Show IS SHE HAPPY THE QUESTION by MICHAEL WHITE by short story pub co R NOYO HIROSHIMA was not quite as other japanese that Is you did not run up against a mental blank wall the moment ou passed the region of conventional courtesy if his use of english acquired in japan was perhaps a trifle quaint he made up for this disadvantage by an evident de rire to be pleasing that was why bangham exerted a special effort to respond to a letter 0 introduction on behalf of hiroshima that was how hey came to be seated together at the grand opera waiting for the raising of the first curtain hiroshima regarded the scene through his gold rimmed spectacles with much interest never having wit hessed a grand opera before he watched the filling up of the house the entry of the orchestra then swept his eyes over the tiers of boxes and expressed his admiration for the exquisitely gowned and be jeweled mccu pants what hiroshima thought of our custom which would be I 1 BO terribly shocking in japan he kept discreetly to himself As a matter of fact his whole interest was presently centered on a par box among the party that took possession of it was as charm ing and dainty an appeal to the eye as w as to be met with in the whole house in contrast to her fashionably attired companions a japanese woman s picturesque tur esque kimono and rich obi was most effective and after her kind she was extremely pretty bangham following Hiro gaze also noticed the stranger and recognized her as the bride of an american who bad resided in japan for some years mr carelock Ga relock the hus band stood behind his cifes chair and seemed proud of the attention she received in glasses leveled on her from other boxes she was el dently more of a novelty than the latest gance in diamond giaras tiaras then the curtain went up on the first act hiroshima was too polite to stare continuously at the box containing his fellow country oman but bangham Is certain he saw and heard little of the opera his eyes it Is true were fixed steadily in front but it was as if the present scene were lost to view in some far off reminiscence of which his impassive features failed to any significance toward the end of the last net he seemed to display more interest in the theme of the opera and at its conclusion rather surprised bang ham with a pointed comment in the form of a question I 1 think your opera v erv nice yes very nice but the lovers were as you sa to be happy in the end yes I 1 guess that was about how it finished up replied bingham all 1 ejaculated hiroshima fedec we wish it should be as you eay like that finish up but with you Is it always so in that wa 1 0 o I 1 am afraid not always replied bangham ahl not so always nodded hiroshima to complete the evenings entertain ment bangham took hiroshima over to a fashionable restaurant hiroshima was much pleased gratified and am pressed with the whole alse en scene the artistic decorations the flower adorned tables and the prevailing at mo sphere of sparkle and gaiety at least he was struggling with the ang elsh language to express himself in buch wise when the party from the opera of which the japanese woman was a member entered hiroshima at once grew silent he did not turn to ward the table occupied by the opera party but looked as if he were again abstracted in the meantime bangham nodded toward one or two members of the party whom he knew and ad dressed his japanese guest what a delightful picture your acl low countrywoman makes he said with genuine admiration she la remarkably mar kably pretty hiroshima came out of his mental haze with as much of a start as Is possible with one of the rigorously self controlled subjects of the mikado ah she looks besl yes I 1 as yon eay very pretty that Is bow she looks well ventured bangham detecting a subtler meaning in Hiro words than lay upon the surface well if she feels as happy as she looks I 1 guess theres not much more to be said hiroshima methodically removed his spectacles and wiped them adjusting them again so that the focus was ex natly right he was particular about his spectacles having as he casually explained once found difficulty in training a gun on the russians owing to a slight imperfection in one of the leases that was merely an incident relating lo 10 the capture of a whole brt gade of russians the important thing being the necessity for absolutely per feet spectacles in such which he reported to the proper atu thorit les presently he waved his hand toward the bouquet of flowers on the table they look very pretty in the gar den in which they grew I 1 think they were happy in this place so so dlf ferent so much finer than their garden chev still look very pretty but because ag you say they were cut off they are dying I 1 would like to know it they are as happy as they were in their garoin bangham stared at hiroshima with some wonder beca sentiment of that kind comans from a man who talked indifferently about capturing brigades of russians was to say the least of it unusual it sharpened his desire to probe further do you mean to draw an analogy beaw een bowed slightly as he in ter posed only I 1 would like to know it they are happy As you say that japanese woman Is very pretty I 1 will tell jou about her because I 1 know yes I 1 know about her before she married sir carelock Ga relock a very fine man she was once happy that was when she was loved by a young student lie thought her very pretty and that she would make him a good wife she loved that young student very much and was happy then that young student was told something about her which made him angry he would not justpn to what she said he was so so yes that la what you say a he did not like there to be another man it was not true what he was told but he did not know until it was long long too late so he discarded her Is that what vou say threw her away yes that la it lie threw her away and mar aled another girl he did not much lahe not the same as the first girl neer so because she Is now always lost it was very ah yes v cry unhappy for her that girl he so throw away so loved the young student yes I 1 know and her parents were angry too because they think she alsi a good match so she went to be a geisha and make others happy that was sometimes as you say a bard work because she was herself sorrowful I 1 think that Is why she was so successful as ft geisha girl the tea house at which she sang was always 1 full of customers and made so much money then mr Gi relock came to the tea house lie thought too she was very pretty but he did not know what was in her heart the made laughter and sang for him and he thought she must be happy she was so pretty he wished to as you say I 1 think alsa her but she was not like that she was still very sad yes I 1 am sure SWI very sad for the lover who had thrown her away but air carelock Ga relock he was much in love with her lie sent her many presents he talked with her parents he said he wished her for his wife to make her happy he loved her very much yes I 1 think that and wished to mike her happy he was very kind to her she yes perhaps grateful at last marry mr carelock Ga relock hiroshima paused seemed to regard the menu with interest and presently glanced upward toward the belling les mr carelock Ga relock marry her and as ou say she la very pretty but I 1 would like to know yeo that Is all I 1 would like to know if she Is happy bu I 1 dodot think I 1 shall know that I 1 do not think she will tell anyone what lie so fir down the orchestra struck up a spirited air and hiroshima relapsed into abstraction str action at the table of the opera party the Jap inee bride seemed to be enjoying herself yas it but the repeated effort of the tea house prolonged into a lifetime of secret regret aho vho could tell certainly not bang ham hiroshima shortly made an excuse to retire regretting that some pressing work prevented his being in reduced to the opera party subsequently it rushed upon bang ham that his guest might have been the young student referred to he was sorely tempted to gratify a natural curiosity but hiroshima politely set aside every reference to the subject when a japanese prefers to adopt that course as well anny you try to break into a time locked safe with a pocket knife the secret had been burled again in the depth of an impenetrable nature during the remainder of their intercourse hiroshima wore an attl tude of keen interest even delight in everything which made for material progress A etringer would have scoffed at the idea of sentiment in mr hiroshima and bangham wondered hiroshima presently went back to japan doubtless unable to answer hla own question Is she happ one hopes she is but hope Is a faint light with which to the unspoken certainly in her smiling happy laugh apparently so full of artless mirth you will never detect any sob that may lie underneath in that respect she remained of the same as hiro ahlma |