Your memory can not all come back at once. It will take a little time."
"Do you know his father"s name?" asked Jimmy.
"Yes, if that man is his father. But I wanted to see if he could recall it. That would almost prove that d.i.c.k Box is d.i.c.k Sanden. Mr.
Sanden"s name is Oliver, and he lives in the township of Slaterville, Vermont."
"That"s it! I remember now!" cried d.i.c.k joyfully. "My father is Mr.
Oliver Sanden, of Slaterville. Now I am sure who I am."
"We must not be too positive," cautioned Mr. Crosscrab with a smile.
"Your memory may be playing you tricks again, and you may think because I mention a name that it is the one you have forgotten. However, we can soon make sure."
"How?" inquired Jimmy with tremendous interest.
"I will telegraph my father to go at once and see Mr. Sanden. He can come here to-morrow morning, and then we can make positive if d.i.c.k Box is Richard Sanden."
"I"m sure I am," said d.i.c.k with a smile. "It is beginning to come back to me now. I remember father and mother starting for Europe and how I was to go to Chicago."
"What happened after you got to the Grand Central Station?" asked Jimmy. "Why didn"t you go to Chicago?"
"That"s something I can"t remember. That"s still a puzzle."
"Well, don"t worry over it," advised Mr. Crosscrab. "We will try and have it all straightened out to-morrow. You had better lie down and rest."
"Lie down! I couldn"t lie down when I am thinking this way," replied d.i.c.k. "I am so anxious to see my parents."
After a few more questions Mr. Crosscrab was reasonably certain that d.i.c.k Box was indeed d.i.c.k Sanden, for d.i.c.k could describe different parts of the farm and things in Slaterville with which Mr. Crosscrab was familiar.
The two boys were eager to talk over the unexpected discovery of d.i.c.k"s ident.i.ty as made by Mr. Crosscrab, but the latter insisted that d.i.c.k must be kept quiet, and he threatened to take Jimmy away unless they got more calm, as he feared d.i.c.k would become ill again.
It seemed to d.i.c.k that he would never get to sleep, but at length his brain, tired with the many thoughts that flitted through it, was quiet, and he slept heavily until morning. Meanwhile Mr. Crosscrab had sent off the telegram.
d.i.c.k and Jimmy decided not to sell papers the next day. They were both too excited to pay proper attention to the business, and Frank Merton and Sam Schmidt were called on.
How long the hours seemed before it would be possible for Mr. Sanden to arrive! There had come a telegram to Mr. Crosscrab stating that he had started from Slaterville at midnight and expected to be in New York about noon.
As Jimmy, d.i.c.k and Mr. Crosscrab sat in the room of the newsboy partners anxiously waiting there sounded out in the corridor the tramp of several feet.
"That"s the room right in there," they heard Mr. Snowdon say, directing some one. The next instant the door opened. In rushed a man and woman.
"d.i.c.k!" they exclaimed in a breath, and a moment later d.i.c.k was folded in the arms of his father and mother.
For d.i.c.k Box was really d.i.c.k Sanden, and the mystery of his ident.i.ty was solved.
What a happy time followed, and how fervent were the thanks poured out on Mr. Crosscrab for his part in the affair I leave my young readers to imagine.
"I remember it all now," said d.i.c.k after he had talked with his parents and many things had been explained.
"All but how you came to wander off and sleep in that box," said his mother with a smile.
"I think I can explain that," said Mr. Crosscrab. "I made some inquiries at the Grand Central Station to-day. It appears that on the day d.i.c.k was to start for Chicago there was an accident. A boy waiting on the platform to take a train was. .h.i.t on the head by a trunk which fell from the top of a pile on a truck. The boy was knocked unconscious, and an ambulance was summoned to take him to the hospital.
The ambulance doctor temporarily dressed the boy"s injury and placed him in the vehicle, together with a valise the boy had with him.
"The start was made for the hospital. On the way the ambulance had to stop because of a blockade on account of a fire. The doctor left his place at the rear of the vehicle to see if there was any need of his services, for there was a rumor some one had been burned in the blaze, and when he came back his boy patient was gone. And from that time to this the authorities never heard anything about him. They concluded he had not been badly hurt, and had slipped out of the ambulance and run away, not being noticed in the crowd. The valise was also gone, and from the fact that d.i.c.k did not have it when he awoke in the box, it was probably stolen."
"And I guess that"s what happened," said d.i.c.k"s father. "The valise contained d.i.c.k"s tickets and most of his money. He probably partly regained his senses in the ambulance, slipped out and wandered around, half dazed, forgetting all about himself, until he found the box and went to sleep in it."
"My poor boy!" said his mother, unable to keep back the tears. "What a terrible time you had! Oh, how worried we were when we got back from Europe and found your cousin knew nothing about you!"
"Yes, you must have worried, mother," said d.i.c.k, "but I got along pretty well. Jimmy and I have built up a fine business. I"m almost sorry I can"t stay and help him buy that stand."
"Don"t let that worry you, my son," said Mr. Sanden with a smile and a hearty hand-clasp for Jimmy. "I"ll see that your partner has the finest stand in New York."
"Crimps!" exclaimed Jimmy, forgetting himself under the excitement of the occasion. "Dat"ll be bul--I mean that will be fine!"
And so it turned out. Mr. Sanden was a wealthy man, more so than ever since coming into the European property, and Jimmy was made proprietor of one of the largest and finest news-stands in the big city. For fear sharpers might take advantage of him, Mr. Crosscrab and Mr. Snowden agreed to look after certain matters for him.
"But I won"t have any partner," said Jimmy, when details had been arranged about the stand, and arrangements made for d.i.c.k and his parents to go home.
"Yes, you will," said d.i.c.k with a smile. "Frank Merton is going to be your partner, and Sam Schmidt will be general a.s.sistant."
Thus it was arranged, and to-day those newsboy partners, (the three of them, for Sam was given a share in the business) do a large business in papers and magazines.
As for d.i.c.k Box--I mean d.i.c.k Sanden--he went back to Slaterville, where many friends whom he had forgotten for a short period were very glad to see him. He often comes to New York now, for he has grown to be quite a man, and he never forgets to visit Jimmy, Frank and Sam, who are now useful and respected citizens. So, you see, the misfortune which came to our hero was the means of good to several, and the little partnership started between Jimmy and d.i.c.k had a far-reaching result.
THE END