"It doesn't seem right," Adelle hastened to say. "But I am afraid what they said must be so, for Judge Orcutt told me it was the law."
"And who is your Judge Orcutt?" the mason demanded suspiciously.
For an instant he seemed to doubt Adelle's good faith, believed that she was trying to "double-cross" him as he would express it, having had time since they parted to realize that it was not for her own interest to admit the claims of the senior branch of the Clarks. But he could not have kept his suspicion long, for Adelle's honest, troubled eyes were plain proof of her concern for him.
"Judge Orcutt," she explained, "was the probate judge who had charge of the estate when my uncle died. He made the trust company my guardian then. I went to see him yesterday, and had a long talk with him about it all. I want you to see him, too;—can't you go to his house with me this morning?"
"Why should I see the judge?" the mason demanded.
"He can make you understand better than I can the reasons why all the titles can't be disturbed. And there may be a way, another way of doing what we want," Adelle added hesitantly, with some confusion.
The mason looked at her closely, but he seemed to have no more suspicion than Adelle herself had had at first of what this way was. He said,—
"Well, I've got no particular objection to seeing the judge. There's plenty of time—ain't much else for me to do in these parts, now I'm here."
With another sardonic laugh for his dashed hopes, he rose jerkily, as if he was ready to go anywhere at once.
"It's rather early yet," Adelle remarked, consulting her watch. "We had better wait a little while before going to the judge."