your
affectionate old grandfather? Why, I thought you desired nothing so
much as to go and live with him and be his pet."

The boy's worst fears were realized. Old Simon had come for him.

"I won't go back with you!" he cried. "I won't! I won't!" Then,
changing his tone to one of appealing, he continued: "You didn't come
for me, did you, gran'pa? you won't make me go back with you, will
you?"

"I'm afraid I can't do without you any longer," said Craft, coming
nearer and looking Ralph over carefully. "I'm getting old and sick,
and your presence will be a great comfort to me in my declining years.
Besides, my affection for you is so great that I feel that I couldn't
do without you; oh, I couldn't, I couldn't possibly!" And the old man
actually chuckled himself into a fit of coughing at his grim sarcasm.

"But I don't want to go," persisted the boy. "I'm very happy here.
Uncle Billy's very good to me, an' I'd ruther stay, a good deal
ruther."

At the mention of Uncle Billy's name Old Simon's smile vanished and he
advanced threateningly toward the boy, striking his cane repeatedly on
the floor.

"It don't matter what you want," he said, harshly; "you were crazy to
be my grandson; now the law says you are, and the law gives me the
right to take you and do what I choose with you. Oh, you've got to go!
so get your hat and come along, and don't let's have any more nonsense
about it!"

"Gran'pa--Gran'pa Simon!" exclaimed the terrified boy, shrinking still
farther away, "I can't go back to Philadelphy, I can't! I couldn't
live, I'd die if I went back there! I'd--"

Craft interrupted him: "Well, if you do die, it won't be because
you're killed with kindness, I warrant you. You've cheated me out of
a living and yourself out of a fortune; you've made your own bed, now
you've got to lie in it. Come on, I say! get your hat and come along!"

The old man was working himself into a passion. There was danger in
his eyes. Ralph knew it, too, but the thought of going back to live
with Simon Craft was such a dreadful one to him that he could not
refrain from further pleading.

"I know I belong to you, Gran'pa Simon," he said, "an' I know I've got
to mind you; but please don't make me go back to live with you; please
don't! I'll do anything else in the world you want me to; I'll give
you ev'ry dollar I earn if you'll let me stay here, ev'ry dollar; an'
I'll work hard, too, ev'ry day. I'll--I'll give you--I'll give you--

"Well,