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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1903)
A Curious Story, From the "Land of Make-Believe" 'About Ponce de Leon, His Fountain of Youth and What Its Waters Did for a Man fTI HlfE!? Tinndre ream aco. if vou told a irrown man about. A Partial Solution of the Mystery of the Disappearance of An Old Man Who Distitid Children and Who Became a Child Again "a football, and that led to the purchase of complete" outfits" for every boy in the crowd, as well as an immense amount of eat ables. ' . , X , dragons, witehes, basilisks or a fountain of perpetual youth, he would not have disbelieved a word of your tale, , but nowadays any boy can ait tip -and contradict you if you tell anything that seems improbablo, and hewill often bo teal impudent into the bargain. , But there are lots of nice boys and girls who, whether tho story is probable or not, are pleased to hear it, and who know that in the "Land e-f Make-believe" the most astonishing things are always happening, and to them I tell all my storica, you may , be sure. , . ( Old Mr, Linton, who had, when young, read perhaps every fairy tale that was known in his day who also knew, more his tory, probably, than any teacher in town, for ho was always reading history, never believed a single thing that was at all out of the ordinary, after he grew up.' Thus, when he came across a strange tale about prisoners in Siberia, or some remark- able anecdote about Benjamin Franklin or George Washington, for instance, he would 6neer, turn. up his nose and say: "Hum! How do they know that any such improbable thing tver happened at all? Bosh, and also Pudge 1" . . ' . ( lie actually did not believe things that ho read in the daily papers,, so extremely extravagant had grown this habit of 'dis crediting and disbelieving everything. In fact, he had become ; so incredulous that unless lie saw a thing happen, saw it with his own eyes, he "simply doubted the report. ' So, when one night he fell asleep in his easy chair, in the lonely big house in which he dwelt, everything that happened to him he concluded was merely dreams. He had bedn reading "The History of the Spanish Mam" all the-evening, and naturally im agined that the book had affected his sleeping thoughts and in duced a most remarkable dream, that was all; but as you will 'Bee, he was not long holding this opinion. " It seemed to Mr. Linton that he was still awake when there appeared beside him a man clad in shining armor, all damas cened with gold, in a pattern somewhat like a carpet, flowers, sprays and leaves amid twining scrolls of gold that glittered in ; the lamplight with dazzling brilliancy. ,, The visor or peak of his great helmet was pushed up, and Mr. Linton saw a face that was bold and stern and a pair of dark eyes that seemed to pierce right into him. His first thought was that the apparition must be some friend of. his who had stopped in on the way to a ; masquerade ball, but. the face was utterly unknown to hi:n. Nevertheless, he was not at all alarmed nor even surprised at this sudden intrusion, nor did he seem to wonder how the man : , in armor had entered his room., It seemed, somehow, to be quite .. : natural. 1 , - -w. :v- ' 'u,' While he stared at his strange visitor he heard the hell in the City Hall tower strike twelve, and then he suddenly glanced at a picture which hung on his wall just behind the armored - ' knight. It represented the landing of Ponce de Leon upon. the coast of Florida, and showed the Spanish adventurer standing I upon. the strand with his sword raised toward a great banner. He instantly turned his eyes upon his visitor and immediately recognized him as. Ponce de Leon himself, for every feature ryes, beard, armor and ;nll was exactly similar to that of the' leader in the old print on the wall. . . . -. -x T Just why the Spaniard should call upon him he. was at first at a loss to guess, but he seemed to think with great rapidity at that moment, and almost instantly came to the conclusion that ' it was because he had taken Spanish lessons when a boy, But the Spaniard spoke in .English a moment after and asked : .ituui-ngu juiitiru, wuno nro your uuuureu I "I have no children,-thank Heaven 1" Mr. Linton answered, "and my name is not Roderigo Lintro, but Roderick Linton." 