Page 9 (1/2)

"Go on, Joe," he said sadly "I got him just before he went out to lunch I sent up the United

Merchant Shippers' card--it's our company, anyway Not a word about

Pole & Pole"

"Oh, no, of course not!" said Fred

"And, reatest achieveusto--"not a word about the names of the

ships I just sold hie, so and so

classification----"

"For how much?"

Fred was mildly curious It was the curiosity which led a certain

political prisoner to feel the edge of the axe before it beheaded him

"A hundred and twenty thousand!" cried Joe joyously "He's starting a

fleet, he says He's calling it the Tibbetts Line, and bought a couple

of ships only thiscarefully before he spoke

"Joe," he said, "was it a firm deal? Did you put pen to paper?"

"You-bet-your-dear-sweet-life," said Joe, scornful at the suggestion

that he had ootiation

"So did I, Joe," said Fred "Those two ships he bought were the two

Fairies"

There was a dead silence

"Well," said Joe uneasily, after a while, "we can get a couple of

ships----"

"Where, Joe? You admitted yesterday there weren't two boats in the

world on thesilence