Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-22

certainly some evolutionary variants Must
be n tremendous time since we went to
sleep, for sure; probably very much longer
that / dare guess. That's n problem I've
got to go 10 work on before many days"
But now for the present he dismissed 1t
again; he pushed II aside in the press of
urgent matters And, parting the under
growth, he broke his cracking way through
the deep wood.
lie had gone but n few hundred yards
when an exclamation OF surprised delight
burst from his lips.
Water! waterw he cried ''what7 A
spring. so close? a pool, right here at
hand? Good luck, by Jove. the very first
thing
And stopping where he stood, he gazed
at It with Keen unalloyed pleasure.
There. SO near to the massive bulk of the
tower that the vast shadow lay broadly
across It, Stern had suddenly come upon
as beautiful little watercourse as ever
bubbled forth under the yews OF Arden
or Tapped the willows of Hesperides
He behed a roughly circular depression
In the woods. ern-hanked and frlnged with
purple blooms; at the bottom sparkled a
spring, leaf-bowered, cool, Elyslan.
From this. down through channel which
the water must have worn for itself by
slow erosion, small brook trIckled. widen
ing out into pool some fifteen feet across
whence, hrlmmng over, II purled away
through the young sweet-fags and PUSHES
with tempting little woodland notes.
What n find 2" cried the engineer. For
ward he strode 80. then? Deer tracks? ?"
he exclaimed, noting few dainty hoof-
prints In the sandy margin. Great"
And, filled with eXultation. he dropped be-
side the spring.
over it he bent. Setting his bearded lips
10 the sweet water he drank enormous,
satisfying drafts.
Stated at last, he stood up again and
peered about him All at once he burst
out into Joyous laughter.
why, this is certainly an old friend OF
mine or I'm n liar!" he cried out This
spring ls nothing more or less than the
lineal descendant Of Madison Square foun-
tain, what? But, good Lord, what a change
1T would make a splendid subject for
an article In the Annals Of Applied Ge-
ology.' Ony-well, there aren't any annals,
now, and what's more, no readers"
Down 10 the wider pool he walked,
stern. my boy" said he here's where
you get an AL, drst-class dip ~
A minute later. stripped 10 the bufr the
man lay splashing vigorously in the water
From top 10 toe he scrubbed himself Wig
orously with the fine, white sand. And
when, some minutes later, he rose up again,
the tingle and JOY Of life filled him in every
nerve.
For a minute he looked contemptuously
at his rags lying there on the edge OF the
pool. Then with a grunt he kicked them
aside
II guess wen dispense with those"
Judged he THE bear skin, back in the
bu lding there, will be enough" He picked
up his sedge, and, heaying a mighty breath
OF comfort, set out for the tower again.
"Ah, but that was certainly fine :" he ex-
claimed ~ feel ten years younger al
ready Ten, from what? X minus ten
equals"
Thoughtfully. as he walked across the
elastic moss and over the pine needles, he
stroked his beard
Now. II l could only get a haircut and
shave !" said he We'll, why not? |
Wouldn't that surprise her. though?P
The idea strong upon him, he FASTENED |
his steps, and soon was back al the door |
close 10 the huge Norway pine. But here /
he d.d not enter, Instead he turned to the |
right
Flowing through the woods. climbing |
over fallen columns and shattered building |
stones, flushing a covey Of loud-winged |
partridges. parting the bushes that grew |
thlckly along the base of the wall, he |
now found himself In what had long ago /
been Twenty y-thlFd street
No sign now of paving or car tracks
nothing save on the other side or the way 4
crumbl ng lines OF ruin AS he worked /
ms way among the detritus OF the Metro.
politan he kept a sharp watch for the
wreckage OF a hardware store.
Not until he had crossed the ancient line
OF Madison avenue and Penetrated some
hundred yards stiu further along Twenty
third street, did he hnd what he sought
All he suddenly cried. Here's come
thins reg
And acgampllng oyeF Pile "a grass