1 "Though you know it not, you are my sword-bearer, Bode-, rigo," said the visitor, grimly frowning. "You have been per mitted again and -again to inhabit the bodies of men, while I lay 'neath the sand under the palms, but natheless you are still ' .. mine." . : , : ";.' ' '' ' "-" " r."'"- "I think you have made some mistake," replied Mr, Linton, calmly, for ho had, already concluded, you see, that he was dreaming. "I never met you before, although I know from that, picture yonder who you are. What do you wish! Can I serve . you in 8ny way!" ' ' '. . ' ; ' ' : v ' ' "How many children love you I" asked the frowning vision. "Oh, bosh!" replied Mr. Linton. "What have I to do with children! Thank goodness, I am neither a school superintendent nor in the toy business. I am in the fire insurance business." "How many children do you 16 ve, then I", asked the knight, , Itill persistent.-. . - ' : .. 'CV : .'. ''' . v "I hate all thfr brood 1", snarled the old man. "If I, had my was they'd all be smothered as soon as they were born! Nasty, noisy, fidgety, inquisitive, sticky, hungry brata, I Lave no use t 1,. 1 'Would you not be a boy again if you could!" !sked Ponce ide Loon. ". ' ' . "Well, hum; I can't answer that off-hand," replied Mr. Lin ton. "Depends on what sort of boy, and perhaps whose boy. If I eould be the son of a millionaire, wellperhaps I might coa .eent."' ' "Come with me," said the knight, turning to the door.'whicU ' to his surprise Mr. Linton saw was wide open, XX tlX'X X j.'K XX. sXXl X; Tie rose and followed his visitor slowly, not quite certain' . . whether ho Was really walking or floating along, but before ho could determine he found himself in an entirely different atmos phere and amid other and utterly strange surroundings. Great ' palms waved over his head, ferns ftnd cacti 'grew in the glaring "uivp muui j:ia m nit jh- Vf n u iv uuua vm. fti jiuuo uu a oioiiwu along the edge of the wide, dark stream flowing slowly by. , .lie knew at once that he was in tlio tropics, although his knowledge of 6trange lands was confined merely ta-iooks anl : pictures, as he had never traveled. . ? He had little time to speculate, and Ponce de Leon strode away beneath the overhanging palms and he had to follow, for something seemed to draw him along. ; In a few minutes they stopped again, Ibis tune beside a still pool whose velvety .sur . face reflected the green foliage and the deep blue sky above, and seemed like a great polished gem of emerald and sapphire. It rested in a basin of the purest, whitest rock, and when he looked . into its depths bo could see every tiny grain of the ttone at the -, very bottom, so clear and limpid was the sparkling water. All about the rass grew green and tall, and not a footprint nor a ' bended blade was visible, showing that the lovely pool was never - visited by man or beast, apparently. ; ; . . ; . "Know -you this?" afeked the. Spanish knight, as he pointed to the water, ' , " . " "Xever saw it before, I am sure,", replied the man, ' "It is very pretty." . Then Mr Linton remembered sudd6nly what Ponce ' de Leon's quest had been, and recalled how that ill-fated and credu lous man hod lost his life seeking in the Florida swamp for the fabled Fountain'of Youth. He asked, in an awed tone of voice: . ... "Is thiscan this really be the Fountain of Youth!" " 'Tis that charmed pool," replied the knight. "In ita waters lie Youth;Youtb r'Ptual and fresh. . He who bathes in it A enicrprg with new life and powers and keeps them forever" ' , "Then her goes," cried Mr. Linton, immediately. "I won't , hm this chance."', .j'".?x;.r '.T::r :.,':.i;-;c: - J le sprang into the fountain, clothes and all, before Ponce do Ixn could stop him, dived clear to its, pearly bottom in an'. " instant, and there his hand comjng in contact with aomethin? ( he atixod St at once. When he came to the surface he found the bpanj&h knight gazing, anxiously atium, aad ho also fiaw that ' ' " ' -.,. i .. - mm, .. i11'-- . : ' ' -Hnu 6 AC HE RECOGNIZED THE VISITOR AS -PONCE DE LEON he held in his own hand a curious bottle or vase. He clambered . be able to see enough remains of my former looks to recognize oui smuing ana said : "Well, I have tested your old fountain, Mr. Ponce do eon, and now we will see what it can do." i As he spoke he saw the Spanish knight's face alter, and . when his whole figure Seemed to pale and become misty. He stared hard at the vanishing form, and it slowly faded away into the , - forest, leaving him standing, there with the antique bottle in , his hand. Then the forest also vanished the sunshine changed , to the glare "of his lamp and he found himself in his old easy chair at home. V.... y;""-;.