The Golden Boys

A Series of Stories for Boys 12 to 16 Years of Age

BY L. P. WYMAN, PH.D.

CHAPTER I.

THE NEW CELL.

"Say, Jack, do you have any idea that this thing is going to work?"

"I don't know, Bob, the theory is all right, but how it will work out
in practice is a cat of another color; one thing is sure, though, and
that is if it don't work we are out of the running in the race, for
the new boat the Jenkins boys have just bought, will run circles round
the Sprite."

"Well, we'll soon know, for it's about ready to test."

This conversation took place one afternoon in the latter part of July
in the basement of a house in Skowhegan, Maine. The room was fitted up
as a combined workshop and laboratory, and a single glance would
indicate that the two boys were by no means novices, for it contained
many expensive and intricate pieces of machinery.

Jack and Bob Golden, 15 and 17 years old respectively, were sons of a
rich manufacturer, who had made a large part of his fortune through
his own inventions. Mr. Golden was an indulgent father and seeing that
his inventive genius had descended to his sons, had fitted up a modern
machine shop and laboratory for them and had supplied them liberally
with money for experiments. He had by no means been disappointed in
the results, for although they were but boys, they had already worked
out several designs, which had been patented and had proved very
successful.

Mr. Golden was proud of his boys and with good reason. They were large
for their age, Bob standing 5 feet 10 inches in his stockings and Jack
being but two inches shorter. They were fine, manly, looking fellows,
and their clean-cut open faces told that they were generous to a fault
and were boys to be trusted.

The rest of the family consisted of Mrs. Golden, a small lovable
woman, and a daughter Edna, 14 years old, who was almost worshipped by
her big brothers. Altogether they were as happy and jolly a family as
one would find in a long journey.

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