The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-03-20
Prudence and
Zobed.
BY ~. QUAD.

l.
. Prudence Smith and Zabed Winters
met at spelling school and were I'm
pressed with each other Zabed would
have married her If the Widow Pen
rose hadn't mixed I'm. She wanted the
. young man for herself, and I'm awe
some whispers she impaired the infor
nation that Prudence Smith was
, knockkneed and would never be able
TO stand at washtub or run up an1
down the cellar stairs. The young man
was at once impressed. He ceased 10
spark Prudence on Sunday nights and
assure her that he longed 10 iump
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
Zabeds 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 turgled. n new
date was set for the marriage and
Farmer Smith reached out his horny
hand for n shake and said:
"Zabed, gol durn your buttons. you're
gittin the real thing. ana YOU orter
be The happiest man Ia Woodchuck
county"
z3t"f wees.
Then a widow
er ara N.i.td ..a..t.. ef.ri : second
wife. t:if" 80 rerna n about
Zahtd. r.. .er - the
most avfa ronfessel thar
the youn. I.e fro- in his
stomach wou3 probibly 20 mad
With ".'rs and cut he throat Of
his WI, ,e had oac Tie froa ,.al
jumped down Zabeds throat one Gav
when he was drinking from the horse
pond, and thoueh thousands of in
ducements lad len he'd out to him.
nothing could prevail upon him 70
jump oft
Well, where is the young girl. 10
matter how her heart turks with love.
who Is going to 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 off on Zabed Winters.
and he went about with his chin I'm
the air and was too proud TO ask for
an explanation. 1t was a year before
one came. Then lightning rod man
stayed overnight at Smiths, and after
supper he got 10 talking about frogs.
Seeing he was posted on the subje-.
prudence made bold TO ask him if he
had ever heard of a frog taking up in
side quarters, and he answered that
such thing was absolutely impossi-
bic and beyond belief. Zabed Winters
had probably swallowed a small fsh
snd the fish might be growing. but -
eft alone he could in time be 1shed
for and caught That settled the frog
question, and Zabed was invited TO
come around and make up He got a
lustle on him, and the turtledoves
ang soft and low, a new date was ap~
pointed, and Farmer Smith stopned
'hopping wood long enough to extend
hand and say:
'Zabed, you gol burned idiot don't
'ou know when you've got coed
Zabed didn't want to, but before it
lad been decided which minister
hould marry them old Mrs. Snyder
truck his trail. She was too cid to
marry, but not too old TO utter a warn
ng for the benefit Of young man
Who had put in a day hoeing her gar
en- and refused TO take pay for II.
he told him right straight out that
'rudence Smith snored like n steam
ngine, that she had six toes on her
light foot and only four ON her left.
hat she had had st. Yitus' dance when
baby ard that ii was sure to come
ack on her some day. 1t michtIiot be
year after marriage that Zabed
you'd come up from the cornfield
ome afternoon and find her dancing
Il around the dooryard and kicking as
lgh as a fence. That settled Zabed-
-e wanted Prudence. but he didn't,
ant a dancing dervish. More cold
ess, more strained relations. II was
Ill year before old Mrs Snyder was
roved liar, and It took three months
niger 10 make up and set another
ate. Things had run smoothly TO
Thin fortnight Of the date when a
peddler came along and bought
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
e deafness or blindness, but be be-
we'd in tin peddlers and at once grew
lgid. Result another year lost
Fate was still in the game, however.
i'd when everybody, including the
70 principals, had made I'D their
nds that there would be no marriage
came loafing around TO do her
=. farmer Smith and his daughter
re IN tie village one day buying
leo and bro sugar when Zabsd
in'ers apnes rod. Ire had eggs 20 sell
hickory stirling The lovers wen
ought fHce to face. but they didnp