"And yet you can"t bear the sight of him."
"I hate him worse than any fellow I know."
"Come, now, Sam, just listen to a little advice. If you had always treated Ben right you would like him as well as I do. Why should you cherish malice against him? He has good qualities, and so have you, if you"d only give "em a chance to show themselves."
"That"s all gammon," said Sam impatiently.
"What, about your having good qualities?"
"About my ever liking Ben Bradford. Before I"d make a friend of him, I would go without friends."
"You may think differently some time."
On the first of January Ben wrote to his aunt:
"My Dear Aunt: Congratulate me on my good luck. Mr. Porter, this morning, called me into the countingroom, and informed me that henceforth my wages would be eight dollars a week--two dollars more that I have been receiving. I owe this partly to my good luck.
I am a favorite of the bookkeeper, who is Mr. Porter"s nephew; otherwise, if I had been advanced at all, it would have been only one dollar a week. Don"t you think it would have been rather foolish if I had come back and gone into the mill, as you wished me to?"
"After all, I think Ben did right to stay," said Aunt Jane, when she read the letter.
"I wish he"d come home," said Tony. "Then he could play with me."
Chapter XXIX
The Cunard Steamer
Early one morning a gentleman came into Jones & Porter"s bookstore, and selected some books, which he paid for. There were eighteen in all.
"Where shall we send them, sir?"
"Can you send them to the Cunard steamer at East Boston? I sail for Europe today."
"Certainly, sir. When does the steamer start?"
"At twelve o"clock. Don"t fail to have them there on time, as I shall be greatly disappointed to miss them."
When the gentleman had left the store, Ben was summoned.
"Ben, do you know the Cunard Wharf in East Boston?" asked the bookkeeper.
"I can easily find it."
"Here is a package of books to be carried there."
"All right, sir," said Ben.
"They are for Mr. James Parker. If you don"t find him leave them with the steward."
So Ben took the package, and made his way toward the East Boston Ferry.
On board the boat he look around him, thinking it possible that he might recognize some one of his fellow pa.s.sengers. Considerably to his surprise he noticed Mr. Archer, superintendent of the factory at Milltown, whom he had not seen since the latter declined to take him on again at the mill.
"I wonder what brings Mr. Archer here?"
His surprise, however, was only momentary. There was nothing strange in the superintendent"s having business at East Boston.
Ben noticed, however, that Mr. Archer wore a traveling-suit, and carried a knapsack.
Ben would have liked to inquire if Squire Archer had seen his aunt lately, if they had been on friendly terms; but he was very doubtful how his advance would be received, and remained where he was.
The boat touched the pier and the pa.s.sengers disembarked. Ben was two or three rods behind the squire. Our hero inquired the way to the steamer, and had no difficulty about obtaining the necessary information. To his additional surprise Squire Archer crossed the gangway only a little in advance of Ben.
"What can be the squire"s business here?" thought Ben, in surprise.
Ben halted on deck, and looked around for some officer to whom he could entrust the package. At this moment Squire Archer turned and saw Ben for the first time. He started and changed color, as Ben could see. For an instant he looked irresolute. Then he approached Ben, and said roughly: "What brings you here?"
"I am here on business," answered Ben.
"On business! What business?"
"I have a package of books for one of the pa.s.sengers."
"Oh, I see," said the mill superintendent, seeming to be relieved.
"You are working in a bookstore."
"Yes, sir."
"What firm is it?"
"Jones & Porter."
"Oh, yes, I know. I have often been in their store. How do you like your place?"
Squire Archer"s tone was quite genial and friendly, though there was an uneasy expression on his face.
"Very well, sir."
"If you ever get out of a place, come to me."
"I thought you said my record was not good."
"So I did," said the superintendent; "but I was mistaken. I was thinking of another boy at the time."
"I am glad to hear it, sir," he answered. "I felt disturbed about it at the time."
"Of course. I believe you and Sam had a little difference."