"Yes, Mary, I will," promised the young inventor. "But don't say anything to Ned about what we just saw and heard."
"Why not?"
"Because he's been at me to hire a couple of detectives to watch over me, and this would give him another excuse. Just don't say anything, and I'll adopt all the precautions I think are needful."
"I will on condition that you do that."
"And I promise I will."
With that Mary had to be content. A little later they joined Ned and his friend, and soon they were moving swiftly down the lake in the launch.
"Well, hasn't it done you good to take a day off?" Ned demanded of his chum, when they were on their homeward way.
"Yes, I think it has," agreed Tom.
"You swung your thoughts into a new channel, didn't you?"
"Oh, yes, I found something new to think about," admitted the young inventor, with a quick look at Mary.