the american claimant-第6节

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〃What　man？〃

〃One…armed　Pete　they　call　him　out　thereout　in　the　Cherokee　country　I
mean。　　Robbed　the　bank　in　Tahlequah。〃

〃Do　they　have　banks　in　Tahlequah？〃

〃Yesa　bank；　anyway。　　He　was　suspected　of　robbing　it。　　Whoever　did　it
got　away　with　more　than　twenty　thousand　dollars。　　They　offered　a　reward
of　five　thousand。　　I　believe　I　saw　that　very　man；　on　my　way　east。〃

〃Nois　that　so？

〃I　certainly　saw　a　man　on　the　train；　the　first　day　I　struck　the　railroad；
that　answered　the　description　pretty　exactlyat　least　as　to　clothes　and
a　lacking　arm。〃

〃Why　don't　you　get　him　arrested　and　claim　the　reward？〃

〃I　couldn't。　　I　had　to　get　a　requisition；　of　course。　　But　I　meant　to　stay
by　him　till　I　got　my　chance。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　he　left　the　train　during　the　night　some　time。〃

〃Oh；　hang　it；　that's　too　bad。〃

〃Not　so　very　bad；　either。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　he　came　down　to　Baltimore　in　the　very　train　I　was　in；　though　I
didn't　know　it　in　time。　　As　we　moved　out　of　the　station　I　saw　him　going
toward　the　iron　gate　with　a　satchel　in　his　hand。〃

〃Good；　we'll　catch　him。　　Let's　lay　a　plan。〃

〃Send　description　to　the　Baltimore　police？〃

〃Why；　what　are　you　talking　about？　　No。　　Do　you　want　them　to　get　the
reward？〃

〃What　shall　we　do；　then？〃

The　Colonel　reflected。

〃I'll　tell　you。　　Put　a　personal　in　the　Baltimore　Sun。　　Word　it　like　this：

　　　　　A。　DROP　ME　A　LINE；　PETE。

〃Hold　on。　　Which　arm　has　he　lost？〃

〃The　right。〃

〃Good。　　Now　then

A。　DROP　ME　A　LINE；　PETE；　EVEN　IF　YOU　HAVE　to　write　with　your　left　hand。
Address　X。　Y。　Z。；　General　Postoffice；　Washington。　　From　YOU　KNOW　WHO。

〃There…　that'll　fetch　him。〃

〃But　he　won't　know　whowill　he？〃

〃No；　but　he'll　want　to　know；　won't　he？〃

〃Why；　certainlyI　didn't　think　of　that。　　What　made　you　think　of　it？〃

〃Knowledge　of　human　curiosity。　　Strong　trait；　very　strong　trait。〃

〃Now　I'll　go　to　my　room　and　write　it　out　and　enclose　a　dollar　and　tell
them　to　print　it　to　the　worth　of　that。〃




CHAPTER　IV。

The　day　wore　itself　out。　　After　dinner　the　two　friends　put　in　a　long　and
harassing　evening　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　with　the　five　thousand
dollars　reward　which　they　were　going　to　get　when　they　should　find　One…
Armed　Pete；　and　catch　him；　and　prove　him　to　be　the　right　person；　and
extradite　him；　and　ship　him　to　Tahlequah　in　the　Indian　Territory。　　But
there　were　so　many　dazzling　openings　for　ready　cash　that　they　found　it
impossible　to　make　up　their　minds　and　keep　them　made　up。　　Finally；　Mrs。
Sellers　grew　very　weary　of　it　all；　and　said：

〃What　is　the　sense　in　cooking　a　rabbit　before　it's　caught？〃

Then　the　matter　was　dropped；　for　the　time　being；　and　all　went　to　bed。
Next　morning；　being　persuaded　by　Hawkins；　the　colonel　made　drawings　and
specifications　and　went　down　and　applied　for　a　patent　for　his　toy　puzzle；
and　Hawkins　took　the　toy　itself　and　started　out　to　see　what　chance　there
might　be　to　do　something　with　it　commercially。　　He　did　not　have　to　go
far。　　In　a　small　old　wooden　shanty　which　had　once　been　occupied　as　a
dwelling　by　some　humble　negro　family　he　found　a　keen…eyed　Yankee　engaged
in　repairing　cheap　chairs　and　other　second…hand　furniture。　　This　man
examined　the　toy　indifferently；　attempted　to　do　the　puzzle；　found　it　not
so　easy　as　he　had　expected；　grew　more　interested；　and　finally
emphatically　so；　achieved　a　success　at　last；　and　asked：

