Produced by Al Haines
The Lady and Sada San
A Sequel to
The Lady of the Decoration
By
Frances Little
New YorkThe Century Co.1912
Copyright, 1912, by
Published, October, 1912
The Lady and Sada San
ON THE HIGH SEAS. June, 1911.
Mate:
You once told me, before you went to Italy, that after having beenmy intimate relative all these years, you had drawn a red linethrough the word surprise. Restore the abused thing to its own atonce. You will need it when the end of this letter is reached. Ihave left Kentucky after nine years of stay-at-home happiness, andonce again I am on my way to Japan—this time in wifelydisobedience to Jack's wishes.
What do you think that same Jack has "gone and done"! Of course heis right. That is the provoking part of Jack; it always turns outthat he is in the right. Two months ago he went to some place inChina which, from its ungodly name, should be in the furthermostparts of a wilderness. Perhaps you have snatched enough time fromguarding the kiddies from a premature end in Como to read aheadline or so in the home papers. If by some wonderful chance,between baby prattle, bumps and measles, they have given you amoment's respite, then you know that the Government has growndecidedly restless for fear the energetic and enterprising bubonicor pneumonic germ might take passage on some of the ships from theOrient. So it is fortifying against invasion. The Government,knowing Jack's indomitable determination to learn everythingknowable about the private life and character of a given germ,asked him to join several other men it is sending out to getinformation, provided of course the germ doesn't get them first.
Jack read me the official-looking document one night between puffsof his after-dinner pipe.
Another surprise awaits you. For once in my life I had nothing tosay. Possibly it is just as well for the good of the cause thatthe honorable writer of the letter could not see how my thoughtslooked.
I glanced about our little den, aglow with soft lights; everythingin it seemed to smile. Well, as you know it, Mate, I do notbelieve even you realize the blissfulness of the hours of quietcomradeship we have spent there. With the great know-it-all oldworld shut out, for joyful years we have dwelt together in ahome-made paradise. And yet it seemed just then as if I weredwelling in a home-made Other Place.
The difference in the speed of time depends on whether love is yourguest or not.
The thought of the briefest interruption to my content made me feellike cold storage. A break in happiness is sometimes hard to mend.The blossom does not return to the tree after the storm, no matterhow beautiful the sunshine; and the awful fear of the faintest echoof past sorrow made my heart as numb as a snowball. To the oldterror of loneliness was added fear for Jack's safety. But I didnot do what you naturally would prophesy. After seeing the look onJack's face I changed my mind, and my protest was the silent kindthat says so much. It was lost! Already Jack had gone into one ofhis trances, as he does whenever there is