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Show Nippon Widow Lives on Dream Thinks English Husband Has Left Her a Fortune YOKOHAMA, JAPAN. Among the almond blossoms and Shinto temples of old Japan the beautiful 17 year-old Massa Ilzuka met an Englishman and fell in love. Through "go-betweens" as decreed de-creed by Japanese tradition Mor-ley Mor-ley Weale, resident partner of a firm of merchants, courted Massa and asked her to marry him. And with all the courtly ceremony cere-mony of the east, they married. ' That was in 1911." In 1912 a son was born. For six more years the family lived happily hap-pily together. Then Morley was recalled to Britain. Brit-ain. He begged his wife to go with him. She refused. Tradition ruled she must look after her relatives and worship at the shrine of her ancestors. Weale and the child Eric sailed for England. Each year Massa received re-ceived a 150-pound allowance from her husband. Eric grew up to become an English Eng-lish businessman. Once he visited his mother in 1923. Came the war, and with it the end of Massa's allowance. In 1942 Morley Weale died, aged 76. Massa was penniless. And for years she has lived in a poor suburb of Yokohama on the tiny dole the city allows its poverty stricken inhabitants. Only the belief that she would one day inherit a fortune from her husband has cheered Massa through the years. The other day, sitting in her modest mod-est home, she said she had heard from London solicitors through the International Red Cross. The letter gave no amount. She hoped for 200,000 pounds. Said Massa, now 55, "My husband hus-band was a good man. He was sorry sor-ry I could not go to England with him. He asked me to live a long life and promised to take care of me. "I've got some plans besides paying pay-ing off my debts, but first I've got to get the money." Those plans and hopes will be dashed. Mr. Weale left 70,000 pounds. All to Eric, except for a 150-pound annuity for Massa. |