River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1920-02-12
sT,nna Is here I"


what you said last time. / remember
Iopa.' She's your control think
you said"
"I'm Lopa," said the husky voice.
'Pm Lopa herself"
"You mean I'm to suppose you're
not Mrs. Horner now?"
"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 third party, who was
none the less an individual even
though she might be another edition
of the apparently somnambulistic Mrs.
Homer. "Never was Mrs. Horner or
anybody but just Lopa. Guide"
"Tou 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 rernem-
bers."
"Yes-so did Mrs. Horner."
Lopa overlooked his implication, and
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 appearance"
"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 it my sister," Eugene asked.
"Sister? No. She is shaking her
head. She has pretty brown hair. She
is fond of you. She is some one who
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 glad"
"What is her nameT'
"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 a sound" Here the voice
seemed to put question to an invis-
ible presence and to receive an an
swer. "a little sound or a big sound?
She says it might be a little sound or
a big sound. She says a ring-oh,
Lopa knows She means bell ! That's
it, a bell"
Eugene looked grave. 'Does she
mean her name is BELIEF"
"Not 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 colorw Again
Lopa addressed the unknown, but this
time seemed to wait for an answer.
perhaps she means the color of her
eyes?" said Eugene.
'No. She says her color is light
it's light color and you can see
through it."
s'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
is from amber Amber Amber!
That's it! She says you understand
what her name is from a bell and
from amber She is laughing and
waving lace handkerchief at me be-
cause she is pleased. She says /
have made you know who it isl
This was the strangest moment of
Eugene's life, because, while it lasted,
he believed that, Isabel Anderson,
who was dead, had found means to
speak to him. Though within ten
minutes he doubted it. he believed it
then.
His elbows pressed hard upon the
table, and his head between his
hands, he leaned forward, staring at
the commonplace figure in the easy
chair. "What does she wish to say
to meY'
"She is happy because you know
her. No-she is troubled. Ola
great trouble! Something she wants
to tell you. She wants so much to
tell you. She wants Lopa to tell you.
This is a great trouble. She says
oh, yes, she wants you to be-to be
kind! That's what she says. That's
it. To be kind"
'Does She
"She wants you to be kind" said
the voice. "She mods when 1 tell you
this. Yes; it must be right. She is
a very fine lady. Very pretty. She
is so anxious for you to understand.
She hopes and hopes you will. Some
one else wants to speak to you. This
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