He drove back to the hotel, found Lady Bersford awaiting him. He ate
his breakfast hurriedly and retired to a secret corner in the hotel
where they would be alone and he could hear what Lady Bersford had
gathered from the spirit world the night before. Her first words when
he entered the room were, "Mr. Gordon, I have good news for you and I
know that you can depend on it. Last night a spirit appeared that I
had never seen or heard before. It was an Indian girl, named 'Laughing
Waters,' who said she was the daughter of Chief Okeehumkee who once
lived near Silver Springs and on account of the loss of her lover had
drowned herself in the Springs." At this point Lady Bersford handed
Robert Gordon a booklet on Silver Springs containing a legend about the
death of Laughing Waters, and he read it hastily.
AN INDIAN LEGEND
A long time ago when Okeehumkee was king over the tribes of Indians
who roamed and hunted around the Southwestern lakes, an event occurred
which filled many hearts with horror. The king had a daughter whose
rare beauty was the pride of the old man's life, and an idol of the
braves. She was a coveted prize. Chiefs and warriors vied with each
other as to who should present the most valuable gift, when her hand
was sought from the king, her father. But the daughter had already
seen and loved Chuleotah, the renowned chief of a tribe which dwelt
among the wild groves of Silver Springs. But it was a sad truth that
between the old chief and the young chief, and their tribes, there had
long been a deadly feud. They were enemies. When Okeehumkee learned
that Chuleotah had gained the affections of his beloved child, not
many weeks passed away before the noble Chuleotah was slain. Slain,
too, by the father. Dead! Her lover dead! Poor child. Will she return
to the paternal lodge and dwell among her people while her father's
hand is stained with the drippings of her lover's scalp? No. She
hurries away to the well-known fountain. It was a favorite spot, where
herself and Chuleotah met on the glassy bottom of the Springs. The
pale ghost of Chuleotah stands beckoning her to come. All was still
save the night winds that sighed and moaned thru the lofty pines. Then
came the girl to the side of the Springs. For a moment she paused upon
the edge of the Springs, then met her palms above her head, and, with
a wild leap, she fell into the whelming waves. She had gone to one of
those enchanted isles, far out in the Western Seas, where the maiden
and her lover are united, and where both have found another Silver
Springs.
Lady Bersford said that Laughing Waters' spirit told her that after
she drowned herself and her spirit was released, she had been very
happy in finding others who met disappointment in love and helping to
relieve their sufferings and bring about an understanding and reunite
the separated. Laughing Waters said: "Marie is still alive and for
mysterious reasons is keeping in hiding from her parents and everyone
else, but her love is as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar, and she will
keep her promise to return to Robert when he needs her most. It was the
spirit of Marie that Robert saw on the streets in Paris. Marie was
not there and never had been, but Robert loved her so much and longed
for her until Marie's spirit, which had always been closely in touch
with Robert, was able to leave her body and appear to comfort him. It
was Marie's spirit he saw at the ballroom. She was not there at all.
It occurred because Robert needed some hope and encouragement to go
on and wait until the proper time when Marie would return to him. The
mysterious letter never existed. It was a delusion and a power of the
subconscious mind. This power is known and understood by the adepts of
India. Some of my tribe knew how to project the subconscious mind, or
spirit, as some called it, anywhere they desired. Robert's subconscious
mind had received impressions so long and he had hoped and desired so
long for a letter from Marie, that when her spirit appeared he expected
a message, a letter, or some communication, and he really thought she
dropped a letter. This power so strongly impressed the subconscious
mind that he was able to make other people feel, believe and see the
letter, but of course they could not read or interpret it, because
there was no letter or written message and that is why they all acted
so strangely about it. When Robert at last met you, a spiritualist
and an unselfish woman, and the interpreter, an honest, unselfish man
refusing to accept any amount of money to read the mysterious letter,
I knew that no letter ever existed and removed the impression from
Robert's subconscious mind and when he went to look for the letter, of
course it was not there, and never was because it only existed in his
subconscious mind."
After this, Robert was much more cheerful and hopeful. His own mind
told him that he was at last on the right track. He thought of the laws
laid down in the Bible; remembered what Jesus said when they asked
him for a sign that the Son of man would remain three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth, then rise and ascend to heaven.
