Corrigan murmured a polite disclaimer, and plunged into dry details. J. C. had a passion for dry details. For many hours they sat in the office, their heads close together. Braman was occasionally called in. Judge Lindman was summoned after a time. J. C. shook the Judge’s hand warmly and then resumed his chair, folding his chubby hands over his corpulent stomach.
“Judge Lindman,” he said; “you thoroughly understand our position in this Midland affair.”
The Judge glanced at Corrigan. “Thoroughly.”
“No doubt there will be some contests. But the present claimants have no legal status. Mr. — (here J. C. mentioned a name that made the Judge’s eyes brighten) tells me there will be no hitch. There could not be, of course. In the absence of any court record of possible transfers, the title to the land, of course, reverts to the Midland Company. As Mr. Corrigan has explained to me, he is entirely within his rights, having secured the title to the land from Mr. Marchmont, representing the Midland. You have no record of any transfers from the Midland to the present claimants or their predecessors, have you? There is no such record?”
The Judge saw Corrigan’s amused grin, and surmised that J. C. was merely playing with him.
“No,” he said, with some bitterness.
“Then of course you are going to stand with Mr. Corrigan against the present claimants?”
“I presume so.”
“H’m,” said J. C. “If there is any doubt about it, perhaps I had better remind you—”
The Judge groaned in agony of spirit. “It won’t be necessary to remind me.”