The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-20
THU AMERICAN CLAIMANT,
BY MARK TWAIN.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CHAPTER NNIII.
"KACY WROTE HIS FATHER BE-
-\II fore he sought his bad. Eo wrote q
~ letter which he believed would got
better treatment than his oablegram re-
ceivsd, for it contained what ought to DO
Welcome news; namely. that he had tried
equality and working for a living; had
made a hght which he could find no reason
to be ashamed OF, and in the matter of
earning = living had proved that he was
able to do it; but that. on the whole. that
he had arrived at the conclusion that he
could not reform the world s~ingle-hnnded,
and was willing to rotite from the conflict
with the fair degree of honor which he had
gained, and was also willing to return
homo and resume his position and be con-
tent with il and thankful for it for the
future, leaving farther experiment Of a
missionary sort to other young peopls need
ing tho chastsning and q%uelling pe,sua-
sions OF xxi ~erienco, tho only logic sure to
convince tho diseased Imagination and re-
store it to rugged health.
Then he approached tho subject of mar
riago with the daughter of the American
claimant with a good deal OF caution and
much p%ainstakinR art. He said praiseful
and appreciativs things about the girl, but
didn't dwell upon that detail or make it
prominent. The thing which ho made
prominent was tho opportunity now 80
happily afforded to reconcile York and
Lancaster, graft the walring roses upon
one stem, and end forever a crying in
Justice which had already lasted far too
long. ~. j. 5S@ ~. NJ
One could infer that he had thought this
thing all out and chosen this way of max
ing all things fair and right, because it was
sufficiently fair and considerably wiser than
the renunoiation scheme which he had
brought with him from England. One
could infer that, but he didn't say it. In
fact, the more he road his letter over the
more he got to infsrrinR 1t himself.
When the old earl received that letter the
first part of it filled him with q grim and
gnarly satisfaction; but the rest of it brought
4 snort or two out of him that could bs
translated differently. Ho wasted NO ink in
this emergency, either in cablogrnms or let
tiers; he promptly took ship for America 30
look into the matter himself. He had
atuunchly held biz grip all this long time,
and given no sign OF the hunger at his heart
TO see MS AOus uCpluk 10y tAS VuAV VI HIS IL
sane dream, and r~ssolute that the process
should 60 through all the neceaaary stages
without assuaging kilograms or other non
sense from home, and here was victory ut
last. Victory. but stupidity marred by this
idiotio marriage project. Yes, he would
step over and take a hand III TINS matter
himself.
During the first ten days following the
mailing Of the letter Iracy's spirits had no
idl. time; they were always climbing up
into tho clouds or sliding down into the
earth ns deep as the law Of grav1tation
tensely miserable by turns, according to
Miss Sally's moods. He never could tell
when the mood was going to change, and
when it changed he couldn't toll what it
was that changed it. Sometimes she was
SO in love with him that her love was tropi-
cal, torrid, and she could find no language
tervent enough for its expression; then
suddenly, and without warning or amy ap-
parent reason, the weather would change
and the victim would find himself adritt
among the icebergs and feeling as lonesome
and friendless as the north pole. It soma
times seemed to him that a man might bet
Ter be dead than exposed to these devas-
tating varieties OF climate.
The case was simple. Sally wanted to
believe that Tracy's preference was disin-
te,extsd; 80 she was always applying little
tesla of one sort or another, hoping and ex-
5ISSbtAE AfU VACy WSAlu 0l4Lk OAb CIV l&ACLCo
which would confirm and fortlfy her be-
" lief. Poor Tracy did not know that these
experiments were being made upon him,
consequently he walked promptly into ali
the traps the girl set for him. Thsss traps
consisted in apparently casual references to
social distinction, aristocratie title and
privilege, and such things. Often Tracy
responded to these references hesdlessly,
and not much caring what he said. pro
vidsd it kept this talk going and prolonged
She seanoe. He didn't suspect that the girl
was watching his taco and listening for his
worda az one who watches the iuuxe's face
and listens for tho words which will restore
him to home and ftisnds and freedom, or
shut him away from the sun and human
companionshio forever. He didn't suspect
that his careless words were being weighed,
and 80 he often delivered sentences of
handy md all the same to him to pronounce
ncquittal. Daily he broke the girls heart:
nightly hs zont her TO the rack for sleep.
Hs couldn't understand it.
Sons psople would have put this and that
together and perceived that the weather
nevor changed until ons particular subject
wss introduced, and then thst it always
changed. And they would have looked
further and perceived that that subject was
the other. They would have argued, then,
that this WIS done for = purpose. Ii they
could not fina out what that purpose was
IN any Sim pier or easier way, they would
ask.
Bat Tracy wal not deep enough or sus-
pieious enough to think of these things.
dc noticed only ono particular; that the
weather WAS always sunny when a visit be-
gan. No matter how much it might cloud
I'M later, it always began with u CLAIR sky.
He couldn't explain this curious fact to
himAelf, he merely knew it be ataot. The
truth Of the matter was, that by the time
Tracy had boon out of Sally's sight six
hours shs was so furnishing for r sight of
him that her doubts and suspicious were
all consumed way in the fro of that long.
ing. and 80 always sho came into his pres
sacs AZ surprisingly radiant and Joyous as
she wasn't when she went ont of il.
In circumstances like these a growing
portrait runs \ good many risks. Tho por-
trait of Sellers, by Tracy, was fighting
along, day by day, through this mixed
weather. and daily, adding to itself inerad-
icable signs OF the chsokcrsd life il wss
leading. 1t WAS tho hnppient portrait, in
srots, that was ever seen: hut in othss
spots a damned soul looked out from ander
it: : soul that was suffering all the different
kinds OF dat esg there nrs, from stomach
ache to rabisH. But Sellers liked it. Hs
said it WINS just himself all ov.r-n portrait
that sueated moods from every pore, and
no two moods alike. Hs said he had IA
many different kinds of smotiona in him M
= jug.
1t WAS n kind of n deadly work of art,
maybe. bat il was a ntnrohy picture fol-
show; 1t was lift.size, full length. and rep
rReHffah thA A M - pEu 50 t, 81 ,n~c' nnnr