“You know, I suppose,” went on Mr. Boylan, smiling at Tom, “that Mr. Peters is a man of many and large interests.”

“I have heard something like that,” said Tom, cautiously.

“Yes.  Well, he is an organizer—­a promoter, if you like.  He supplies the money for large enterprises, and is, therefore, a benefactor of the human race.  Where persons have no cash with which to exploit their—­well, say their inventions.  Mr. Peters takes them, and makes money out of them.”

“No doubt,” thought Tom, grimly.

“In other cases, where an inventor is working at a handicap, say with too many interests, Mr. Peters takes hold of one of his ideas, and makes it pay much better than the inventor has been able to do.”

“Now, Mr. Peters has heard of you, and he would like to do you good.”

“Yes, I guess he would,” thought Tom.  “He would like to do me—­and do me good and brown.  Here’s where I’ve got to play a game myself.”

“And so,” went on Mr. Boylan, “Mr. Peters has sent me to you to ask you to allow him to exploit one, or several, of your inventions.  He will form a large stock company, put one of your inventions on the market, and make you a rich man.  Now what do you say?” and he looked at Tom and smiled—­smiled, the young inventor could not help thinking, like a cat looking at a mouse.  “What do you say, Mr. Swift?”

For a moment Tom did not answer.  Then getting up and opening the library door, to indicate that the interview was at an end, the young inventor smiled, and said: 

“Tell Mr. Peters that I thank him, but that I have nothing for him to exploit, or with which to form a company to market.”

“Wha—­what!” faltered the visitor.  “Do you mean to say you will not take advantage of his remarkable offer?”

“That’s just what I mean to say,” replied Tom, with a smile.

“You won’t do business with Mr. Peters?  You won’t let him do you good?”

“No,” said Tom, quietly.

“Why—­why, that’s the strangest—­the most preposterous thing I ever heard of!” protested Mr. Boylan.  “What—­what shall I say to Mr. Peters?”

“Tell him,” said Tom, “tell him, from me, and excuse the slang, if you like, but tell him there is—­nothing doing!”

CHAPTER VIII

TOM IS BAFFLED

Amazement held Mr. Boylan silent for a moment, and then, staring at Tom, as though he could not believe what he had heard the young inventor say, the representative of Mr. Peters exclaimed: 

“Nothing doing?”

“That’s what I said,” repeated Tom, calmly.

“But—­but you don’t understand, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, but indeed I do.”

“Then you refuse to let my friend, Mr. Peters, exploit some of your inventions?”

“I refuse absolutely.”

“Oh, come now.  Take an invention that hasn’t been very successful.”