- - V -v- 'va s, Suddenly he started in amazement, for there upon his taVe etood the curious bpttle, filled to the top with-a sparkling fluid that gleamed like the purest crystal in the. lamplight. He reached out his hand in doubt and took it up. "This is marvelous!" he exclaimed. "How did this get here! ; Somebody has been here while I slept" , . v But he soon found that hid door was locked securely. There was the strange bottler however,and the" thought came to him of testing its powers, and, without thinking of the possible dan ger of such a test, he undressed and then rubbed himself from' head to foot with the sparkling fluid. :'',': vv lie ran to the mirror and looked in. He had changed to a man of twenty-five. His once white hair was a rich brown,' and as he smiled a row of long-lost teeth showed gleaming in the ; glass. "." . ; : ' ,.. . . y ( "Bless my soul!" he cried, jumping' back ten feet , "It was " the water of Youth, after all, and I did not dream. I am young , again." He pinched his full, round muscles and noted how strong he was, then, looked in the glass and grinned. "Ha, hal" he Bhouted. "It 4 .only a little past midnight; why go to bed so early I ; I will venture abroad in search of adventurea instead ' of wasting my fond youth in sleep!" ' .J. " 7 "I'll go down to the- club," he. said with a grin, "and see what the old fogies, who are perhaps still sitting up, will say when they see me." At the door of the club he was met by the old colored man who foMwenty yeara had stood guard there,, but when he cheer- ' fully said "Good evening, Isaac," the man stared at him and then said: . : ' ' . ,. "Excuse me, sah, but who do you wish to see!" ; 4 "Ha, ha !" laughed Mr. Linton. "Don't you know me, Isaao ! I am Mr. Linton." 1 . 1 : '. "Don't know only one Mr. Linton, an' he's more'n twice as old as you be," replied Isaac, somewhat sourly, for he was not used to jokes from the club members. "I reckon you has made a mistake and got into the wrong club, sah." t . ; "Why, is it possible that I am so altered !" asked Mr. Linton, "Can't you see anything that reminds you of me I" Isaac stared hard, and then said: "I reckon you'se Mistah Linton's- son, 'cause I done remember that he u'seter look some thing like you twenty years ago, but I know thnt you ain't him." . "Let me in and we will see what my old friends will say," ' eaid Mr. Linton. "No, sah ; I can't let no one in 'cept the club members," said . old Isaac, firmly, "and I know you ain't Mistah Linton, nor hi " . son. 'cause he ain't cot no son. Ro vmi cmi't nnme In", Mr. Linton insisted upon entering, and was so loud in his hood, many of the old streets and courts were unaltered, and demands that several members, who were all old friends, too. lnany avJrpod hiding-place, many a dark alley and brick yard me. " ' The judge stared and said : : "You are a very impudent boy to call me by toy first name.' I never saw you before. Who are you and where are your par- . ents!" , "I am your old friend Boderick Linton, and I have had my , youth restored by, the-application of a' marvelous fluid. I will tell you all about it in your private office, Howard." "Take him to the lunatic asylum !" said the judge, quietly, "He ought to be examined, for I am sure he is insane." Mr. Linton happened just then to glance into a large mir ror, and was shocked io see reflected there the figure of a boy of perhaps seventeen. He was speechless, and before -he. could gather; his wits together he was conducted to a carriage and started for the asylum. , , . ". ; On the way thither he looked about him and recognized the ' , road and the wayside fields as the playground of his boyhood, althoughrmucb changed, but still he remembered many a lane -and many a secret nook among the rocks and woods thereabouts, and without .hesitation he sprang from the carriage and flew across the field like a fox chased by the hounds. ; . s . The officer, a, fat man and cluinsy, pursued, but the nimble boy soon left him so far behind that he returned to the carriage and drove back to town, leaving Linton concealed ninong some shrubbery gleefully chuckling. ''This is finer yet," he said to himself. "I am a boy again. Eow I will start all over and see what. I can accomplish, but I must hot make the mistake of trying to be old Linton. That is folly, and I ought to have thought of it at once." , He walked back to the city, and for a while amused him self watching some other boys playing ball, for it was Saturday' morning, and then, the temptation proving too strong, he stepped up to the group and smiling suavely, said: ' i , "I should like extremely well to join you in your diversion, my lads, if you will permit me." - . r "Hully Gee!" shouted one of the boys. . "What kind d a langwitch is dis? 