WHO DICK BOX WAS--CONCLUSION
Crossing the room Mr. Crosscrab put his arm about Dick.
"You must calm yourself," he said, for the boy was on the verge of
tears and a nervous breakdown. "Let us reason this matter out. I
really believe we can establish your identity, but we must go slowly.
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 Dick Box is Dick Sanden. Mr.
Sanden's name is Oliver, and he lives in the township of Slaterville,
Vermont."
"That's it! I remember now!" cried Dick 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 Dick Box
is Richard Sanden."
"I'm sure I am," said Dick 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
Dick. "I am so anxious to see my parents."
After a few more questions Mr. Crosscrab was reasonably certain that
Dick Box was indeed Dick Sanden, for Dick 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 Dick's
identity as made by Mr. Crosscrab, but the latter insisted that Dick
must be kept quiet, and he threatened to take Jimmy away unless they
got more calm, as he feared Dick would become ill again.
It seemed to Dick 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.
Dick 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, Dick 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.
"Dick!" they exclaimed in a breath, and a moment later Dick was folded
in the arms of his father and mother.
For Dick Box was really Dick Sanden, and the mystery of his identity
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 Dick 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 Dick was to start for Chicago there was an accident. A boy waiting
on the platform to take a train was hit 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 Dick did not have it when he awoke in the box, it
was probably stolen."
"And I guess that's what happened," said Dick's father. "The valise
contained Dick'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 Dick, "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 Dick and his
parents to go home.
"Yes, you will," said Dick with a smile. "Frank Merton is going to be
your partner, and Sam Schmidt will be general assistant."
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 Dick Box--I mean Dick 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 Dick had a far-reaching result.
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's The Newsboy Partners, by Frank V. Webster