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.Damon's lost fortune."Tom Swift And His Photo TelephoneCHAPTER XVII.THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE57"That's so! I didn't think of that.And I may get a clue to his disappearance,though I don't imagine Peters had anything to do with that.Wait, Rad.Tellthe gentleman I'll see him.Did he give any name, Rad?""Yas, sah.Him done say him Mistah Boylan.""The same man who called to see me once before, trying to get me to do somebusiness with Peters,"murmured Tom."Very well, I'll see him as soon as this picture is fixed.TellPage 47ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhim to wait, Rad."A little later Tom went to where his caller awaited in the library.This timethere were no plans to be looked at, the young inventor having made a practiceof keeping all his valuable papers locked in a safe."You go into the next room, Ned," Tom had said to his chum."Leave the dooropen, so you can hear what is said.""Why, do you think there'll be trouble? Maybe we'd better have Koku on handto""Oh, no, nothing like that," laughed Tom."I just want you to listen to what'ssaid so, if need be, you can be a witness later.I don't know what their gameis, but I don't trust Peters and his crowd.They may want to get control ofsome of my patents, and they may try some underhanded work.If they do I wantto be in a position to stop them.""All right," agreed Ned, and he took his place.But Mr.Boylan's errand was not at all sensational, it would seem.He bowed toTom, perhaps a little distantly, for they had not parted the best of friendson a former occasion."I suppose you are surprised to see me," began Mr.Boylan."Well, I am, to tell the truth," Tom said, calmly."I am here at the request of my employer, Mr.Peters," went on the caller."Hesays he is forming a new and very powerful company to exploit airships, and hewants to know whether you would not reconsider your determination not to lethim do some business for you.""No, I'm afraid I don't care to go into anything like that," said Tom."It would be a good thing for you," proceeded Mr.Boylan, eagerly."Mr.Petersis able to command large capital, and if you would permit the use of yourairshipsor one of themas a model, and would supervise the construction ofothers, we could confidently expect large sales.Thus you would profit, and Iam frank to admit that the company, and Mr.Peters, also, would make money.Mr.Peters is perfectly free to confess that he is in business to make money,but he is also willing to let others share with him.Come now, what do yousay?""I am sorry, but I shall have to say the same thing I said before," repliedTom."Nothing doing!"Mr.Boylan glanced rather angrily at the young inventor, and then, with ashrug of his shoulders, remarked:"Well, you have the say, of course.But I would like to remind you that thisis going to be a very large airship company, and if your inventions are notexploited some others will be.And Mr.Peters also desired me to say that thisis the last offer he would make you."Tom Swift And His Photo TelephoneCHAPTER XVII.THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE58"Tell him," said Tom, "that I am much obliged, but that I have no businessthat I can entrust to him.If he wishes to make some other type of airship,that is his affair.Goodday."As Mr.Boylan was going out Tom noticed a button dangling from the back of hiscaller's coat.It hung by a thread, being one of the pair usually sewed on theback of a cutaway garment."I think you had better take off that button before it falls," suggested Tom."You may lose it, and perhaps it would be hard to match.""That's so.Thank you!" said Mr.Boylan.He tried to reach around and get it,but he was too stout to turn easily, especially as the coat was tightfitting."I'll get it for you," offered Tom, as he pulled it off."There is onemissing, though," he said, as he handed the button to the man.And then Tomstarted as he saw the pattern of the one in his hand."One gone? That's too bad," murmured Mr.Boylan."Those buttons were imported,and I doubt if I can replace them.They are rather odd."Page 48ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Yes," agreed Tom, gazing as if fascinated at the one he still held."They arerather odd."And then, as he passed it over, like a flash it came to him where he had seena button like that before.He had found it in his airship, which had been somysteriously taken away and returned.Tom could hardly restrain his impatience until Mr.Boylan had gone.The younginventor had half a notion to produce the other button, matching the one hehad just pulled off his visitor's coat, and tell where he had found it.But heheld himself back.He wanted to talk first to Ned.And, when his chum came in, Tom cried:"Ned, what do you think? I know who had my airship!""How?" asked Ned, in wonder."By that button clue! Yes, it's the same kindthey're as alike as twins!" andTom brought out the button which he had put away in his desk."See, Boylan hadone just like this on the back of his coat.The other was missing.Here itisit was in the seat of my airship, where it was probably pulled off as hemoved about.Ned, I think I've got the right clue at last."Ned said nothing for several seconds.Then he remarked slowly:"Well, Tom, it proves one thing; but not the other.""What do you mean?""I mean that it may be perfectly true that the button came off Mr.Boylan'scoat, but that doesn't prove that he wore it.You can be reasonably sure thatthe coat was having a ride in your Eagle, but was Boylan in the coat?That's the question.""In the coat? Of course he was in it!" cried Tom."You can't be sure.Someone may have borrowed his coat to take a midnight ridein the airship."Tom Swift And His Photo TelephoneCHAPTER XVII.THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE59"Mr.Boylan doesn't look to be the kind of a man who would lend his clothes,"remarked Tom."You never can tell.Someone may have borrowed it without his knowledge.You'dbetter go a bit slow, Tom.""Well, maybe I had.But it's a clue, anyhow."Ned agreed to this."And all I've got to do is to find out who was in the coat when it was ridingabout in my airship," went onTom."Yes," said Ned, "and then maybe you'll have some clue to the disappearance ofMr.Damon.""Right you are! Come on, let's get busy!""As if we hadn't been busy all the while!" laughed Ned."I'll lose my place atthe bank if I don't get back soon.""Oh, stay a little longera few days," urged Tom."I'm sure that something isgoing to happen soon.Anyhow my photo telephone is about perfected.But I'vejust thought of another improvement.""What is it?""I'm going to arrange a sort of dictaphone, or phonograph, so I can get apermanent record of what a person says over the wire, as well as get a pictureof him saying it.Then everything will be complete.This last won't be hard todo, as there are several machines on the market now, for preserving a recordof telephone conversations.I'll make mine a bit different, though.""Tom, is there any limit to what you're going to do?" asked Ned, admiringly."Oh, yes, I'm going to stop soon, and retire," laughed the young inventor.After talking the matter over, Tom and his chum decided to wait a day or sobefore taking any action in regard to the button clue to the takers of theairship.After all, no great harm had been done, and Tom was more anxious toPage 49ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllocate Mr.Damon, and try to get back his fortune, as well as to perfect hisphoto telephone, than he was to discover those who had helped themselves tothe Eagle.Tom and Ned put in some busy days, arranging the phonograph attachment.It waseasy, compared to the hard work of sending a picture over the wire.They paidseveral visits to Mrs [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]