?"

"No, it's a lady. She--"

"Oh, Tom! How are you?" cried a girlish voice, and Mary Nestor walked
into the room, holding out both hands to the young inventor. Tom, with
a blush, arose hastily.

"No! no! Sit still!" commanded the girl. "Oh! I'm so sorry to hear
about your accident! In fact, I only heard this morning. We've been
away, mamma and I, and we just got back. Tell me all about it, that is,
if you feel able. But don't exert yourself. Oh! I wish I had hold of
that man!"

And Miss Nestor clenched her two pretty little hands and set her white,
even teeth grimly together, as though she would do most desperate
things indeed.

"I wish you did, too!" exclaimed Tom. "That is, so you could hold him
until I had a chance at him. But I'm all right now. It was very good of
you to call. How are you, and how are your folks?"

"Very well. But I came to hear about you. Tell me," and she looked
anxiously at Tom, while Mrs. Baggert discreetly withdrew to the
adjoining room, and made a great noise, rattling papers and moving
chairs about.

Thereupon Tom told what had happened, while Mary Nestor listened
interestedly and with expressions of fear at times.

"But if Andy had anything to do with it," concluded Tom, "I can't
understand what his object is. Andy is acting very strangely lately. We
can't locate him, nor find out where he is building his airship. That's
what I want to know; but Mr. Damon and I, after a lot of trouble, only
found his aeroplane shed empty."

"And you want to find out where Andy Foger is building his aeroplane
which he has entered in the big race?" asked Miss Nestor.

"That's what I'd like to know," declared Tom earnestly. "Only we can't
seem to do it. No one knows."

"Why don't you write to Mr. Sharp, or some one of the aviation meet
committee?" asked the girl simply. "They would know, for you say Andy
made his formal entry with them, and the rules require him to tell from
what city and State he will enter his craft. Write to the committee,
Tom."

For a moment the young inventor stared at her. Then he banged his fist
down on the arm of his chair.

"By Jove, Mary! That's the very thing!" he cried. "I wonder why I never
thought of that, instead of fiddling around in disguises, and things
like that? I wonder why I never thought of that plan?"

"Perhaps because it was so simple," she answered, with a pretty blush.

"I guess that's it," agreed Tom. "It takes a woman to jump across a
bridge to