October 29 Thursday – In London Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus.

1. Please send me two proofs of Max O’Rell [Bourget] article. I wish to send one to Harper.

2. When am I to send next cheque for rent? To whose order shall it be drawn? And won’t it be best for me to send it through you? Also, what is the amount?

Sam also asked if they’d seen the review of JA by Walter Besant, and did they have a copy of it. He’d learned from a letter that it was being reprinted in St. Louis newspapers with large display headings [MTP]. Note: Sam’s questions about the rental house suggests that it was secured for him by his English publisher, and that Douglas Garth, to whom he addressed the chimney problems on Oct. 9, was likely an agent rather than the landlord. The first rent check likely included a partial period (£90.2.0. See Oct. 31).

Sam also wrote to J. Henry Harper:

It occurs to me that you may have rights in this matter. But whether you have or not, will you take hold of it on the terms proposed by you as to distribution of the profits in the case of Daly & Joan of Arc? By the way, I never heard anything more of the Daly matter after sending the cablegram about it from South Africa. This is the severalth time that Daly has asked to dramatize a book of mine & then got his sanity back again. …I would like to have the small note at the head of Tom Sawyer Detective struck out. It is too likely to put the readers mind in an attitude of suspicion [MTP: paraphrase, Henkels catalogs Apr. 23 1924 Item 68].

 Sam also wrote to Florence Hayward who had invited the Clemenses to visit.

Our wound is too deep, & too recent; we do not visit; we see nobody, friends or other. It will be many months before we shall have heart to face the world again. Understand — & forgive.

Sam added that her speech was “charming” and “delicious,” and convinced him of the falsehood that women could only perceive humor and not produce it [MTP].

Note: Florence Hayward (1865-1925), St. Louis native and journalist. At this time she was the London contributor to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and the St. Louis Republican. She wrote extensively for American and English magazines.