January 25 Saturday – Sam left for Bermuda on the Bermudian. The New York Times, Jan. 26, p. 4 noted his departure and added:

“Mr. Clemens has been ill at his home for some days, and when he arrived at the vessel went direct to his stateroom and did not emerge while the vessel was at her pier. He was ordered south by his physician because of an attack of laryngitis.”

Isabel Lyon’s journal:  The King left at 8 this morning in Margaret Frohman’s beautiful big motor car. Yesterday when she telephoned that she wanted to send it & I told the King, he was very glad, because he’d been wanting to go to the boat in mobile. He has been very beautiful these 2 or 3 days past, deintalized by his illness. At 7:30 I found him up & dressed in front of the fire in his room. I dropped on my knees beside him & he chatted for a moment, saying he hadn’t slept very well. Then came his breakfast, then his departure, & then the empty house. All day I’ve been on my couch, this afternoon going to bed, faint with anxiety, exhaustion, & loneliness. Santa had a wireless to say that the weather is good, sun shining & that there is what appears to be a good ships’ company [MTP: IVL TS 15-16].

Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Miss Lyon asking her to have Sam sign the enclosed contract with John W. Postgate (not in file) [MTP].