Joe The Hotel Boy | Page 9

not answer, but turned to do what he could for the hurt
man. He felt of his chest and listened to his breathing, and then
administered some medicine.
"His ankle is hurt, too," said Joe.
"Never mind the ankle just now, Joe," was the soft answer.
There was something in the tone that alarmed the boy and he caught the
physician by the arm.

"Doctor, tell me the truth!" he cried. "Is he is he going to die?"
"I am afraid so, my lad. His ribs are crushed and one of them has stuck
into his right lung."
At these words the tears sprang into the boy's eyes and it was all he
could do to keep from crying outright. Even though the old hermit had
been rough in his ways, Joe thought a good deal of the man.
"Cannot you do something, doctor," he pleaded.
"Not here. We might do something in a hospital, but he would not
survive the journey. He is growing weaker every moment. Be brave,
my lad. It is a terrible trial, I know, but you must remember that all
things are for the best."
Joe knelt beside the sufferer and took hold of his hand. Hiram Bodley
looked at him and then at the doctor.
"I--I can't live--I know it," he said hoarsely. "Joe, stay by me till I die,
won't you?"
"Yes!" faltered the boy. "Oh, this is awful!"
"I'm sorry to leave you so soon, Joe--I--I thought I'd be--be able to do
something for you some day."
"You have done something for me, Uncle Hiram."
"All I've got goes to you, Joe. Doctor, do you hear that?"
"I do."
"It--it ain't much, but it's something. The blue box--I put it in the blue
box--" Here the sufferer began to cough.
"The blue box?" came from Joe questioningly.
"Yes, Joe, all in the blue box--the papers and the money--And the blue

box is--is--" Again the sufferer began to cough. "I--I want water!" he
gasped.
The water was brought and he took a gulp. Then he tried to speak again,
but the effort was in vain. The doctor and Joe raised him up.
"Uncle Hiram! Speak to me!" cried the boy.
But Hiram Bodley was past speaking. He had passed to the Great
Beyond.

CHAPTER IV.
THE SEARCH FOR THE BLUE BOX.
Three days after his tragic death Hiram Bodley was buried. Although
he was fairly well known in the lake region only a handful of people
came to his funeral. Joe was the chief mourner, and it can honestly be
said that he was much downcast when he followed the hermit to his last
resting place.
After the funeral several asked Joe what he intended to do. He could
not answer the question.
"Have you found that blue box?" questioned Doctor Gardner.
"No, sir, I have not thought of it."
"Probably it contains money and papers of value, Joe."
"I am going to look for it to-day," said the boy. "I--I couldn't look for it
while-- while--"
"I understand. Well, I trust you locate the box and that it contains all
you hope for," added the physician.
As luck would have it, Ned Talmadge's family had just gone away on a

trip to the West, so Mr. Talmadge could offer the boy no assistance.
But Ned was on hand and did what he could.
"You don't know what you'll do next, do you, Joe?" asked Ned, as he
and Joe returned to the wreck of the cabin.
"No."
"Well, if you haven't any money I'll do what I can for you."
"Thank you, Ned; you are very kind."
"It must be hard to be thrown out on the world in this fashion," went on
the rich boy, sympathetically.
"It is hard. After all, I thought a good deal of Uncle Hiram. He was
strange in his ways, but he had a good heart."
"Wasn't he shot in the head once by accident in the woods?"
"Yes."
"Maybe that made him queer at times."
"Perhaps so."
"I've got six dollars and a half of my spending money saved up. You
may have that if you wish," continued Ned, generously.
"I'd rather not take it, Ned."
"Why not?"
"If I can, I want to be independent. Besides, I think there is money
around somewhere," and Joe mentioned the missing blue box.
"You must hunt for that blue box by all means!" cried the rich boy. "I'll
help you."

After the death of Hiram Bodley, Joe and two of the lake guides had
managed to repair one room of the broken-down cabin, and from this
the funeral had taken place.
The room contained a bed, a table, two benches and a few dishes and
cooking utensils The floor was bare and the window was broken out. It
was truly