already raised his hand to pull the bell, when he stopped and
let it sink again. His eye caught sight of a placard pasted up on the
wall of the next house, and already half torn off by the wind. The
detective walked over, and raising the placard with his cane, read the
words on it. "That's right," he said to himself. Amster gave a look on
the paper. But he could not connect the contents of the notice with
the case of the kidnapped lady, and he shook his head in surprise when
Muller turned to him with the words: "The lady we are looking for is not
insane." On the paper was announced in large letters that a reward would
be offered to the finder of a red and green parrot which had escaped
from a neighbouring house.

Muller rang the bell and they had to wait some few minutes before the
door opened with great creakings, and the towsled head of an old woman
peered out.

"What do you want?" she asked hoarsely, with distrustful looks.

"Let us in, and then give us the keys of the upstairs rooms." Muller's
voice was friendly, but the woman grew perceptibly paler.

"Who are you?" she stammered. Muller threw back his overcoat and showed
her his badge. "But there is nobody here, the house is quite empty."

"There were a lady and gentleman here last evening." The woman threw
a frightened look at Muller, then she said hesitatingly: "The lady was
insane and has been taken to an asylum."

"That is what the man told you. He is a criminal and the police are
looking for him."

"Come with me," murmured the woman. She seemed to understand that
further resistance was useless. She carefully locked the outside door.
Amster remained down stairs in the corridor, while Muller followed the
old woman up the stairs. The staircase to the third story was made of
wood. The house was evidently very old, with low ceilings and many dark
corners.

The woman led Muller into the room in which she had cared for the
strange lady at the order of the latter's "husband." He had told her
that it was only until he could take the lady to an asylum. One look at
the wall paper, a glance out of the window, and Muller knew that this
was where Asta Langen had been imprisoned. He sat down on a chair and
looked at the woman, who stood frightened before him.

"Do you know where they have taken the lady?"

"No, sir.

"Do you know the gentleman's name?"

"No, sir.

"You did not send the lady's name to the authorities?" *

"No, sir."

* Any stranger ta