"Oh, I'm going to fiddle around among those sweet-smelling chemicals," answered the young inventor.
"Bless my vest buttons! then I'm not coming in, exclaimed a voice which could proceed from none other than Mr. Damon. And he it proved to be. He had driven over from Waterford in his automobile and had arrived just as the fire test was concluded.
"Oh, come on in!" called Tom. "You can visit with dad, and Eradicate will be glad to see you."
"Poor Rad! How is he?" asked Mr. Damon, walking along with Tom and Ned.
"No change," was the sad answer of the young inventor, for he felt responsible for the mishap to the colored man. "They can't operate on his eyes yet."
"And when they do will he be able to see?" asked Mr. Damon.
"That is what we are all hoping," answered Tom with a sigh. "But do go in to see him, Mr. Damon. It will cheer him up."
"I will," promised the eccentric man. "At any rate I'll not venture near your perfume shop, Tom Swift!"
"And I don't see that I can be of any service," added Ned, "so I'm off to my work."
"All right," assented Tom. "I've got several new schemes to try. Some of them ought to work."