The Clockwork Twin by Walter R. Brooks Page B

“We’ll promise not to whip you again. We’ll do whatever you want us to.”
    â€œWe don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do,” said her husband. “We’ll even let those Bean people adopt you, if you say so.”
    Well, this was just what Ronald wanted them to say. But he thought he’d have a little more fun before he left. “I don’t know,” he said doubtfully. “After all, you’re my aunt and uncle. I expect probably I’d better stay here.”
    â€œBut we’re not your aunt and uncle,” said Mrs. Smith. (I suppose we’d better call her that now, since she was really not Adoniram’s aunt at all.) “We really haven’t any claim on you at all, so if the Beans want you, for mercy’s sake go live with them.”
    Ronald was pretty puzzled at this. You can see why. He was Ronald, pretending to be Bertram, who was in turn pretending to be Adoniram. And now Adoniram was somebody else.

    â€œWell, then,” he said, “who am I?”
    â€œThere was a flood six years ago, almost as bad as the one this spring,” said Mrs. Smith, “and you came floating down on a barn. We rescued you. You were too little to know where you came from, but you told us your name was Adoniram. You said you had another name, beginning with R, but you wouldn’t ever tell us what it was. That’s all we know.”
    â€œBut didn’t you ever try to find my people?”
    â€œHow could we?” said Mrs. Smith. “We’re too busy to go traipsing around the country looking for them. If they wanted you, why didn’t they look for you themselves?”
    â€œYou wanted to keep me so I could work for you when I grew up, I guess.”
    â€œWell, what if we did? We saved your life, didn’t we? And a fine, grateful boy you turned out to be! Well, go your own way. We’ll be glad to be rid of you.”
    â€œOh, stop talking,” groaned Mr. Smith, “and let me down. Let him go, Luella, and a good riddance.”
    So Bertram lifted Mr. Smith down from the hook, and then they went downstairs and signed the papers that would let the Beans adopt Adoniram, and Bertram put them in his pocket and walked out of the house.
    He went first to Dr. Murdock’s and told him the whole story, and Dr. Murdock said he’d make inquiries and see if he could find out who Adoniram’s parents really were. And then he wound up Bertram good and tight.
    â€œYou’ve got a long way to go,” he said, “and you’ll have to get wound up several times on the road, unless you’re lucky enough to get a lift all the way. So I’d advise you to appeal to a policeman when you find yourself running down. They’ll wind you up without any nonsense and you can trust them. Good-by and good luck.”
    Ronald had pretty good luck. He had gone barely half a mile when he came up to a car at the roadside. There was a man sitting on the running board.
    â€œHello, boy,” he said. “I don’t suppose you know where I can find a jack around here, do you? I’ve got a flat tire, and no jack to lift the axle, and none of these cars that are going by will stop so I can borrow one.”
    â€œI guess I can help you,” said Bertram. And he caught hold of the rear bumper and lifted the wheel clear of the ground. “I’ll hold it while you get your spare tire on.”
    The man stared. “Great Scott, boy!” he exclaimed. “You ought to be in a circus. You ain’t human!”
    â€œYou’re right, I’m not,” said Bertram. “But hurry. I can’t hold this all day.”
    So the man put the tire on, and in return gave Bertram a lift for about fifty miles.
    After that, Bertram walked for a mile or so more, and then he heard a horn blowing continuously behind him, coming nearer, and a big truck passed him and then drew up at the side of the road. The