“There seems to be a misunderstanding about this Liveright matter somewhere. He isn’t waiting for any foreword from me _yet_--at least not according to what he said when I saw him last before I wrote you the last time. He was waiting for more stuff from you apparently. And he spoke of having talked about you with Otto Kahn and so forth. “However, I expect to be back in New York within a month and I will see him then and get this matter straightened out.” You will remember my descriptions of the situation up to this point with sufficient accuracy without further repetitions; I can only say with regard to it all that Gene has either misinformed me in his previous letters or else is suffering from a lapse of memory. At any event, I hope that the conversation with Kahn alluded to, hasn’t twitched Liveright into the decision to hold up my book until _The Bridge_ shall be completed. If he doesn’t really want the book of course nobody can force him to take it,--in which case I hope it won’t be too much trouble for you to return the mss. to the Boni Bros. There seem no end to the complications with L. The mysterious “yet” in Gene’s statement (my underlining) is simply inexplicable. Mrs. Simpson is having some duplicates made for you of the beach pictures and wishes to be remembered to you. Attaboy frequently calls out “Waldo!” Mrs. Durham (whose name I remember always just in time by thinking of the Bull) has come to stay at least for the week-end. And I have just written a little unconscious calligramme on the mango tree which I enclose.[47] --/--/ 245: TO ---- [_Isle of Pines_] _May 22nd_ Dear ----: The post-Crane period in Patterson seems to have been full of excitements. Your letter, with its news about the incomparable J---- was corroborated in the same mail by no less than a letter from the noble tar himself. Poor J---- spent no little time and trouble, coming clear up from Norfolk. Mrs. Turner had been forwarding warnings of the impending disaster, first a letter from Norfolk on the date of landing, then a letter on the Potomac boat bound for Washington; I began to feel as though the wireless would be necessary to save my honor. His people live at P---- and it was there, after his excursion north, that he finally got a card I had mailed from Havana explaining things. He’s back on the job now, but quits June 6th. I commend your control under the penetrating gazes of Mrs. T. J----’s letter contained a closing greeting from “me, J----’s sister, M----” written in a very elegant hand, so I guess I’m well introduced when I come to P----. Anyway, he made good company and I’m awfully sorry to have missed him.