The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-08-17
seat, remained standing herself beside

A1A6 y fE-NrlEHEfft aarmlEt 500 .HHr=
ANYTHING so lovely as this slender,
tall, stately young creature, in her
bravery of silk, and lace, and gemmed
attire, he had never seen; and the in
valid brother looked like q stricken
eagle.
They both made him think of what
his father had said about the way tie
Wylders had fought his claim,
"Well, SIR said Reda, loftily, I'VE
will hear your fathers message. Ny
brother is not strong enough for many
words, so you will please address your
For the Hrst t"- RAYMOND searle
felt all the ungracious dlsagr eeableness
of the GRAND on which he had come.
BE blushed he hesitated, he sat over
said, desperately:
You know why have come. I
wish now l had not"
"You said you had q message from
your father" questioned Reda, haught-
lily.
II pref not to deliver it now," he
answered.
"You need not. We, my brother and
myself, can we'll imagine that it is only
some new threat to compel US to aban-
don Jul home-our legal and rightful
home-in spite of hat decision of an un-
just court which pronounced o~therwise!"
Raymond bit his lip.
I'm justice to my father them" he said.
II must tell you hat his message was
no threat. He wished me to ask you
when it wonld be convenient to give him
possession of Wylder's Rock?"
"Neverp rang like an bugle note from
Reda's quivering lips. "Go back to your
father and say that to him. Say that we
will die first. We will die here resisting.
He shall never have Wvlder's Rock
while we iivel"
Raymond Searle rose fro his seat,
bent his head tremendously 10 her,
bowed low to the brother, in whose
eagle glance the same flame leaped as in
hers, and went silently from the room.
~ think he meant to be courteous"
said We're Wylder, when he had gone.
=! hope we were not rude"
81 hope not" said Reda, a swift
change coming over the sweet, spirited
face. He is not to blame. His father
has not told him all the story, or he
would not have come. l could see that.
I liked his looks-did not you Vere?D
"He would scorn to do such baseness
as his father is guilty of, | believe"
II think he would" We're answered,
and lay gazing wistfully at his sister in
her radiant young i%oveliness.
de wa thinking how uncertain his
lie Was-how poor q n at best. He
could but say to himself:
"Ah, if kind heaven could but send
her q protector, who was as strong and
true a gentleman as he looked who has
just gonel"
Raymond went back to his father With
a troubled face.
Sir" said he, abruptly, vet with the
srofound respect he always used toward
him. you did not tell me all the par
ticulars of this Wylder case?'
Philip Searle redeemed. He would
have chosen not to tell his son more
than he had. but if he must, he was
ready. What ground had the Wilders
for opposing his claim. Why simply
this:
1t was Raymond's grandfather who
took a mortgage on the Rock. He and
Wylder were old and close friends.
Wylder claimed that he paid the mony
the very day he, old Raymond searle,
was stricken with the mortal Illness of
which he died before the following
morning. SearIe could not at the mo-
ment put his hand upon the mortgage
he was q VIGOROUSLY careless man with
his papers. Both men were easy na-
tured and they trusted each other inn
piicitly. Searle was not feeling well,
and it was agreed that Wylder should
come again the following day and finish
up the business.
That day never dawned for old Ray
mond Searle, and the mortgage never
turned up till years atterward,
~ This ypaa tho fet,fE, IF h i, ,,n%@o. l,.A
this was not exactly the way the father
told it to his son.
The money could not have been paid
he insisted. 1t was all nonsense about
the mortgage having been mislaid.
The pair were close friends, true, and
SO old Raymond never pushed it. But
then it was i'll black and white, and only
the single word of Guy Wylder to show
that it had been paid of.
Young Raymond listened and grew
grayer. He believed that the Wytders
had the right on their side, and that the
money had been paid as Guy Wylder
had said, and died fighting to prove his
word true.
All the young mans chiyalrous soul
within him was moved at the thought of
that beautiful, defiant child, and her
stricken eagle-eyed brother, resolute to
the same. purpose for which their father
died. {
Ofhis own fathers part in the busi-
ness he could HOT boar to think.
Philip Searle was watching him. It
went hard with him to have the son Of
suspicious thought Of him,
Father" said Raymond, at last,
there is n way in which this matter
migbtbe settled honorably. If I can
win Miss Wylder's consent to be my wife,
will you i've yours??"
Philip Searle stood sghast.
why she is a child.p ST.
.She is sixteen"
"You do not love her-you cannotl A
little, fierce, nntamed thing??''
II saw nothing fierce or untamed.
She is exquisiteiy lovely and sweet
high-spirited, / like it. I could love her
easily; / believe l do already, /" said
Raymond, a tender brightness irradia-
ting his whole handsome face.
Philip Searle reflected. 1t would be q
very tolerable way of settling the bust
ness, of which he was getting rather
still endless trouble, if it were not SO ar
ranged.
He gave his consent.
There remained the brothers. and sis
ter's to win.
Raymond went to them, frankly ad-
dressing himself to both:
sit is very soon to sneak. ] know" he
sad, and Miss Wylder Is Young. But
love her, and am willing to wait for
her to learn to care for ME. And l have
secured my fathers approval, and he
withdraws entirely all claim to the
Rock"
Reda Wylder was as shv as she was
beautiful and sweet. and both We're and
she were proud. But Raymond was pa
tent and devoted, and she liked him
already.
Need | chronicle the RESULT He won
her!&
Vere-poor fellow!-lived long enough