notes.

The commissioner looked at Muller without a word, but the detective
understood and shook his head. "No," he said calmly, "it may be a case
of robbery just the same. This pocket was not very easy to find, and the
money in it was safer than the dead man's watch and purse would be. That
is, if he had a watch and purse--and he very probably had a watch," he
added more quickly.

For Muller had made a little discovery. On the lower hem of the left
side of the dead man's waistcoat he saw a little lump, and feeling of it
he discovered that it was a watch key which had slipped down out of
the torn pocket between the lining and the material of the vest. A sure
proof that the dead man had had a watch, which in all probability had
been taken from him by his murderer. There was no loose change or small
bills to be found in any of the pockets, so that it was more than likely
that the dead man had had his money in a purse. It seemed to be a case
of murder for the sake of robbery. At least Muller and the commissioner
believed it to be one, from what they had discovered thus far.

The police officer gave his men orders to raise the body and to take
it to the morgue. An hour later the unknown man lay in the bare room in
which the only spot of brightness were the rays of the sun that crept
through the high barred windows and touched his cold face and stiffened
form as with a pitying caress. But no, there was one other little spot
of brightness in the silent place. It was the wild aster which the dead
man's hand still held tightly clasped. The little purple flowers were
quite fresh yet, and the dewdrops clinging to them greeted the kiss of
the sun's rays with an answering smile.

CHAPTER II. THE BROKEN WILLOW TWIG

As soon as the corpse had been taken away, the police commissioner
returned to the station. But Muller remained there all alone to make a
thorough examination of the entire vicinity.

It was not a very attractive spot, this particular part of the street.
There must have been a nursery there at one time, for there were still
several ordered rows of small trees to be seen. There were traces of
flower cultivation as well, for several trailing vines and overgrown
bushes showed where shrubs had been grown which do not usually grow
without man's assistance. Immediately back of the old elder tree Muller
found several fine examples of rare flowers, or rather he found the
shrubs which his experienced eye recognised