unused to the ways of police courts, to the devious ways of the law, to realise what she was doing.  The sight of my revolver broke her down completely and she acknowledged that it was mine.  That is all.  Except that I was arrested and brought here as you see.  I told the commissioner the story of my visit to John Siders exactly as I told it to you, but it was plain to be seen that he did not believe me.  It is plain to be seen also, that he is firmly convinced of my guilt and that he is greatly satisfied with himself at having traced the criminal so soon.”

“And yet he was not quite satisfied,” said Muller gently.  “You see that he has sent to the Capital for assistance on the case.”  Muller felt this little untruth to be justified for the sake of the honour of the police force.

“Yes, I’m surprised at that,” said Graumann in his former tone of weariness.  “What do you think you will be able to do about it?”

“I must ask questions here and there before I can form a plan of campaign,” replied Muller.  “What do you think about it yourself?  Who do you think killed Siders?”

“How can I know who it was?  I only know it is not I,” answered Graumann.

“Did he have any enemies?”

“No, none that I knew of, and he had few friends either.”

“You knew there was a sum of money missing from his rooms?”

“Yes, the sum they named to me was just about the price that he had received for the sale of his property here.  They did me the honour to believe that if I had taken the money at all, I had done so merely as a blind.  At least they did not take me for a thief as well as a murderer.  If the money is really missing, it was for its sake he was murdered I suppose.”

“Yes, that would be natural,” said Muller.  “And you know nothing of any other relations or connections that the man may have had?  Anything that might give us a clue to the truth?”

“No, nothing.  He stood so alone here, as far as I knew.  Of course, as I told you, his actions of the evening before having been so peculiar—­and as I knew that he was not in the happiest frame of mind—­I naturally thought of suicide at once, when they told me that he had been found shot dead.  Then they told me that the appearance of the room and many other things, proved suicide to have been out of the question.  I know nothing more about it.  I cannot think any more about it.  I know only that I am here in danger of being sentenced for the crime that I never committed—­that is enough to keep any man’s mind busy.”  He leaned back with an intense fatigue in every line of his face and figure.

Muller rose from his seat.  “I am afraid I have tired you, Mr. Graumann,” he said, “but it was necessary that I should know all that you had to tell me.  Try and rest a little now and meanwhile be assured that I am doing all I can to find out the truth of this matter.  As far as I can tell now I do not believe that you have killed John Siders.  But I must find some further proofs that will convince others as well as myself.  If it is of any comfort to you, I can tell you that during a long career as police detective I have been most astonishingly fortunate in the cases I have undertaken.  I am hoping that my usual good luck will follow me here also.  I am hoping it for your sake.”