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Page 14
When the visitors had gone Mr. Swift turned toward his son,
and, shaking his head, remarked:
"Of course, you know your own business best, Tom. Yet I cannot
but feel you have made a mistake."
"How?" asked Tom. "By not taking that money? I can easily make
that in a year, with an idea I have in mind for an improvement on
an airship. And your new electric motor will soon be ready for
the market. Besides, we don't really need the money."
"No, not now, Tom, but there is no telling when we may," said
Mr. Swift, slowly. "This big war has made many changes, and
things that brought us in a good income before, hardly sell at
all, now."
"Oh, don't worry, Dad! We still have a few shots left in the
locker--in other words, the bank. I'm expecting Ned Newton over
any moment now, to give us the annual statement of our account,
and then we'll know where we stand. I'm not afraid from the money
end. Our business has done well, and it is going to do better. I
have a new idea."
"That's all very well, Tom," said Mr. Swift, who seemed
oppressed by something. "As you say, money isn't everything, and
I know we shall always have enough to live on. But there is
something about those two men I do not like. They were very angry
at your refusal of their offer. I could see that. Tom, I don't
want to be a croaker, but I think you'll have to watch out for
those men. They're going to be your enemies--your rivals in the
airship field," and Mr. Swift shook his head dolefully.
"Well, rivalry, when it's clean and above board, is the spice
of trade and invention," returned ~Tom, lightly. "I'm not afraid
of that."
"No, but it may be unfair and underhand," said Mr. Swift. "I
think it would have been better, Tom, to have accepted their
offer. Twenty thousand a year, clear money, is a good sum."
"Yes, but I may make twice that with something that occurred to
me only a little while ago. Forget about those men, Dad, and I'll
tell you my new idea. But wait, I want Mr. Damon to hear it, too.
Where is he?"
"He was here a little while ago. He went out when those two men
came and--"
At that moment, from the garden at the side of the library, the
sound of voices in dispute could be heard.
"Now yo' all g'wan 'way from yeah!" exclaimed some one who
could be none other than Eradicate Sampson. "Whut fo' yo' all
want to clutter up dish yeah place fo'? Massa Tom said I was to
do de garden wuk, an' I'se gwine to do it! G'wan 'way, Giant!"
"Ho! You want me to get out, s'pose you put me, black face!"
cried a big voice, that of Koku, the giant.
"There they go! At it again!" cried Tom with a smile. "Might
have known if I told Rad to do anything that Koku would be
jealous. Well, I'll have to go out now and give that giant
something to do that will tax his strength."
But as Tom was about to leave the room another voice was heard
in the garden.
"Now, boys, be nice," said some one soothingly. "The garden is
large enough for you both to work in. Rad, you begin at the lower
end and spade toward the middle. Koku, you begin at the upper end
and work down. Whoever gets to the middle first will win."
"Ha! Den I'll show dat giant some spade wuk as is spade wuk!"
cried the colored man. "Garden wuk is mah middle name."
"Be careful, Rad!" laughed Mr. Damon, for he it was who was
trying to act as peacemaker. "Remember that Koku is very strong."
"Yas, sah! He may be strong, but he's clumsy!" chuckled
Eradicate. "You watch me beat him!"
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