Joe Bodley, a poor but resourceful boy, lives with his uncle, Hiram Bodley, a hermit, near Lake Tandy in Pennsylvania. Joe supports them by taking out pleasure parties for pay and selling fish and game. His parentage is a mystery, as his father disappeared after his mother and siblings died. Joe is friends with Ned Talmadge, a rich boy, and they often go boating together. During a storm, Joe and Ned take shelter in an old hunting lodge, where they overhear two men, Gaff Caven and Pat Malone, discussing a fraudulent scheme involving mining stocks. Joe later learns that his uncle Hiram has been injured in a storm and dies, leaving Joe alone. Joe sells their belongings and moves to Riverside, where he finds work at a hotel. Joe encounters various challenges, including dealing with a bully named Jack Sagger and helping a poor family. He also assists Felix Gussing, a timid young man, in winning the approval of his fiancée's father by staging a fake duel. Joe's honesty and resourcefulness earn him a good reputation. Joe learns about a potential inheritance from his father, William A. Bodley, who once owned a farm in Iowa. He travels to Millville to investigate but finds no conclusive evidence. Meanwhile, Maurice Vane, a man Joe helped earlier, offers him a job in Montana, where a mine might be valuable. In Montana, Joe helps Vane recover stolen mining shares from Caven and Malone, who later die in a train accident. Joe discovers his father, William Bodley, who had been living as a miner. They reunite, and Joe learns about his past. William's mine proves valuable, and they form a successful mining company with Vane and the Badgers. Joe's perseverance and integrity lead to a prosperous future, and he remains grateful for his experiences as "Joe the Hotel Boy."
By Horatio Alger, Jr. · First published 1892 · Genre: Rags-to-Riches Fiction, Bildungsroman, Inspirational Fiction · 30 chapters