Tom Swift and His Wireless Message; Or, The Castaways of Earthquake Island Read online

  CHAPTER II

  MISS NESTOR'S NEWS

  "When do you think you will go to Philadelphia, Tom?" asked Mr.Swift, a little later, as the aged inventor and his son were lookingover some blueprints which Garret Jackson, an engineer employed bythem, had spread out on a table.

  "I don't exactly know," was the answer. "It's quite a little runfrom Shopton, because I can't get a through train. But I think I'llstart tomorrow."

  "Why do you go by train?" asked Mr. Jackson.

  "Why--er--because--" was Tom's rather hesitating reply. "How elsewould I go?"

  "Your monoplane would be a good deal quicker, and you wouldn't haveto change cars," said the engineer. "That is if you don't want totake out the big airship. Why don't you go in the monoplane?"

  "By Jove! I believe I will!" exclaimed Tom. "I never thought ofthat, though it's a wonder I didn't. I'll not take the RED CLOUD, asshe's too hard to handle alone. But the BUTTERFLY will be just thething," and Tom looked over to where a new monoplane rested on thethree bicycle wheels which formed part of its landing frame. "Ihaven't had it out since I mended the left wing tip," he went on,"and it will also be a good chance to test my new rudder. I believeI WILL go to Philadelphia by the BUTTERFLY."

  "Well, as long as that's settled, suppose you give us your views onthis new form of storage battery," suggested Mr. Swift, with a fondglance at his son, for Tom's opinion was considered valuable inmatters electrical, as those of you, who have read the previousbooks in this series, well know.

  The little group in the machine shop was soon deep in the discussionof ohms, amperes, volts and currents, and, for a time, Tom almostforgot the message calling him to Philadelphia.

  Taking advantage of the momentary lull in the activities of theyoung inventor, I will tell my readers something about him, so thatthose who have no previous introduction to him may feel that he is afriend.

  Tom Swift lived with his father, Barton Swift, a widower, in thevillage of Shopton, New York. There was also in the household Mrs.Baggert, the aged housekeeper, who looked after Tom almost like amother. Garret Jackson, an engineer and general helper, also livedwith the Swifts.

  Eradicate Sampson might also be called a retainer of the family, forthough the aged colored man and his mule Boomerang did odd workabout the village, they were more often employed by Tom and hisfather than by any one else. Eradicate was so called because, as hesaid, he "eradicated" the dirt. He did whitewashing, made gardens,and did anything else that was needed. Boomerang was thus named byhis owner, because, as Eradicate said, "yo' nebber know jest whatdat mule am goin' t' do next. He may go forward or he may gobackward, jest laik them Australian boomerangs."

  There was another valued friend of the family, Wakefield Damon byname, to whom the reader will be introduced in due course. And thenthere was Mary Nestor, about whom I prefer to let Tom tell youhimself, for he might be jealous if I talked too much about her.

  In the first book of this series, called "Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle,"there was told how he became possessed of the machine, afterit had nearly killed Mr. Damon, who was learning to ride it. Mr.Damon, who had a habit of "blessing" everything from his collarbutton to his shoe laces, did not "bless" the motor-cycle after ittried to climb a tree with him; and he sold it to Tom very cheaply.Tom repaired it, invented some new attachments for it, and had anumber of adventures on it. Not the least of these was trailingafter a gang of scoundrels who tried to get possession of a valuablepatent model belonging to Mr. Swift.

  Our second book, called "Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat," related someexciting times following the acquisition by the young inventor of aspeedy craft which the thieves of the patent model had stolen. Inthe boat Tom raced with Andy Foger, a town bully, and beat him. Tomalso took out on pleasure trips his chum, Ned Newton, who worked ina Shopton bank, and the two had fine times together. Need I also saythat Mary Nestor also had trips in the motor-boat? Besides some otherstirring adventures in his speedy craft Tom rescued, from a burningballoon that fell into the lake, the aeronaut, John Sharp. Later Mr.Sharp and Tom built an airship, called the RED CLOUD, in which theyhad some strenuous times.

  Their adventures in this craft of the air form the basis for thethird book of the series, entitled "Tom Swift and His Airship." Inthe RED CLOUD, Tom and his friends, including Mr. Damon, started tomake a record flight. They left Shopton the night when the bankvault was blown open, and seventy-five thousand dollars stolen.

  Because of evidence given by Andy Foger, and his father, suspicionpointed to Tom and his friends as the robbers, and they werepursued. But they turned the tables by capturing the real burglars,and defeating the mean plans of the Fogers.

  Not satisfied with having mastered the air Tom and his father turnedtheir attention to the water. Mr. Swift perfected a new type ofcraft, and in the fourth book of the series, called "Tom Swift andHis Submarine," you may read how he went after a sunken treasure.The party had many adventures, and were in no little danger fromtheir enemies before they reached the wreck with its store of gold.

  The fifth book of the series, named "Tom Swift and His ElectricalRunabout," told how Tom built the speediest car on the road, and wona prize with it, and also saved a bank from ruin.

  Tom had to struggle against odds, not only in his inventive work,but because of the meanness of jealous enemies, including AndyFoger, who seemed to bear our hero a grudge of long standing. Eventhough Tom had, more than once, thrashed Andy well, the bully wasalways seeking a chance to play some mean trick on the younginventor. Sometimes he succeeded, but more often the tables wereeffectually turned.

  It was now some time since Tom had won the prize in his electric carand, in the meanwhile he had built himself a smaller airship, or,rather, monoplane, named the BUTTERFLY. In it he made severalsuccessful trips about the country, and gave exhibitions at numerousaviation meets; once winning a valuable prize for an altitudeflight. In one trip he had met with a slight accident, and themonoplane had only just been repaired after this when he receivedthe message summoning him to Philadelphia.

