in the city. Joe finds his road no easy one to travel, and he has to
face not a few hardships, but in the end all turns out well.

It may be added here that many of the happenings told of in this story,
odd as they may seem, are taken from life. Truth is indeed stranger than
fiction, and life itself is full of romance from start to finish.

If there is a moral to be drawn from this story, it is a twofold one,
namely, that honesty is always the best policy, and that if one wishes
to succeed in life he must stick at his work steadily and watch every
opportunity for advancement.





JOE THE HOTEL BOY.




CHAPTER I.


OUT IN A STORM.


"What do you think of this storm, Joe?"

"I think it is going to be a heavy one, Ned. I wish we were back home,"