Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/682

 et Dauphinelle et Oleandre, et Romarin, Lis, Eglantier, Anemone, Narcisse et Souci.

The first letters of the names of the flowers spell Henri d'Orleans. Wasn't that something for a seven-year-old? I am firmly convinced that Opal had aid in Los Angeles in preparing these acrostics.

It is significant that the angel mother, so tenderly referred to by Opal, is not pointed out in the acrostics, most likely because no biography shows that d'Orleans ever married. The acrostics also give much intimate information found in the will of d'Orleans, a copy of which—here is that odd chain of circumstances again—was in the Boston library. Also in this library were books by d'Orleans, whole sections of which must have been taught Opal by her father, for they appeared in what Opal claimed was written by her at the age of six or seven.

Information in my voluminous files show that Opal was not only piecing together and transcribing the tattered and torn heart throbs of childhood—in itself a sufficient task; she not only was spending much time in the Boston library; but she also had a secret establishment in which were prepared the letters purport ing to come from the mysterious persons who were guarding her. It was she who sent the presents. I have said that Opal was at times a prodigious worker.

During publication of the diary there came to me many strange letters—some of them weird almost—that laid a background for the foster-parentage fantasy of the diary. One of these was from Opal herself and a second letter accompanying it explained that the first letter was written soon after Opal went to Los