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the room？〃 thought Muller。 〃It'll be too late for that now。 I
suppose they have rearranged the place。 I can only go by what the
local detectives have seen； by the police reports。 But I do not
understand this extreme disorder。 There is no reason why there
should be a struggle when the robber was armed with a pistol。 If
Siders was supposed to have been interrupted when writing a letter；
interrupted by a thief come with intent to steal； a thief armed
with a revolver； the sight of this weapon alone would be sufficient
to insure his not moving from his seat。 I can understand the open
drawers and cupboard； that is explained by the thief's hasty search
for booty。 But the torn window curtain and the overturned chairs
are peculiar。
〃Of course there is always a possibility that the thief might have
entered one room while Siders was in the other； that the latter
might have surprised the robber in his search for money or valuables；
and that there might have been a hand…to…hand struggle before the
intruder could pull out his revolver。 Oh； if I could only have seen
the body！ This is working under terrific difficulties。 The marks
of a hand…to…hand struggle would have been very plain on the clothes
and on the person of the murdered man。 But this letter？ I do not
understand this letter at all。 It is the dead man's handwriting；
that we know； but why did not the friend to whom it was addressed
come forward and make himself known？ As far as I can learn from the
police reports in G…； there was no personal interest shown； no
personal inquiries made about the dead man。 There was only the
natural excitement that a murder would create。 Now a family；
expecting to make a pleasure excursion with a friend in a day or
two and suddenly hearing that this friend had been found murdered
in his lodgings； would be inclined to take some little personal
interest in the matter。 These people must have been in town and at
home； for the excursion spoken of in the letter was to occur two
days after the murder。 Miss Roemer's remark about the dread that
some people have as to any connection with the police； is true to
a limited extent only。 It is true only of the ignorant mind； not
of a man presumably well…to…do and properly educated。 I do not
understand why the man to whom this letter was addressed has not
made himself known。 The only explanation is … that there was no
such man！〃 A sudden sharp whistle broke from the detective's lips。
〃I must examine the dead man's personal effects； his baggage； his
papers； there may be something there。 His queer letter to Graumann
… his desire that the latter's visit should be kept secret … a visit
which apparently had no cause at all； except to get Graumann to the
house； to get him to the house in a way that he should be seen
coming； but should not be seen going away。 What does this mean？
〃Graumann was the only person against whom Siders had an active
cause of quarrel for the moment。 There was one other man whom he
hated； and this other man was the prosecuting attorney who would
conduct any case of murder that came up in the town of G…。
〃Now John Siders is found murdered … is found killed； in his
lodgings； the morning after he has arranged things so that his
antagonist； his rival in love； Albert Graumann； shall come under
suspicion of having murdered him。。
〃What evidence have we that this man did not commit suicide？ We
have the evidence of the disorder in the room； a disorder that
could have been made just as well by the man himself before he ended
his own life。 We have the evidence of a letter to some unknown；
making plans for pleasure during the next days； and speaking of
further plans； presumably concerning business； for the future。 In
a town the size of G…； where every one must have read of the murder；
no one has come forward claiming to be the friend for whom this
letter was written。 Until this Unknown makes himself known； the
letter as an evidence points rather to premeditated suicide than to
the contrary。 Oh； if I could only have seen the body！ They tell
me the pistol was found some little distance from the body。 Is it
at all likely that a murderer would go away leaving such evidence
behind him？ If Graumaun had killed Siders in a hasty quarrel； he
might possibly； in his excitement； have left his revolver。 But I
have already disposed of this possibility。 A man of sufficient
brains to so carefully plan his suicide as to conceal every trace
of it and cast suspicion upon the man who had made him unhappy； such
a one would be quite clever enough to throw the pistol far away
from his body and to leave no traces of powder on his coat or any
such other evidence。
〃If I were to say now what I think； I would say that John Siders
deliberately took his own life and planned it in such a way as to
cast suspicion upon Albert Graumann。 But that would indeed be a
terrible revenge。 And I must have some tangible proof of it before
any court will accept my belief。 This proof must be hidden
somewhere。 The thing for me to do is to find it。〃
The evidence gathered at the time of the death went to show that
Siders had been paid a considerable sum in cash for the sale of
his property at Grunau。 And there was no trace of his having
deposited this sum in any bank in G… or in Grunau； in both of
which places he had deposited other securities。 Therefore the
money had presumably been in his room at the time of his death。
A search had been made for this money in every possible place of
concealment among the dead man's belongings； and it had not been
found。 Muller asked the Police Commissioner to give him the key
to the rooms； which were still officially closed； and also the
keys to the dead man's pieces of baggage。 Commissioner Lange
seemed to think all this extra search quite unnecessary； as it
did not occur to him that anything else was to be looked for
except the money。
It was quite late when Muller began his examination of the dead
man's effects。 He was struck by the fact that there was scarcely
a bit of paper to be found anywhere； no letters； no business papers；
except bank books showing the amount of his securities in the bank
in G… and in Grunau； and giving facts about some investments in
Chicago。 There was nothing of more recent date and no personal
correspondence whatever。 The same was true of the pockets of the
suit Siders had been wearing at the time of his death。 A man of
any property or position at all in the world gathers about him so
much of this kind of material that its absence shows premeditation。
The suit Siders had been wearing when he was killed was lying on
the table in the room。 It was a plain grey business suit of good
cut and material。 The body had been prepared for burial in a
beseeming suit of black。 Muller made a careful examination of the
clothes； and found only what the police reports showed him had
already been found by the examination made by the local authorities。
Upon a second careful examination； however； he found that in one of
the vest pockets there was a little extra pocket； like a change
pocket； and in it he found a crumpled piece of paper。 He took it