to me."

"I'm always ready to do that!" exclaimed Tom, as he shot upward to
avoid a bank of low-lying clouds. "Were you frightened at the crash in
the machine?"

"Not greatly. I saw it coming, and knew it was unavoidable. That chap
hasn't been running autos very long, I imagine, and he lost his head in
the emergency. But I had my brakes on and he just coasted into me. I
was lucky in that it wasn't worse."

"I should say so! Do you want to get right home?"

"I think I'd better. Mother and father may be a little worried about
me. And they've had trouble enough of late."

"Trouble!" exclaimed Tom, in a questioning voice. "Anything serious?"

"No, just family financial matters. Not ours," she hastened to add, as
she saw Tom look quickly at her. "A relative. I shouldn't have
mentioned it, but father and mother are a little worried, and I don't
want to add to it."

"Of course not," agreed Tom. "If there's anything I can do?"

"Oh, I expected you to say that!" laughed Mary. "Thanks. If there is
we'll call on you. But it may all be straightened out. Father was
expecting a message from Uncle Barton today. So, though I'd like to
take a cloud-ride with you, I think I'd better get home."

"All right," agreed Tom. "I told Ned to telephone that you were all
right, so they won't worry. And now try to enjoy yourself."

"I'll try," promised Mary, but it was obvious, even from the quick
glances Tom gave her, that she was worried about something. Mary was
not her usual, spontaneous, jolly self, and Tom realized it.

"Well, here we are!" he announced a little later, as they soared above
a level field not far from her home. "Sorry I can't let you down right
on your roof, but it isn't flat enough nor big enough."

"Oh, I don't mind a little walk, especially as I didn't have to hike it
all the way in from Bailey Corners," she said, referring to the place
of the automobile accident. "I suppose the time will come when
everybody who now has an auto will have an airship and a landing place,
or a starting place, for it at his own door," she added.

"Either that, or else we'll have airships so compact that they can set
off and land in as small a space as an auto now requires," said Tom.
"The latter would be the best solution, as one great disadvantage of
airships now is the manner of starting and stopping. It's too big."

Tom left his Air Scout in a field owned by Mr. Nestor, where he had
often landed before, and walked up to th