August 18 Tuesday – At 7:07 p.m. in Hartford, Olivia Susan (Susy) Clemens, age 24, died of spinal meningitis in the Farmington Ave. house [MTA 37; Sept. 6 to Hutton]. Katy Leary, longtime servant and helper to the family, was with her, as was Charles Langdon and Sue Crane. Joe Twichell had come from the Adirondacks to comfort Susy, but it’s not clear if he was with her at the end (see Sept. 27 to Twichell) Livy and Clara were at sea in the S.S. Paris, headed for New York and would not arrive for three more days.

Sam, not yet aware of Susy’s death, was instead under the impression she was better, and wrote to Mrs. Armstrong asking for an address:

You gave Mrs. Clemens the address of the house of Mrs. Keenly … (I cannot call to mind the last syllable of her name). Won’t you please give me that address again.

Mrs. Clemens was called suddenly across the ocean three days ago by news of our eldest daughter’s illness. Tidings received by me to-day indicate that the illness has moderated & that a sea-voyage may presently be possible. So I shall not go to America next week…[MTP: Sotheran Ltd. Catalogs Feb. 14, 1988 Item 14]. Note: Just who sent the above tidings is not clear. The request may have been a loose end from Livy’s house-hunting efforts.

Sam played billiards with Robert S. Smythe [Aug. 19 to Livy].