THE AMERICAN CLAIMANT by Mark Twain 1892 Bookcover.jpg (135K) Frontpiece.jpg (50K) Titlepage.jpg (22K) CONTENTS CHAPTER I. The Earl of Rossmore _vs_. the American Claimant—Viscount Berkeley proposes to change places with the Claimant—The Claimant’s letter—Lord Berkeley decides to visit America CHAPTER II. Colonel Mulberry Sellers and his art gallery—He receives a visit from Washington Hawkins—Talking over old times —Washington informs the colonel 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 always was”—He takes in Dan’l and Jinny—The colonel originates “Pigs in the Clover”—He offers one of his art treasures to propitiate Suggs—One-armed Pete; the bank thief CHAPTER IV. A Yankee makes an offer for “Pigs in the Clover”—By the death of a relative Sellers becomes the rightful Earl of Rossmore and consequently the American Clairnant—Gwendolen is sent for from school—The remains of the late Claimant and brother to be shipped to England—Hawkins and Sellers nail the hatchments on “Rossmore Towers" CHAPTER V. Gwendolen’s letter—Her arrival at home—Hawkins is introduced, to his great pleasure—Communication from the bank thief—Hawkins and Sellers have to wait ten days longer before getting the reward—Viscount Berkeley and the late Claimant’s remains start simultaneously from England and America CHAPTER VI. Arrival of the remains of late Claimant and brother in England —The usurping earl officiates as chief mourner, and they are laid with their kindred in Cholmondeley church—Sally Sellers a gifted costume-designer—Another communication from the bank thief—Locating him in the New Gadsby—The colonel’s glimpse of one—armed Pete in the elevator—Arrival of Viscount Berkeley at the same hotel CHAPTER VII. Viscount Berkeley jots down his “impressions” to date with a quill pen—The destruction of the New Gadsby by fire—Berkeley loses his bearings and escapes with his journaled “impressions” only—Discovery and hasty donning of one-armed Pete’s abandoned wardrobe—Glowing and affecting account in the morning papers of the heroic death of the heir of Rossmore—He will take a new name and start out “incog" CHAPTER VIII. The colonel’s grief at the loss of both Berkeley and one-armed Pete—Materialization—Breaking the news to the family—The colonel starts to identify and secure a body (or ashes) to send to the bereaved father CHAPTER IX. The usual actress and her diamonds in the hotel fire—The colonel secures three baskets of ashes—Mrs. Sellers forbids their lying in state—Generous hatchments—The ashes to be sent only when the earl sends for them CHAPTER X. Lord Berkeley deposits the $500 found in his appropriated clothes—Attends “Mechanics’ Debating Club”—Berkeley (_alias_ Tracy) is glad he came to this country