"What part of the settlement ye goin' to?" he asked, as he lifted one end of the trunk, while the captain took up the other.
"To Mr. Betterson's house; Mrs. Betterson is my sister," said Vinnie.
The man dropped his end of the trunk, and turned and glared at her.
"You've got holt o' the wrong man this time!" he said. "I don't take nobody in my wagon to the house of no sich a man as Lord Betterson. Ye may tell him as much."
"Will you take me to any house near by?" said the astonished Vinnie.
"Not if you're a connection of the Bettersons, I won't for no money! I've nothin' to do with that family, but to hate and despise 'em. Tell 'em that too. But they know it a'ready. My name's Dudley Peakslow."
And, in spite of the captain's remonstrance, the angry man turned his back upon the schooner, and drove off in his wagon.
It took Vinnie a minute to recover from the shock his rude conduct gave her. Then she smiled faintly, and said,—
"It's too bad I couldn't have a ride in his old wagon! But he wouldn't be very agreeable company, would he?" So she tried to console herself for the disappointment. She had thought all along: "If I can do no better, I will take the stage to North Mills; Jack will help me get over to my sister's from there." And it now seemed as if she might have to take that route.
The schooner was discharging her miscellaneous freight of Eastern merchandise,—dry goods, groceries, hardware, boots and shoes,—and the captain was too much occupied to do anything more for her that afternoon.