not, I am sorry to say. John only mentioned it once. It was
only by a great effort that I could remember the incident at all."

"And has it not struck you as rather peculiar that this friend, the one
to whom the cordial letter was addressed, did not come forward and make
his identity known? G---- is a city, it is true, but it is not a very
large city, and any man being on terms of intimate acquaintance with one
who was murdered would be apt to come forward in the hope of throwing
some light on the mystery."

"Why, yes, I had not thought of that. It is peculiar, is it not? But
some people are so foolishly afraid of having anything to do with the
police, you know."

"That is very true, Miss Roemer. Still it is a queer incident and
something that I must look into."

"What do you believe?" asked the girl tensely.

"I am not in a position to say as yet. When I am, I will come to you and
tell you."

"Then you do not think that my guardian killed John--that there was a
quarrel between the men?"

"There is, of course, a possibility that it may have been so. You know
your guardian better than I do, naturally. Our knowledge of a man's
character is often a far better guide than any circumstantial evidence."

"My guardian is a man of the greatest uprightness of character. But he
can be very hard and pitiless sometimes. And he has a violent temper
which his weak heart has forced him to keep in control of late years."

"All this speaks for the possibility that there may have been a quarrel
ending in the fatal shot. But what I want to know from you is this--do
you think it possible, that, this having happened, Albert Graumann would
not have been the first to confess his unpremeditated crime? Is not
this the most likely thing for a man of his character to do? Would he so
stubbornly deny it, if it had happened?"

The girl started. "I had not thought of that! Why, why, of course, he
might have killed John in a moment of temper, but he was never a man to
conceal a fault. He is as pitiless towards his own weakness, as towards
that of others. You are right, oh, you must be right. Oh, if you could
take this awful fear from my heart! Even my grief for John would be
easier to bear then."

Muller rose from his chair. "I think I can promise you that this load
will be lifted from your heart, Miss Roemer."

"Then you believe--that it was just a case of murder for robbery? For
the money? And John had some valuable jewelry, I know that