The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-02-04
HER LOVE
AND FROGS
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915. by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate
By M. QUAD

The tin peddler. the sewing machine
! agent. the book canvasser. the patent
| right man and many others who came
] that way saw. admired and were ready
/ to love the owner of the Swamp farm
! She admitted to herself that it might
| be better if she had a good husband,
/ but she had may for all these men
| except one He was Il Mr.. William
! Burton. He was man just about her
+! age and ranked as an old bachelor.
/ Mr.. Burton didn't begin as most of the
| others had He had the sense to adj
| Inire the widow without telling her
! that he admired
/ Mr.. Burton could talk of soils. crops.
| swamps the weather and hundred
| other things and never let hint fall
| that he intended some day to talk of
love and matrimony. The widow
mentally pitied him for this. and yet
she felt bit piqued
Mr.. Burton was a surveyor. and his
! duties called him into the neighbor-
hood of the Swamp farm about once a
week. He. could probably have made
it once in two weeks and perhaps once
in four, but it's none of our business.
Along about Wednesday in every week
the widow would look out of the front
door and see Mr.. Burton surveying or
pretending to- He would look up by
accident and see her standing there
and would be invited in to drink a
glass of fresh buttermik.
This thing had gone on for long.
long time when he called one day, not
to survey her garden. but to sit in the
house and talk.
widow. l have been coming here a
long time he began.
"And it has tired you out?" she
laughed in reply.
mot bit | came today to ask you
to be my wife
"Mr. Burton" replied the widow. Il
made up my mind about this marriage
question quite long time ago. shall
marry the man who can tell me how
to make money out of my old swamp.
When | am sure that he has told me
right he may bring in the preacher
THAT old swamp has been bleak
spot for fifty years" he said after
time. by the way, you don't own all
the swamp, do you?
NO There's twenty weight acres of
it that belong to Mr.. Cooper. but he
can't do anything more with his part
than I can with mine
Mr.. Burton walked down to the edge
! of the swamp and back. again. and
then he sat down and took his head
in his hands and thought and thought.
BY and by he looked up with bright
smile on his face and said:
Mrs. Bliss, | have got it. | have
solved the problem. You are to turn
that swamp into a frog farm
Gracious me- but whoever heard Of
such a thing?" she exclaimed.
Lots of folks have heard of it,
There are half a dozen men in this
state who are raising frogs for the
market and making a heap of money
out of it.
But never heard of any one selling
frogs" persisted the widow. Would
any one in Dayton eat frog. much
less buy one?
Not in Dayton" he laughed, but in
New York. They are on the bills Of
fare at most hotels and restaurants
and are considered great delicacy.
They eat only the hind legs
1t was week later that men and
boys called at the Swamp farm with
pals and baskets and paper bags
When the widow had bought 600 big
and little frogs and paid out so much
money that she had to let her taxes
slip by she went down to the swamp
one morning to have look at her
Five stock
Not frog was in sight this morning.
not big one or little one. That
swamp was absolutely without life.
The widow ran back to the house
and arrived there just minute before
Mr.. Burton appeared
II was going to send for your
she gasped.
What has happened?" he asked.
Every frog has disappeared.'
You don't say.'
Come along and see for yourself"
with her, and she heard him chuckling
as he walked. Instead of looking over
the swamp to see if he could solve the
problem he sat down on log and be-
gan to laugh.
What do you mean. Mr.. Rurton?'
was almost demanded.
81 was to tell you how to make
money out of this old swamp.
Yes. you said you could. but it
seems you have only shown me how
to lose money instead.
You are wrong widow-you are
wrong" said Mr. Burton. You see.
there were twenty-eight acres which
you didn't own. | bought them. When
you had COO frogs on your side of the
swamp I threw 4 lot of frog food in on
my side Last night your 600 came
over the line They are now my prop