“Well, my son, you have come at last!” he cried. “I have much wanted to see you.”
“I am at your service, father,” replied Frank. “What is it?”
“I want you to tell me what kind of a machine you have been getting up.”
“Come now, that’s not fair,” said Frank Jr. with twinkling eyes.
“Well, if it’s any kind of a machine that can travel over the prairies tell me so,” cried the elder Reade, excitedly.
Frank, Jr., was at a loss to exactly understand what his father was driving at. However, he replied:
“Well, I may safely say that it is. Now explain yourself.”
“I will,” replied the senior Reade. “I have a matter of great importance to give you, Frank, my boy. If your invention is as good as my steam man even, and does not improve upon it, it will yet perform the work which I want it to do.”
A light broke across Frank, Jr.’s face.
“Ah!” he cried. “I see what you are driving at. You have an undertaking for me and my new machine.”