Ralph Grangers Fortunes | Page 5

good humor yet?"
"He has turned me out, lock, stock, and barrel," replied the boy,
swallowing his pride in this humiliating confession.
"W-h-a-a-t?" ejaculated Jase thoroughly amazed, while Clell smiled at
Ralph in a most amiable manner.
"Grandpa was so provoked because I declined to obey him," said Ralph,
"that he told me to pack up and get out."
"For good and all?"
"Yes, for good. At least I sh'an't go back any more--unless--he was to
send for me."
"Bully for you! I wouldn't either. Give you the shake 'cause you
wouldn't let him put a bullet hole through me! Well, I swow!"
Jase stared at Ralph in mingled admiration and compassion.

"The dadburned old fool!" he continued. "'Scuse me, Ralph, no
reflections on your fambly, but hit kind o' teches my feelin's to see you
fired in this shape, long o' your actin' the gentleman with me. Where be
you goin'?"
"Somewhere's down below; I don't know exactly where."
"Got any money?"
"A little. I'm going to hunt work; then I'll soon make more. I sha'n't stay
in the mountains."
Jase drew forth a greasy leather wallet and extracted a five dollar bill,
which he eyed reflectively as if forcing himself to make up his mind,
then suddenly handed it to Ralph, who thanked him but shook his head.
"Dang it! Let me loan it to you then. Didn't you as good as save my life?
Look, Clell wants you to take it, don't you, Clell?"
The little fellow laughed, seized the bill from his father's hand, and
tossed it towards Ralph, saying:
"Take it; take it. I like 'oo, Walph."
Ralph felt another rising in his throat as he stooped to pick up the note;
but he could not bring himself to the point of accepting so great a favor
from one of the Vaughns.
"I--I really don't need it," said he. "Hold on! Jase! Do hold up a
minute."
"Can't, old feller," called back Jase, who had suddenly spurred his mule
into a trot when he saw the note in Ralph's hand. "Pay me when you get
back, if you'd rather."
"But I say! I can't keep this money----"
"Good by," came floating back on the breeze. "I don't know nothin'
'bout no money. Take good care of yourself."

Then Jase, boy, and mule, whipped round a crook of the road and were
seen no more.
Ralph's first impulse was to throw the bill away. But sober second
thoughts prevailed, and somewhat reluctantly he placed it with the rest
of his slender stock of cash.
"Jase means well," thought he, resuming his tramp. "I don't know that
either of us are to blame 'cause our families have been at outs for so
long. When I get to making something I'll send it back."
All that day Ralph trudged manfully on. At times grief would be
uppermost in his heart when he thought of the way in which his
grandfather had treated him.
Once, as he passed a cabin where a boy of about his own age stood
washing his hands on the porch, and he caught a glimpse of a cheerful
interior, with dinner smoking on the table, he felt very homesick. He
wished he was back, preparing his grandpa's noonday meal.
As he did not feel hungry he did not stop anywhere until about sunset,
when he walked up to a double penned house that looked roomy and
hospitable. Several dogs ran out barking.
"Here, you Boss! Git out'n thar, Louder! Pick up a stick and frail the
nation outn 'em, boy."
A tall, shock headed, awkward man had come onto the porch and was
making these remarks with great vigor but entire good nature. The dogs
subsided, and Ralph ran lightly up the steps.
"Come in. Take a chair by the fire. What mought your name be these
hard times?"
"I'm Ralph Granger, from over about Hiawassee Gap."
"Son of old Bras?"
Ralph assented, when the shock headed man called to his wife, who

was sifting meal for the supper:
"Tildy this must be one of your kin folks." Then, turning to Ralph, "My
wife was a Granger; one of the Gregory branch. Well, tell us all about
yourself. Don't mind the children, they always are in the way, anyhow."
Ralph, finding that he was among friends, related briefly the events of
the day and wound up by again expressing his detestation of the feud.
Mr. Dopples, for that was the shock headed man's name, nodded
approval.
"We mountain folks live too much outn the world," said he. "What you
goin' to do?"
"Anything honest, to make a living. I'm not going to stay in these parts
though."
"If you've any notion of goin' down about Columbia, I can direct you to
a friend of mine as lives