The two young people walked on together for some distance farther, and Tom was glad to find that the pretty girl lived quite near him.
“I wish I could meet your brother,” he said. “Perhaps he would tell me something about telephones, so I could fix my switchboard if it got out of order.”
“Come around some evening, and I will introduce you to him,” promised Miss Renfield, and Tom earnestly said that he would make the call.
CHAPTER XXI
TOM TELLS HIS SUSPICIONS
“Well, Tom,” began the telephone boy’s mother that evening, “how are you getting on at the office? You haven’t told us much about it lately, but I notice that you stay quite late at times. They ought to give you more money for that.”
“Perhaps they will, mother. Mr. Boise said this afternoon that he would think about raising my wages again, though I now get more than do other boys in places like mine.”
“How are you coming on with your law work?” inquired his aunt. “I wish you could soon begin to practice. Some years ago I invested a little money I had in some mining stock. I never realized anything from it, and I believe I was swindled. I wish you could sue the company. I can’t afford to hire a lawyer, but if you are going to be admitted to the bar, perhaps you could take my case as the first one.”
“I’m afraid it will be a good while before I can practice law,” remarked Tom with a laugh. “But when I do, Aunt Sallie, I’ll take your case without a retainer.”
“I’ll give you half of whatever you get from the mining company, Tom.”
“Then I’ll buy an automobile,” answered our hero, with a laugh.