CHAPTER XI--A GREAT STEP FORWARD
"Mr. Barnes, I believe?"
"Yes, I am Tom Barnes," said the young wireless operator of station Z.
Tom was in the old windmill tower, and had been tidying up generally. Hehad just come from dinner, and was alone in the operating room.
He had checked himself in the middle of a whistling tune to survey ahead and then the shoulders and body of a stranger, coming up throughthe trap door.
The intruder was a keen-eyed, sharp-featured man of about thirty, veryneatly dressed, and very erect and soldierly in his general appearance.
He nodded briskly to Tom, crossed the room, and, uninvited, sank intothe nearest chair.
"Glad I found you," he said, and then took a close survey of Tom and ofthe furnishings of the room. "Heard about you at the town, and beingsomewhat interested in these new-fangled wireless ideas, I thought youwouldn't mind a casual visitor."
"No, indeed," answered Tom readily. "I am only too glad to meet anybodywho is interested as to our little station here."
"It's quite a plant," declared the stranger. "Tell me something aboutit, will you?"
An enthusiastic boy like Tom was only too ready to enter into a generaldescription of the parts and utilities of the apparatus. The strangerlistened intently, approbatively too, it seemed to Tom. He followed theindication of Tom's finger as it pointed out this and that attachment ofthe general operating device; and arose and looked closer as Tomexplained in detail and very clearly some intricate features of themechanism.
"That's pretty interesting," voiced the man at length, "and you seem toknow your business."
"Oh, I'm only a novice, a mere amateur," insisted Tom modestly.
"What's that now?" inquired the visitor, reaching a careless hand verynear to the coherer.
"Look out!" shouted Tom warningly.
"What's the trouble?" calmly interrogated the man.
"Danger. You'll get a hard shock if you touch that."
"I'll be careful," pledged the stranger, and to Tom's amazement with adeft expert touch he dislodged the cap of one of the glass tubes. "Isay, my friend," he added, gazing down into the cup critically, "you'dget much better action if you'd mix in some fine brass filings here. Theold stuff is pretty well corroded."
"I had noticed that," said Tom, "and have sent to the city for newmaterial."
"There's another point worth your attention," resumed the man, pointingup at the secondary circuit. "A double coil to that condenser wouldstrengthen your current."
Tom stared at the speaker in a vague way. He was a good deal surprisedand also suspicious at the facility with which this avowed seeker forinformation exhibited a profound knowledge of the very subject underdiscussion.
"You seem to know something about it," observed Tom.
The man did not reply. He busied himself with a fixed and calculatingglance through the roof skylight up at the metal nets and spirals.
"Very good," he said, half aloud, "and kept in very fair order, too."
"I'm glad to hear you say it, Mr ----?"
"I am expecting a friend who will introduce us," said the stranger, witha peculiar smile. "Ah, there he is now."
He moved to the window, and in quite a friendly fashion waved his handto an occupant of an automobile that had just driven up from the beachroad.
Tom at once recognized it as the Morgan machine. Its owner alighted, anda minute later came up the ladder.
"Glad to see you, Barnes," he hailed cheerily, shaking hands with theyoung wireless operator. "You didn't wait for me at the village asagreed, Mr. Mason," he added, addressing Tom's guest.
"I fancied I had better come on ahead and get an unprejudiced view ofthe proposition," observed Mr. Mason.
"Strike you all right?" intimated the magnate pleasantly.
"Capital," answered the stranger with emphasis.
"That's good. Barnes, this is Mr. Mason, inspector for the InternationalWireless Company, of New York."
"Oh," said Tom, a little dubiously and a trifle flustered.
"I knew how you were interested in this wireless business, Barnes,"resumed Mr. Morgan, "and I spoke to my friend here of the independentstation you were running."
"Which I wish to take into the service, you included," broke in Mr.Mason in a clear, straightforward way. "I hear of some good work youhave done here. The location can be made an important one, and, if youare ready for it, I'll talk business with you."
"There is not much doubt about the utility of the station here,"observed Mr. Morgan. "Barnes saved me half my fortune through anintercepted wireless. He has my unqualified recommendation and support,Mr. Mason."
"So you told me," returned the wireless professional in a brusque,business-like way. "Practically you own the apparatus here, Mr. Barnes?"he questioned.
"Yes, sir," announced Tom.
"Is there any lease on the site?"
"You mean the old tower here?"
"Yes."
"No, sir. It belongs to the house that burned down about a year ago, andis entirely out of commission as a windmill."
"I see."
"The man who owns the place gave Mr. Edson full permission to use theold wreck free of charge as long as he liked."
"The company would like a formal lease for two years. Do you think youcould arrange that?"
"Oh, yes, I am sure of it," replied Tom.
"Very well. Offer him a trifle--say fifty dollars for the term. Nowthen, as to your outfit here. Would you be willing to turn over yourright and interest here to the company at a fair price, in considerationof a contract for two years establishing you here as their accreditedoperator?"
Tom's face changed to all colors. His eye sparkled.
"Mr. Mason," he said frankly, "you take my breath away!"
The wireless professional smiled indulgently. Mr. Morgan rested afriendly, encouraging hand on Tom's shoulder.
"The equipment here," continued Mr. Mason, making a swift mentalcalculation, "is not worth a great deal. The installation, however, costsomething. I shall recommend the company to offer you five hundreddollars for the outfit."
Tom gasped now. Business was business, and he realized that thekeen-faced man of affairs who was talking to him was too shrewd to throwanything away or buy a bad bargain. For all that, he was fairly stunnedat the good fortune that had come to him.
"I will be glad to do as you suggest," he said, choked up from variedemotions.
"Good!" cried Mr. Mason. "The papers will be sent to you soon as I canreport to headquarters. In the meantime, you can negotiate for the leasewe spoke about I will have a contract forwarded to you, accompanyingfull instructions as to your duties as our representative."
"What will you pay Barnes?" inquired Mr. Morgan, a practical businessman on all occasions.
"Sixty dollars a month," was the reply.
"Don't fall off your chair, Barnes!" laughed Mr. Morgan, "You're goingto reach bigger things than that in the wireless line, I predict."
"There was one thing," said Tom a little anxiously; "I have a friend, achum, who knows almost as much as I do about the business."
Mr. Mason took out his memorandum book.
"What is his name?" he inquired.
"Ben Dixon."
"Very good. We'll start him with a commission as substitute and reliefman. I intended to send one of our men for the shift, but if you thinkthis young Dixon can do the work, I will recommend him."
"I am sure of it," declared Tom.
"Good-bye, Barnes," said Mr. Morgan, as he and his companion prepared toleave the tower. "I have a little something I wish to add to your bankaccount when you come up to the house again."
"Please don't mention such a thing, Mr. Morgan," pleaded Tom.
"And, remember, call on me as a ready friend whenever I can help you inany way," went on the gentleman; and then he and Mr. Mason went away.
"My!" was all Tom could say when he returned to the tower, and flunghimself into a chair in a dazed, over
whelmed way. "My! it all seems likea dream!"
Boys of the Wireless; Or, A Stirring Rescue from the Deep Page 11