The Virginia enterprise., 1906-11-09


prime of the Paleolithic age.
Jewels appeal wonderfully to some
women of the present and the same
instinct for adornment was possessed
by the charming Little Toes. belle
,undisputed of the clan of Cave Men
who lived among the rocks by the
White Iarn. -:
Tarns are not usually white, it is
true; in fact we commonly think of
a tarn as some dismal body of water,
lonesome and fearful, but this one,
though really tarn, isolated and
alone, was light because it had a
sandy bottom, and it's waters were
clear because it was doubtless con-
nected by some underground channel
with the not very distant sea.
A 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
the Green Forest, and the society was
really very fine. So delectable a
creature as Little Toes must, neces-
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
full fisherman and hunter in the tribe,
and a somewhat goodly man to look
upon. Cross Eyes was but moderate
ly successful in the pursuit of food.
either on land or water, and he
sQuinted prodigiously.
Somewhat unfortunately for Cross
Eyes had thus far progressed this ar
dent wooing. Big Bow, mighty fish
erman 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 healthy
appetite, but by her father and moth
e:, who chanced to be people not
overstrenuous to grapple with the
problem of existence. Cross Eyes did
the best he could but he brought less
sustenance to his inamorata, and, as
has been intimated, Big Bow was the
more presentable 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
ling way of the cave men, and was
never sullen. Little Toes had BECOME
used to him and did not object to hav-
ing him around. Yet, the star of Big
Bow was decidedly in the ascendant
The rules of dress of the cave men
and women Of the time were becom-
ing rather severe. For instance, it
was considered desirable that both
gentlemen and ladies' always
wear something in public. This, as a
rule, consisted of a single skin gar
ment worn over one shoulder and un-
der the other, and, in case. of the more
rigidly conventional, belted at the
waist. This admirable garb, of course,
left the neck bare. 1t afforded mag
nificent opportunity for the display of
jewelry, but the only jewelry ever
worn by cave belle up to this par
tlcular me had, consisted of neck
lace of red berries strung upon some
grassy fiber. Such a necklace could
last for but the passing hour. 1t was
a transient thing. Such as it was,
though, it was much affected by the
firtatious Little Toes, as she did love
to adorn herself
1t fell upon day that Cross Eyes
was wandering, ill-mooded, far from
the madding crowd. along the banks
OF turbulent creek which came tum-
bling down from the hills to enter the
'enticing depths of the White Tarn.
This was his meditative: afternoon
with vengeance. He recognized the
fact that Big Bow was far ahead of
him 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 purveyor and provider were then
considered in wooer of the first i'm.
portance. 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 1t was seeking, and, finally
sat himself down upon a rock and
thought most dismally. He thought of
Little Toes as he had seen her that
morning, graceful as the slim wood
leopard, gliding merrily about, the
temporary necklace of red berries
showing line of contrasting color
about her smooth, brown neck. He
would like, he thought, to see a neck.
lace always there, though what did
1t matter! 1t seemed that Little Toes
could never be for him.
His eyes rested, at first unseeine.
npon the creeks margin, where was a
blaze OF coloring, glittering irides-
"cence, as the suns rays struck upon
the tossed-up shells of a 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, dimlv
at first, and then more definitely
there came to him suggestion which
grew into an inspiration. His face
Frightened; he leaned from his rock
and into the water. Up and down the