xclaimed. "Why, Father," and she looked at her
husband, "that's where Professor Beecher is going, isn't it?"

"Yes, I believe he did mention something about that."

"Professor Beecher, the man who is an authority on Aztec ruins?" asked
Ned, taking a shot in the dark.

"Yes," said Mr. Nestor. "And a mighty fine young man he is, too. I
knew his father well. He was here on a visit not long ago, young
Beecher was, and he talked most entertainingly about his discoveries.
You remember how interested Mary was, Mother?"

"Yes, she seemed to be," said Mrs. Nestor. "Tom Swift dropped in
during the course of the evening," she added to Ned, "and Mary
introduced him to Professor Beecher. But I can't say that Tom was much
interested in the professor's talk."

"No?" questioned Ned.

"No, not at all. But Tom did not stay long. He left just as Mary and
the professor were drawing a map so the professor could indicate where
he had once made a big discovery."

"I see," murmured Ned. "Well, I suppose Tom must have been thinking of
something else at the time."

"Very likely," agreed Mr. Nestor. "But Tom missed a very profitable
talk. I was very much interested myself in what the professor told us,
and so was Mary. She invited Mr. Beecher to come again. He takes
after his father in being very thorough in what he does.

"Sometimes I think," went on Mr. Nestor, "that Tom isn't quite steady
enough. He's thinking of so many things, perhaps, that he can't get
his mind down to the commonplace. I remember he once sent something
here in a box labeled 'dynamite.' Though there was no explosive in it,
it gave us a great fright. But Tom is a boy, in spite of his years.
Professor Beecher seems much older. We all like him very much."

"That's nice," said Ned, as he took his departure. He had found out
what he had come to learn.

"I knew it!" Ned exclaimed as he walked home. "I knew something was in
the wind. The little green god of jealousy has Tom in his clutches.
That's why my inventive friend was so anxious to go on this expedition
when he learned Beecher was to go. He wants to beat him. I guess the
professor has plainly shown that he wouldn't like anything better than
to cut Tom out with Mary. Whew! that's something to think about!"

CHAPTER VI

UNPLEASANT NEWS

Ned Newton decided to keep to himself what he had heard at the Nestor
home. Not for the world would he let Tom Swift know of the situation.

"