Robert knew the meaning of this. He knew that sorrows, sufferings and
disappointment had to come before joy and happiness; for every day of
sunshine comes a night of darkness, for every aching in the heart there
is a returning flow. That all the laws of Nature taught the eternal
law of action and reaction. He took great comfort in this; knew that
the promise was laid down in the Bible of great reward for love and
faithfulness and he felt very happy because he believed "Laughing
Waters'" story that Marie would come into his life again.
Robert remained a few days longer at Silver Springs. Enjoyed being
with Lady Bersford and told her of his understanding of the Bible and
natural laws. She said that the pure, clean life he had led was what
had brought him in contact with the spirits that had revealed to him
the truth. Many seances were held with "Laughing Waters," who was very
fond of Robert and anxious to help him all she could. She said that
Robert had a love the same as she had, that he had rather die than give
up Marie, but that he would attain the greatest honor of any man on
earth except Jesus Christ, because he was following the law of love and
that law would bring to him his own Marie and he would spend many happy
years with her. She told him that the great Chief whose spirit was
with her, had confirmed all she had told them.
When Robert prepared to depart from Silver Springs, his heart was
filled with gratitude, for Lady Bersford and all she had done for him.
He wanted to pay her for her services and if she would name the amount,
he would write a check for it. She explained that she was a very
wealthy woman, with a large estate in England; that she had gone into
this work at the solicitation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for the good
that she could do for others and not for any monetary consideration.
Her reward for being unselfish and trying to help him was his
appreciation, she said. This attitude on the part of Lady Bersford was
a great comfort to Robert and gave him more faith in the Bible. He knew
that the law that "whatsoever a man soweth, he shall also reap" was a
divine law and a natural law, that no man could break it or evade it,
and that his reward was just as sure as the law was inevitable. He had
read Emerson's "Essay on Compensation," and strongly believed that.
He said to Lady Bersford, "Your reward is sure, because you are doing
right, giving out the best you can to help others, and only good will
return to you."
Lady Bersford said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Gordon, I have enjoyed
our visits and hope that we will meet again some time. May I ask where
you are going from here?" "I am going direct to New York as I have
important business matters to look after there," he replied. "Mr.
Gordon, you don't look strong," she said. "It seems to me you need to
take more care of your health and have more rest. I am going from
here to Sebring, Florida. Have heard so many stories of this wonderful
place that I want to go there to recoup my health." "Is it a health
resort?" asked Robert. Lady Bersford said, "I understand there is a
sunshine sanitarium there. They teach you how to eat and play. The
water is the finest in the State of Florida; in fact, one of the few
places in Florida where you can get good drinking water. The climate is
ideal. Lake Jackson, one of the most beautiful lakes in the State is
near there, as well as many others. I am told the fishing and boating
is fine. The Kissimmee River is near there. This beautiful river is
associated with songs and stories of the Southland and I am anxious
to see it. I met some friends in England who spent the past winter at
Sebring and they were enthusiastic over the place. They had regained
their health and felt that it was the place Ponce de Leon was looking
for when he made his search to find the fountain of youth. They said
that Sebring had more sunshine than any other place in Florida. I made
up my mind that I would never leave Florida before I visited this
wonderful spot and see what it would do for my health."
Robert was very much impressed with Lady Bersford's report on Sebring
and decided that it must be the ideal place for a tired business man
to go and enjoy the sports and recoup his health. It took very little
persuading on the part of Lady Bersford to get Robert to go to Sebring
with her.
On March 27th, Lady Bersford and Robert Gordon arrived in Sebring,
Florida. They found everything just as had been described by her
friends. The climate was ideal, fishing good. Robert enjoyed the golf
links and his health began to improve a few days after he arrived.
Time went by rapidly and a month was gone before Robert knew it. He
had regained health so rapidly that he felt he had indeed found the
Fountain of Youth. Having been born on the farm, he loved nature. The
beautiful scenery around Sebring delighted him; made him forget his
troubles and caused him to be more hopeful of the future. He dreamed
of the day when Marie might return to him, and he could take her to
Florida to see beautiful Silver Springs, then to Sebring to see all
the beautiful lakes and the Kissimmee River. If her health should ever
be bad, that would be the place to restore her and she would enjoy the
surrounding country as he had.