"It wouldn't have happened if he had not been with me," said
Mr. Damon.
"I am curious," said Ned, as they seated themselves. "Who was
the footpad? What drew his attention to you two? Tell me about
it."
"Bless my suspender buckles!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "You tell
him, Tom. I don't understand it myself, yet."
"I think I can explain. But whatever I tell you both, you must
hold in secret. Father and I have been entrusted with some
private information tonight and I am going to take you, Ned, and
Mr. Damon, into the business in a confidential way."
"Let's have it," begged Newton. "Anything to do with the
works?"
"It is," answered Tom gravely. "We are going to take up a
proposition that promises big things for the Swift Construction
Company."
"A big thing financially?"
"I'll say so. And it looks as though we were mixing into a
conspiracy that may breed trouble in more ways than one."
Tom went on to sketch briefly the situation of the Hendrickton
& Pas Alos Railroad as brought to the attention of the Swifts by
the railroad's president. First of all his two listeners were
deeply interested in the proposition Mr. Richard Bartholomew had
made the inventors. Ned Newton jotted down briefly the agreement
to be incorporated in the contract to be drawn and signed, by the
Swift Construction Company and the president of the H. & P. A.
road.
"This looks like a big thing for the company, Tom," the young
manager said with enthusiasm, while Mr.
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