Root used to say."

Mabel slipped into a seat near Miss Noel, and, after some inquiries
about Sir Robert, Ethel, and the Browns, told her what concern they had
felt about her illness. "Husband telegraphed constantly to know how you
were going on; but the replies were often most unsatisfactory; and it is
so very nice to see you up again. You will soon be about, and the
sea-voyage will set you up wonderfully. That puts me in mind of--Tell
her, husband; show her."

Thus stimulated, Mr. Ketchum drew out an enormous pocket-book, stuffed
full of papers, and attacked it rather than looked through it, drew out
a handful of letters, bills, memorandums, tore up several, crushed
others back into his case, walked swiftly into the hall, and came back
triumphantly with his over-coat on his arm and a sheet of foolscap in
his hand.

"Dear, dear, husband, you should not mess about like this," said Mabel,
"littering up the carpet."

She would have picked up the bits of paper, but he interfered. "Here!
I'll do that, Daisy; sit down. Daisy's occupation in the next world,
Miss Noel, is going to be sweeping all the dirty clouds out of the sky,
and polishing up the harps and crowns, and telling the small angels not
to leave the ivory gates ajar, for fear of draughts, and to be sure and
put their buckets and spades away tidily when they have done digging in
the golden sands, and not to get over-heated and fall ill, because they
can't die and have got nowhere to go. Now, look at this" (getting up
from his knees and holding up the foolscap, which was covered with
drawings of some mechanical contrivance): "I got thinking about you one
day and your illness, and that you ought to stay on deck all you could,
and to have the right kind of chair, and suddenly this idea hit me right
on the head, and I got out my pencil and started in on it. And here it
is. This is only the rough draught, you understand."

With growing enthusiasm he explained all the details, while Mabel looked
intently and respectfully at the paper he held, and interjected admiring
comments: "Isn't it a most wonderful thing? and wasn't it clever of
husband to think of it?--but, then, he is always thinking of things.
Husband has got such a surprising talent for invention, and grasps an
idea at once."

"Oh, no, I haven't. I think I could have found out the way to my mouth
as soon as any other baby, that's all. But this is a lucky hit. I am
going to have it patented. It's a first-