Ralph Grangers Fortunes | Page 6

chill ran through his veins, but before he could speak, a voice whispered:
"Give me your hand," and as the boy dazely obeyed, the pressure on his chest was removed as another hand was lifted from there, that firmly grasped his own.
"I can feel your pulse jump; you're skeered, Ralph."
"Wh--who are--you?" faltered Ralph, unable to make out as yet whether it was a "haant" or a living person that had awakened him thus.
"Don't know me?" There was a titter of nearly noiseless laughter. "Felt me pressin' your chist, didn't you?"
"Yes. At first I thought I must be stiflin', but----"
"If you want to wake a person 'thout speakin', you press on their chist. Hit always fetches 'em. Don't you know me yet?"
Ralph murmured a low negative.
"Well, then, I'll tell you I'm----"
A sound of feet striking the floor heavily was heard from one of the other rooms, and was followed by the voice of Mr. Dopples, calling out:
"Tildy! Oh, Tildy! Where be ye, Tildy?"
CHAPTER III.
Ralph Continues His Journey.
The form at Ralph's bedside grasped his hand again in a warning pressure.
"Keep quiet," it said. "I'm your Aunt Tildy. I have something to say to you by and by."
The figure vanished, and presently the lad heard his aunt say:
"What are you fussin' about, Mr. Dopples? Can't a body stir 'thout you havin' a fit?"
"I only wanted to know where ye were," was the shock headed man's reply. "What are ye progin' round this time o' night for?"
"Cause I want to. Now shet up and go to sleep."
While Ralph was wondering what on earth his aunt, whom he had never seen before, could want to say to him at such an hour, the talking in the other room died away, and was succeeded soon by a resonant snoring, that denoted Mr. Dopples' prompt obedience to his wife's last command.
Shortly thereafter she swept softly into the boy's room, wrapped in a shawl and seated herself at his side.
"Are you awake?" she said in a whisper.
Ralph said, "Yes;" and propped himself in a listening attitude.
"You think strange, I reckon, at my comin' to you in this way," she began. "You've never seen and hardly ever heard of us before. But when I learned the way your grandpap have treated you, I felt sorry, and I want to help you what little I can."
"I'm mightily obliged, aunt," replied Ralph, still puzzled how to connect this friendly wish with the object of such a visit as she was making tonight.
"Hit was a brother of mine as fought that fight with John Vaughn. I used to believe in the feud, but I don't now. It's a wicked thing to seek people's lives. Both sides have suffered enough, Ralph, and I say let there be peace."
"Amen," muttered the lad heartily.
"But what I wanted to let you know was about this Captain Shard, as Dopples wants you to go and see. My man never quarrels with nobody--bless his old soul! Therefore, he never 'spicious that any of his friends would want to, either. There's where he is wrong."
"Yes; but I don't see how that can apply to Captain Shard, whom I never heard of before."
"I know you don't, but I do. Captain Shard's mother was a Vaughn. Now, do you see?"
"Good gracious! But it seems to me as if that don't amount to much. Why should this man want to hurt me?"
"Hold on. This man Shard's mother was sister to the Vaughn who killed your father, and whom my brother had fought on account of it. Don't you see? When Shard learns who you are, his Vaughn blood is more than apt to prompt him to do you some harm."
"They don't shoot people in the town the way we do in the mountains, aunt. I've read that the law is too strong for that."
"There's other ways of hurtin' a poor boy 'sides takin' a gun to him. If he chose, he might harm you in other ways. I've heard it said that folks with plenty of money can do 'most anything in the city."
"Well, aunt, I'm much obliged to you for letting me know. If I strike Columbia, and meet up with Captain Shard, I shall certainly remember what you say."
"Good night, then. Don't tell Dopples what I've said. He's a thinkin' the world of Shard. I like him, too; but then he don't know I'm a Granger, I reckon."
After Mrs. Dopples retired, Ralph soon fell asleep. When he wakened again daylight was at hand, and Mr. Dopples was kindling a fire.
Breakfast came early, then Ralph bade his kindly friends farewell, and resumed his journey as the sun was peeping over the easterly summits of the Blue Ridge.
"Don't forget to see Shard," called the shock headed man, as the boy reached the public road. "He'll help you out."
"I may see Shard," thought Ralph;