The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-05-22
Prudence and
Lohed.
BY ~. QUAD.


rose hadn't mixed Ia S,r VA ed III
young man for hersel' uaa r. awe
some whispers Size ina. aF &: irf.l
nation that Irnds'u. Sfi'. -,
knockknecd and woud rter - ~
to stand at " i-'if.i.' - r,n 49,
down the cellar ;ai:~ - ,,u-se
was at once impre.e.,,. --,c.i
spark Prudence on ,,.so II
assure her thar he ien-ss -
over precipices for - .a,e
course she resented i -, y" .,.F
with her chin in 10 = ra..: 49, q
no explanations. aId ir..ti,T~
strained for mary IoEr ro, iss
Zabed's mother foa i ar il
the matter with hi 49,
right. The widow lpd lial Ia
made 1t W with HE 81; - =
came back IL @ia al tGrti =.
date was set lcr he t-irri: E. -
Farmer SniiL reached o;i til ia
hand for shake and Saio
"Zabed, gol durn yn.r l..1.t,sr<. y.s
gittin' the real thia.- tn. - 40
be the happiest man III N'oou: IA
county"
Zabed was for about w" weel,
Then Deacon Gray. who ,..:> n;'irN
er and wanted Pru6el : - - a..
wife, gave up some E1.t. a. l.ot
Zabed When he haze -. rH - l., E
most awful secrecy hr ..a.. \ al til
the young man had i've ira- in h.
stomach and would preba.iy - mac
within two years andt the t.,rnat OF
his wife If he had one The frog had
jumped down Zaheds threat one day
when he was drinkiHs from the horse
pond, and, though thousands of in
ducements had been held out to him,
nothing could prevail upon him tc
Jump out.
Well, where is the young girl, no
matter how her heart turks with love,
who is going to marry 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 IN
the air and Was too proud to a.' fot
an explanation II WIS n yer befer'
one came Then Ii EiHlaa - ~,
stayed overnight IT S."i}f Il aCgs
supper he got to talale. .i q. va.
Seeing he WAS pastCi e ~ i.
Prudence made bold L. y ~
had ever heard e Il FL. X -.
side quarters. AID hc ai's v"r -
such q thing WIS no ull e. -
BILE and beyond belief AT a ia"
had probably swallowed Il -. i
and the fish miahI 10 pr"wi lnt
left alone he could ~ TINA 70 tis!IcC
for and caught That Se:i!cn The frog
question, md Zaltcd vas. Invited to
come around and make W. He got
hustle on him, AMI the tnr'ledoves
sang soft ard low. new date N'as ap
pointed, and Farmcr~SWth stopped
chopping wood long enough to extend
hand and say:
"Zabed, you gel dnrred lilo, don,
you know when ycu''e goi , g1,c
thing? Don't fool ar. u:d .iny r."rc'
Zabed didn't want To. ~ l2.art !
had been decided wi ,, rri.is:cl
should marry them I'D Nrs snyder
struck his trail. She vas to I'D I,
marry, but not too I'd to N'rr warn
ing for the benefit II n ynuns man
who had put In day heci'a Apr gar
den and refused to- take l.ay fer II
She told him rich. straight OK that
Prudence Smith snured like steam
engine. that she had six toes on her
right foot and emily four en- her left
that she had hail st Vitus dGnce when
q baby and that II was sure to come
back on her some day 1t might not be
a year after marriage that Zabed
would come up from the cornfeld
some afternoon and ,ind her dancing
all around the dnoryard and kicking as
high as q fence. That settled Zabed.
He wanted Prudence. but he didn't
want dancing derviSh. More cold
ness. more strained relations. 1t was
full year before old Mrs. Snyder was
proved liar, and 1t took three months
longer TO make up and set another
within o fortnight of the date when a
tin pedller came along and bought
sheepskin Of Zabed and then told him
that Prudence Smith was deaf In the
right ear, nearsighted in both eyes and
would be tongue tied before she was
two years older. Zabed hadn't noticed
the deafness or blindness, but he be-
lieved in tin peddlers and at once grew
frigid. Result. another year lost
Fate was still in the game, however,
and when everybody, including the
two principals, had made up their
minds that there would be no marriage
she came loaing around to 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 20 sell
for hickory shifting. The lovers were
brought face to face, but they didn't
speak. They thought Of frogs and st.
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
said.