The Ordway new era., 1920-01-09

cross, hut / dunno. 1 can't never tell
what they'll do. Well"
She sighed. closed her eyes, and was
I silent, while Eugene, seated In the stiff
chair across the table from her.
watched her profile, thought himself
an idiot. and called himself that and
other names. And as the silence con-
tinued, and the impassive woman in
the easy-chair remained impassive, he
began to wonder what had led him to
be such fool. What had brought him
back 90 this absurd place and caused
him to be watching this absurd wom-
an taking n nap in a chair? In brief:
What the devil did he mean by it? He
had not the slightest interest In Mrs.
Horner's naps-Or in her teeth, which
were being slightly revealed by the un-
conscious parting of her lips, as her
breathing became heavier.
How long was he going to sit here
presiding over this unknown woman's
slumbers? 1t struck him that to make
the picture complete he ought to be
shooing flies away from her with
palm-leaf fan.
Mrs. Horner's parted lips closed
again abruptly, and became COM
pressed; her shoulders moved little,
then jerked repeatedly; her small
chest heaved; she gasped, and the
compressed lips relaxed to n slight
contortion, then began to move, whis-
pering and bringing forth indistin-
guishable mutterings.
Suddenly she spoke in loud, husky
voice:
"LOpa is herei"
Yes" Eugene said dryly. "That's
what you said last time. l remember
'Lopa.' She's your control l think
you said"
'Pm Lopa," said the husky voice.
'I'm Lopa herself"
"You mean I'm to suppose you're
not Mrs. Horner nGw?"
"Never was Mrs. Horner!" the voice
declared. speaking undeniably. from
Mrs. Horner's lips-but with such con-
viction that Eugene, in spite of every
thing, began to feel himself in the
presence Of a third party, who was
none the less an individual, even
though she might be another edition
of the apparently somnambulistic Mrs.
Horner. "Never was Mrs. Horner or
anybody but just Lopa. Guide"
You mean you're Mrs. Horner's
guide?" he asked.
"Your guide now," said the voice
with emphasis, to which was incon-
gruously added a low laugh. you
came here once before. Lopa remem-
bers"
"Yes-so did Mrs. Horner."
Iona nyarInnl-a5 bic opI
continued quickly: "You build. Build
things that go. You came here once
and old gentleman on this side, he
spoke to you. Same old gentleman
here now. He tell Lopa he's your
grandfather-no, he says father He's
your father"
"What's his appearancef"
"How?"
"What does he look like?"
Every fine! White beard, but not
long beard. He says some one 'else
wants to speak to you. See here.
Lady. Not his wife, though. No.
Very fine lady! Fine lady. fine lady"
as 1t my sister?" Eugene asked.
"Sister? No. She is shaking her
head. She has pretty brown hair. She
knows you very well, but she is not
your sister. She is very anxious to
say something to you-very anxious.
Very fond of you; very anxious to talk
to you. Very glad you came here-oh,
very gladl"
"What is her name?"
"Name," the voice repeated. and
seemed to ruminate. Name hard to
getaways very hard for Lopa.
Name. She wants to tell me her name
to tell you. She wants you to under
stand names are hard to make. She
says you must think of something that
makes sound" Here the voice
seemed to put question to an invis-
ible presence and to receive an an
swer. "a little sound or big sound?
She says 1t might be little sound or
a big sound. She says ring-oh.
Lopa knows! She means bell That's
1t, bell"
Eugene looked grave. 'Does she
mean her name is BELIEF"
mot quite. Her name is longer"
Perhaps" he suggested, "she means
that she was belle"
mo. She says she thinks you know
what she means. She says you must
think of color. What color2" Again
Lopa addressed the unknown. but this
time seemed to wait for an answer.
perhaps she means the color of her
eyes?" said Eugene.
mo. She says her color is Light
It's n light color and you can see
through it."
"Amber?" he said. and was startled,
for Mrs. Horner. with her eyes still
closed, clapped her hands, and the
voice cried out In delight:
"Yes! She says you know who she