Joe the Hotel Boy Part 6

Ned had come over in his own boat and now Joe walked down to the lake with him. His friend gone, the hermit's boy returned to the dilapidated cabin.

He was hungry but he had no heart to eat. He munched some bread and cheese which a neighbor had brought over. He felt utterly alone in the great worlds and when he thought of this a strange feeling came over him.

It was a bitter night for the poor boy, but when morning came his mind was made up. He would make his own way in the world, asking aid from no one, not even Ned.

"And if I can't find the blue box I'll get along without it," he told himself.

As soon as it was light he procured breakfast and then started on another hunt for the missing box. The entire day was spent in the search, but without results. Towards night, Joe went down to the lake.

Here he caught a couple of small fish, which he fried for his supper.

All told, Joe had exactly a dollar and a half of his own and nine dollars which he had found in the hermit's pocketbook.

"Ten dollars and a half," he mused, as he counted the amount over. "Not very much to go out into the world with. If I want to do anything in town I'll have to buy some clothes."

From this it will be surmised that Joe was thinking of giving up his roving life around the lake and mountains, and this was true.

Hunting and fis.h.i.+ng appealed to him only in an uncertain way, and he longed to go forth into the busy world and make something of himself.

He had two suits of clothing, but both were very much worn, and so were his shoes and his cap. Hiram Bodley had left some old clothing, but they were too big for the boy.

"I guess I'll get Jasok the peddler to come up here and make me an offer for what is here," he told himself.

Jasok was a Hebrew peddler who drove around through the lake region, selling tinware and doing all sorts of trading. It was time for him to visit that neighborhood and Joe went to the nearest house on the main road and asked about the man.

"He will most likely be along to-morrow, Joe," said the neighbor.

"If he comes, Mr. Smith, will you send him over to my place? Tell him I want an offer for the things."

"Going to sell out, Joe?"

"Yes, sir."

"What are you going to do after that?"

"Try for some job in town."

"That's a good idea. Hunting and fis.h.i.+ng isn't what it used to be. What do you want for the things?"

"All I can get," and a brief smile hovered on Joe's face.

"I wouldn't sell out too cheap. Jasok is a great fellow to drive a bargain."

"If he won't give me a fair price, I'll load the things on the rowboat and sell them in town."

"That's an idea. Do you want to sell Hiram's double-barrel shot gun?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll give you ten dollars for it."

"I was going to ask twelve, Mr. Smith. It's a pretty good gun."

"So it is, although it is a little bit old-fas.h.i.+oned. Well, bring it over and I'll allow you twelve dollars," answered the neighbor, who was willing to a.s.sist Joe all he could.

Joe went back for the gun without delay, and received his money. Then he returned to the cabin and brought out all the goods he wished to sell.

By the middle of the next day the Hebrew peddler appeared. At first he declared that all of the things Joe had to sell were not worth two dollars.

"Very well, if you think that, we won't talk about it," said Joe, briefly.

"Da vos all vorn out," said Jasok. "De clothes vos rags, and de furniture an' dishes was kracked."

"If you don't want them, I'll take them to town and sell them. I am sure Moskowsky will buy them."

Now it happened that Moskowsky was a rival peddler who also boasted of the owners.h.i.+p of a second-hand store. To think that the goods might go to this man nettled Jasok exceedingly.

"Vell, I likes you, Cho," he said. "I vos your friend, an' I gif you dree dollars for dem dings."

"You can have them for ten dollars," answered the boy.

A long talk followed, and in the end the Hebrew peddler agreed to pay seven dollars and a half, providing Joe would help to carry the goods to the main road, where the wagon had been left. The money was paid over, and by nightfall all of the goods were on the wagon, and Joe was left at the cabin with nothing but the suit on his back. But he had thirty dollars in his pocket, which he counted over with great satisfaction.

"I ought to be able to get something to do before that is gone," he told himself. "If I don't, it will be my own fault."

CHAPTER V.

A NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES.

On the following day it rained early in the morning, so Joe had to wait until noon before he left the old cabin. He took with him all that remained of his possessions, including the precious pocketbook with the thirty dollars. When he thought of the blue box he sighed.

"Perhaps it will never come to light," he told himself. "Well, if it does not I'll have to make the best of it."

Two o'clock found him on the streets of Riverside, which was a town of fair size. During the summer months many visitors were in the place and the hotels and boarding houses were crowded.

There was one very fine clothing store in Riverside, but Joe did not deem it best, with his limited capital, to go there for a suit. Instead he sought out a modest establishment on one of the side streets.

Just ahead of him was an Irish couple who had evidently not been in this country many years. The man entered the store awkwardly, as if he did not feel at home. Not so his wife, who walked a little in advance of her husband.

"Have you got any men's coats?" said she to the clerk who came forward to wait on the pair. "If I can get one cheap for me husband here I'll buy one."

"Oh, yes, madam," was the ready reply. "We have the best stock in town, by all odds. You can't fail to be suited."

So saying, he led the way to a counter piled high with the articles called for, and hauled them over.