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