Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-04-30

/ "You are her image, child-her yer
image!" old Annot was saying. III 20
were dressed like that you might &c
into the frame there, and no one woui
know the difference"
Reda laughed merrily.
y "I.have mind to try it." she sait
"The very clothes she wore for this pit
ture are up there in the cedar chest.
will do it." .....-...
As she ran away Annot's old eyes fo
lowed her fondly.
| "A little later q gentleman came up t
the walk, hesitated at the vine-clad, sur
lit doorway, and glanced within the ope
His gaze fastened admiringly on tn
picture of Reda Wylder's beautiful an
cestress, as, seeing no bell, he lightly lif'
ed, twice or thrice the old fashlone
ebony and bronze knocker which orns
Inented the carved door, and waited.
Presently. along an upper hall an
down q flight of stairs at right angle
with the doorway, came the tiny. me
talic click of little bootheels, and tn
swish of silken draperies; and then. sud
denly, in all the old-time gorgeous attir
in which she had gone to array herself
Reda Wylder stood before him.
The gentleman almost jumped, SO star
tied was he. 81 ~
Had the picture come out of it's frame
Reda read his thought, and laughin,
light came into her dark, shining eyes,
rougish smile curved the lovely scarle
lips.
Raymond Searle quickly recovered
himself, and bowed low, hat in hand.
81 am Raymond Searle," he said. IN!
father wished me to call and deliver {
message for him to Mr.. and Mrs. Wyl
der"
Il am Miss Wylder," said the sweet
naughty voice.
And without any apology for hel
strange dress, she led the way to an in
ner room, where her brother, We're Wyl
der, lay upon couch drawn beside s
sunny window.
She explained briefly to him, and mo
toned their visitor to seat.
"Well sir" said Reda loftily, 1--WE will
hear your fathers message. My brother
is not strong enough for many words, &c
you will please address yourself to me-
For the first lime Raymond Searle fell
all the ungradous and ungrateful disa'
greeableness of the errand on which he
had come.
He blushed, he hesitated, he sat over
whelmed with confusion. Finally be
said desperately:
you know why have come. ] wish
now I had not"
a"F"You saidyou had q message from
your father?" questioned Reda, hearti.
ly. 'sE
81 prefer not to deliver it now," he
answered.
you do not need. We, my brother
and myself, can well imagine that it is
only some new threat to compel us to
abandon our home-our legal and right.
full home-in spite of that decision of an
unjust court which pronounced other.
wise.w
Raymond bit his lip.
"In justice to my father, then" he
said, shat this message was no threat
He wished me to ask YOU when it would
be convenient to give him possession OF
Wylder's Rock" tE
"Neverw rang like bugle's 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 resisting. He
shall never have Wylder's Rock while
we livew
Raymond Searle rose from his seat,
bent his head tremendously to her,
bowed lowt to the brother in whose eagle
glance tile same fame leaped as in hers,
and went silently from the room.
"Ithink he meant to be courteous"
said We're Wylder when he had gone,
II hope we were not rude"
81 hope not" said Reda, aswift change
coming over the spirited face, HE is not
to blame. His father has not told him
all the story, or he would not have come.
could see that. l like his looks; did
not you, Vere?"
"He would scorn to do such baseness
as his father is guilty of, l believe"
Il think he would" We're answered.
Raymond went back to his father with
a troubled face.
"Sir," he said abruptly, "you did not
tell me all the particulars of this Wyl-
ders' case." ...,s-
Philip Searle Redeemed. He would
have chosen not to tell his son more than
he had, but if he must ne was ready.
"What ground have the Wylders for OPP
posing this claim? Why, simply this:
1t was Raymond'sS grandfather who
loaned the money to Guy Wylder, and
took q mortgage on the Rock. He and
Wylder were old and close friends. Wyl-
der claimed that he paid the money the
very day Raymond Searle was stricken
with the mortal illness of which he died
before the following morning. Searle
could not at the moment put his hand
upon the mortgage he was q notorious.
ly careless man with his papers. But
the men were easy natured and they
trusted each other implicitly. Searle
was not feeling we'll, and it was agreed
that Wylder should come the following
day and finish up the business.
That day never dawned for old Searle
and the mortgage never turned up till
years afterwards" -
This was the truth of the matter, but
this was not exactly the way the father
told it to his son. Z
"The money could not have been
paid" he insisted. 1T was all nonsense
about the mortgage having been mis-
laid"
Young Raymond listened and grew
graver and graver. He believed that the
Wylders had the right on their side, and
that the money had been paid as Guy
Wilder had said, and died fighting to
prove his word true.
Of his fathers part in the business he
could not bear to think.
ph;l;p Coor1o NOS uo&cb;rv hin, II