Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. "It is the noblest of professions and the meanest of trades,'' said Dr. Maurice Cavallo to himself, " and if that is the way old Father Hippocrates found it what can a fellow expect in these degenerate days?" and so saying, he drew forth a match, searched in his pockets, found a cigar, and lighting it, proceeded to pour forth a cloud of smoke. In this occupation he was standing before his window contemplating the street and watching it rain, when he saw Bob Lawrence go by and he hastily knocked on the window to attract his attention. That individual, on seeing who it was that was calling to him, stopped, closed his umbrella, and soon could be heard stamping up stairs. He opened the office door, stood his umbrella up in a corner where the surplus water would run into a tin basin in which the Doctor had "a culture." Dr. Cavallo started at first to stop him, but as the special bacteria had long since died out, a result of too much crowding, he desisted, and watched the other settle himself in a chair, pull a cigar out of his pocket, light it, and then fish around for a match. This found, he joined in, and they steadily sent out a cloud of smoke together. Finally, the Doctor found time to put the question that he had been aching to ask and yet hesitated from some unaccountable impulse to do. "How is your sister?" "Oh," said Bob, "she is all right; no worse since you dismissed the case. Ugly thing this diphtheria. Do you know that I had half a notion to be a doctor myself? Seidel talked so much to me about it that I had a great mind to become a 'dig' and try for a profession." Cavallo laughed. " Let me congratulate you on your escape." "Oh yes," said Bob, "I know all about it. Settle in some town, go in and physic the poor ; treat everybody, pay or no pay... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.