Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE OR THE PICTURE THAT SAVED A FORTUNE BY VICTOR APPLETON AUTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON," "THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS," "THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE," "THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE," ETC. CONTENTS I. A MAN ON THE ROOF II. BAD NEWS III. TOM'S FAILURE IV. RUN DOWN V. SHARP WORDS VI. A WARNING VII. SOFT WORDS VIII. TOM IS BAFFLED IX. A GLEAM OF HOPE X. MIDNIGHT VISITORS XI. THE AIRSHIP IS TAKEN XII. A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE XIII. THE TELEPHONE PICTURE XIV. MAKING IMPROVEMENTS XV. THE AIRSHIP CLUE XVI. SUCCESS XVII. THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE XVIII. ANOTHER CALL XIX. THE BUZZING SOUND XX. SETTING THE TRAP XXI. THE PHOTO TELEPHONE XXII. THE ESCAPE XXIII. ON THE TRAIL XXIV. THE LONELY HOUSE XXV. THE AIRSHIP CAPTURE TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE CHAPTER I A MAN ON THE ROOF "Tom, I don't believe it can be done!" "But, Dad, I'm sure it can!" Tom Swift looked over at his father, who was seated in an easy chair in the library. The elderly gentleman--his hair was quite white now--slowly shook his head, as he murmured again: "It can't be done, Tom! It can't be done! I admit that you've made a lot of wonderful things--things I never dreamed of--but this is too much. To transmit pictures over a telephone wire, so that persons cannot only see to whom they are talking, as well as hear them--well, to be frank with you, Tom, I should be sorry to see you waste your time trying to invent such a thing." "I don't agree with you. Not only do I think it can be done, but I'm going to do it. In fact, I've already started on it. As for wasting my time, well, I haven't anything in particular to do, now that my giant cannon has been perfected, so I might as well be working on my new photo telephone instead of sitting around idle." "Yes, Tom, I agree with you there," said Mr. Swift. "Sitting around idle isn't good for anyone--man or boy, young or old. So don't think I'm finding fault because you're busy." "It's only that I don't want to see you throw away your efforts, only to be disappointed in the end. It can't be done, Tom, it can't be done," and the aged inventor shook his head in pitying doubt. Tom only smiled confidently, and went on: "Well, Dad, all you'll have to do will be to wait and see. It isn't going to be easy--I grant that. In fact, I've run up against more snags, the little way I've gone so far, than I like to admit. But I'm going to stick at it, and before this year is out I'll guarantee, Father, that you can be at one end of the telephone wire, talking to me, at the other, and I'll see you and you'll see me--if not as plainly as we see each other now, at least plainly enough to make sure of each other."