Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-27
topped. An octoped Is an animal having

topped. An oetoped Is an animal having
eight legs.
When at a safe distance from his
young friends. the pursued would sit
down on a corner and. wiping Off his
fevered brow with his two long front
legs, exclaim:
why do those stupid children think
know the location of their lost treas
ure? Really, their confidence in me is
more than embarrassing
Daddy's home under the piazza was a
piece OF decaying wood. Leaves that
had blown under the open space lay
damp and rotting and formed a most
agreeable lawn for the daddy longlegs
and his neighbors, the spiders. the cen
tipeds, milHpeds and snails, who find
damp, dark places pleasant residence
locations.
Daddys position in this interesting
circle OF society was a high one, for he
was first cousin TO the spiders, the clev-
crest and most prosperous members of
the colony. The daddy longlegs, unlike
the spiders, did not weave a silk web
which would serve him as hammock
and larder, so he had to work harder
He could, with the aid of his stiltlike
legs, 5cuttle over the ground at such
speed that few flies or mosquitoes es-
capped him. These insects were his IA
vorite food, and when they rested I'M
der the veranda their doom was sealed,
for even If they did not stray on the
net OF spider they We're almost certain
to fall victims 20 the claws OF Master
Daddy Longlegs.
A funny looking fellow was Daddy.
His little, round body set high among
Ibis eight long, slender legs: his jaws,
etou, and sharp like those of the spi-
der'S, were msrcilessly swift, while his
feelers were hooked at the end, and his
eyer, although consisting OF but a sin
gle pair, were like watch towers set on
little stalks on his head He had no
lungs, but breathed by means of air
tubes, called trachae. His small body
was separated into two portions, the
rear or abdominal section being divided
into several parts called segments. The
dragon fly, which eats spiders, flies,
centipeds and almost all small insects,
IS one Of the enemies of the daddy long
legs, TO which ! cannot refer as an in
sect since II differs from them much as
do the spiders, with which 1t is classed
by students
This little daddy longlegs had no idea
THAT he presented to others rather an odd
appearance. H v-as e~-n so self-satisfed
that he fels sorry that others had not
been 80 bly, fitted out for life as he,
and was pleased with the sensation that
he made Whenever ne hustled across the
sward or pounced upon an transporting
insect Els TASTE fo- admiration grew
with what Il FED upon and as the chill
dren insisted on declaring that a daddy
longlegs might adequately I'll the role Of
prophet he was curios to learn whe,her
or not he could.
One day Jackie missed his tennis racket
and began the usual complaint:
IN ask ths daddy longlegsr Soroo ore
had told him that Il daddy were asked ne
would point one OF his legs in the right
direction.
Daddy was biting the head from a re-
Gently acquired fly when Jackie caught
him by two Of his hind legs. One Of them
came off. but Daddy did not mind. for it
die not hurt him particularly, and he
ished to show every one what a fine
prophet he could be when he wished TO-.
Lifting one of the disengaged legs quite
by accident. he pointed It in the direction
of the barn.
The boy put down the insect and rushed
to the barn. Presently he came running
back. bearing the tennis racket in tri-
umph. 1T was in the manger,' he cried
breathlessly. where left it yesterday"
After that the children consulted Daddy