in a carriage, waiting to carry him
off to the gloomy Firs. "When he hears of this he'll think sure I'm
doomed to go and board with him."

"The year is quite a way from being completed," said Mr. Hamilton. "Lots
of things may happen before your next birthday."

"I hope they do," said Dick, rather ruefully. "Anyway, I have my milk
stock. They didn't send for another assessment while I was away, did
they?"

"No, and I see the stock has advanced in value a point or two."

"Then I may be all right, after all. But I think I'll be on the lookout
for another investment, and it's not going to be a gold mine, either,"
finished Dick.

It was about a week after this that, coming down to breakfast one
morning, Dick was met by the butler.

"There's a gentleman waiting to see you, Master Dick," said the servant.

"To see me, Gibbs? Who is it?"

"I don't know, but he came very early and he says he has something to
show you. He says he wants you to help him with it."

"Maybe it's another of those reporters," said Dick. "I will see him
right after breakfast."

"I'd rather you see me now," interrupted a voice, and to Dick's
astonishment there walked into the dining-room, from the library where
he had been waiting, a little man, whose hair seemed to stick out at
every point of the compass. His clothes were rather ragged, and, as he
advanced, he kept running his hands through his hair. To do this he had
to transfer, first from one arm to the other, a large box he carried.

"I'll not take much of your time," said the little man. "All I want is
your assistance in having a lot of these machines made. You see how this
one works," and, stooping over, he placed the box on the floor. From it
came a clicking sound, as the little man, with his head tilted to one
side, waited with watch in hand.

"It will go off in three minutes," he said.

Following the startling announcement of the little man Dick and Gibbs,
the butler, seemed paralyzed. The room was so still that the ticking of
the machine on the floor sounded like an immense alarm clock. Then, as
the seconds passed and the stranger stood calmly looking alternately at
Dick, Gibbs, and the box, the butler, with a sudden start back to life,
exclaimed:

"Jump out of the window, Master Dick! I'll attend to this lunatic!"

"I'm not a lunatic!" shouted the little man. "I'm Professor
Messapatomia!"

"Jump!" shouted Gibbs to Dick. "It isn't far to the ground. This thing
will go off