Part 3 (1/2)
”No, he's around somewhere But some one else is with your father Soers They came to see you, and they're rather iht Your father sentbusiness that I ought to attend to when he's ill? That mustn't be”
”Well, I suppose it is business that the strangers are talking over with your father, Toert, ”for I heard suht, only a trifle anxious that you should cos Where are the strangers, and who are they?”
”I don't know,” answered the housekeeper ”I never saw them before, but they're in the library with your father Do you think they'll stay to dinner? If you do, I'll have Eradicate or Koku catch and kill a chicken”
”If you let one do it don't tell the other about it,” said Toh, ”or you'll have a chicken race around the yard that will reat rivalry between Eradicate Saiant, and they were continually disputing Each one loved and served Tom in his oay, and there was jealousy between theht with hi inventor had been s the aged colored servant could not attempt But ”Rad,”
as he was often called, and hisbeen fixtures on the Swift hoh he hated to ads the colored man had formerly attended to, and Rad was always on the lookout not to be supplanted Hence To the two be entrusted with the saet the fowl yourself and say nothing to either of them about it,” Tom advised the housekeeper ”Mr Damon will stay to dinner, as he always does when he comes, and as it's near twelve now, and as I ers, you'd better get up a bigger ert And then the young inventor, having seen that one of the e, went into the house
”Oh, here you are!” was his father's greeting, as he ca anxiously for you,you”
”Oh, I had a little trouble with the airserious”
Abefore tell-dressed, prosperous-looking business men, who sated one, the elder, as he held out his hand
”That's my name,” answered Toentleman is Boland Ware,” went on the man who had taken Tom's hand ”I' Machine Company, of New York”
”Oh, yes,” said Tom, as he shook hands with Mr Ware ”I have heard of your concern You are doing a lot of government work, are you not?”
”Yes; war orders And we're up to our neck in theht in the air as on the ground, Mr Swift”
”I can well believe that,” agreed Tom ”Won't you have a chair?”
”Well, we didn't coh, which, sorated on Tom and see one that we don't spend et down to brass tacks, we have come to see you to put a certain proposition before you, Mr Swift You are open to a business proposition, aren't you?”
”Oh, yes,” answered Toht so Well, now I'll tell you, in brief, ant, and then Mr Ware, our treasurer, can elaborate on it, and give you facts and figures about which I never bother myself I attend to the executive end and leave the details to others,” and again cah which Tom did not like
”You ca inventor, wondering to which of his many machines the visitors had reference
”Yes,” went on Mr Gale, ”we ca offer In short, Mr Swift, ant you to work for our co to pay you ten thousand dollars a year for the benefit of your advice and your inventive abilities Ten thousand dollars a year! Do you accept?”
CHAPTER IV
MR DAMON'S WHIZZER
Characteristic it was of Tom Swift that he did not see men would call a liberal offer Certainly notconcern, and offered ten thousand dollars a year ”right off the reel,”