August 4 Saturday – Sam stayed with the Harry Harper family on the Long Island shore.

Harry Harper is open & honest & frank; & was not afraid to tell me (after I said I couldn’t quite afford to let the book [JA] go at the terms offered,) that he was charmed with the book & that Alden would be deeply disappointed if it was allowed to slip out of his hands.

I said if the terms were plenty liberal enough if we succeeded in keeping the authorship secret; but that if the secret got out & my name had to go to it, I thought 25 or 30 per cent ought to be added to the price (Puddn’head Wilson terms.) So we settled on that, without any trouble. He wants me to write some articles [MTP: Aug. 5 to Livy].