[Illustration: “Mr. Cutter came in, turning on the electric light as he did so.” _Page 164_] Tom the Telephone Boy Or The Mystery of a Message BY FRANK V. WEBSTER AUTHOR OF “BOB THE CASTAWAY,” “THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS,” “THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER,” “ONLY A FARM BOY,” ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY PUBLISHERS BOOKS FOR BOYS _By FRANK V. WEBSTER_ 12 mo. Illustrated. Bound in cloth. Price per volume, 35 cents, postpaid ONLY A FARM BOY, Or Dan Hardy’s Rise in Life TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY, Or The Mystery of a Message THE BOY FROM THE RANCH, Or Roy Bradner’s City Experiences THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER, Or Fred Stanley’s Trip to Alaska BOB THE CASTAWAY, Or The Wreck of the Eagle THE YOUNG FIREMEN OF LAKEVILLE, Or Herbert Dare’s Pluck THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS, Or Who Was Dick Box? THE BOY PILOT OF THE LAKES, Or Nat Morton’s Perils TWO BOY GOLD MINERS, Or Lost in the Mountains JACK THE RUNAWAY, Or On the Road with a Circus _Cupples & Leon Co., Publishers, New York_ Copyright, 1909, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I A QUEER CUSTOMER 1 II TOM IS SUSPICIOUS 14 III BUSY DAYS 22 IV STRANGE ACTIONS 30 V CHARLEY GROVE’S IDEA 39 VI OUT OF WORK 45 VII LOOKING FOR A SITUATION 54 VIII DR. SPIDDERKINS’ POCKETBOOK 63 IX TOM LEARNS SOMETHING 70 X GETTING A PLACE 77 XI TOM MAKES A DISCOVERY 85 XII SEEKING INFORMATION 97 XIII A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE 105 XIV SANDOW IS ALARMED 112 XV MR. CUTLER’S VISITOR 119 XVI AN ODD CLIENT 124 XVII A MEAN PLOT 132 XVIII TOM IS ACCUSED 140 XIX A GIRL’S TESTIMONY 145 XX VINDICATION OF TOM 153 XXI TOM TELLS HIS SUSPICIONS 159 XXII THE MISSING PAPERS 165 XXIII DR. SPIDDERKINS IS ANGRY 176 XXIV THE FLIGHT 190 XXV TOM’S PROMOTION--CONCLUSION 196 TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY CHAPTER I A QUEER CUSTOMER “Hurrah! Good news, mother!” cried Tom Baldwin, as he hurried into the house, throwing his hat on the rack. “Fine luck! Where are you?” “Upstairs, sewing,” replied a woman’s voice. “My, Tom, but you are making quite a noise.” “Can’t help it, mother! I’ve got good news! I’ve got a job!” “Have you really, Tom? Come right up and tell us about it. I’m very glad!”