'My lads !' ' What's de matter wit youse! Who's fader is you, anyway!" " . "Can you curve a'ball, dat'a what we want to know? If you can you're it, see !". . , v ' , Linton scarcely knew what a curve was, but he stammered: "I can at least make the endeavor, my. lads." . . , They all looked at him in a sort of trance of astonishment, ! for the patronizing tone of his voice did not fit his youthful ap pearance. One boy placed the ball in his hand and motioned him to throw it to a lad at a distance. : - - t "Now, let's see what kind of a twist you have got." said the boy, who was smoking a cigarette very rapidly. 'Let her go !'' Linton threw the balwith all his might, but, as in his day curves had not been invented, he knew not how to impart the proper motion to the sphere, and his attempt to twist it sent it with great force plumb against the neck of a big boy far to the left, who instantly -jushed at him with rage in his eyes.' . V While Linton was not a good pitcher he could run like a " deer, and this he proved ct once, for seeing that he had really hurt the boy he took to his heels with the whole gang after him. Down one street and up another he" led them, and a keen memory of all the, ancient games came to him as he fled. Although the city had changed marvelously since his bov- euddenJy flashed into his mind, so over brick walls and through half -open gates ho darted with the pack in full cry Lohind, and at last found himself opposite his own oflice in the Linton Build- ing. Into the great marble doorway he dashed, nearly overturn ing the janitor, and quickly unlocking hia door he Uipped into his private office. The hall was almost instantly' filled with ex cited boys, who, were promptly driven out by the janitor, Magin nis, who then entered Mr. Linton's office and asked him what he was doing there. " - . ',:' Linton this time had his wits about him and replied: came to the door, but they also firmly refused to admit the hearty, hale man who claimed to be old Mr. Linton, and when he insisted that ho was that person one of them telephoned for the police. ' ; . - v. ' : ' ''Vic ' s ' '--,-; - While they were " arguing two officers came and took Mr. Linton away, to tho station house, in spite of his indignant pro tests. They put him in a cell at once, as the sergeant, who knew , old Mr. Linton, refused to listen to his story for an instant. He eat down in the narrow, cold cell and reflected for a 'minvte, and then concluded to take things, calmly ; for, after all, he now saw that it was impossible to make people credit his wondrous tale. Then he went to sleep. , In the morning his cell door was opened by a policeman, who started back in surprise, saying: - .. . "What is this! I arrested a man and put him in here about '. fiafc and those bova were chasinr me two o'clock this morning and here's a big boy I Who are vn . Sal0' a, boy8 e,ro csin-. and how did you get here!" . 'Youi iave a poor memory," replied Mr. Linton. "You thrust mo m hero last night yourself." , "Don't try to fool me," answered the officer. "I put a man about twenty-five years old in here, boy. Where is he, and how U1U JIB gvt OUI I ' ;K:'' - f .1J. '':"' ;; :'(,'' . "I Tvas sent here by Mr. Linton to got something out of his uuj , uy are you . , tta i.mn.(l OTW, ihn .afa on a ra(tnnM BVOi v;m ;,W as ho twirled the, knob around with all the- dexterity of forty years of practice, and when the door opened he said!. ' ' , "Well, I guess you're all right, mo lad, and I'll kapc thera" little divils away f rom yo when ye go out." t ' (ir..,i . -r t;a n - t:.j A. i:r- 1 .1 .lm the man you locked up," replied Mr. Linton. "I am Mfldnnis retired. Linton sat there thmkW for a lono- .im sorry to say it, but I think you must have been drinking nffinAr un P0hcmr 1 boxed his ears, shouting: 9 ideas were sadly iumbled. Although he remembered lnany of Von t get fresh with me, young feller! Come out of that, the details of his great business, all