The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-08-09
WYLDER'S ROCK.
~ HELEN LOCKWOOD.

~ HELEN LOCKWOOD.
It had been \ long and tedious litipa.
ZION. The Wylders had literally fought
every inch Of the way, spent oil they
Possessed In contesting the suit, and lost
It at last. "a
Philip Searle had spent good deal,
too; but, then, he was q money-king-.
rolled in gold, in vulgar parlance-and
he had won, which meant more money,
- he very we'll knew, when he pro.
duced. from amid some musty old pa
pers, that uncancelled mortgage of
which he had known for years, buS new
er thought Of pushing till he discovered
that the barren and hitherto. considered
worthless acres of the Wylder's Rock
property rested on stratum Of solid
wealth; in short were on = vast coal
bed.
The Wylders had lost-and who were
they7 The poorest and proudest family
j" the county-the prouiest. at any rate
and they had possessed only compe.
tence when they went into this legal
confess, which had swallowed it all, and
ended In total tout 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
tho city on business connected with the
famous suit.
Worry over the suit and the horror OF
losing his beautiful boys in 80 terrible a
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-never
TO give up-never to yield Wylder's
Rock TO the Searles!
The Wylders really seemed an un-
lucky family. The remaining son was
. sufferer from spinal disease, confined
to bis 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.
IL will resist" declared his young
sister. II will never yieldv'
And she looked az if she would be no
mean antagonist, girl of sixteen though
she was.
Slight, dainty and sweet, a child in
looks as she was in years, there was yet
spirit shining out other big black eyes.
a determination in the lovely, curving
mouth, that BODIED i'll for the success Of
Philip Searle's plans if she could defeat
them.e
The money-king sat in his gorgeous
YlhF0PV n nonon op,l I'll
verse with his only son, but Just re-
turned from = three years, sojourn in
Europe.
He was q Young man of fine noble
presence, handsome and gallant
enough t. make the heart of anv man
leap with pride to call him son.
Philip Searle had Just been giving him.
IN rough outline, what he called sketch
Of the Wy!der case.
"You see," he said, lit has been Just
like lighting . nest Of eagles all along.
They have baked and hindered and re-
sisted the thing till am out of all man
nor OF patience. There is only those
two now, the sick fellow and the girl,
but she's regular little tigar-cat by ali
accounts: have served the regular
legal notice on them; I have warned
them to 60, and they won't. hit were
men was dealing with should know
what to do, but a child and sicl
man"
"You wish me to go and see them?''
questioned Raymond, lightly. VERY
we'll, l will 60 at once. l dare say can
induce them to hear reason"
He spoke with the self-confidence hie
INDUCED and f1attered life had taught
him. He was in the habit of being yield.
ed 10; not because he was dictatorial OF
sel6shly exactiDg, but because he was
rich. y Dung, handsome, sunny. natured
and warm-hearted. Most men liked him
and most women, too, for that matter.
Wylders Rock, from which the pro.
perty took its name, was rugged, stony
eminence, with evergreen clothed side
The house, perched like an eagles eyre
Of the very top. was picturesque, ivy
clad stone structure, bnilt IN the palm.
leo days Of the family, now seemingly at
Ito decadence. 1t had once been splen.
didly furnished within, but now con.
tanned only the faded remnants of It.
former maanificence.
At the hour when Philip Searle talked
With his son, Reda Wylder stood with
thelf ore servant, ar, old woman of sew.
enty, whe had always been with the
om!ly, before picture which hung in
SAeO sV"1 WAuO CuII61CC lldII VI tSl0 IlOllSe
1t was the portrait of an ancestress,
eWoman who must have been superbly
beautiful, with her n:ghtIike eyes, he,
snowy skin, her diatlem Of silken braids
Robcs Of silk and lace 6t for an empress
flowed about the perfect figure, and in
her hair and Oh her breast were gems of
price.
"You are her image, child-her very
lmageV old Annot vas saying. "Ifyou
were dressed like that You might .et into
ene frame there, and no one would know
Indifference"
Reda laughed merrily.
~ have . mind to try it," she said.
1.-The very clothes she wore for this pic
t1re are up there in the cedar chest l
Az she ran away Annot's old eyes fol-
lowed her fondly.
,,Light-hearted and lion-heartei like
al OF her race" she Inurmured, and
went her wav kitchenward.
"A httle latter gentleman came slow
clad, sunlit doorway, and glanced with
in The open hall.
His gaze fastened admirinely on the
picture of Reda ylder's beautiful an-
ceetress. 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 q flight Of stairs at right angles
with the doorway, he heard the tiny
metallic click of little boot-heels, AMI the
sxi:h Of ailten draoeEies: aud then sud
IN which she had gone to array herself,
8eda Wylder stood before him.
Tho gentleman almost jumped, so
startled was he.
Had the picture come out of it's frame?
Reda read his thought, and laughing
light came into her dark, shining eyes. 8
Q roguieh smile curved the lovely scarlet
lips.
Raymond Searle quickly recovered
himself, and bowed low, hat in band.
II SEGA bit of masqnerading," he
thought. "Can this dainty, exquisite
creature be that little tiger.cat of whom
my father spoke?