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Page 21
"Who is it?" asked Mr. Damon, with the privilege of an old
friend.
"It's Ned Newton," Tom answered; "though why he's putting on
all this formality I can't fathom."
Jackson went back to the main gate and told the man on guard
there to admit Ned, who had so formally sent in his card.
"Ah, Mr. Swift, I believe?" began the bank employee with that
suave, formal air which usually precedes a business meeting.
"That is my name," said Tom, with a suppressed grin, and he
spoke as stiffly as though to a perfect stranger.
"Mr. Tom Swift, the great inventor?" went on Ned.
"Yes."
"Ah, then I am at the right place. Just sign here, please, on
the dotted line," and be held out a blank form, and a fountain
pen to Tom, who took them half mechanically.
"Huh? What's the big idea, Ned?" asked the young inventor,
unable longer to carry on the joke. "Is this a warrant for my
arrest, or merely a testimonial to you. If it's the latter, and
concerns your nerve, I'll gladly sign it."
"Well, it's something like that!" laughed Ned. "That's your
application for another block of Liberty Bonds, Tom, and I want
you, as a personal favor to me, as a business favor to the bank,
and as your plain duty to Uncle Sam, to double your last
subscription."
Tom looked at the sum Ned had filled in on the blank form, and
uttered a slight whistle of surprise.
"That's all right now," said Ned, with the air of a
professional salesman. "You can stand that and more, too. I'm
letting you off easy. Why, I got Mary's father--Mr. Nestor--for
twice what he took last time, and Mary herself--hard as she's
working for the Red Cross--gave me a nice application. So it's up
to you to--"
"Nuff said!" exclaimed Tom, sententiously, as he signed his
name. "I may have to reconsider my recent refusal of the offer of
the Universal Flying Machine Company, though, if I haven't money
enough to meet this subscription, Ned."
"Oh, you'll meet it all right! Much obliged," and Ned folded
the Liberty Bond subscription paper and put it in his pocket.
"But did you turn down the offer from those people?"
"I did," answered Tom. "But how did you know about it, Ned?"
"First let me say that I'm glad you decided to have nothing to
do with them. They're a rich firm, and have lots of money, but I
wouldn't trust 'em, even if they have some government contracts.
The way I happened to know they were likely to make you an offer
is this," continued Ned Newton.
"They do business with one of the New York banks with which my
bank--notice the accent on the my, Tom--is connected. The other
day I happened to see some correspondence about you. These flying
machine people asked our bank to find out certain things about
you, and, as a matter of business, we had to give the
information. Sort of a commercial agency report, you know,
nothing unusual, and it isn't the first time it's been done since
your business got so large. But that's how I happened to know
these fellows contemplated dickering with you."
"Do you know Gale or Ware?" Tom asked.
"Not personally. But in a business way, Tom, I'd warn you to
look out for them, as they're sharp dealers. They put one over on
the government all right, and there may be some unpleasant
publicity to it later. But they're putting up a big bluff, and
pretending they can turn out a lot of flying machines for use in
Europe. Why don't you get busy on that end of the game, Tom?"
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