
stomach? She can't be found. She
wasn't found In this case. Prudence
Smith cooled or on Zabed Winters.
and he went about with his chin In
the air and was too proud 10 ask for
an explanation. IL was year before
one came. Then a lightning rod man |
stayed overnight at Smiths, and after
supper he got TO talking about frogs. /
Seeing be was posted on the subie
Prudence made bold TO ask him II be |
had ever heard Of frog taking up in
side quarters. and be answered that II
such thing was absolutely iripossi- II
bic and beyond belief. Zabed Winters
had probably swallowed a small fish
Ind the fish might be growing. but n
EFT alone he could I'm time l,e ashed Il
Tor and caught. That settled the frog \
question. and Zabed was Invited 10 u
'ome around and make up lie got
hustle on him. and the iufiIrlovcs Il
ang soft and low. n new date was an 4
'ointed. and Farmer Smith stopped
'hoppiag wood kong enough to extend
! hand and say:
"Zabed. you gol burned idiot. don't
'ou know when you've got n good =
hingi Don't fool around any more"
Zabed didn't want to. but before z:
ad been decided which minister
hould marry them old Mrs. Snyder
truck his trail. She was too old 10
harry, but not too old TO utter warm
lg for the benefit OF a young man
tho had put I'm a day hoeing her gar
en- and refused TO take pay for Il.
he told him right straight out that
'rudence Smith snored like a steam
ngine. that she had six toes on her
Ight foot and only four on her left.
nat she had had St yltus' dance when
baby and that It was sure TO come
ack on her some day. II might not be
year after marriage that Zabed
Tould come up from the cornfeld
'me afternoon and find her dancing
] around the dooryard and kicking as
Ugh as a fence. That settled Zabed.
e wanted Prudence. but be didn't
ant a dancing dervish. More cold.
PISS. more strained relations. II was
I'll year before old Mrs. Snyder was
roved liar, and II took three months
niger TO make up and set another
ate. Things had run smoothly TO
thin fortnight Of the date when
n peddler came along and bought a
leepskin Of Zabed and then told him
at Prudence Smith was deaf in the
ght ear. nearsighted IN both eyes and
ould be tongue tied before she was
70 years older. Zabed hadn't noticed
c deafness or blindness. but he be-
we'd In tin peddlers and at once grew
igid. Result. another year lost.
Fate was still in the game. however
ID when everybody. including the
70 principals. had made up their
nds that there would be no marriage
Q came loafing around to do her
~. Farmer Smith and his daughter
re In the village one day .buyinx
leo and brown sugar when Zabcd
inters appeared. lie had eggs TO sell
hickory shifting. The lovers were
ought face 10 face. but they didn't
FAX. They thought Of frogs and st
tus' dance and six toed feet and
re turning away when Father
nth reached out one hand for his
tighter and the other for Zabed and
a:
Say. are you two gol burned idiots 2" M
Um"' replied Prudence.
Um" replied Zabed.
IL you wasn't you'd come along
n me TO the preacher and cit mar. :.
and hev this tarnashun thing set. r.
J TO once and fur good and aIi-
'rudence looked M Zabed. A