added, by a daring hand, they were all doing duty here as "Earls of

Rossmore." The newest one had left the works as Andrew Jackson, but was

doing its best now, as "Simon Lathers Lord Rossmore, Present Earl."

On one wall was a cheap old railroad map of Warwickshire. This had been

newly labeled "The Rossmore Estates." On the opposite wall was another

map, and this was the most imposing decoration of the establishment and

the first to catch a stranger's attention, because of its great size.

It had once borne simply the title SIBERIA; but now the word "FUTURE" had

been written in front of that word. There were other additions, in red

ink--many cities, with great populations set down, scattered over the

vast-country at points where neither cities nor populations exist to-day.

One of these cities, with population placed at 1,500,000, bore the name

Libertyorloffskoizalinski," and there was a still more populous one,

centrally located and marked "Capital," which bore the name

Freedomolovnaivanovich."

The "mansion"--the Colonel's usual name for the house--was a rickety old

two-story frame of considerable size, which had been painted, some time

or other, but had nearly forgotten it. It was away out in the ragged

edge of Washington and had once been somebody's country place. It had a

neglected yard around it, with a paling fence that needed straightening

up, in places, and a gate that would stay shut. By the door-post were

several modest tin signs. "Col. Mulberry Sellers, Attorney at Law and

Claim Agent," was the principal one. One learned from the others that

the Colonel was a Materializer, a Hypnotizer, a Mind-Cure dabbler; and so

on. For he was a man who could always find things to do.

The American Claimant