y with this new phase of the problem. Finally he spoke.

"Let us dismiss this side of the question and talk of another phase of
it, a phase of which it is necessary for me to know something. You would
naturally 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 enemies
he 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 had
regained his freedom, after his term of imprisonment, there was no one
left whom he cared to see again. He does not seem to have borne any
malice towards the banker who accused him of the theft. The evidence
was so strong against him that he felt the suspicion was justified. But
there was hatred in his heart for one man, for the Justice who sentenced
him, Justice Schmidt, who is now Attorney General in G--."

"The man who, in the name of the State, will conduct this case?" asked
Muller quickly.

"Yes, I believe it is so. Is it not an irony that this man, the only one
whom John really hated, should be the one to avenge him now?"

"H'm! yes. But did you know of any friends in G--?"

"No, none at all."

"No friends whom he might have made while he was in America and then met
again in Germany?"

"No, he never spoke of any such to me. He told me that he made few
friends. He did not seek them for he was afraid that they might find out
what had happened and turn from him. He was morbidly sensitive and could
not bear the disappointment."

"Why did he return to Germany?"

"He was lonely and wanted to come home again. He had made money in
America--John was very clever and highly educated--but his heart longed
for his own tongue and his own people."

Muller took a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Do you know this
handwriting?"

Miss Roemer read the few lines hastily and her voice trembled as she
said: "This is John's handwriting. I know it well. This is the letter
that was found on the table?"

"Yes, this letter appears to be the last he had written in life. Do you
know to whom it could have been written? The envelope, as I suppose you
know from the newspaper reports, was not addressed. Do you know of any
friends with whom he could have been on terms of sufficient intimacy to
write such a letter? Do you know what these plans for the future could
have been? It would certainly be natural that he should h