inclination to. attend to it ; T i Tr t. ftreani ana wo juage, will say."' He had goiiO and all he-wished for was fun, 4iBui,eu MTi xamon imo me court room next to the police station, He soon took a largo amou , "What is the charge against this lad!" - ,' "I dunno, yer Honor. I found him in the cell where I left ipo raanTnai ciaimpa to be old Air. Linton, and. who was very likely crazy. I can't find the man, however." amount of money from the safe and started out to enjoy boyhood's keenest delights. , First ho- pur chased enough crullers, cream-cakes and cinnamon bans to sup ply a whole school, and then ho visited, every dime museum in ; town. , A huge tin horn attracted his attention in a window and he bought it; as well as a bat and ball; then meeting another I J - I 1 it , f J. A- 1 . . . 1 ' ' mt. i,intonnew the judgcf very well; in fact, had helped to ciowd pf boys they repaired to a neighboring lot to play, but, ""'t"" 4p: a au u" 1 u,wr ruJfl .Ve omcer Baying: aftnost lmmoUiately ascertaining that Linton had a sum o "Howard, this taut has Lcca drinking. 1 am bux& you must money beyond ftll possible imaginiog, ho was persuaded to b confronted another mirroi" and diaflovm-pd . that ho. had shrunk ' -into a much smaller boy than before, and with some alarm he -. observed that he was far smaller than the others. : This alarmed - him, .because he knew with the small , boy's instinct that he . would-soon be expelled from their society, as boys of a size flock . together. Almost at once this became apparent, for one of the boys said: 1 ' rSy. Ytat'a dis little kid doin' with all that money, any how! 'TahA right 1" . . . . "That's so," added another. "He's gotter divvy up." (:V--M - ' So in spite of Linton's protests, when they had returned to : the vacant lot wherein they played, they took away his bundle -ol money,, and while their eyes bulged at sight of all that-undreamed-of wealth they divided it between them, leaving .but a few dollars for Xiaton, now the smallest among them alh He burst into angry weeping, and at the sight' of his tears they drove him away bellowing, just as he had feared. ; 'i;: ' . ' ' ' , . ut fle 8n forgot .his troubles, for there were so many1 things to see "which seemed inew to him that he had no time for reflection. . The principal thing that now surprised him was tho immensity of evervthins. nnr? ihn area Aiata-nnoa Ut,,,,n 1.. ( . . With mingled awe and amazement he recognized his own v friends, old gray-haired men and women, .as they f etbly walked along the streets, and more than once almost ran up to one to ask for his help to cross the wide roadway, filled with horses, ' automobiles and carts. He would wander into candy tihops, and, holding a few pennies in his chubby fingers, stand many long ' minutes in grave doubt and anxious debate as to just what candy he would buy, then with glee rush out and hang cn behind a fart fnr VAnnVa unfil iiniiiu V, nA nno-J 1 M j him. At last, dirty and tired, but happy, ho reached the homo wherein he lived, and sat himself down on the doorstep. Tho key was in his trousers-pocket and he opened the door. , Out rushed Nora Casey, his servant of twenty years' faith ful ftflrvirt. flTlH aha Amtra thn Antr inn olr tl.n I!U :..t' the house, where he soon ceased his blubbering anil isked her if th plumber had fixed the leak in the sink; for, strange as it may seem, every little while he remembered evervthinn- that. Iia had done or saw the day before. ... She looked at him in a puzzled manner and then asked : 1 "Faith, an? what do you know about thot sink!" Becalled to himself, little Linton replied:- ' v - "I heard myselfI mean I told the plumber no I heard Mr. Linton tell him to mend it yesterday." t , "It's bewitched the choild is, I'm surel'f cried Ncre. "Whose little boy are yezl" - "I am Mr. Linton's little boy," replied Roderick "I am g'o , ing to live here with you after this." ' ' "Mercy on us J" cried Nora. "What's the child saying! Sure Mr. Linton has neither .wife nor childeri;" She watched himiaSt weant ab?ut tte fooma of his houso in a way that was chud-me and yet like a man, and soon she began to bo worried t about this uncanny -urchin. Finally she decided to wash his face and hands and wait for her master's return, but after she had done these things Boderick produced some, money and asked her to- go and buy him a hobby-horse, a toy locomotive, un alligator that would run all over the floor