“No you won’t!” chuckled Dr. Layton. “You’re not badly hurt, but I’m taking no chances with you and you’ll stay in bed all day. Miss Nestor can call here if she likes,” he conceded, with a smile. “Thanks for that favor,” and Tom smiled in answer. “Tell her, please, Mrs. Baggert.” “I will,” and the housekeeper hurried back to the telephone. A further inspection of Tom’s injuries by daylight did not reveal them as any worse than the first diagnosis indicated and Dr. Layton said that his patient would be up and about in a few days. “And when I am things are going to hum!” declared Tom. He had finished a light breakfast and the medical man was preparing to depart when the telephone rang again. “If that’s Mary I’m going to speak to her!” exclaimed Tom. “But it isn’t,” said Mrs. Baggert, with a smile, coming in from the hall outside Tom’s room, the telephone being installed in a booth in the corridor. “It’s Mr. Newton.” “Ned?” exclaimed Tom Swift. “No, not Ned—his father,” replied the housekeeper. “He wants to know when Ned will be home.” “When Ned will be home!” exclaimed Tom, in bewildered surprise. “Why, I thought he was at home now. He left me before midnight to go home.” “He isn’t there,” said Mrs. Baggert. “Mr. Newton says Ned hasn’t been home all night and he thought he must be here, as he often stays all night, you know.” “Yes, I know,” admitted Tom, with a puzzled look on his face. “But he didn’t stay last night. He started for home. He was dead tired from helping me. Ask Mr. Newton if he is sure Ned isn’t sleeping soundly in his own room.” Mrs. Baggert went back to the telephone. In a few moments she came back. “Ned seems to have disappeared,” she announced. “He didn’t come home or send any word. Mr. Newton is quite worried. He wants to talk to you.” CHAPTER III SUSPICIONS TOM SWIFT looked at Dr. Layton. The medical man had paused in his departure on hearing the telephone bell and the ensuing talk. “Doctor,” began Tom, “I don’t want to disobey your advice, but I’ve simply got to talk to Ned’s father. Something may have happened. I’m beginning to get worried. There may be more at the bottom of this than just an accidental explosion in my laboratory.” “I’d rather you stayed in bed,” said the physician. “You oughtn’t to move around so soon after such a shock. Can’t you move the telephone in here?” “I’ll get an extension wire that I have in my room and plug it in,” offered Mr. Swift, and while Mrs. Baggert was telling Mr. Newton that Tom would soon speak to him, Mr. Swift, with the help of Eradicate, quickly had an extension telephone rigged up at Tom’s bedside. Then the young inventor talked to the father of his business manager. “Are you sure, Mr. Newton, that Ned isn’t in the house, sleeping his head off?” was Tom’s first question.