The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-03-27
Prudence and
Zobed.
BY M. QUAD.

.
have married her if 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
knockkneed and would never be able
! to stand at washtub or run up and
! down the cellar stairs. The young man
was at once impressed. He ceased 10
: spark Prudence or 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
Zabed's mother found out what was
the matter with him and set him
right. The widow had lied. Zabed
made 1t 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 4 shake and said:
"Zabed, sol durn your buttons. you're
gittin the real thing, and you orter
be the happiest man in woodchuck
county"
Zahr6 ,.-..- r-~ twa weeks.
Thrn 49,, a widow
er anu l..c ci.i is second
wife gave ~ >.ne information about
Zabed y 3 -err or 10 the
most aN confessed that
the your Eve frog il his
stomach ..e.... .rCbably 20 mad
withir ears AL cu he throat OF
his W 80 had onc The freq h::d
jumped d.N.n Zabej'S throat ore day
when he was drinking from the horse
pond, Ind. ,houCh thousands OF in
ducemenis had on held out TO him.
nothing could lrevail upon him %
jump out.
Well, where is the young girl. no
matter how her heart turks with love,
who Is going to marry a 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 I'm
the air and was too proud to ask for
an explanation. 1t was a year before
one came. Then a lightning rod man
stayed overnight at Smiths, and after
supper he got TO talking about frogs.
Seeing he was posted on the subje't
Prudence made bold to ask him If he
had ever heard Of frog taking up in
side quarters, and he answered that
such thing was absolutely impossi,
BILE and beyond belief. Zabcd WHITES
had probably swallowed a small fen
and the fish might be growing, but -
left alone he could In time be fiShed
for and caught. That settled the frog
question, and Zabed was invited 10
come around and make up. He got
hustle on him, and the turUedOves
sang soft and low, new date was az
pointed, and Farmer Smith stopped
chopping wood long enough to extend
a hand and say:
"Zabed, you gol burned idioI. don't
you know when you've got good
thing? Don't fool around any more"
Zabed didn't want TO, but before II
had been decided which minister
should marry them old Mrs. Snyder
struck his trail. She was too old 70
marry, but not too old TO utter warn
ing for the benefit OF a young man
who had put I'm a day hoeing her gar
den and refused TO take pay for IT
She told him right straight out that
Prudence Smith snored like stoams
engine. that she had six toes on her
right foot and only four on her left.
that she had had 81. Vitus' dance when
baby and that Il was sure 10 come
back on her some day. II might,fot be
q year after marriage that Zabed
would come up from the cornfield
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 a
full year before old Mrs. Snyder was
proved liar. and Il took three months
longer TO make up and set another
date. Things had run smoothly 10
within fortnight OF the date when a
tin peddler came along and bought,al
sheepskin Of Zabcd and then told thm
that Prudence Smith was deaf In the
right ear, nearsighted I'm both eyes and
would be tongue tied before she was
two years older. Zabcd hadn't noticed
the deafness or blindness. but he be
tieved I'm tin peddlers and at once grcsw
frlgid. Result. another year lost
Fate was still I'm tho game. however,.
and when everybody. including thu
two principals had made up thor
minds that there would be no marriage
she came ionflng around 20 do her
dr'y Farmer Smith and bis dnughtsr
wws IA TIC village one day snuyfpr
ealico and troen sugar when Zatsd
Winters appc ri tic Ind eggs 90 ual
for hickory eh'rtlng, The lovers wesr
brought face TO fuce.' hut they didut
speak. n thought n frogs mud ~
Vitus' da"fe and sls tocd feet NJ
were tur' lnr away when rath&
Smith rca he'd ont enc hand for 10
dat phtpF A A tha .taae 20 gak.a a.