Tom Swift in the City of Gold | Page 7

side, apparently engaged in reading a book.
"Did you want to see me?" asked Tom sharply. His father and the others in the library listened intently. Tom wondered what in the world Andy could want of him, since the two were never in good tame, and Andy cherished a resentment even since our hero had rescued him from the African jungle.
"No, I didn't come to see you," answered Andy quickly, laying aside the book and rising to face Tom.
"Then what--"
"I came to see your father," interrupted the red-haired bully. "I have a letter for him from my father; but I guess Mr. Swift misunderstood me when he let me in."
"Did you tell him you wanted to see me?" asked Tom suspiciously, thinking Andy had made a mistatement in order to have a longer time to wait.
"No, I didn't, but I guess your father must have been thinking about something else, for he told me to come in here and sit down. I've been waiting ever since, and just now Mrs. Baggert passed and saw me. She--"
"Yes, she said you were here," spoke Tom significantly. "Well, then it's my father you want to see. I'll tell him."
Tom hurried back to the library.
"Dad," he said, "it's you that Andy wants to see. He has a letter from Mr. Foger for you."
"For me? What in the world can it be about? He never wrote to me before. I must have misunderstood Andy. But then it's no wonder for my head is so full of my new gyroscope plans. There is a certain spring I can't seem to get right--"
"Perhaps you'd better see what Andy wants," suggested Mr. Damon gently. He looked at Tom. They were both thinking of the same thing.
"I will," replied Mr. Swift quickly, and he passed into the library.
"I wonder how much Andy heard?" asked Ned, in a low voice.
"Oh, I don't believe it could have been very much," answered Tom.
"No, I stopped you just in time," rejoined his chum, "or you might have blurted out the name of the city near where the buried gold is."
"Yes, we must guard our secret well, Tom," put in Mr. Damon.
"Well, Andy couldn't have known anything about the letter I got," declared Tom, "and if he only heard snatched of our talk it won't do him much good."
"The only trouble is he's been there long enough to have heard most of it." suggested Ned. They could talk freely now, for in going into the parlor Mr. Swift had tightly closed the door after him. They could just hear the murmur of his voice speaking to Andy.
"Well, even if he does guess about the city of gold, and its location, I don't believe he'll try to go there," remarked Tom, after a pause.
A moment later they heard Mr. Swift letting Andy out of the front door, and then the inventor rejoined his son and the others. He held an open letter in his hand.
"This is strange--very strange," he murmured.
"What is it?" asked Tom quickly.
"Why. Mr. Foger has written to me asking to be allowed to sell some of our patents and machines on commission."
"Sell them on commission!" exclaimed his son. "Why does a millionaire like Mr. Foger want to be selling goods on commission? It's only a trick!"
"No, it's not a trick," said Mr. Swift slowly. "He is in earnest. Tom, Mr. Foger has lost his millions. His fortune has been swept away by unfortunate investments, he tells me, and he would be glad of any work I could give him. That's why Andy brought the letter to- night. I just sent him back with an answer."
"What did you say, dad?"
"I said I'd think it over."
"Mr. Foger's millions gone," mused Tom.
"And Andy in there listening to what we said about the city of gold," added Ned. "No wonder he was glad the door was open. He'd be there in a minute, Tom, if he could, and so would Mr. Foger, if he thought he could get rich. He wouldn't have to sell goods on commission if he could pick up a few of the golden images."
"That's right," agreed Tom, with an uneasy air. "I wish I knew just how much Andy had heard. But perhaps it wasn't much."
The time was to come, however, when Tom was to learn to his sorrow that Andy Foger had overheard a great deal.
"Bless my bankbook!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I never dreamed of such a thing! Andy had every reason in the world for not wanting us to know he was in there! No wonder he kept quiet. I'll wager all the while he was as close to the open door as he could get, hoping to overhear about the location of the place, so he could help his father get back his lost fortune. Bless my hatband! It's a