The American Claimant
The seventh day after the date of the telegram Washington came dreaming down to breakfast and was set wide awake by an electrical spasm of pleasure.

Here was the most beautiful young creature he had ever seen in his life. It was Sally Sellers Lady Gwendolen; she had come in the night. And it seemed to him that her clothes were the prettiest and the daintiest he had ever looked upon, and the most exquisitely contrived and fashioned and combined, as to decorative trimmings, and fixings, and melting harmonies of color. It was only a morning dress, and inexpensive, but he confessed to himself, in the English common to Cherokee Strip, that it was a “corker.” And now, as he perceived, the reason why the Sellers household poverties and sterilities had been made to blossom like the rose, and charm the eye and satisfy the spirit, stood explained; here was the magician; here in the midst of her works, and furnishing in her own person the proper accent and climaxing finish of the whole.

“My daughter, Major Hawkins—come home to mourn; flown home at the call of affliction to help the authors of her being bear the burden of bereavement. She was very fond of the late earl—idolized him, sir, idolized him—”

“Why, father, I’ve never seen him.”

“True—she’s right, I was thinking of another—er—of her mother—”

“I idolized that smoked haddock?—that sentimental, spiritless—”

“I was thinking of myself! Poor noble fellow, we were inseparable com—”

“Hear the man! Mulberry Sel—Mul—Rossmore—hang the troublesome name I can never—if I’ve heard you say once, I’ve heard you say a thousand times that if that poor sheep—”

“I was thinking of—of—I don’t know who I was thinking of, and it doesn’t make any difference anyway; _some_body idolized him, I recollect it as if it were yesterday; and—”

“Father, I am going to shake hands with Major Hawkins, and let the introduction work along and catch up at its leisure. I remember you very well indeed, Major Hawkins, although I was a little child when I saw you last; and I am very, very glad indeed to see you again and have you in our house as one of us;” and beaming in his face she finished her cordial shake with the hope that he had not forgotten her.

He was prodigiously pleased by her outspoken heartiness, and wanted to repay her by assuring her that he remembered her, and not only that but better even than he 
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