The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-04-22
Prudence and
Zobed.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

met at spelling school and were i'm
pressed with each other. Zabed wouk
have married her II the Widow Pen
rose hadn't mixed In. She wanted the
young man for herself. and in awe
some whispers she impaired the infor
nation that Prudence Smith wa:
knockkneed and would never be able
10 stand az a washtub or run up aud
down the cellar stairs. The young man
was OF once impressed. He ceased 70
spark Prudence on Sunday nights and
assure her that he longed 10 jump
over prccipices for her sake. and OF
course she resented It, She went about
with her chin In the air aud asked for
no explanations. aud so relations wei {
strained for many long months. Then
Zabed's mother found out what was
the matter with him and set him
right The widow had lied. Zabed
made II up with the girl. The doves
came back again and turtled. a new
date was set for the marriage. and
Farmer Smith reached out his horny
hand for a shake and said:
"Zabed. sol durn your buttons. you're
gittin' the real thing, and you orter
be the happiest man in Woodchuck
county
Zabed was for about two weeks.
/ Then Deacon Gray. who was a widow
I M auH wapta.S pruHanea 20 hgo aa.nrt
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 aud would probably 70 mad
within two years and cut the throat II
his wife II he had one. The frog had
jumped down Zsbed'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. no
matter bow her heart turks with love.
who is going 10 marry young man
with a live and growing frog In bis
stomachl She can't be found She
wasn't found in this case. Prudence
Smith cooled of on Zabed Winters,
and be went about with his chin In
the air and was too proud 10 ask for
an explanation. II was a year before
one came. Then a lightning rod man
stayed overnight at Smiths, and after
supper he got 10 talking about frogs.
Seeing be was posted on the subjs >
Prudence made bold 10 ask him IL be
bad ever heard OF a frog taking up in
side quarters. and he answered that
such a thing was absolutely <impossi-
BILE and beyond Belief Zabed Winters
had probably swallowed a small FISH
and the fish might be growing. but II
left alone he could in time be fshed
for and caught. That settled the frog
question. and Zabed was invited TO
come around and make up. He got q
hustle on him. and the turtledoves
san rs. soft aud lew. new date was APP
pointed. and Farmer Smith stopped
chopplng wood long enough to extend
a hand and say:
''Zabed. you gol burned idiot. don't
you know when you've got good
thing Don't fool around any more"
Zabed didn't want 10, but before II
had been decided which minister
should marry them old Mrs. Snyder
struck his trail. She was too old TO
marry, but not too old 10 utter a warn
INK for the benefit OF young man
who had put I'm a day hoeing her gar
den aud refused 10 take pay for II.
She told him right straight out that
Prudence Smith snored like q steam
engine. that she had six toes on her
right foot and only four on her left.
that she bad had St vitus' dance when
a baby and that II was sure TO come
back on her some day. IL might not be
a year after marriage that Zabed
would come up from the corn6eld
some afternoon and find her dancing
all around the dooryard and.kicking as
high as a fence. That settled Zabed.
He wanted Prudence. but he didn't
want a dancing dervish. More cold
ness. more strained relations. II was q
full year before old Mrs. Snyder was
prpNeu lidr anu IL TOOK tnree months
longer TO make up and set another
date. Things had run smoothly to
within a fortnight OF the date when a
tin peddler came along and bought n
sheepskin OF Zabed and then told him
that Prudence Smith was deaf I'm the
right ear. nearsighted in both eyes and
would be tongue tied before she was
two years older. Zsbed hadn't noticed
the deafness or blindness. but he be-
lleved In tin peddiers and at once grew
frigid. Result, another year lost.
Fate was stu In the game. however.
and when everyb body, including the
two principals, had made up their
minds that there would lie no marriage
she came loanng around 10 do her
duty. Farmer Smith and his daughter
were In the village one day buying
calico and brown sugar when Zabed |
Winters appeared. He had eggs 10 sell I
for hickory shlrting. The lovers were
brought face TO face but they didn't 1
speak. They thought Of frogs and st. 4
Vitus' dance and six toed feet and
were turning away when Father
Smith reached out one hand for his
daughter and the other for Zabed and