The American Claimant Read online

  Produced by David Widger. Additional proofing was done by Trevor Carlson

  THE AMERICAN CLAIMANT

  by Mark Twain

  1892

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I.

  The Earl of Rossmore vs. the American Claimant--Viscount Berkeleyproposes to change places with the Claimant-- The Claimant'sletter--Lord Berkeley decides to visit America

  CHAPTER II.

  Colonel Mulberry Sellers and his art gallery--He receives a visit fromWashington Hawkins--Talking over old times --Washington informs thecolonel that he is the congressional delegate from Cherokee Strip.

  CHAPTER III.

  Mrs. Sellers pronounces the colonel "the same old scheming, generous,good-hearted, moonshiny, hopeful, no-account failure he alwayswas"--He takes in Dan'l and Jinny-- The colonel originates "Pigs inthe Clover"--He offers one of his art treasures to propitiateSuggs--One-armed Pete; the bank thief

  CHAPTER IV.

  A Yankee makes an offer for "Pigs in the Clover"--By the death of arelative Sellers becomes the rightful Earl of Rossmore and consequentlythe American Clairnant-- Gwendolen is sent for from school--The remainsof the late Claimant and brother to be shipped to England-- Hawkins andSellers nail the hatchments on "Rossmore Towers"

  CHAPTER V.

  Gwendolen's letter--Her arrival at home--Hawkins is introduced, to hisgreat pleasure--Communication from the bank thief-- Hawkins and Sellershave to wait ten days longer before getting the reward--ViscountBerkeley and the late Claimant's remains start simultaneously fromEngland and America

  CHAPTER VI.

  Arrival of the remains of late Claimant and brother in England --Theusurping earl officiates as chief mourner, and they are laid withtheir kindred in Cholmondeley church--Sally Sellers a giftedcostume-designer--Another communication from the bank thief--Locatinghim in the New Gadsby-- The colonel's glimpse of one--armed Pete in theelevator-- Arrival of Viscount Berkeley at the same hotel

  CHAPTER VII.

  Viscount Berkeley jots down his "impressions" to date with a quillpen--The destruction of the New Gadsby by fire-- Berkeley loses hisbearings and escapes with his journaled "impressions" only--Discoveryand hasty donning of one-armed Pete's abandoned wardrobe--Glowing andaffecting account in the morning papers of the heroic death of the heirof Rossmore--He will take a new name and start out "incog"

  CHAPTER VIII. The colonel's grief at the loss of both Berkeley andone-armed Pete--Materialization--Breaking the news to the family-- Thecolonel starts to identify and secure a body (or ashes) to send to thebereaved father

  CHAPTER IX.

  The usual actress and her diamonds in the hotel fire--The colonelsecures three baskets of ashes--Mrs. Sellers forbids their lying instate--Generous hatchments--The ashes to be sent only when the earlsends for them

  CHAPTER X.

  Lord Berkeley deposits the $500 found in his appropriatedclothes--Attends "Mechanics' Debating Club"--Berkeley (alias Tracy) isglad he came to this country

  CHAPTER XI.

  No work for Tracy--Cheaper lodgings secured--Sleeping on the roof--"Mydaughter Hattie"--Tracy receives further "impressions" from Hattie(otherwise "Puss")--Mr. Barrow appears--And offers to help Tracy findwork

  CHAPTER XII.

  A boarding--house dinner--"No money, no dinner" for Mr. Brady--"Howdid you come to mount that hat?"--A glimpse of (the supposed) one-armedPete--Extract from Tracy's diary

  CHAPTER XIII. Tracy and trades-unions--Unpopularity with fellow-boarders--Which changes to popularity on his punishing Allen-- The cablegram

  CHAPTER XIV.

  "Mechanics' Debating Club" again--Tracy is comforted by Barrow'sremarks--"Fool or no fool, he would grab it" --"Earldom! oh, yes, takeit if it offers"

  CHAPTER XV.

  "You forgot to pay your board"--"I've been robbed "--Mr. Allen amongthe missing, likewise other things--The cablegram: "Thanks"--Despair ofTracy--"You've got to amuse your mind"

  CHAPTER XVI. The collaborative art collection--The artists--"Thecannon's our trademark"--Tracy's mind is amused

  CHAPTER XVII. No further cablegram--"If those ghastly artists wanta confederate, I'm their man"--Tracy taken intopartnership--Disappointments of materialization -- The phonographadapted to marine service --Utilization of wasted sewer gas

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  The colonel's project to set Russia free--"I am going to buySiberia"--The materializee turns up--Being an artist he is invited torestore the colonel's collection--Which he forthwith begins

  CHAPTER XIX. The perplexities and nobilities of materialization--Thematerializee eats a couple of apples--Horror of Hawkins and Sellers--Itmust be a mistake"

  CHAPTER XX.

  Tracy's perplexities with regard to the Claimant's sanity-- The Claimantinterviews him--Sally Sellers meets Tracy --A violent case of love atfirst sight--Pinks

  CHAPTER XXI.

  Empty painting; empty millinerizing--Tracy's work satisfactory--Sellers's new picture of Lord Berkeley--"He is a wobbler"-- Theunsuccessful dinner--parties--"They flung their arms about each other'snecks"

  CHAPTER XXII.

  "The materializing has got to stop where it is"--Sally Sellersrepudiates "Lady Gwendolen"--The late Lord Berkeley Sally's hero-- "Theshady devil [Doubt] had knifed her"

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  Tracy writes to his father--The rival houses to be united by hismarriage to Sally Sellers--The earl decides to "step over and take ahand"--"The course of true love," etc., as usual--"You an earl's son!show me the signs"

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  Time drags heavily for all concerned--Success of "Pigs in theClover"--Sellers is "fixed" for his temperance lecture-- Colonel andMrs. Sellers start for Europe--Interview of Hawkins and Sally--Tracy animpostor

  CHAPTER XXV.

  Telegram: "She's going to marry the materializee"--Interview betweenTracy and Sally--Arrival of the usurping earl-- "You can have him ifyou'll take him"--A quiet wedding at the Towers--Sellers does not jointhe party to England-- Preparing to furnish climates to order

  APPENDIX.

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