Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-08-10
WYLDER'S ROCK.
BY HELEN LOCKWOOD.

too; but, then, he was money-king-
!, rolled in gold, in vulgar parlance-
he had won, which meant more money,
as he very well knew, when he pro-
duced. from amid some musty old pa
pers, that uncancelled mortgage of
which he had known for years, but new
or thought of pushing till he discovered
! that the barren and hitherto considered
worthless acres Of the Wylder's Rock
{ .aaePerty rested on stratum Of solid
wealth; in short were on vast coal
bed
The Wylders had lost-and who were
they? The poorest and proudest family
!. in the county-the proudest, at any rate
and they had possessed only compe.
4 tence when they went into this legal
contest, which had swallowed it all, and
ended in total lout for them.
There had been five in the family
when the struggle began-the father
three sons and one daughter.
Two OF the sons, brilliant young men
and promising lawyers, had been killed
in railroad accident on their way to
the city on business connected with the
famous suit.
VII " OfSt ruib dlu tllC IlOIEOT vi
losing his beautiful boys iitso terrible g
manner, had brought en- attack of fever
on the father, and he had died the very
day the suit was decided against him,
leaving with his dying breath the stern
charge to his remaining children-neyer
to give up--never to yield Wylder's
Rock to the SearesI
The Wylders really seemed an un-
luckily family. T!,a remaining son was
a asutferer from spinal disease, confined
TO his couch or wheeled chair most of
his life.
a poor creature he was to resist any.
thing, much less the enforcing of that
decision of the court which had given
his home to another
will resistn declared his young
sister. II will never yield!"
And she looked as if she would be no
mean antagonist, girl of sixteen though
she was.
Slight, dainty and sweet, child in
looks as she was in years, there was yet
spirit shining oat of her big black eyes,
q determination in the lovely, eurying
mouth, that BODIED i'll for the success Of
Philip searle's plans if she could defeat
them.
The money-king sat in his gorgeous
library, in close and confidential con-
verse with his only son, but just re-
turned from three years, sojourn in
Europe.
He was a young man of fine noble
presence, handsome and gallant
enough tG make the heart of any man
leap with pride to call him son.
Philip Searle had Just been giving him,
in rough outline, what he called a sketch
of the Wy.der case,
gu see" he said, sit has been lust
like fighting nest OF eagles all along.
They have baked and hindered and re-
sisted the thing till am out of all man
ner Of patience. There is only those
two now, the sick fellow and the girl,
but she's a regular little tigar-eat by I'll
accounts. / have served the regular.
legal notice on them; have warned
them to go, and they won't. If it were
men was dealing wit. should know
what to do, but 3 cnlsl and sick
man.
You wish me to 60 and see them?n
questioned Raymond, lightly. Very
well, will go at once. I dare say l can
induce them to hear reason"
He spoke with the self-confdence his
indulged and hattered life had taught
him. He was in the habit of being yield
ed to; not because he was dictator!al or
selfishly exacting, but because he was
rich, oung, handsome, sunny natured
and warm-hearted. Most men liked him
and most women. too, for that matter.
Wylder' S Rock, from which the pro-
perty took its name, was rugged, stony
eminence, with evergreen clothed side.
The house, perched like an eagles eyrie
at the very top, was q picturesque, ivy
les days of the family, now seemingly at
its decldence. 1t had once been splen-
didly furnished within, but now con-
tanned only the faded remnants of its
former magnifcence.
AT the hour when Philip Searle talked
with his son, Reda Wylder stood with
their one servant, an old woman of sew
enty, who had always been with the
family, before picture which hung in
the low, wide entrance hall Of the house.
1t was the portrait of an ancestress,
woman who must have been superbly
beautiful, with her n;ghtlike eyes, her
snowy skin, her diadem Of silken braids.
Robes of silk and lace fit for an empress
flowed about the perfect figure, and in
her hair and on her breast were gems of
price.
You are her image, child-her very
imagelp old Annot was saying. "If you
were dressed like that you might get into
the frame there, and no one would know
indifference"
Reda laughed inerrily.
IL have mind to try it," she said.
The very clothes she wore for this pic
ture are up there in the cedar chest. l
will do it,"
AS she ran away Annot's old eyes fol-
lowed her fondly.
Light hearted and lion-hearted like
all OF her race!" she murmured, and
Went her wav kitchenward.
-.A little latter gentleman came slow
,iv up the walk, hesitated at the vine
clad, sunlit doorway, and glanced with
in the open hall.
Els gaze fastened admirinply on the
picture Of Reda Wylder's beautiful an
cestress. as seeing no bell, he lightly If
ted, twice or thrice, the old-fashioned
ebony and bronze knocker which orna-
mented the carved door, and waited.
Some moments passed. Annot, alb
eorbed in her kitchen duties, did not
hear him, nor any one.
But presently. along an upper hall,
and down fight Of stairs at right angles
with the doorway, he heard the tiny
metallic click of little hoot-heels, ana the
swish Of silken draperies; aud then sud.
denly mall the old-time gorgeous attire
IN which she had gone to array herself.
Reda Wylder stood before him.
The gentleman almost jumped, SC