n his lips, he stepped back toward the door.

"I won't go!" he cried; "don't make me go back with him, sir!" turning
his distressed face to the lawyer, as he spoke.

Sharpman advanced and took the boy by the hand and led him to a chair.
"Don't be afraid," he said, gently, "there's no cause for alarm. You
shall not go back with him. He is not here to take you back, but to
establish your identity."

Then a new fear dawned upon Ralph's mind.

"He ain't my grandfather!" he exclaimed. "Simon Craft ain't my
grandfather. He wouldn't never 'a' whipped me the way he done if he'd
a-been truly my grandfather."

Craft looked up at Sharpman with a little nod. The boy had identified
him pretty plainly, and proved the truth of his story to that extent
at least.

"Oh, no!" said the lawyer, "oh, no! Mr. Craft is not your grandfather;
he doesn't claim to be. He has come here only to do you good. Now, be
calm and reasonable, and listen to what we have to tell you, and, my
word for it, you will go back to Billy Buckley's to-night with a heart
as light as a feather. Now, you'll take my advice, and do that much,
won't you?"

"Yes, I will," said Ralph, settling himself into his chair, "I will,
if I can only find out about my father 'n' mother. But I won't go back
to live with him; I won't never go back there!"

"Oh, no!" replied Sharpman, "we'll find a better home for you than Mr.
Craft could ever give you. Now, if you will sit still and listen to
us, and take our advice, we will tell you more things about yourself
than you have ever thought of knowing. You want to hear them, don't
you?"

"Well, yes," replied Ralph, smiling and rapidly regaining his
composure; "yes, of course."

"I thought so. Now I want to ask you one or two questions. In the
first place, what do you remember about yourself before you went to
live with Mr. Craft?"

"I don't remember anything, sir,--not anything."

"Haven't you a faint recollection of having been in a big accident
sometime; say, for instance, a railroad disaster?"

"No--I don't think I have. I think I must 'a' dreamed sumpthin' like
that once, but I guess it never happened to me, or I'd 'member more
about it."

"Well, Ralph, it did happen to you. You were riding in a railroad car
with your father and mother, and the train went through a bridge. A
good many people were killed, and a good many more were wounded; but
you were saved. Do you know how?"

Ralph did not answer the question. His f