Tom Swift and His Wireless Message | Page 6

electric gong, at the same time
shutting off the current, and jamming on the powerful brakes.
There was a momentary scream of terror from the girl, and then, as she
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 people gathered
about.
"I didn't see you," went on the lad. "I came from behind the milk wagon,
and--"

"It was my fault," Miss Nestor hastened to add. "I, too, was waiting for
the milk wagon to pass, and when it got out of my way, I darted around
the end of it, without looking to see if anything else was coming. I
should have been more careful, but I'm so excited that I hardly know
what I'm doing."
"Excited? What's the matter?" asked Tom, for he saw that his friend
was 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 collecting a
crowd. Come and take a ride; that is if you have time."
"Of course I have," the girl said, with a little blush, which Tom thought
made her look all the prettier. "Then we can talk. But where are you
going?"
"To send a message to a gentleman in Philadelphia, saying that I will
help him out of some difficulties with his new electric airship. 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 make an
airship flight than it was to go shopping," interrupted Mary, as she
entered the electric car, followed by Tom, who quickly sent the vehicle
down the street.
"Oh, I'm getting used to the upper air," he said. "But what is the news
you were to tell me?"
"Did you know mamma and papa had gone to the West Indies?" asked
the girl.
"No! I should say that WAS news. When did they go? I didn't know
they intended to make a trip."
"Neither did they; nor I, either. It was very sudden. They sailed from

New York yesterday. Mr. George Hosbrook, a business friend of papa's,
offered to take them on his steam yacht, RESOLUTE. He is making a
little pleasure trip, with a party of friends, and he thought papa and
mamma might like to go."
"He wired to them, they got ready in a rush, caught the express to New
York, and went off in such a hurry that I can hardly realize it yet. 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 call the
fact that papa and mamma went off so suddenly much news. But the
cook just left unexpectedly, and I have invited a lot of girl friends to
come and stay with me, while mamma and papa are away; and now
what shall I do without a cook? I was on my way down to an
intelligence office, to get another servant, when you nearly ran me
down! 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 into this 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 be
granted. "But is there any particular intelligence office you wish to
visit?"
"There's not much choice," replied Mary Nestor, with a smile, "as
there's only one in town. Oh. I do hope I can get a cook! It would be
dreadful to have nothing to eat, after I'd asked the girls to spend a
month with me; wouldn't it?"
Tom agreed that it certainly would, and they soon after arrived at the
intelligence office.

CHAPTER III
TOM KNOCKS OUT ANDY
"Do you want me to come in and help you?" asked the young inventor,
of Miss Nestor.
"Do you know anything about hiring a cook?" she inquired, with an
arch smile.
"I'm afraid I don't," the lad was obliged to confess.
"Then I'm a little doubtful of your ability to help me. But I'm ever so
much obliged to you. I'll see if I can engage one.