“Maybe, after all,” mused Tom, “this will turn out better than it looked at first sight. I already have an idea for some improvements in the new machine I’m going to start—as soon as I’m able,” he added somewhat grimly.
“Tom, you’d better go back to bed!” exclaimed his father anxiously. “You know Dr. Layton said——”
“Oh, I’m all right!” protested the young inventor. “I’m going slow. I do feel a bit pulled out, but I don’t intend to do any work. However, I’m on the track of something, and it’s got to be followed up.”
“Then you think this was deliberately done, Tom?” asked Mr. Swift as he finished sending a message to have Jim Clark sent to Tom’s private quarters.
“I’m almost positive of it,” was the reply. “And I have under suspicion a certain man.”
“Who?” asked Mr. Swift in a low voice, making sure no one was near the shattered door.
“Greenbaum,” was the equally low answer.
“Why, I thought he was one of your best workers, Tom!” exclaimed Mr. Swift in surprise.
“So he is, in his own particular line. But now that I think matters over, I see that there is a chance he had something to do with this explosion. He was here in the laboratory just before it happened. He and I and Ned Newton were the only ones here, as a matter of fact. Ned has disappeared, and that’s worrying me, but I’ll come to that feature in due time. I guess Ned can look after himself, though his disappearance is certainly mysterious, coupled with everything else that’s happened. But when I stop to think about Greenbaum being here just before the explosion——”
“But, Tom,” interrupted his father, “I thought you said Greenbaum went before you locked up and came home.”