by itself, and a man-of-war with a real steam boiler. "Sure it's a queer, kid ye are!" she said, as she put on her hood, "But if them things will plaso ye, an' ye have the monev, I'll git them." . ' Off she went and ho was left alone. lie promptly climbed ' upon a chair and looked into his shaving-glass only to find, as ho had feared, that ho had become still smaller and was now a child in red kilts. Long flaxen curls surrounded a chubby face that he' no longer recognized at all, big blue eyes full of awe : looked back at him from the deeps of the mirror as from a past , so remote that no memory of it existed. . .Now and then in the gathering dusk he stopped togaze with growing awe at the height, immense and surpassing, of the chamber walls, the immensity of the picture of Ponee do Leon's landing, the great easy chair and the tremendous giant's slipper '. : that he formerly wore. In the shadowo he thought he saw u . .k.i . . I x i: i x , a... . i.uiiv uiuveu lurwvejy iowara mm, ior. it was now quite ' dark, and he managed with great difficulty to light the lamp on the table so that the terrifying shadow-forms woTe dispelled." ' : Then Nora returned with the toys, a whole armful, but she declared that he ought to go to bed instead of playing with them. She had made inquiries all about the neighborhood, but nobody : had lost a boy, and she had resolved to hand him over to the police in 'the morning. "Faith," said she as she looked at him, "it seems belike yer different since I left yez!'She began to undress him. "And' r what's made yer hair so curly all of a Buddint! I'm thinking there's some witchcraft about it all P' y , . ' - ,- f , : ,.XX-'. She dropped him in, the bed and ran out of the room crying: "' It s some kind of a dwarf or changeling we havo here ! 'Tis no natural baby! He's grown younger since ho camel I'll not etay here a minute, but I'll run for Father Brady !" . . Roderick heard the door slam, and he wondered what Father ; Brady, whom he knew very well, would say about this marvel. Suddenly, as he pondered upon where it all would end, ho thought Of Tom Thumb and the awful experiences of that mid get; how the cow ate him and bow he fell into a pie; and s one after Another of. Tom's adventures came to his mind he trembled ; for his Own future if he was tfc become smaller constantly; -He sucked his thumb even' as' ho reflected, and- that showed him that ho was already a baby, as well as the sight of his pink toes and fat-creased ankles. He felt terribly hungry and won-' dered why Nora had not brought him Wtln fi)1A milk instead of those big, nasty, hard toys that lay all about hin on the bed. . ' ' She had forgotten to cover him up, and with great difficulty he crawled beneath tlm hiA rWlma wVinra oft-r a iimn v. knmmv . . - . .vv. o win.; .1: iLffJVHiUU impatient at being left alone and tried to shout for her or somc .body, anybody, in fact, to come to him; but now'ho ;vas startled to find that instead of a shout ho uttered a feeblo wail. ' He twisted and turned weakly in the bed, yelling constantly as he squirmed, but his wail grew feebler and weaker every min-' ute, until at last, entirely exhausted by his efforts, he fell asleep. Nora did not find Father Brady at home,: for he, was at n christening, and after she had waited for an hour she went to , seek him, and so it was nearly ten o'clock when she returned with him to the house, and then when eho- came to the bedside she was astonished to find no child upon it. lie had vanished, and Father Brady glanced very qucerly at her and said that something wos wrong with her. , ' ; 5 .V . Nora looked everywhere, but never again did she see that ; infant, nor was old Mr. Linton ever seen again.; Ho disappeared . frdmoff the earth completely tandwbodyihascyj3r been -told : how it happened until this story was written. le had simply , become smaller and smaller until finally nothing at" all was left of him. :'V'.'..;- -;',:,-.-.' ." ';; . Nora waited in tho lonely house" until ,sho become an old. old womani and then she died without ,ever learning what had - caused her crusty old master's departure, and many a man who long ago pondered upon his strange disappearance will recall on reading this tale how great a mystery it all was.' v j. But after all, the fnystery, it seems to me," is really as great ect unon hia table! That's the crcat nuzzla ' 7 , -.' jj .'.: , ."! ... ' ir i'.,:,. . . T ITU lr.nAttrt I t t '. '