“Nor anywhere else in the state. But this is the complication: Mrs. Wheeler, who is, by the way, a distant connection of my own family, inherited a large fortune on condition that she live in Massachusetts. So you see, the situation was peculiar. To keep her inheritance, Mrs. Wheeler must live in Massachusetts. Yet Mr. Wheeler could not enter the state without forfeiting his pardon.”
“What a mess!” cried Genevieve, but Keefe said: “You planned that purposely, Mr. Appleby?”
“Of course,” was the straightforward reply.
“Then I don’t see how you can expect Mr. Wheeler’s help in the campaign.”
“By offering him a complete pardon, of course.”
“But go on with the story,” demanded Genevieve. “What did they do about the Massachusetts business?”
“As you see,” returned Appleby, “this house is built on the state line between Massachusetts and Connecticut. It is carefully planned and built, and all the rooms or parts of rooms that Mr. Wheeler uses or enters are on the Connecticut side, yet the house is more than half in Massachusetts, which secures the estate to Mrs. Wheeler.”
“Well, I never!” Genevieve exclaimed. “So that’s why he can’t go to the north arbor—it’s in Massachusetts!”
“Of course it is. Also, he never goes into the northern end of the dining-room or the living-room.”
“Or hall.”