JOE’S LUCK
OR
ALWAYS WIDE AWAKE
BY
HORATIO ALGER, JR.
AUTHOR OF
“TONY THE TRAMP,” “SLOW AND SURE,” “THE CASH BOY,”
“MAKING HIS WAY,” “JACK’S WARD,” “DO AND DARE,”
“FACING THE WORLD,” “STRONG AND STEADY,”
“STRIVE AND SUCCEED,” ETC.
NEW YORK
THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY
1913
JOE’S LUCK
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCES JOE
“Come here, you Joe, and be quick about it!”
The boy addressed, a stout boy of fifteen, with an honest,
sun-browned face, looked calmly at the speaker.
“What’s wanted?” he asked.
“Brush me off, and don’t be all day about it!” said Oscar Norton
impatiently.
Joe’s blue eyes flashed indignantly at the tone of the other.
“You can brush yourself off,” he answered independently.
“What do you mean by your impudence?” demanded Oscar angrily. “Have
you turned lazy all at once?”
“No,” said Joe firmly, “but I don’t choose to be ordered round by
you.”
“What’s up, I wonder? Ain’t you our servant?”
“I am not your servant, though your father is my employer.”
“Then you are bound to obey me--his son.”
“I don’t see it.”
“Then you’d better, if you know what’s best for yourself. Are you
going to brush me off?”
“No.”
“Look out! I can get my father to turn you off.”
“You may try if you want to.”
Oscar, much incensed, went to his father to report Joe’s
insubordination. While he is absent, a few words of explanation
will enlighten the reader as to Joe’s history and present position.
Joe Mason was alone in the world. A year previous he had lost his
father, his only remaining parent, and when the father’s affairs
were settled and funeral expenses paid there was found to be just
five dollars left, which was expended for clothing for Joe.
In this emergency Major Norton, a farmer and capitalist, offered to
provide Joe with board and clothes and three months’ schooling in
the year in return for his services. As nothing else offered, Joe
accepted, but would not bind himself for any length of time. He was
free to go whenever he pleased.
Now there were two disagreeable things in Joe’s new place. The
first was the parsimony of Major Norton, who was noted for his
stingy disposition, and the second was the overbearing manners of
Oscar, who lost no opportunity to humiliate Joe and tyrannize over
him so far as Joe’s independent spirit would allow. It happened,
therefore, that Joe was compelled to work hard, while the promised
clothing was of the cheapest and shabbiest description. He was
compelled to go to school in patched shoes and a ragged suit, which
hurt his pride as he compared himself with Oscar, who was carefully
and even handsomely dressed. Parsimonious as his father was, he was
anxious that his only boy should appear to advantage.
On the very day on which our story begins Oscar had insulted Joe in
a way which excited our hero’s bitter indignation.
This is the way it happened:
Joe, who was a general favorite on account of his good looks and
gentlemanly manners, and in spite of his shabby attire, was walking
home with Annie Raymond, the daughter of the village physician,
when Oscar came up.
He was himself secretly an admirer of the young lady, but had never
received the least encouragement from her. It made him angry to see
his father’s drudge walking on equal terms with his own favorite,
and his coarse nature prompted him to insult his enemy.
“Miss Raymond,” he said, lifting his hat mockingly, “I congratulate
you on the beau you have picked up.”
Annie Raymond fully appreciated his meanness, and answered calmly:
“I accept your congratulations, Mr. Norton.”
This answer made Oscar angry and led him to go further than he
otherwise would.
“You must be hard up for an escort, when you accept such a
ragamuffin as Joe Mason.”
Joe flushed with anger.
“Oscar Norton, do you mean to insult Miss Raymond or me,” he
demanded.
“So you are on your high horse!” said Oscar sneeringly.
“Will you answer my question?”
“Yes, I will. I certainly don’t mean to insult Miss Raymond, but I
wonder at her taste in choosing my father’s hired boy to walk with.”
“I am not responsible to you for my choice, Oscar Norton,” said
Annie Raymond, with dignity. “If my escort is poorly dressed, it is
not his fault, nor do I think the less of him for it.”
“If your father would dress me better, I should be very glad of
it,” said Joe. “If I am a ragamuffin, it is his fault.”
“I’ll report that to him,” said Oscar maliciously.
“I wish you would. It would save me the trouble of asking him for
better clothes.”
“Suppose we go on,” said Annie Raymond.
“Certainly,” said Joe politely.
And they walked on, leaving Oscar discomfited and mortified.
“What a fool Annie Raymond makes of herself” he muttered. “I should
think she’d be ashamed to go round with Joe Mason.”
Oscar would have liked to despise Annie Raymond, but it was out
of his power. She was undoubtedly the belle of the school, and he
would have been proud to receive as much notice from her as she
freely accorded to Joe. But the young lady had a mind and a will of
her own, and she had seen too much to dislike in Oscar to regard
him with favor, even if he were the son of a rich man, while she
had the good sense and discrimination to see that Joe, despite his
ragged garb, possessed sterling good qualities.
When Oscar got home he sought his father.
“Father,” said he, “I heard Joe complaining to Annie Raymond that
you didn’t dress him decently.”
Major Norton looked annoyed.
“What does the boy mean?” he said. “What does he expect?”
“He should be dressed as well as I am,” said Oscar maliciously.
“Quite out of the question,” said the major hastily. “Your clothes
cost a mint of money.”
“Of course, you want me to look well, father. I am your son, and he
is only your hired boy.”
“I don’t want folks to talk,” said the major, who was sensitive to
public opinion. “Don’t you think his clothes are good enough?”
“Of course they are; but I’ll tell you what, father,” said Oscar,
with a sudden idea, “you know that suit of mine that I got stained
with acid?”
“Yes, Oscar,” said the major gravely. “I ought to remember it.
It cost me thirty-four dollars, and you spoiled it by your
carelessness.”
“Suppose you give that to Joe?” suggested Oscar.
“He’s a good deal larger than you. It wouldn’t fit him; and,
besides, it’s stained.”
“What right has a hired boy to object to a stain? No matter if it
is too small, he has no right to be particular.”
“You are right, Oscar,” said the major, who was glad to be saved
the expense of a new suit for Joe. Even he had been unpleasantly
conscious that Joe’s appearance had become discreditable to him.
“You may bring it down, Oscar,” he said.
“I dare say Joe won’t like the idea of wearing it, but a boy in his
position has no right to be proud.”
“Of course not,” returned the major, his ruling passion gratified
by the prospect of saving the price of a suit. “When Joseph comes
home--at any rate, after he is through with his chores--you may
tell him to come in to me.”
“All right, sir.”
Before Oscar remembered this message, the scene narrated at the
commencement of the chapter occurred. On his way to complain to his
father, he recollected the message, and, retracing his steps, said
to Joe:
“My father wants to see you right off.”
This was a summons which Joe felt it his duty to obey. He
accordingly bent his steps to the room where Major Norton usually
sat.