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’s letter—Lord Berkeleydecides to visit America
CHAPTER II.
Colonel Mulberry Sellers and his art gallery—He receives a visit fromWashington Hawkins—Talking over old times —Washington informs the colonel thathe 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 inDan’l and Jinny—The colonel originates “Pigs in the Clover”—He offers one ofhis 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 relativeSellers becomes the rightful Earl of Rossmore and consequently the AmericanClairnant—Gwendolen is sent for from school—The remains of the late Claimantand 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 greatpleasure—Communication from the bank thief—Hawkins and Sellers have to wait tendays longer before getting the reward—Viscount Berkeley and the late Claimant’sremains start simultaneously from England and America
CHAPTER VI.
Arrival of the remains of late Claimant and brother in England —The usurpingearl officiates as chief mourner, and they are laid with their kindred inCholmondeley church—Sally Sellers a gifted costume-designer—Anothercommunication from the bank thief—Locating him in the New Gadsby—The colonel’sglimpse of one—armed Pete in the elevator—Arrival of Viscount Berkeley at thesame hotel
CHAPTER VII.
Viscount Berkeley jots down his “impressions” to date with a quill pen—Thedestruction of the New Gadsby by fire—Berkeley loses his bearings and escapeswith his journaled “impressions” only—Discovery and hasty donning of one-armedPete’s abandoned wardrobe—Glowing and affecting account in the morning papersof the heroic death of the heir of Rossmore—He will take a new name and startout “incog"
CHAPTER VIII.
The colonel’s grief at the loss of both Berkeley and one-armedPete—Materialization—Breaking the news to the family—The colonel starts toidentify 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 threebask