t same question of Tom Swift. Only
Tom was in Shopton, and Mary was in Newmarket, and Tom was setting off
on an air voyage, while Mary was only preparing to take a car downtown
to do some shopping.

"Yes, Aunt, I'm all ready," Mary answered. "But I may be a bit late
getting home."

"Why?" asked Mrs. Blake.

"I promised Uncle Barton I'd stop and call on him at his office," Mary
replied. "He has something he wants me to take home to mother when I go
tomorrow."

"I shall be sorry to see you go back," said Mrs. Blake. "But I imagine
there will be those in Shopton who will be glad to see you return,
Mary."

"Yes, mother wrote that she and dad were getting a bit lonesome," the
girl casually replied, as she adjusted her veil.

"Yes, and some one else. Ah, Mary, you are a very lucky girl!" laughed
her aunt, while Mary turned aside so she would not see her own blushes
in the mirror.

"I thought Tom was going to call and take you home in his airship,
Mary," went on her relative.

"So he is, I believe, on his way back from a city where he is going to
be tomorrow making a big fire test. I am to wait for him until tomorrow
afternoon. But now I really must go shopping, or all the bargains will
be taken. Is there any word you want to send to Uncle Barton?"

"No," answered Mrs. Blake. "Though you might tell him to stop poking
fun at your Uncle Jasper for having invested money in the Landmark
Building. It's getting on your Uncle Jasper's nerves," she added.

"Uncle Barton never can give up a joke, once he thinks he has one,"
said Mary. "But I'll tell him to stop pestering Uncle Jasper."

"Please do," urged Mary's aunt, and then the girl left.

Mary's uncle, Barton Keith, with whom Tom Swift had been associated
during the undersea search, had offices in the Landmark Building, but
his home was in an adjoining suburb.

The girl was pleased with the results of her shopping, and at the close
of the afternoon she stopped at the Landmark Building and was soon
being shot up in the elevator to the floor where Barton Keith had his
offices.

Though Mr. Keith had refrained from investing in the Landmark Building
and though he laughed at Mary's Uncle Jasper for having done so, this
did not prevent him from having a suite of offices in the big structure
which, as we already know, was owned in large part by Field and Melling.

"Ah, Mary! Come in!" exclaimed Mr. Keith, welcoming Tom Swift's
sweetheart. "It is so late I was afraid yo