not so strictly guarded.

This in a measure was disappointing to Eradicate, who liked the
importance of strutting about with a nickel shield pinned to his coat,
to show that he was a member of the Swift & Company plant. As for the
giant Koku, he really cared little what he did, so long as he pleased
Tom, for whom he had an affection that never changed. Koku would as
soon sit under a shady tree doing nothing as watch for spies or
traitors, of whose identity he was never sure.

So it came that there was not so strict a guard about the place, and
Tom and Ned had more time to themselves. Not that the young inventor
was not busy, for the details of shipping Tank A to France came to him,
as did also the arrangements for making others in this country and
planning for the manufacture abroad.

It was one evening, after a particularly hard day's work, when Tom had
been making a test in turning the tank in a small space in the enclosed
yard, that the two young men were sitting in the machine shop,
discussing various matters.

The telephone bell rang, and Ned, being nearest, answered.

"It's for you, Tom," he said, and there was a smile on the face of the
young bank clerk.

"Um!" murmured Tom, and he smiled also.

Ned could not repress more smiles as Tom took up the conversation over
the wire, and it did not take long for the chum of the youthful
inventor to verify his guess that Mary Nestor was at the other end of
the instrument.

"Yes, yes," Tom was heard to say. "Why, of course, I'll be glad to come
over. Yes, he's here. What? Bring him along? I will if he'll come. Oh,
tell him Helen is there! 'Nough said! He'll come, all right!"

And Tom, without troubling to consult his friend, hung up the receiver.

"What's that you're committing me to?" asked Ned.

"Oh, Mary wants us to come over and spend the evening. Helen Sever is
there, and they say we can take them downtown if we like."

"I guess we like," laughed Ned. "Come along! We've had enough of musty
old problems," for he had been helping Tom in some calculations
regarding strength of materials and the weight-bearing power of
triangularly constructed girders as compared to the arched variety.

"Yes, I guess it will do us good to get out," and the two friends were
soon on their way.

"What's this?" asked Mary, with a laugh, as Tom held out a package tied
with pink string. "More dynamite?" she added, referring to an incident
which had once greatly perturbed the ex