s to hold his horse while he went in, and he thought he
could get through the conversational part very well, and feeling the
pulse, perhaps looking at the tongue. He should take and read all the
newspapers, and so be thoroughly acquainted with the news of the day
to talk of. But he should not like to be waked up at night to visit.
Mr. Peterkin thought that would not be necessary. He had seen signs on
doors of "Night Doctor," and certainly it would be as convenient to
have a sign of "Not a Night Doctor."

Solomon John thought he might write his advice to those of his
patients who were dangerously ill, from whom there was danger of
infection. And then Elizabeth Eliza agreed that his prescriptions
would probably be so satisfactory that they would keep his patients
well,--not too well to do without a doctor, but needing his recipes.

Agamemnon was delayed, however, in his choice of a profession, by a
desire he had to become a famous inventor. If he could only invent
something important, and get out a patent, he would make himself known
all over the country. If he could get out a patent he would be set up
for life, or at least as long as the patent lasted, and it would be
well to be sure to arrange it to last through his natural life.

Indeed, he had gone so far as to make his invention. It had been
suggested by their trouble with a key, in their late moving to their
new house. He had studied the matter over a great deal. He looked it
up in the Encyclopaedia, and had spent a day or two in the Public
Library, in reading about Chubb's Lock and other patent locks.

But his plan was more simple. It was this: that all keys should be
made alike! He wondered it had not been thought of before; but so it
was, Solomon John said, with all inventions, with Christopher
Columbus, and everybody. Nobody knew the invention till it was
invented, and then it looked very simple. With Agamemnon's plan you
need have but one key, that should fit everything! It should be a
medium-sized key, not too large to carry. It ought to answer for a
house door, but you might open a portmanteau with it. How much less
danger there would be of losing one's keys if there were only one to
lose!

[Illustration]

Mrs. Peterkin thought it would be inconvenient if their father were
out, and she wanted to open the jam-closet for the little boys. But
Agamemnon explained that he did not mean there should be but one key
in the family, or an a town,--you might have