The Case of the Registered Letter

by Auguste Groner

police station at G-------- inthe early afternoon hours. Some impulse of loyalty to her dead lover,some foolish feminine fear that I might have spoken against him in myearlier interviews with the commissioner had driven the girl to thisstep. A few questions sufficed to draw from her the story of her secretengagement, of its ending, and of my quarrel with John. I will say forher that I am certain she did not realise that all these things werecalculated to cast suspicion on me. The poor girl is too unused to theways of police courts, to the devious ways of the law, to realise whatshe was doing. The sight of my revolver broke her down completelyand she acknowledged that it was mine. That is all. Except that I wasarrested and brought here as you see. I told the commissioner the storyof my visit to John Siders exactly as I told it to you, but it was plainto be seen that he did not believe me. It is plain to be seen also, thathe is firmly convinced of my guilt and that he is greatly satisfied withhimself at having traced the criminal so soon."

  "And yet he was not quite satisfied," said Muller gently. "You see thathe has sent to the Capital for assistance on the case." Muller felt thislittle untruth to be justified for the sake of the honour of the policeforce.

  "Yes, I'm surprised at that," said Graumann in his former tone ofweariness. "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 ofcampaign," replied Muller. "What do you think about it yourself? Who doyou 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 hadreceived for the sale of his property here. They did me the honour tobelieve that if I had taken the money at all, I had done so merely as ablind. 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 Isuppose."

  "Yes, that would be natural," said Muller. "And you know nothing of anyother relations or connections that the man may have had? Anything thatmight give us a clue to the truth?"

  "No, nothing. He stood so alone here, as far as I knew. Of course, as Itold you, his actions of the evening before having been so peculiar--andas I knew that he was not in the happiest frame of mind--I naturallythought of suicide at once, when they told me that he had been foundshot dead. Then they told me that the appearance of the room and manyother things, proved suicide to have been out of the question. I knownothing more about it. I cannot think any more about it. I know onlythat I am here in danger of being sentenced for the crime that I nevercommitted--that is enough to keep any man's mind busy." He leaned backwith 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 totell me. Try and rest a little now and meanwhile be assured that I amdoing all I can to find out the truth of this matter. As far as I cantell now I do not believe that you have killed John Siders. But I mustfind some further proofs that will convince others as well as myself. Ifit is of any comfort to you, I can tell you that during a long career aspolice detective I have been most astonishingly fortunate in the cases Ihave undertaken. I am hoping that my usual good luck will follow me herealso. I am hoping it for your sake."

  The man on the cot took the hand the detective offered him andpressed it firmly. "You will let me know as soon as you have foundanything--anything that gives me hope?"

  "I will indeed. And now save your strength and do not worry. I will helpyou if it is in my power."

  After leaving the prison, Muller took the train for the village ofGrunau, about half an hour distant from the city. He found his wayeasily to Graumann's home, an attractive old house set in a large gardenamid groups of beautiful old trees. When he sent up his card to MissGraumann, the old lady tripped down stairs in a flutter of excitement.

  "Did you see him?" she asked. "You have been to the prison? What do youthink? How does he seem?"

  "He seems calm to-day," replied Muller, "although the confinement andthe anxiety are evidently wearing on him."

  "And you heard his story? And you believe him innocent?"

  "I am inclined to do so. But there is more yet for me to investigate inthis matter. It is certainly not as simple as the police here seem tobelieve. May I speak to your ward, Miss Roemer? She is at home now?"

  "Yes, Lora is at home. If you will wait here a moment I will send herin."

  Muller paced up and down the large sunny room, casting a glance over thehandsome old pieces of furniture and the family portraits on the wall.It was evidently the home of generations of well-to-do, well-bredpeople, the narrow circle of whose life was made rich by congenialduties and a comfortable feeling of their standing in the community.

  While he was studying one of the portraits more carefully, he becameaware that there was some one in the room. He turned and saw a tallblond girl standing by the door. She had entered so softly that evenMuller's quick ear had not heard the opening of the door.

  "Do you wish to speak to me?" she said, coming down into the room. "I amEleonora Roemer"

  Her face, which could be called handsome in its even regularity offeature and delicate skin, was very pale now, and around her eyes weredark rings that spoke of sleepless nights. Grief and mental shock werepreying upon this girl's mind. "She is not the one to make a confidantof those around her," thought Muller to himself. Then he added aloud:"If it does not distress you too much to talk about this sad affair, Iwill be very grateful if you will answer a few questions."

  "I will tell you whatever I can," said the girl in the same low eventone in which she had first spoken. "Miss Graumann tells me that youhave come from Vienna to take up this case. It is only natural that weshould want to give you every assistance in our power."

  "What is your opinion about it?" was Muller's next remark, made rathersuddenly after a moment's pause.

  The directness of the question seemed to shake the girl out of herenforced calm. A slow flush mounted into her pale cheeks and then diedaway, again leaving them whiter than before. "I do not know--oh, I donot know what to believe."

  "But you do not think Mr. Graumann capable of such a crime, do you?"

  "Not of the robbery, of course not; that would be absurd! But hasit been clearly proven that there is a robbery? Might it not havebeen--might they not have--"

  "You mean, might they not have quarreled? Of course there is thatpossibility. And that is why I wanted to speak to you. You are the oneperson who could possibly throw light on this subject. Was there anyother reason beyond the dead man's past that would render your guardianunwilling to have you marry him?"

  Again the slow flush mounted to Eleonora Roemer's cheeks and her headdrooped.

  "I fear it may be painful for you to answer this," said Muller gently,"and yet I must insist on it in the interest of justice."

  "He--my guardian--wished to marry me himself," the girl's words cameslowly and painfully.

  Muller drew in his breath so sharply that it was almost like a whistle."He did not tell me that; it might make a difference."

  "That... that is... what I fear," said the girl, her eyes looking keenlyinto those of the man who sat opposite. "And then, it was his revolver."

  "Then you do believe him guilty?"

  "It would be horrible, horrible--and yet I do not know what to think."

  There was silence in the room for a moment. Miss Roemer's head droopedagain and her hands twisted nervously in her lap. Muller's brain wasvery busy with this new phase of the problem. Finally he spoke.

  "Let us dismiss this side of the question and talk of another phase ofit, a phase of which it is necessary for me to know something. You wouldnaturally be the person nearest the dead man, the one, the only one,perhaps, to whom he had given his confidence. Do you know
of any enemieshe might have had in the city?"

  "No, I do not know of any enemies, or even of any friends he had there.When the terrible thing happened that clouded his past, when he hadregained his freedom, after his term of imprisonment, there was no oneleft whom he cared to see again. He does not seem to have borne anymalice towards the banker who accused him of the theft. The evidencewas so strong against him that he felt the suspicion was justified. Butthere was hatred in his heart for one man, for the Justice who sentencedhim, Justice Schmidt, who is now Attorney General in G------."

  "The man who, in the name of the State, will conduct this case?"