seemed to warrant. "It was one of our new machines, and it
didn't act just right. No great damage was done, though. How do you
find business, Mr. Nestor, since the war spirit has grown stronger?"
asked Tom, and it seemed to both Mary and her father that the young
inventor deliberately changed the subject.

"Well, it isn't all it might be," said the other. "It's hard to get
good help. A lot of our boys enlisted, and some were taken in the
draft. By the way, Tom, have they called on you yet?"

"No. Not yet."

"You didn't enlist?"

"Ned Newton tried to," broke in Mary, "but the quota for this locality
was filled, and they told him he'd better wait for the draft. He
wouldn't do that and tried again. Then the bank people heard about it
and had him exempted. They said he was too valuable to them, and he has
been doing remarkably well in selling Liberty Bonds!" and Mary's eyes
sparkled with her emotions.

"Yes, Ned is a crackerjack salesman!" agreed Tom, no less
enthusiastically. "He's sold more bonds, in proportion, for his bank,
than any other in this county. Dad and I both took some, and have
promised him more. I am glad now that we let him go, although we valued
his services highly. We hope to have him back later."

"He can put me down for more bonds too!" said Mr. Nestor. "I'm going
to see Germany beaten if it takes every last dollar I have!"

"That's what I say!" Cried Mary. "I took out all my savings, except a
little I'm keeping to buy a wedding present for Jennie Morse. Did you
know she was going to get married, Tom?" she asked.

"I heard so."

"Well, all but what I want for a wedding present to her has gone into
Liberty Bonds. Isn't this a history-making time, Tom?"

"Indeed it is, Mary!"

"Everybody who has a part in it--whether he fights as a soldier or only
knits like the Red Cross girls--will be telling about it for years
after," went on the girl, and she looked at Tom eagerly.

"Yes," he agreed. "These are queer times. We don't know exactly where
we're at. A lot of our men have been called. We tried to have some of
them exempted, and did manage it in a few cases."

"You did?" cried Mr. Nestor, as if in surprise. "You stopped men from
going to war!"

"Only so they could work on airship motors for the Government," Tom
quietly explained.

"Oh! Well, of course, that's part of the game," agreed Mary's father.
"A lot more of our boys are going off next week. Doesn't it make you
thrill, Tom, when y