So he gave it up; and not reluctantly, when he had thought it over and

realized how right her instinct was. He concluded to merely sit up with

the remains just himself and Hawkins. Even this seemed a doubtful

attention, to his wife, but she offered no objection, for it was plain

that he had a quite honest and simple-hearted desire to do the friendly

and honourable thing by these forlorn poor relics which could command no

hospitality in this far off land of strangers but his. He draped the

flag about the baskets, put some crape on the door-knob, and said with

satisfaction:

"There--he is as comfortable, now, as we can make him in the

circumstances. Except--yes, we must strain a point there--one must do as

one would wish to be done by--he must have it."

Have what, dear?"

Hatchment."

The wife felt that the house-front was standing about all it could well

stand, in that way; the prospect of another stunning decoration of that

nature distressed her, and she wished the thing had not occurred to him.

She said, hesitatingly:

"But I thought such an honour as that wasn't allowed to any but very very

near relations, who--"

The American Claimant