“Well, I am, to tell the truth,” Tom said, calmly.

“I am here at the request of my employer, Mr. Peters,” went on the caller.  “He says he is forming a new and very powerful company to exploit airships, and he wants to know whether you would not reconsider your determination not to let him do some business for you.”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t care to go into anything like that,” said Tom.

“It would be a good thing for you,” proceeded Mr. Boylan, eagerly.  “Mr. Peters is able to command large capital, and if you would permit the use of your airships—­or one of them—­as a model, and would supervise the construction of others, we could confidently expect large sales.  Thus you would profit, and I am frank to admit that the company, and Mr. Peters, also, would make money.  Mr. Peters is perfectly free to confess that he is in business to make money, but he is also willing to let others share with him.  Come now, what do you say?”

“I am sorry, but I shall have to say the same thing I said before,” replied Tom.  “Nothing doing!”

Mr. Boylan glanced rather angrily at the young inventor, and then, with a shrug of his shoulders, remarked: 

“Well, you have the say, of course.  But I would like to remind you that this is going to be a very large airship company, and if your inventions are not exploited some others will be.  And Mr. Peters also desired me to say that this is the last offer he would make you.”

“Tell him,” said Tom, “that I am much obliged, but that I have no business that I can entrust to him.  If he wishes to make some other type of airship, that is his affair.  Good-day.”

As Mr. Boylan was going out Tom noticed a button dangling from the back of his caller’s coat.  It hung by a thread, being one of the pair usually sewed on the back of a cutaway garment.

“I think you had better take off that button before it falls,” suggested Tom.  “You may lose it, and perhaps it would be hard to match.”

“That’s so.  Thank you!” said Mr. Boylan.  He tried to reach around and get it, but he was too stout to turn easily, especially as the coat was tight-fitting.

“I’ll get it for you,” offered Tom, as he pulled it off.  “There is one missing, though,” he said, as he handed the button to the man.  And then Tom started as he saw the pattern of the one in his hand.

“One gone?  That’s too bad,” murmured Mr. Boylan.  “Those buttons were imported, and I doubt if I can replace them.  They are rather odd.”

“Yes,” agreed Tom, gazing as if fascinated at the one he still held.  “They are rather odd.”

And then, as he passed it over, like a flash it came to him where he had seen a button like that before.  He had found it in his airship, which had been so mysteriously taken away and returned.

Tom could hardly restrain his impatience until Mr. Boylan had gone.  The young inventor had half a notion to produce the other button, matching the one he had just pulled off his visitor’s coat, and tell where he had found it.  But he held himself back.  He wanted to talk first to Ned.