little
steamer, which had now passed out of danger under the breakwater.

CHAPTER VI.

THE ROBBERY AT THE HOTEL.

Pearl Hawlinshed found that his prediction in regard to the little
steamer was not verified. She did not go to the bottom in spite of her
bad management. It was no fault of her skipper that she did not, for he
had certainly done his best to sink her. Dory recognized her as a boat
that had been kept for all sorts of uses at Burlington.

If Pearl was not satisfied with what had passed between him and the new
skipper of the Goldwing, it was too late to do any thing about it now.
The boat was off, and he was confident that her skipper had left the
wharf to avoid him; for why should he prefer to lie at anchor at the
breakwater when her former moorings were so much more convenient?

Pearl Hawlinshed had been a wayward boy. He had worked on his father's
farm; he had tended bar at a saloon; he had worked on the steamers on
the lake; and now he evidently desired to try his hand at boating. If
the Goldwing was worth any thing, she was certainly worth forty dollars;
and it is difficult to see why he limited himself to this sum. Perhaps
he had no money to buy her, since he had failed to relieve his father of
the amount in his possession.

The Goldwing was gone, and there was nothing to keep him on the wharf.
He walked up to the Witherill House, where his father had stopped the
night before. He was well acquainted there, and he immediately found
himself in demand as soon as he entered the office. There appeared to be
a considerable excitement about the house.

"You are just the man I want to see, Pearl Hawlinshed," said the
landlord, as he entered the office.

"Well, what is wanted of me?" asked Pearl.

"Where has your father gone, Pearl?" asked the landlord, as though he
felt a great interest in the question.

"That is more than I know," replied Pearl.

"But he took the boat going south this morning. Don't you know where he
has gone?"

"He is going into a lumber speculation in Lawrence County: that's all I
know about it. He is going to lose all his money if he can; and I reckon
he can," replied Pearl roughly.

"Do you know who the boy was that was with him last night, Pearl? He was
a young fellow about fourteen years old. He came into the house with
your father, and went up-stairs with him."

"I don't know who he is. What's the matter?" asked the graceless son,
wishing to know more before he c