"Do you think the police would know anything about me, Jimmy?" asked Dick at length.
"Maybe they would. Come on, we'll go to headquarters," replied Jimmy, anxious to make up for lost time.
It did not take the two boys long to reach police headquarters in Mulberry Street. Jimmy felt a little diffident about going into that dreaded place, of which he had heard so much, and the brass-buttoned sergeant sitting behind the brass railing looked very stern, but the newsboy mustered up courage to enter. As for Dick, he was filled with a nervous excitement.
The story was soon told, and the sergeant at once took an interest in Dick's queer plight. He questioned the youth carefully, but, as we know, Dick could tell little about himself. The sergeant went over the books from the time Jimmy had found his partner in the box, but there was no report of any missing boys answering the description of Dick, though there were many youngsters missing.
"Didn't you say you had a hat with you in the box?" asked the sergeant.
"Yes, sir," replied Dick. "That is it," and he handed it over.
The officer looked at the band inside. This was a bit of detective work that had not occurred to either Dick or Jimmy.
"Hum!" remarked the sergeant with a shake of his head. "All it says is 'Boston Store.' I thought it might give the name of the place where it was bought."
"Perhaps it was purchased in Boston," suggested Dick, "though I don't remember ever living near there."
"No," replied the officer, "nearly every city has either a 'New York' or a 'Boston' or a 'Philadelphia' store, and they are scattered from here to San Francisco. It's a queer custom. If that hat had the maker's name in it it might be a clue. However, I'll telegraph to Boston and make some inquiries."