Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/106

 dead a short time. So—there is a pretty legal situation for you! For, as I've said already, Gilson Mortover died intestate and his eldest son survived him many years."

"What's the legal position of this girl, sir—Avice Mortover?" asked Wedgwood.

"Assuming that her father was the Matthew Mortover of whom I've been talking," replied Mr. Umpeltye, "and that she is his legitimate and only child, and can prove all that, she has a strong, and I should say, unassailable claim to the Mortover property. When Gilson died intestate, Matthew, as eldest son, succeeded to that property—which is all real estate. Matthew never claimed it, it is true; it is true, also, that a claim can be barred by the Statute of Limitations through failure to prosecute a claim for a period of twelve years, but this time does not begin to run against a claimant when he is beyond the seas until he returns home, nor against an infant until he or she attains the age of twenty-one years. Therefore, the position is this, as I see it—as Gilson died intestate, the property passed to Matthew. Matthew being alive it was never Stephen's. Stephen being dead it is not Philip's. It is this girl's—Matthew's daughter. That is, if her story is true, and if she can give full proof of all she alleges."