The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-06
'THE AMERICAN CLAIMANT,
BY MARK TWAIN.


patent medicines and tonics with iron nnC
even proposed to send out for wine, relent
less prohibitionist aud head or the order in
tho district Of Columbia ms he Was. bu
these kindnosses we o all declined-thank-
fully. but with decision.
At bedtime. whan the family were bronx
ing up for ths night, she privately lootet
one of the brushes. saying to herself, '.It'l
tbs ona he has used this most
Inc next morning Tracy went forth wonr.
ing his new suit, and equipped with a pinl
IN his buttonhole-a daily attention from
puss. His whole soul was full of Gwondo.
Len Sellers, and this condition was an in
splration artwise. All the morning hi,
brush paved nimbly away ut the canvassss
almost without his awarity-awarity, il
this sense being the sense of being aware
though disputed by some authorities
turning out marvel upon marvel, in the
traits, with n felicity and celebrity which
amazed the veterans Of the firm and fetched
out Of them continuous explosions of up
plause.
Meantime Gwendolen was losing hel
morning and many dollars. She supposed
Tracy was coming in the forenoon-a con-
clusion which she had jumped to without out
aide heir. So she trlpped down stairs every
little while from her work parlor to ar
range the brushes and things over again.
and see it he had arrived, And when she
was IN her work pnrlor it wasnot profitable,
but just the Other way-as she found out to
her sorrow. She had put in her idle mo-
ments during the last little while back in
designing a particularly rare and capabls
gown for herself, and this morning she set
about making it up; but she was absent
minded, and make an irrsmediable botoh
of it.
When she saw what she had lone she
knew the reason of it and the meaning of
it, and she put her work away from her
and said size would accept the sign. INC
from that time forth she came no more
away from the audience chamber, but re-
mnincd there and waited.
After luncheon she waited again. A
whole hour. Then a great joy wellsd up in
her heart. for she saw him coming. So she
flew back upstairs thankful and could
hardly wait for him to miss the principal
brush, which she had mislaid down there,
but knew where she had mislaid it.
However, all in good time the others were
called in, and couldn't find the brush, and
then she was sent for. and she couldn't find
1t herself for some little time, but then she
found it when the Others had gone away TO
hunt in the kitchen and down cellar and in
the woodshed, and all those othsr places
where people look for things whose ways
they are not familiar with.
so she gave him tho brush, and remarked
that she ought to have seen that everything
was ready for him, but it hadn't seemed
wasn't expecting-but she stopped there,
surprised at herself for what she was say
ing: and he felt cnucht and ashamed, and
said to himself. II knew my i'm patiencs
would drag me here before 1 was expected.
and betray ME, and that Is just what it has
done; she sees straight through me, and il
laughing at me. inside, of course"
tfWHnunlnn VIVA vArv nnrNh p1aouo1 0r
one account, and a little the other way in
another; pleased with the new clothes and
the improvement which they had achieved;
less pleased by the pink in the buttonhole.
Yesterdays pink had hardly interested her;
this one was just like it, but somehow ii
1t. She wished she could think of some
way Of getting at its history in a properly
colorless and Indifferent way. Presently
she made a venture. She said:
Whatever a mans age may be he can re-
dnce it several wears by putting a bright
colored flower in his buttonhole. I have
often noticed that. IL that your sex's rea-
son for wearing a boutonniere?"
II fancy not. but certainly that reason
would be 4 sufficient one. I've never
heard of the idea betore.''
You seem to prefer uinks. Is it on &C
count of the color Or the form?'
ION, no he said simply, they are given
ence."
They ats given to him. sho said to he--
self, and she felt q GOODNESS toward that
pink: II wonder who it il md what she is
like Ihe flower began to take up a good
deal of room, 1t obttudsd itself every
where; it Intercepted all views and marred
them; it was becoming exceedingly annoy
and conspicuous for a little thing. II
wonder if he cares for her" That thought
gave her a quito definite pain.