ned to prepare the strong spirits, while he was
conscious of a feeling of fear and alarm, mingled with sadness.

Suppose his father should die? Tom could not bear to think of that. He
would be left all alone, and how much he would miss the companionship
and comradeship of his father none but himself knew.

"Oh! but I mustn't think he's going to die!" exclaimed the youth, as he
mixed the medicine.

Mr. Swift feebly opened his eyes after Tom and Mr. Jackson had
succeeded in forcing some of the ammonia between his lips.

"Where am I? What happened?" asked the aged inventor faintly.

"We don't know, exactly," spoke Tom softly. "You are ill, father. I've
sent for the doctor. He'll fix you up. He'll be here soon."

"Yes, I'm--I'm ill," murmured the aged man. "Something hurts me--here,"
and he put his hand over his heart.

Tom felt a nameless sense of fear. He wished now that he had insisted
on his parent consulting a physician some time before, when Mr. Swift
first complained of a minor ailment. Perhaps now it was too late.

"Oh! when will that doctor come?" murmured Tom impatiently.

Mrs. Baggert, who was nervously going in and out of the room, again
went to the telephone.

"He's on his way," the housekeeper reported. "His wife said he just
started out in his auto."

Dr. Gladby hurried into the room a little later, and cast a quick look
at Mr. Swift, who had again lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Do you think he--think he's going to die?" faltered Tom. He was no
longer the self-reliant young inventor. He could meet danger bravely
when it threatened himself alone, but when his father was stricken he
seemed to lose all courage.

"Die? Nonsense!" exclaimed the doctor heartily. "He's not dead yet, at
all events, and while there's life there's hope. I'll soon have him out
of this spell."

It was some little time, however, before Mr. Swift again opened his
eyes, but he seemed to gain strength from the remedies which Dr. Gladby
administered, and in about an hour the inventor could sit up.

"But you must be careful," cautioned the physician. "Don't overdo
yourself. I'll be in again in the morning, and now I'll leave you some
medicine, to be taken every two hours."

"Oh, I feel much better," said Mr. Swift, and his voice certainly
seemed Stronger. "I can't imagine what happened. I came upstairs, after
Tom had received a visit from the minister, and that's all I remember."

"The minister, father!" exclaimed Tom, in g