The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-11-09

women of the present and the same
instinct for adornmcnt was possessed
by the charming Little Toes. belle
undisputed Of the clan OF Cave Men
who lived among the rocks by the
White Earn
Tarns are not usually white, It ls
true, in fact we commonly think Of
tarn as some dismal body of water,
| lonesome and fearful but this one,
! though really a tarn, isolated and
alone, was light because it had a
| sandy bottom, and It's waters were
| clear because II was doubtless con.
nccted by some underground channel
/ With the not very distant sea.
\ happy lot of cave people, as cave
| people went, were those making up
| The clan which lived beside the tarn.
/ fishing in It's depths and hunting In
/ he Green Forest, and the society was
really very fine. SO dclcctIUIe Il
creature as Little Toes must, neccs.
sarily. have rival admirers, and among
them. and altogether leading the 9TH
ers. were Big Bow and Cross Eyes.
Big Bow was easily the most success
ful fisherman and hunter in the tribe.
and somewhat goodly man to look
upon. Cross Eyes was but moderate
~ successful In the pursuit Of food.
either on land or water, and he
squintcd probationary,
Somewhat unfortunately for Cross
Eyes had thus far progressed this ar.
dent woOing. Big Bow, mighty fish.
crman and hunter, brought daily spoil
to the feet Of Little Toes; spoil some
thing more than appreciated, not only
by the young lady, who had a healthy
appetite, but by her father and moth
or. who CHANGED to be people not
ovcrstrcnuous to grapple with the
problem Of existence. Cross Eyes did
the best he could. but he brought less
sustcnancc TO his inamorata, and as
has been minated. Big Bow was the
more prsscntablc man Of the two.
But the case of Cross Eyes was not
altogether hopeless. He could talk far
better than Big Bow in the odd, chuck.
never sullcn. Little Toes had become
used to him and did not object to hay.
Ing him around. Yet, the star Of Big |
Cow was decidedly in the ascendant |
The rules of dress Of the cave men
and women OF the time were bccom |
Ing rather severe. For instance It |
was considered desirable that both |
gentlemen and ladies always !
wear something in public This, as n
rule, consisted OF single skin gar.
ment worn over one shoulder and I'M
der the other, and in case of the more !
rigidly conventional, bcltcd at the |
waist This admirable garb, Of course, |
left the neck bare 1t afforded mag. /
niiiccnt opportunity for the display Of |
icwclry but the only icwClry ever |
worn by cave belle mp to this par.
ticular me had consisted of a neck.
lace Of red berries strung upon some |
grassy fiber Such necklace could |
last for but the passing hour 1t was
! transient thing. Such as II was. !
though, 1t was much affected by the
iirtatious Little Toes, as she did love
% adorn herself.
II fell upon day that Cross Eyes |
was wandering, lll.mooded, far from
The madding crowd. along the banks
IF turbulent creek which came tum.
bling down from the hills to enter the
snticing depths Of the White Tarn.
This was his mcditative afternoon
with vengeance. He recognized the
tact that Big Bow was far ahead OF
aim in the race for permanent posses.
sion Of Little Toes. He realized that
The other man was decidedly the bet.
ter hunter and better fisherman. and
The additional fact that the qualities
Of puryeyor and proyider were then
considered in wouCr OF the first i'm.
portancc, He strobe up and down the
little beach where the creek hurled
itself laughingly over a wonderful bed
Of shells and pebbles into the broad
waters It was seeking, and. finally.
sat himself down upon rock and
thought most dismally. He thought OF
Little Toes as he had seen her that
leopard. gliding mcrrlly about the
necklace OF red berries
showing line of contrasting color
about her smooth. brown neck. He
would like, he thought to see neck.
lace always there, though what did
1t matter! 1t seemed that Little Toes
could never be for him.
His eyes rested, at first unseeing.
upon the creeks margin, where was a
blaze of coloring, n glitterlng rides.
cence, as the suns rays struck upon
the tossed'up shells of brightly pink.
hued mollusk, and the many pebbles
Of clear white, brought down from the
chalky heights above. He thought
vaguely of the resemblance, save in
glitter, of the bright objects in the
water and the red berries about the
throat of Little Toes. Then, dimly
Al first, and then more definitely.
there came to him a suggestion which
grew into an inspiration. His face