〃Is　it　patented？〃

〃Patent　applied　for。〃

〃That　will　answer。　　What　do　you　want　for　it？〃

〃What　will　it　retail　for？〃

〃Well；　twenty　…　five　cents；　I　should　think。〃

〃What　will　you　give　for　the　exclusive　right？〃

〃I　couldn't　give　twenty　dollars；　if　I　had　to　pay　cash　down；　but　I'll　tell
you　what　I'll　do。　I'll　make　it　and　market　it；　and　pay　you　five　cents
royalty　on　each　one。〃

Washington　sighed。　　Another　dream　disappeared；　no　money　in　the　thing。
So　he　said：

〃All　right；　take　it　at　that。　　Draw　me　a　paper。　　He　went　his　way　with　the
paper；　and　dropped　the　matter　out　of　his　mind　dropped　it　out　to　make　room
for　further　attempts　to　think　out　the　most　promising　way　to　invest　his
half　of　the　reward；　in　case　a　partnership　investment　satisfactory　to　both
beneficiaries　could　not　be　hit　upon。

He　had　not　been　very　long　at　home　when　Sellers　arrived　sodden　with　grief
and　booming　with　glad　excitementworking　both　these　emotions
successfully；　sometimes　separately；　sometimes　together。　　He　fell　on
Hawkins's　neck　sobbing；　and　said：

〃Oh；　mourn　with　me　my　friend；　mourn　for　my　desolate　house：　death　has
smitten　my　last　kinsman　and　I　am　Earl　of　Rossmorecongratulate　me！〃

He　turned　to　his　wife；　who　had　entered　while　this　was　going　on；　put　his
arms　about　her　and　said　〃You　will　bear　up；　for　my　sake；　my　ladyit　had
to　happen；　it　was　decreed。〃

She　bore　up　very　well；　and　said：

〃It's　no　great　loss。　　Simon　Lathers　was　a　poor　well…meaning　useless　thing
and　no　account；　and　his　brother　never　was　worth　shucks。〃

The　rightful　earl　continued：

〃I　am　too　much　prostrated　by　these　conflicting　griefs　and　joys　to　be　able
to　concentrate　my　mind　upon　affairs；　I　will　ask　our　good　friend　here　to
break　the　news　by　wire　or　post　to　the　Lady　Gwendolen　and　instruct　her
to〃

〃What　Lady　Gwendolen？〃

〃Our　poor　daughter；　who；　alas！〃

〃Sally　Sellers？　　Mulberry　Sellers；　are　you　losing　your　mind？〃

〃There…please　do　not　forget　who　you　are；　and　who　I　am；　remember　your　own
dignity；　be　considerate　also　of　mine。　　It　were　best　to　cease　from　using
my　family　name；　now；　Lady　Rossmore。〃

〃Goodness　gracious；　well；　I　never！　　What　am　I　to　call　you　then？〃

〃In　private；　the　ordinary　terms　of　endearment　will　still　be　admissible；
to　some　degree；　but　in　public　it　will　be　more　becoming　if　your　ladyship
will　speak　to　me　as　my　lord；　or　your　lordship；　and　of　me　as　Rossmore；　or
the　Earl；　or　his　Lordship；　and〃

〃Oh；　scat！　　I　can't　ever　do　it；　Berry。〃

〃But　indeed　you　must；　my　lovewe　must　live　up　to　our　altered　position
and　submit　with　what　grace　we　may　to　its　requirements。〃

〃Well；　all　right；　have　it　your　own　way；　I've　never　set　my　wishes　against
your　commands　yet；　Mulmy　lord；　and　it's　late　to　begin　now；　though　to　my
mind　it's　the　rottenest　foolishness　that　ever　was。〃

