Robert arose early the next morning and decided that he would go to Silver Springs and see this beautiful spot just as the sun was rising. It was a beautiful morning and he rode out upon the waters, listened to the songs of the birds, watched the beautiful fish running to and fro in the clear waters. He again thought of the story of the spirit bride whom the legend said appeared upon the waters on moonlight nights. His mind went back to the fishing trip at Spirit Lake, Arkansas. He thought of the story of Spirit Lake and how he was impressed as a child with that story. Now it seemed more vivid and real. His mind reverted back to the death of Henry Watson and he thought "Is it my fate to visit places and to hear stories of tragedy and disappointment of lovers, and in the end, will my fate be like theirs? Must I sink into the waters of forgetfulness without ever again seeing the best beloved face in all the world, Marie's? After all, is it like Henry Watson said: 'Hope is but an anchor to the soul, but facts are stubborn things and we must face them?'" For a moment, Robert felt that he had been clinging to hope all these years and he was almost ready to bid hope depart and leave him alone to facts, but even then he knew that if hope should depart and not hold aloft a light of Marie's love, he at that moment would follow the course of the lover of the spirit bride and go overboard, to be swallowed up in the beautiful waters, to release his spirit, that it might soar away to find Marie. The man who was rowing the boat, noticed that Robert had fallen into a death-like silence. He asked him if he was ready to return. Robert awakened as if by a shot and said "Yes." CHAPTER XXIII 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