Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-27
WYLDER'S ROCK.

hui bepn Il long aud tedious litiga-
tim. Th- WYld-ra had literally fought
-s-ry inch nf the way, spent all they
pn,srssnd in coute6ting the suit, and lost
u at lnst
Phii, SeaIle D. ad apant good deal too;
i,l' ,h~n he va money king, aud he
had eon, which meant more money, ~
ha vary weii knew when he produced
ffnm amid aOms musty old papers that
uneancsiied mortgage OF which he had
khaFp for years, Int never thought ii
puahiag till he discovered that the barren
and ,itherto cnnsidared worthless acres
Of 'aa Wylder's Rock propsrty rested on
3 stratum of solid wealth in short, were
on vast coal bed.
TheYe had baen Ave in the Wyldsrs |
family when the struggle began-the
father, thres sons and Que daughter.
Tsn Of the acns, brilliant young men |
and pronis'ng lawyers, had been killed |
In -aiIT0ad accident on their way to the |
city or business connected with the |
famous suit.
Worry over the suit, and the horror Of
losing Lis bssuiiiut boys in 40 terrible a
manner, had bronRht an attack OF fever
M ths lAtbeF, MIA ha had died the very
day th8 suit VAS decided against him,
IsaviDg with his dying breath the stern
charge " hii remaining ohildren-never
to sive M. newer to yield Wylder's Rock
to the SeGrlea.
The remaining Bou was a sufferer from
spinal disease, couiped to his couch or
wheeled chair most OF his life.
A poor creature he was to resist any
thing, much less the enforcing of the
decision OF the court which had given his
nome to another,
81 will resist |" declared his young
ssser. 81 will never yield ~
The money king sat In his gorgeous
library, in close and confidential converse
with his only son, just returned from
three years. sojourn in Europe.
Philip Sesrle had just been giving him
sketch of the Wylder case.
'You see,' he said, sit has been just
like fighting a nest Of eagles all along.
They have baked, and hindered, and re-
sisted the thing till am ont of all manner
Of patience. There are only those two
now, the sick fellow and the girl, but
she's regular little tiger-cat by all &C
counts. l have served the regular legal
notice on them | have warned them 10
60, but they won't. II it were men | was
dealing with l should know what to do,
but child and a sick man"
"You wish me to go and see them ~
questioned Raymond lightly. Very
well | will 60 at once. dare say | can
induce them to hear reason"
At the hour when Philip Sesrle talked
with his son, Reda Wylder stood with
their one servant, an old woman OF 70
who had always been with the family
before picture which hung in the low
wide entrance hall of the house. 1t wal
the portrait OF an ancestress, woman
wi IN mi at haua hapr AM arhlxy he mt ftfl
"You are her image, thild-her yery
imagel" old Annot was saying. "It yot
were dressed like that you might get int
the frame there, and no one would know
the difference"
Reda laughed Ierrily.
81 have mind to try it, she said
'The very clothes she wore for thi
picture are up there in the cedar chest
will do it,"
As she ran away Annot's old eyes fol
lowed her fondly.
a little later gentleman came slowl
up the walk, hesitsted at the vineclad
sunlit doorway, and glanced within tn
open hall.
His gaze fastened admiringly on til
picture Of Rsda Wylder's beautiful al
castress, as, seeing no bell, he light
lifted, twice or thrice the old-fashione
ebony aud bronze knocser which orni
mented the carved door, and waited.
Presently, along an upper hall an
down flight of stairs at right sngl,
with the doorway, he heard the tin,
metallic click OF little bootheela, and ii
swish Of silken drsperies; and then aus
denly, in all the oldtims gorgeous atti
in which she had gone to array hersel
Reds Wylder stood before him.
The gentleman almost jumped,
startled was he,
Had tie picture come out Of it's frame
Rsds read his thought, and a laughiI
light Game into her dark, shining eyes,
rcTuish smile curved the lovely scarf
lips,
n nond 5ssria quickly recovered hil
sefH - howad lew hat in hand.
prRayMogd Searle, |" he said. "h