Mary was not at home,
but Mr. Nestor was, and for Ned's purpose this
answered.
"Well, well, glad to see you!" exclaimed
Mary's father. "Isn't Tom with you?" he asked
a moment later, seeing that Ned was alone.
"No, Tom isn't with me this evening," Ned
answered. "The fact is, he's getting ready to
go off on another expedition, and I'm going with him."
"You young men are always going somewhere,"
remarked Mrs. Nestor. "Where is it to this time?"
"Some place in Central America," Ned
answered, not wishing to be too particular. He
was wondering how he could find out what he
wanted to know, when Mary's mother unexpectedly
gave him just the information he was after.
"Central America!" she exclaimed. "Why,
Father," and she looked at her husband, "that's
where Professor Beecher is going, isn't it?"
"Yes, I believe he did mention something about that."
"Professor Beecher, the man who is an author-
ity on Aztec ruins?" asked Ned, taking a shot in
the dark.
"Yes," said Mr. Nestor. "And a mighty fine
young man he is, too. I knew his father well.
He was here on a visit not long ago, young
Beecher was, and he talked most entertainingly
about his discoveries. You remember how
interested Mary was, Mother?"
"Yes, she seemed to be," said Mrs. Nestor.
"Tom Swift dropped in during the course of
the evening," she added to Ned, "and Mary
introduced him to Professor Beecher. But I can't
say that Tom was much interested in the
professor's talk.
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