“Within two months of the time I’d left the girl at the orphanage, the Gailords came there looking for a child. They became completely infatuated with this girl. They insisted on having her. The Home told them that she wasn’t as yet free for adoption, but they felt certain she would be within a few months, as their experience had convinced them that very few people kept up the payments, and the understanding was that whenever the payments ceased, the child was free for adoption.
“The Gailords couldn’t wait. They offered to pay a fancy price — a thousand dollars. And I suppose there was a little bribe money passed at the same time. They said that if there was any trouble, they’d return the girl… Perhaps they meant to at the time, but they’d become attached to her — and — well, you know how those things are.”
Mason said, “But surely, Mrs. Tump, the girl has now arrived at the age of majority. She can do anything she pleases. She’s free, white, and twenty-one. She…”
“That part of it’s all right,” Mrs. Tump said. “I’ve straightened all that out, but here’s what happened. The Gailords were wealthy. Frank Gailord died. He left property, half to his widow, half to Byrl. Byrl’s half was in a trust fund. She was to get it when she was twenty-seven. In the meantime, the trustee was to pay her such sums as he thought necessary for care, maintenance, and education.
“Mrs. Gailord married again — a man by the name of Tidings. They lived together five years, and then the woman died, leaving all of her property to Byrl under the same sort of trust and making Mr. Tidings the trustee without bonds. Tidings is no good. He married again, and there’s been another separation… You don’t need to concern yourself with all these preliminaries, Mr. Mason. I’m giving them to you just so you’ll have the background clear in your mind. The point is, that Albert Tidings is now trustee for Byrl’s property, and it’s a tidy little fortune. He has absolutely no right to be trustee. He’s an improper person. He’s a crook, if you want my opinion.”
“You’ve seen him?” Mason asked.
“Naturally. I went to him and explained matters to him.”
“What did he do?”
“He said, ‘See my lawyer.’ ”
“And so you decided to come to me?”