the stool
myself."

Graumaun sat back on the cot, his head resting against the wall. His
eyes had closed while Muller was speaking, but his quieter breathing
showed that he was mastering the physical attack which had so shaken
him at the first glimpse of hope. He opened his eyes now and looked at
Muller steadily for a moment. Then he said: "Yes, I will tell you: my
life and my work have taught me to gauge men. I will tell you everything
I know about this sad affair. I will tell you the absolute truth, and I
think you will believe me."

"I will believe you," said Muller simply.

"You know the details of the murder, of course, and why I was arrested?"

"You were arrested because you were the last person seen in the company
of the murdered man?"

"Exactly. Then I may go back and tell you something of my connection
with John Siders?"

"It would be the very best thing to do."

"I live in Grunau, as you doubtless know, and am the engineering expert
of large machine works there. My father before me held an important
position in the factory, and my family have always lived in Grunau.
I have traveled a great deal myself. I am forty-five years old, a
childless widower, and live with my old aunt, Miss Babette Graumann,
and my ward, Miss Eleonora Roemer, a young lady of twenty-two." Muller
looked up with a slight start of surprise, but did not say anything.
Graumann continued:

"A little over a year ago, John Siders, who signed himself as coming
from Chicago, bought a piece of property in our town and came to live
there. I made his acquaintance in the cafe and he seemed to take a fancy
to me. I also had spent several years in Chicago, and we naturally
came to speak of the place. We discovered that we had several mutual
acquaintances there, and enjoyed talking over the old times. Otherwise I
did not take particularly to the man, and as I came to know him better I
noticed that he never mentioned that part of his life which lay back of
the years in Chicago. I asked a casual question once or twice as to
his home and family, but he evaded me every time, and would not give a
direct answer. He was evidently a German by birth and education, a
man with university training, and one who knew life thoroughly. He had
delightful manners, and when he could forget his shyness for a while, he
could be very agreeable. The ladies of my family came to like him, and
encouraged him to call frequently. Then the thing happened that I should
no