The Forrest City times., 1899-08-04
THE TINY RUSSET SHOES
Found at Clatsop Beach Crea-
 ted a Lively Cominotion.
WERE MAHY ANXIOUS INQUIRIES

A Tragedy or Another Impene-
 trable Mystery? Therewas Hur-
 ried Call of the Roster Among Re-
 sorters.
 The writer has just arrived at home after spending month in the Great
 Pacific Northwest. Arriving here VI. lind copy of The Northwest Herald. published at Portland, Oregon, sent by the kindness of that splendid woman Mrs. F. Donan, of Portland. who en- deared herself to all wlo met her, and especially to those who travelled in the Ticonderoga sleeper, ,of whom she and Col. Donan were companions.
 We recognize the handiwork of Col Donan in the following article taken from the Herald, descriptive of a little incident which happened to our daugh- ter, and which was the source of much amusement to the party. The head. lines are reproduced above
 There was great commotion and a genuine sensation on the Clatsop beach, at Seaside, Saturday evening. Near the waters edge was found by the cottagers a pair of little shoes. In the shoes were stockings, tiny kerchief and small piece of money. Shortly before the beach was swarming with members of the Ma tional Editorial Association and large number of the Portland and Astoria peo. pie. Many went wading in the shallow tide and a few braved the treacherous surf despite the warning protestations ol those more familiar wish the undertow.
 When the locomotive 'whstled the warning for "all aboard, {" the beach was soon deserted. But the little brown shoes and their belongings remained 10 tell the story of probable tragedy.
 When the villagers rettirned from the train they saw the tiny re.nembrancers and picked them up. ' Whose are they ?'' was eagerly asked. as faces blanched with fear the people looked at the little shoes No one could tell. The news spread rap idly and in short time the shore was lined with eager folk anxiouslv watching for the waves to give up their dead.
 "A census of the chi,dtsi at the beach was taken and when no iis.le girl nor boy was found missing, a sigh of relief and a prayer full of .thankfulness went up.
 But the mystery was still far from being solved.. The little russet shoes were still in evidence and no one seemed to know to whom they belonged. The searchers expected telegram momenta- rily from the excursion party making in qulry as to some lost darling, but no such came, and that heightened the tension and made the mystery deeper and more painful.
 1.-The shoes and stockings were evident ly those of little girl of some ten sum mers. They were put on exhibition where all might see and furnish a clue to the owner if possible. They were not the belongings of any known child of that vicin- ity. so far as the scared citizens could tell. The tide was ebbing in its most danger. ous and angry mood, As the silent watch CTS peered at the breakers. the sea moaned but gave no evidence of holding in its embrace the treasure of human body.
 Dora Annette Vadakin of Forrest City. Arkansas, was accompanied by her father, member of the National Edito- rial Association, that visited the Pacific Saturday. Dora Ann. .te is len years old She is rolicking little lady who has an idea for fun. She had never seen an ocean. and when she saw the Pacific she lOpged to be in it. She removed her shoes and stockings and soon was playing in the ripples. As party of merry makers approached in a two wheeled jaunting car she mounted and road up aud down the beach. The signal for "all aboard '' was sounded and the vehicle was driven rapidly to the train which it reached in due time. But Annette's shoes and stock ings had been forgotten in the mad rush and there was no time to return for them Annette said nothing at ,the time about her loss, thinking that some one of the party would bring them. Luckily she had an- other pair of sLoes in her Yalise and soon she reappeared in cinderelhs respendent with gold buckles, red flaps and white satin.
 No one thought of the commotion her lost shoes would create and sent no wor back to the kind hosts who showed them so many attentions, Doubtless they know long before this that there was no fatality connected with the tiny,pair Of shoes they found on the beach. but. it is none the less true that forsa brief hear the find was cause for a real live sensation.
 Little children are always interesting but not always as tractable and as sedate as one might wish thep. Still they are altogether lovely and are the only ones who have first mortgage on the high seat at the right hand Of.the Omnipotenl One.
 who're freshest from tue hand of God,