The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-09-20
Prudence and
Zabed.
BY m. QUAD.

met Mt spelling school and were inn
messed with each other. Zabed would
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 was
knocklneed and would never be able
m stand at q washtub or run up and
down the cellar stairs. The young man
was at once impressed lie ceased to
shark Prudence on Sunday nights and
assure her that he longed TO jump
over precipices for her sake, and or
course she resented it. She went about
with her chin in the air aud asked for
no explanations, and so relations were
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 it 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 shake and said:
"Zabed. col 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 widow
or 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 In his
stomach and would probably go mad
within tive years and cut the throat or
his wife if he had one. The frog had
Jumped down Zabed'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 how her heart turks with love,
who is going to marry young man
with a live and growing frog in his
stomach? She can't be found. She
wasn't found In this case. Prudence
Smith cooled off on Zabed Winters
and he went about with his chin In
the air and was too proud to ask fol-
IN explanation. 1t was a year before
one came. Then q lightning rod man
stayed overnight at Smiths, anu aItel
supper he got to talking about frogs
Seeing he was posted on the subje1
- % cly i'm
had ever heard of a frog taking up In
side quarters. and he answered tina
such q thing was absolutely impoSSl
BILE and beyond belief. Zabed WinteE'
had probably swallowed small I'D
and the fish might be growing, but
left alone he could IN time be hshe
for and caught That settled the fro
question. and Zabed was invited {
come around and make up. He got
: :. hustle on him, and the tur0edoVe
sang soft and low, new date was al
y pointed. and Farmer Smith stoppe
9 chopping wood long enough to exten
3 hand and say:
q "Zabed, you gol burned idios don
YOU know when you've got q goo
q thing? Don't fool around any more"
q Zabed didn't want to, but before
had been decided which minist'
should marry them old Mrs. Snyd'
struck his trail She was too old
y marry. but not too old to utter a war
Il ing for the benefit Of a young mf
4 who had put in a day hoeing her ga
4 den and refused to take pay for
n She told him right straight out tn
a Prudence Smith Snored like a stea
i engine. that she had six toes on b
d right foot and only four on her lie
n that she had had st. Vitus dance WIZ
II a baby and that 1t was sure to cor
n back on her some day. 1t might not
81 year after marriage that Zab
81 would come M from the cOrnfiC
q some afternoon end find her danci
~ all around the dooryard and kicking
u high as a fence That settled Zab'
IL He wanted Prudence, but he did
81 want a dancing dervish. More co
7{ ness more strained relations. II was
ti full year before cd Mrs. Snyder "
81 proved n liar, and 1t took three mont
- LONGER TO make up and set anoti
- date. Things had run smoothly
E within n fortnight ef the date wher
n tin peddler came along and bought
sheepskin OF Zabed and then told b
81 that Prudence Smith was deaf In
81 right ear. nearsighted in both eyes
x would be tongue tied before she V
y two years cider, Zabed hadn't noti
81 the deafness or blindness, but he
IS reved In tin peddlers and at once 81
b frlgid. Result. another year lost.
y Fate was still in the game, howe'
E and when everybody, including
81 two principals, had made up Il
y minds that there would be no MARI
81 she came loafing around to do
II duty. Farmer Smith and his daugi
II were in the village one day buy
II calico and brown sugar when Ia
d Winters appeared. He had eggs to
for hickory shirting. The lovers
81 brought face TO face, but they OIL
q speak. They thought of frogs and
vitus' dance and six toed feet