〃Spoken　like　my　own　true　wife！　　There；　kiss　and　be　friends　again。〃

〃But…Gwendolen！　　I　don't　know　how　I　am　ever　going　to　stand　that　name。
Why；　a　body　wouldn't　know　Sally　Sellers　in　it。　　It's　too　large　for　her；
kind　of　like　a　cherub　in　an　ulster；　and　it's　a　most　outlandish　sort　of　a
name；　anyway；　to　my　mind。〃

〃You'll　not　hear　her　find　fault　with　it；　my　lady。〃

〃That's　a　true　word。　　She　takes　to　any　kind　of　romantic　rubbish　like　she
was　born　to　it。　　She　never　got　it　from　me；　that's　sure。　　And　sending　her
to　that　silly　college　hasn't　helped　the　matter　anyjust　the　other　way。

〃Now　hear　her；　Hawkins！　　Rowena…Ivanhoe　College　is　the　selectest　and　most
aristocratic　seat　of　learning　for　young　ladies　in　our　country。　　Under　no
circumstances　can　a　girl　get　in　there　unless　she　is　either　very　rich　and
fashionable　or　can　prove　four　generations　of　what　may　be　called　American
nobility。　　Castellated　college…buildingstowers　and　turrets　and　an
imitation　moatand　everything　about　the　place　named　out　of　Sir　Walter
Scott's　books　and　redolent　of　royalty　and　state　and　style；　and　all　the
richest　girls　keep　phaetons；　and　coachmen　in　livery；　and　riding…horses；
with　English　grooms　in　plug　hats　and　tight…buttoned　coats；　and　top…boots；
and　a　whip…handle　without　any　whip　to　it；　to　ride　sixty…three　feet　behind
them〃

〃And　they　don't　learn　a　blessed　thing；　Washington　Hawkins；　not　a　single
blessed　thing　but　showy　rubbish　and　un…american　pretentiousness。　　But
send　for　the　Lady　Gwendolendo；　for　I　reckon　the　peerage　regulations
require　that　she　must　come　home　and　let　on　to　go　into　seclusion　and　mourn
for　those　Arkansas　blatherskites　she's　lost。〃

〃My　darling！　　Blatherskites？　　Remembernoblesse　oblige。〃

〃There；　theretalk　to　me　in　your　own　tongue；　Rossyou　don't　know　any
other；　and　you　only　botch　it　when　you　try。　　Oh；　don't　stareit　was　a
slip；　and　no　crime；　customs　of　a　life…time　can't　be　dropped　in　a　second。
Rossmorethere；　now；　be　appeased；　and　go　along　with　you　and　attend　to
Gwendolen。　　Are　you　going　to　write；　Washington？or　telegraph？〃

〃He　will　telegraph；　dear。〃

〃I　thought　as　much；〃　my　lady　muttered；　as　she　left　the　room。　　〃Wants　it
so　the　address　will　have　to　appear　on　the　envelop。　　It　will　just　make　a
fool　of　that　child。　　She'll　get　it；　of　course；　for　if　there　are　any　other
Sellerses　there　they'll　not　be　able　to　claim　it。　　And　just　leave　her
alone　to　show　it　around　and　make　the　most　of　it。　　Well；　maybe　she's
forgivable　for　that。　　She's　so　poor　and　they're　so　rich；　of　course　she's
had　her　share　of　snubs　from　the　livery…flunkey　sort；　and　I　reckon　it's
only　human　to　want　to　get　even。〃

Uncle　Dan'l　was　sent　with　the　telegram；　for　although　a　conspicuous　object
in　a　corner　of　the　drawing…room　was　a　telephone　hanging　on　a　transmitter；
Washington　found　all　attempts　to　raise　the　central　office　vain。　　The
Colonel　grumbled　something　about　its　being　〃always　out　of　order　when
you've　got　particular　and　especial　use　for　it；〃　　but　he　didn't　explain
that　one　of　the　reasons　for　this　was　that　the　thing　was　only　a　dummy　and
hadn't　any　wire　attache