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(638)

Sept. 12/98.

My dear Mr. Morse:

I returned from New York yesterday morning, and during my hasty stay there fortunately had an opportunity to chat with both Ketcham and Hull.
Ketcham says the books now at the Lincoln Safe Deposit Co. are the ones which you saw at his shop, and so he explains the absence of the books of sketches during your several visits as owing their having been at that time in the possession of Fenellosa, who Ketcham says would frequently take  from the stock interesting volumes and keep them sometimes for weeks at a time before returning them to the shop. He says that of the printed books he believes that few if any escaped your examination. He also says that he believes that there are no Chinese books in the lot.
Hull seems to know next to nothing at all about the books. He has given much closer attention to the prints and paintings.
Now, if at any time you feel that you would like to examine the books again, the matter can be arranged unless in the mean time they are sent to Japan. Hull is in communication with both Fenellosa and Kobaiyashi concerning the return of the stock. I myself am beginning to believe however that there is little probability of all the goods being returned to Japan before the first of the year.
Of course I have been too busy during my recent trips to see the books again but intend to do so some time in October if possible. I am now planning for a trip to the Hot Springs about Oct. 10 and expect to return by way of New York and have a few days there the latter part of the month. Is there any probability of your being in New York about that time? If so, let me know in advance.
In the mean time, if you do not go west, can you not come to