“Professor Beecher, the man who is an author-ity on Aztec ruins?” asked Ned, taking a shot in the dark.

“Yes,” said Mr. Nestor.  “And a mighty fine young man he is, too.  I knew his father well.  He was here on a visit not long ago, young Beecher was, and he talked most entertainingly about his discoveries.  You remember how interested Mary was, Mother?”

“Yes, she seemed to be,” said Mrs. Nestor.  “Tom Swift dropped in during the course of the evening,” she added to Ned, “and Mary introduced him to Professor Beecher.  But I can’t say that Tom was much interested in the professor’s talk.”

“No?” questioned Ned.

“No, not at all.  But Tom did not stay long.  He left just as Mary and the professor were drawing a map so the professor could indicate where he had once made a big discovery.”

“I see,” murmured Ned.  “Well, I suppose Tom must have been thinking of something else at the time.”

“Very likely,” agreed Mr. Nestor.  “But Tom missed a very profitable talk.  I was very much interested myself in what the professor told us, and so was Mary.  She invited Mr. Beecher to come again.  He takes after his father in being very thorough in what he does.

“Sometimes I think,” went on Mr. Nestor, “that Tom isn’t quite steady enough.  He’s thinking of so many things, perhaps, that he can’t get his mind down to the commonplace.  I remember he once sent something here in a box labeled `dynamite.’  Though there was no explosive in it, it gave us a great fright.  But Tom is a boy, in spite of his years.  Professor Beecher seems much older.  We all like him very much.”

“That’s nice,” said Ned, as he took his departure.  He had found out what he had come to learn.

“I knew it!” Ned exclaimed as he walked home.  “I knew something was in the wind.  The little green god of jealousy has Tom in his clutches.  That’s why my inventive friend was so anxious to go on this expedition when he learned Beecher was to go.  He wants to beat him.  I guess the professor has plainly shown that he wouldn’t like anything better than to cut Tom out with Mary.  Whew! that’s something to think about!”

CHAPTER VI

UNPLEASANT NEWS

Ned Newton decided to keep to himself what he had heard at the Nestor home.  Not for the world would he let Tom Swift know of the situation.

“That is, I won’t let him know that I know,” said Ned to himself, “though he is probably as well aware of the situation as I am.  But it sure is queer that this Professor Beecher should have taken such a fancy to Mary, and that her father should regard him so well.  That is natural, I suppose.  But I wonder how Mary herself feels about it.  That is the part Tom would be most interested in.

“No wonder Tom wants to get ahead of this young college chap, who probably thinks he’s the whole show.  If he can find the buried city, and get the idol of gold, it would be a big feather in his cap.