Joe The Hotel Boy [41]
see how you could have the nerve to do such things, Mr. Montgomery."
"Well, a man can do lots of things when he is driven to do them. I admit the deals were rather barefaced, but, as I said before, I had to do something. Some day, when I am rich, I'll return the money to the old fellow," added the impostor.
He left the hotel that morning, and it may be said here that Joe did not meet him again for several years.
Christmas came and went at the hotel, and our hero received several presents from his friends, including a pair of gloves from Ned Talmadge and a five-dollar gold piece from Felix Gussing. Some of the regular boarders at the hotel also remembered him.
"And how do you like married life?" asked Joe, of Felix Gussing.
"We are getting along very nicely," said the dude.
"Have you told your wife about the duel yet?"
"No,--and I don't think I shall," added Felix Gussing. "You see she--er--she thinks me a very brave man and--"
"And you don't want her to change her opinion," finished Joe, with a smile!
"Why should I, Joe."
"Oh, I don't know as there is any reason, excepting that they usually say men and their wives should have no secrets from each other."
"Mr. Montgomery is gone, I see," said the dude, changing the subject.
"Yes, sir."
"Then you are the only one who knows of this secret. You won't tell, will you?"
"No, sir."
"We are having troubles enough as it is," went on the dude. "Both my wife and I find housekeeping rather troublesome. It is hard to obtain proper servants, and she does not care to do the work herself."
"Why don't you go to boarding?"
"Perhaps we will, later on."
With the new year came a heavy fall of snow and soon sleighs big and little were in demand. Then came a slight fall of rain which made the sidewalks a glare of ice.
"Got to be careful," announced Frank to Joe. "If you don't you'll go down on your back."
"I intend to be careful," answered our hero. "I have no wish to break any bones."
That afternoon Joe was sent on an errand to a place of business half a mile away. On returning he chanced to stop at a street corner, to watch a number of children who had made a long slide for themselves.
As he stood watching, a man came along bundled up in a great coat and wearing a slouch hat and blue glasses. The man was walking rapidly, as if in a hurry.
"That fellow looks familiar to me," thought Joe. "Wonder who he can be?"
He watched the stranger cross the street. Then the fellow happened to step on the icy slide and in a twinkling he went down on his back, his hat flying in one direction and a bundle he carried in another.
"Hurrah! Down goes the gent!" sang out a newsboy standing near.
"Come here an' I'll pick yer up!" said another street urchin.
"You rascals, you fixed this on purpose so I should fall!" cried the man, starting to get up.
"Can I help you?" questioned Joe, coming up, and then he gave a start, as he recognized the fellow.
It was Pat Malone, alias David Ball, from Montana!
CHAPTER XXII.
ABOUT SOME MINING SHARES.
"How do you do, Mr. Ball?" said our hero, coolly.
"Eh, what's that?" questioned Malone, in amazement. Then he recognized Joe, and his face fell.
"I have often wondered what became of you," went on our hero. "Let me help you up."
"I--that is--who are you, boy?" demanded Malone, getting to his feet and picking up his hat and his bundle.
"You ought to remember me. I am Joe Bodley. I used to work for Mr. Mallison, at Riverside."
"Don't know the man or the place," said Pat Malone, coolly. "You have made a mistake."
"Then perhaps I had better call you Malone."
"Not at all. My name is Fry--John Fry."
"How often do you change your name, Mr. Fry."
"Don't get impudent!"
"I am not impudent,--I am only asking a plain question."
"I never change my name."
At that moment Joe saw a policeman on the opposite side of the street and beckoned for the officer to come over.
"Hi! what's the meaning of this!" ejaculated Pat Malone.
"Officer, I want
"Well, a man can do lots of things when he is driven to do them. I admit the deals were rather barefaced, but, as I said before, I had to do something. Some day, when I am rich, I'll return the money to the old fellow," added the impostor.
He left the hotel that morning, and it may be said here that Joe did not meet him again for several years.
Christmas came and went at the hotel, and our hero received several presents from his friends, including a pair of gloves from Ned Talmadge and a five-dollar gold piece from Felix Gussing. Some of the regular boarders at the hotel also remembered him.
"And how do you like married life?" asked Joe, of Felix Gussing.
"We are getting along very nicely," said the dude.
"Have you told your wife about the duel yet?"
"No,--and I don't think I shall," added Felix Gussing. "You see she--er--she thinks me a very brave man and--"
"And you don't want her to change her opinion," finished Joe, with a smile!
"Why should I, Joe."
"Oh, I don't know as there is any reason, excepting that they usually say men and their wives should have no secrets from each other."
"Mr. Montgomery is gone, I see," said the dude, changing the subject.
"Yes, sir."
"Then you are the only one who knows of this secret. You won't tell, will you?"
"No, sir."
"We are having troubles enough as it is," went on the dude. "Both my wife and I find housekeeping rather troublesome. It is hard to obtain proper servants, and she does not care to do the work herself."
"Why don't you go to boarding?"
"Perhaps we will, later on."
With the new year came a heavy fall of snow and soon sleighs big and little were in demand. Then came a slight fall of rain which made the sidewalks a glare of ice.
"Got to be careful," announced Frank to Joe. "If you don't you'll go down on your back."
"I intend to be careful," answered our hero. "I have no wish to break any bones."
That afternoon Joe was sent on an errand to a place of business half a mile away. On returning he chanced to stop at a street corner, to watch a number of children who had made a long slide for themselves.
As he stood watching, a man came along bundled up in a great coat and wearing a slouch hat and blue glasses. The man was walking rapidly, as if in a hurry.
"That fellow looks familiar to me," thought Joe. "Wonder who he can be?"
He watched the stranger cross the street. Then the fellow happened to step on the icy slide and in a twinkling he went down on his back, his hat flying in one direction and a bundle he carried in another.
"Hurrah! Down goes the gent!" sang out a newsboy standing near.
"Come here an' I'll pick yer up!" said another street urchin.
"You rascals, you fixed this on purpose so I should fall!" cried the man, starting to get up.
"Can I help you?" questioned Joe, coming up, and then he gave a start, as he recognized the fellow.
It was Pat Malone, alias David Ball, from Montana!
CHAPTER XXII.
ABOUT SOME MINING SHARES.
"How do you do, Mr. Ball?" said our hero, coolly.
"Eh, what's that?" questioned Malone, in amazement. Then he recognized Joe, and his face fell.
"I have often wondered what became of you," went on our hero. "Let me help you up."
"I--that is--who are you, boy?" demanded Malone, getting to his feet and picking up his hat and his bundle.
"You ought to remember me. I am Joe Bodley. I used to work for Mr. Mallison, at Riverside."
"Don't know the man or the place," said Pat Malone, coolly. "You have made a mistake."
"Then perhaps I had better call you Malone."
"Not at all. My name is Fry--John Fry."
"How often do you change your name, Mr. Fry."
"Don't get impudent!"
"I am not impudent,--I am only asking a plain question."
"I never change my name."
At that moment Joe saw a policeman on the opposite side of the street and beckoned for the officer to come over.
"Hi! what's the meaning of this!" ejaculated Pat Malone.
"Officer, I want