see anything of father as you came along?"

"No," was Tom's answer. "But we didn't look for him along the road, as
we came by the turnpike, and he wouldn't travel that way. But he will
be along at any moment now. You must remember it's quite a walk from my
house, and--"

"But he was on his bicycle," said Mary. "We wanted him to go in the
auto, but he said he wanted some exercise after supper, and he went
over on his wheel. He said he'd be right back, but he hasn't come yet."

"Oh, he will!" said Tom reassuringly. "He may have had a puncture, or
something like that. Bicyclists are just as liable to them as
autoists," he added with a laugh.

"Well, I'm sure I hope it will be all right," sighed Mary. "I wish you
could convince mother to that effect. She's as nervous as a cat. Come
in and tell us what to do."

"Oh, he'll be all right," declared Mr. Damon, adding his assurances to
Tom's.

They found Mrs. Nestor verging on an attack of hysteria. Though Mr.
Nestor often went out during the evening, he seldom stayed late.

"And he said he'd be right back if he found you weren't at home, Tom,"
said Mrs. Nestor. "I'm sure I don't know what can be keeping him!"

"It's too soon to get worried yet," replied the young inventor
cheerfully. "I'll wait a little while, and then, if he doesn't come,
Mr. Damon and I will go back over the road and look carefully. He may
have had a slight fall--sprained his ankle or something like that--and
not be able to ride. We came by the turnpike, a road he probably
wouldn't take on his wheel. He's all right, you may be sure of that."

Tom tried to speak reassuringly, but somehow, he did not believe
himself. He was beginning to think more and more how strange it was
that Mr. Nestor did not return home.

"We'll wait just a bit longer before setting out on a search," he told
Mary and her mother. "But I'm sure he will be along any minute now."

They went into the library, Mary and her mother, Tom and Mr. Damon. And
there they sat waiting. Tom tried to entertain Mary and Mrs. Nestor
with an account of his trial trip in the Air Scout, but the two women
scarcely heard what he said.

All sat watching the clock, and looking from that to the telephone,
which they tried to hope would ring momentarily and transmit to them
good news. Then they would listen for the sound of footsteps or bicycle
wheels on the gravel walk. But they heard nothing, and as the seconds
were ticked off on the clock the nervou