"mayn't i congratulate you also?"
he wheeled around, to confront mary nestor, immaculate in a summer gown.
"why--why," he stammered."i--i thought you didn't come.""oh, yes i did," she answered, laughing."i wouldn't have missed it for anything.i arrived late, but i saw the whole race.wasn't it glorious.i'm so glad you won!" tom was too, now, but he shrank back when miss nestor held out both daintily gloved hands to him.his hands were covered with oil and dirt.
"as if i cared for my gloves!" she cried, and she took possession of his hands, a proceeding to which tom was nothing loath."are you going to race any more?" she asked, as he walked along by her side, away from the gathering crowd.
"i don't know," he replied."my car is speedier than i thought it was.perhaps i may enter it in other contests."but what tom swift did later on will be told in another volume, to be called, "tom swift and his wireless message; or, the castaways of earthquake island"--a strange tale of ship-wreck and mystery.
the run back home was made without incident, save for a broken chain, easily repaired, the day following the race, and tom later received a number of invitations to give exhibitions of speed.several automobile manufacturers wanted to secure the rights to his machine, but he said he desired to consider the matter before acting.he did not forget his promise to mrs.baggert, regarding the diamond earrings, and bought her the finestpair he could find.
"come on, mr.sharp," proposed tom, a week or so after the big race, "let's go for a spin in the airship.i want to see how it feels to be among the clouds once more," and they were soon soaring aloft.
the new bank, started by mr.foger, did not flourish long.it closed its doors in less than six months, but the old institution was stronger than ever.mr.berg disappeared, and tom never learned whether the agent really was the man he had chased, and whose watch charm he tore loose, though he always had his suspicions.nor did it ever develop who crossed the electric wires, so that tom was so nearly fatally shocked.andy foger disliked our hero more than ever, and on several occasions caused him not a little trouble, but tom was able to look after himself.