This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

"He hasn't told me that. He said, I'd see. But it's the Wotan, I know. It's the Wotan!"

"The Wotan!" I repeated.

"The new big ship! The greatest ship on the seas! Here! Here's what it is; here's what it has aboard! It's making its maiden voyage now, you know. Here!"

She picked up a newspaper, showed it to me and then spread it for me upon a table while I bent over to read.

The Wotan, just completed and the greatest and fastest ship on the water, was making its maiden trip. Fifty millions it had cost; ten thousand passengers it carried; a newspaper column was crowded with the list of only the most famous names. It was bringing over Rembrandts', Rubens' and Raphaels' for which the Metropolitan museum had paid ten millions; ten millions in stones from Amsterdam, emeralds, rubies and Rand diamonds were aboard; twenty million more was in platinum and gold bullion.

The vessel was due at New York tomorrow noon.

I straightened, staring at her; and I better