| Biographical Notes | p. v |
| Introduction | p. xvii |
| A Note on the Text and Illustrations | p. xxv |
| Preface | p. xxxi |
| The Gilded Age | |
| Squire Hawkins and His Tennessee Land-He Decides to Remove to Missouri | p. 3 |
| He Meets with and Adopts the Boy Clay | p. 13 |
| Uncle Daniel's Apparition and Prayer | p. 18 |
| The Steamboat Explosion | p. 22 |
| Adoption of the Little Girl Laura-Arrival at Missouri-Reception by Colonel Eschol Sellers | p. 33 |
| Trouble and Darkness in the Hawkins Family-Proposed Sale of the Tennessee Land | p. 41 |
| Colonel Sellers at Home-His Wonderful Clock and Cure for Rheumatism | p. 50 |
| Colonel Sellers Makes Known His Magnificent Speculation Schemes and Astonishes Washington Hawkins | p. 56 |
| Death of Judge Hawkins | p. 64 |
| Laura Hawkins Discovers a Mystery in Her Parentage and Grows Morbid Under the Village Gossip | p. 70 |
| A Dinner with Col. Sellers-Wonderful Effects of Raw Turnips | p. 78 |
| Philip Sterling and Henry Brierly-Arrangements to Go West as Engineers | p. 83 |
| Rail-Road Contractors and Party Traveling-Philip and Harry Form the Acquaintance of Col. Sellers | p. 90 |
| Ruth Bolton and Her Parents | p. 98 |
| Visitors of the Boltons-Mr. Bigler "Sees the Legislature"-Ruth Bolton Commences Medical Studies | p. 105 |
| The Engineers Detained at St. Louis-Off for Camp-Reception by Jeff Thompson | p. 114 |
| The Engineer Corps Arrive at Stone's Landing | p. 122 |
| Laura and Her Marriage to Colonel Selby-Deserted and Returns to Hawkeye | p. 130 |
| Harry Brierly Infatuated with Laura and Proposes She Visit Washington | p. 139 |
| Senator Abner Dilworthy Visits Hawkeye-Addresses the People and Makes the Acquaintance of Laura | p. 146 |
| Ruth Bolton at Fallkill Seminary-The Montagues-Ruth Becomes Quite Gay-Alice Montague | p. 152 |
| Philip and Harry Visit Fallkill-Harry Does the Agreeable to Ruth | p. 158 |
| Harry at Washington Lobbying for an Appropriation for Stone's Landing-Philip in New York Studying Engineering | p. 166 |
| Washington and Its Sights-The Appropriation Bill Reported from the Committee and Passed | p. 169 |
| Energetic Movements at Stone's Landing-Everything Booming-A Grand Smash Up | p. 177 |
| The Boltons-Ruth at Home-Visitors and Speculations | p. 184 |
| Col. Sellers Comforts His Wife with His Views of the Prospects | p. 193 |
| Visit to Headquarters in Wall Street-How Appropriations Are Obtained and Their Cost | p. 201 |
| Philip's Experience with the Rail-Road Conductor-Surveys His Mining Property | p. 212 |
| Laura and Col. Sellers Go to Washington on Invitation of Senator Dilworthy | p. 220 |
| Philip and Harry at the Boltons'-Philip Seriously Injured-Ruth's First Case of Surgery | p. 223 |
| Laura Becomes a Famous Belle at Washington | p. 233 |
| Society in Washington-The Antiques, the Parvenus, and the Middle Aristocracy | p. 238 |
| Grand Scheme for Disposing of the Tennessee Land-Laura and Washington Hawkins Enjoying the Reputation of Being Millionaires | p. 253 |
| About Senators-Their Privileges and Habits | p. 258 |
| An Hour in a Book Store | p. 265 |
| Representative Buckstone and Laura's Strategic Coquetry | p. 270 |
| Reception Day in Washington-Laura Again Meets Col. Selby and the Effect upon Her | p. 274 |
| Col. Selby Visits Laura and Effects a Reconciliation | p. 281 |
| Col. Sellers' Career in Washington-Laura's Intimacy with Col. Selby Is Talked About | p. 286 |
| Harry Brierly Becomes Entirely Infatuated with Laura-Declares His Love and Gets Laughed At | p. 291 |
| How the Hon. Mr. Trollop Was Induced to Vote for Laura's Bill | p. 298 |
| Progress of the Bill in the House | p. 314 |
| Philip in Washington-Visits Laura | p. 320 |
| The Passage of the Bill in the House of Representatives | p. 327 |
| Disappearance of Laura, and Murder of Col. Selby in New York | p. 338 |
| Laura in the Tombs and Her Visitors | p. 346 |
| Mr. Bolton Says Yes Again-Philip Returns to the Mines | p. 353 |
| The Coal Vein Found and Lost Again-Philip and the Boltons-Elated and Then Cruelly Disappointed | p. 360 |
| Philip Visits Fallkill and Proposes Studying Law with Mr. Montague-The Squire Invests in the Mine-Ruth Declares Her Love for Philip | p. 367 |
| Col. Sellers Enlightens Washington Hawkins on the Customs of Congress | p. 375 |
| How Senator Dilworthy Advanced Washington's Interests | p. 382 |
| Senator Dilworthy Goes West to See About His Re-election-He Becomes a Shining Light | p. 384 |
| The Trial of Laura for Murder | p. 391 |
| The Trial Continued-Evidence of Harry Brierly | p. 399 |
| The Trial Continued-Col. Sellers on the Stand and Takes Advantage of the Situation | p. 406 |
| The Momentous Day-Startling News-Dilworthy Denounced as a Briber and Defeated-The Bill Lost in the Senate | p. 414 |
| Verdict, Not Guilty!-Laura Free and Receives Propositions to Lecture-Philip Back at the Mines | p. 422 |
| The Investigation of the Dilworthy Bribery Case and Its Results | p. 429 |
| Laura Decides on Her Course-Attempts to Lecture and Fails-Found Dead in Her Chair | p. 439 |
| Col. Sellers and Washington Hawkins Review the Situation and Leave Washington | p. 447 |
| Philip Discouraged-One More Effort-Finds Coal at Last | p. 453 |
| Philip Leaves Ilium to See Ruth-Ruth Convalescent-Alice | p. 458 |
| Appendix | p. 465 |
| Notes | p. 467 |
| Translations of Chapter-Head Mottoes | p. 475 |
| Reading Group Guide | p. 487 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
