"You know some of them are
secret--"
"Oh, I wasn't exactly asking for information!" exclaimed
Mr. Nestor quickly. "I just happened to hear the fence
crash, and I was wondering if something was coming out at
me. Didn't know but what that giant of yours was on a
rampage, Tom," and he laughed.
"No, it wasn't anything like that," and Tom's voice was
more sober than the occasion seemed to warrant. "It was one
of our new machines, and it didn't act just right. No great
damage was done, though. How do you find business, Mr.
Nestor, since the war spirit has grown stronger?" asked Tom,
and it seemed to both Mary and her father that the young
inventor deliberately changed the subject.
"Well, it isn't all it might be," said the other. "It's
hard to get good help. A lot of our boys enlisted, and some
were taken in the draft. By the way, Tom, have they called
on you yet?"
"No. Not yet"
"You didn't enlist?"
"Ned Newton tried to," broke in Mary, "but the quota for
this locality was filled, and they told him he'd better wait
for the draft. He wouldn't do that and tried again.
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