  "Well, Tom," remarked his father that afternoon, "if you are goingto the Quaker City, to see Mr. Fenwick to-morrow, you'd better begetting ready. Have you wired him that you will come?"

  "No, I haven't, dad," was the reply. "I'll get a message ready atonce, and when Eradicate comes back I'll have him take it to thetelegraph office."

  "I wouldn't do that, Tom."

  "Do what?"

  "Trust it to Eradicate. He means all right, but there's no tellingwhen that mule of his may lie down in the road, and go to sleep.Then your message won't get off, and Mr. Fenwick may be anxiouslywaiting for it. I wouldn't like to offend him, for, though he and Ihave not met in some years, yet I would be glad if you could do hima favor. Why not take the message yourself?"

  "Guess I will, dad. I'll run over to Mansburg in my electric car,and send the message from there. It will go quicker, and, besides, Iwant to get some piano wire to strengthen the wings of mymonoplane."

  "All right, Tom, and when you telegraph to Mr. Fenwick, give him myregards, and say that I hope his airship will be a success. So it'san electric one, eh? I wonder how it works? But you can tell me whenyou come back."

  "I will, dad. Mr. Jackson, will you help me charge the batteries ofmy car? I think they need replenishing. Then I'll get right along toMansburg."

  Mansburg was a good-sized city some miles from the village ofShopton, and Tom and his father had frequent business there.

  The young inventor and the engineer soon had the electric car inreadiness for a swift run, for the charging of the batteries couldbe done in much less than the time usual for such an operation,owing to a new system perfected by Tom. The latter was soon speedingalong the road, wondering what sort of an airship Mr. Fenwick wouldprove to have, and whether or not it could be made to fly.

  "It's easy enough to build an airship," mused Tom, "but thedifficulty is to get them off the ground, and keep them there." Heknew, for there had been several failures with his monopl
ane beforeit rose like a bird and sailed over the tree-tops.

  The lad was just entering the town, and had turned around a corner,twisting about to pass a milk wagon, when he suddenly saw, dartingout directly in the path of his car, a young lady.

  "Look out!" yelled Tom, ringing his electric gong, at the same timeshutting off the current, and jamming on the powerful brakes.

  There was a momentary scream of terror from the girl, and then, asshe looked at Tom, she exclaimed:

  "Why, Tom Swift! What are you trying to do? Run me down?"

  "Mary--Miss Nestor!" ejaculated our hero, in some confusion.

  He had brought his car to a stop, and had thrown open the door,alighting on the crossing, while a little knot of curious peoplegathered about.

  "I didn't see you," went on the lad. "I came from behind the milkwagon, and--"

  "It was my fault," Miss Nestor hastened to add. "I, too, was waitingfor the milk wagon to pass, and when it got out of my way, I dartedaround the end of it, without looking to see if anything else wascoming. I should have been more careful, but I'm so excited that Ihardly know what I'm doing."

  "Excited? What's the matter?" asked Tom, for he saw that his friendwas not her usual calm self. "Has anything happened, Mary?"

  "Oh, I've such news to tell you!" she exclaimed.

  "Then get in here, and we'll go on." advised Tom. "We are collectinga crowd. Come and take a ride; that is if you have time."

  "Of course I have," the girl said, with a little blush, which Tomthought made her look all the prettier. "Then we can talk. But whereare you going?"

  "To send a message to a gentleman in Philadelphia, saying that Iwill help him out of some difficulties with his new electricairship. I'm going to take a run down there in my monoplane,BUTTERFLY, to-morrow, and--"

  "My! to hear you tell it, one would think it wasn't any more to makean airship flight than it was to go shopping," interrupted Mary, asshe entered the electric car, followed by Tom, who quickly sent thevehicle down the street.

  "Oh, I'm getting used to the upper air," he said. "But what is thenews you were to tell me?"

  "Did you know mamma and papa had gone to the West Indies?" asked thegirl.

  "No! I should say that WAS news. When did they go? I didn't knowthey intended to make a trip."

  "Neither did they; nor I, either. It was very sudden. They sailedfrom New York yesterday. Mr. George Hosbrook, a business friend ofpapa's, offered to take them on his steam yacht, RESOLUTE. He ismaking a little pleasure trip, with a party of friends, and hethought papa and mamma might like to go."

  "He wired to them, they got ready in a rush, caught the express toNew York, and went off in such a hurry that I can hardly realize ityet. I'm left all alone, and I'm in such trouble!"

  "Well, I should say that was news," spoke Tom.

  "Oh, you haven't heard the worst yet," went on Mary. "I don't callthe fact that papa and mamma went off so suddenly much news. But thecook just left unexpectedly, and I have invited a lot of girlfriends to come and stay with me, while mamma and papa are away; andnow what shall I do without a cook? I was on my way down to anintelligence office, to get another servant, when you nearly ran medown! Now, isn't that news?"

  "I should say it was--two kinds," admitted Tom, with a smile. "Well,I'll help you all I can. I'll take you to the intelligence office,and if you can get a cook, by hook or by crook, I'll bundle her intothis car, and get her to your house before she can change her mind.And so your people have gone to the West Indies?"

  "Yes, and I wish I had the chance to go."

  "So do I," spoke Tom, little realizing how soon his wish might begranted. "But is there any particular intelligence office you wishto visit?"

  "There's not much choice," replied Mary Nestor, with a smile, "asthere's only one in town. Oh. I do hope I can get a cook! It wouldbe dreadful to have nothing to eat, after I'd asked the girls tospend a month with me; wouldn't it?"

  Tom agreed that it certainly would, and they soon after arrived atthe intelligence office.