"
"What did you tell him?"
"Nothing at all. I suspected something, and I said the best way for
him to find out would be to go and see your father. Wasn't that
right?"
"Sure. Dad doesn't want his business known any more than he can
help. What do you suppose they wanted?"
"Well, the man talked as though he and his partners would like to
buy your father's shops."
"I don't believe he'd sell. He has them arranged just for his own
use in making patents, and I'm sure he would not dispose of them."
"Well, that's what I thought, but I didn't tell the man so. I judged
it would be best for him to find out for himself."
"What was the man's name?"
"He didn't tell me, and I didn't ask him."
"How did he look?"
"Well, he was well dressed, wore kid gloves and all that, and he had
a little black mustache."
Tom started, and Mr. Merton noticed it.
"Do you know him?" he asked.
"No," replied Tom, "but I saw--" Then he stopped. He recalled the
man he had seen in the post-office. He answered this description,
but it was too vague to be certain.
"Did you say you'd seen him?" asked Mr. Merton, regarding Tom
curiously.
"No--yes--that is--well, I'll tell my father about it," stammered
Tom, who concluded that it would be best to say nothing of his
suspicions.
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