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.
The weather in this book