The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-07-30
Prudence and
Zobed.
BY NJ. QUAD.

/ EIuOenCe SIlin ana LlDeu winters
met at spelling school and were i'm
! pressed with each other Zabed would
have married her If the Widow Fen.
rose hadn't mixed in She wanted the
| young man for herself. and in awe
some whispers she impaired the lnfor
nation that Prudence Smith was
knockkneed and would never be able
TO stand at a washtub or run up and
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 TO jump
over precipices for her sake, and OF
course she resented It. She went about
withsher 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. new
date was set for the marriage. and
Farmer Smith reached out his horny
hand for a shake and said:
"Zabed, gol 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 n widow
er and wanted Prudence for his second
wife, gave up some Information about
Zabed. When he bad 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 two years and cut the throat OK
his wife if he had one. The frog had
Jumped down Zahed's throat one day
when he was Gr,3s,.i0, from the horse
pond, and, though thousands OF IN
ducements had been held cut 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 l.; going to marry q young man
with n live and growing frog in his
stomach? She can't be found. She I
wasn't found In this case. Prudence /
Smith cooled off OH Zabed Winters,
and he went about with his chin In +
the air and wss too proud to ask for |
an explanations. 1t was year Before
one came. Then a lightning rod n,au
stayed overnight at Smiths, and after |
supper he got to talking about frogs |
Seeing he was posted on the suDje :. |
Prudence made bold to ask him IL he |
had ever heard Of freq taking up In |
side quarters. ard he answered that |
such n thing WAS absolutely impossi-
bic and beyond belief. Zabed Winters |
had probably swallowed small tab |
and the fish might be growing. but II |
left alone he could IN tirne De 6shed |
for and canght That settled the frog
question. and Xabed was invited to |
come around ard make MP lie got |
hustle on him. and the turtIedCvcs |
sang soft and low. Il new date WAS az, |
pointed, ard Farmer Smith stopped
chopping wood Tong 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 Il
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 warn
ing for the benefit OF young man
who had put In day hoeing her gar
den and refused 10 take pay for il.
She told him right straight ont that
Prudence Smith snored like Il steam
engine, that she had six toes on her
right foot and only four on her left.
that she had had st. Yitus' dance when
a baby and that IL was sure 10 come 7
back on her some day. 1t might not be |
year after marriage that Zabed |
would come up from the cornheld |
some afternoon and End her dancing |
all around the dooryard and kicking as
high as n fenoe. That settled Zabed.
He wanted Prudence. but he didn't |
want a dancing dervish More cold !
ness. more strained relations. II WAS
full year before old Mrs. Snyder was
proved liar. and il took three months |
longer 10 make up and set another
date. Things had run smoothly TO |
within fortpi-lt c the date when a
tin peddler cane a'ong and bought n
sheepskin of ~ al 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- |
heved In tin pcddlers 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
abe came loafng 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 he'd eggs 20 sell
for hickory shlring. The lovers were
brought face TO face. but they didn't
sneak They fbOurhf ~ frogs ana CT