Children’s Aid Society
The Imagination Station window cleared. The scene from the alley was gone. Beth could now see a group of children in fine clothes. They stood on the steps of a white country church.
The children looked clean and happy. Each had a small cardboard suitcase.
A man and a woman were watching the children. The adults were dressed in formal, black clothes. The man opened the church door. The children walked quietly inside.
The woman wore a large black hat covered in a bouquet of white flowers. She followed the last of the children into the church.
The Imagination Station’s speakers blared. “The Children’s Aid Society found homes for New York City’s orphans. The children were placed on trains and sent to the country. Social workers, called agents, cared for the children until they were adopted.
The voice continued. “Many children found homes and were raised as sons or daughters. Older orphans found jobs and were provided with food and lodging. All of the orphans got to attend school.”
“That’s so cool,” Beth said.
The Imagination Station followed the children. The machine bumped up the stairs. It was too wide to fit through the church door. Then, mysteriously, the machine appeared inside the church.
Beth gasped. She had never traveled through a wall before.
The children stood on a raised area near the pulpit. They were lined up in a row. A group of townsfolk was in the audience. The men and women sat in the pews.
Each orphan stepped forward one at a time. The boy or girl told everyone his or her name.
A red-haired girl said her name was Gracie. She gave a little curtsy.
One boy looked familiar to Beth. He stepped forward and smiled.
Beth knew him at once. She saw the missing front teeth. It was the newsboy from the city. His name was Leonard Wilcox.
Leonard bowed. Then he raised his hands. He stuck his thumbs in each ear and waggled his fingers. Then he bowed again.
Beth giggled. But the woman agent in black didn’t. She walked over to Leonard and whispered in his ear. She took him by the arm and led him off the stage.
Beth realized that the kids were showing off. They wanted to be adopted. Leonard had appeared rude. No wonder the agent took him off the stage.
Next, Gracie and two little boys sang a hymn. Beth knew the tune from church. It was “Fairest Lord Jesus.” The audience clapped loudly afterward.
Then one tall, strong-looking boy recited a long Bible passage. It had something to do with sheep and green grass. An older man and a gray-haired woman in the pews stood up. Beth guessed that they were married.
“We’ll take him,” the man said. “We need someone to help with the farm. We need an honest, God-fearing boy to be our son. We lost our own two boys in the war.”
The boy’s face had a strange expression. His eyes gleamed, but his mouth fell open. He looked happy and scared all at once.
Beth wondered what he was thinking. He’d never even talked to those people. Yet they would be his new parents!
Suddenly the Imagination Station’s windshield was covered in bright colors. The colors began to whirl. Beth couldn’t see what was happening anymore.
She yanked the machine’s door handle. The door flew open.
All at once, Beth found herself falling.
Patrick stared at the boy who threw the apple. He was wearing a jacket, knickers, and a bow tie just like Patrick’s. He was missing his front teeth. He slid his tongue through the gap and wriggled it.
Just then Mr. Alford said, “Patrick, I’d like you to meet Miss Cookson. She’s an agent for the Children’s Aid Society.”
Patrick quickly shoved the apple into his pocket.
Miss Cookson rose from her seat. She walked up the aisle toward him. Mr. Alford followed her.
Miss Cookson was wearing a long black skirt and cape. She held a small black-satin purse. Several large fake lilies were on her floppy hat.
Patrick thought she looked all set to attend a funeral. She was wearing the right color. And she could just leave the flowered hat on the grave. It would make a nice bouquet.
“Miss Cookson,” the conductor said, “this boy is in need. Perhaps the Children’s Aid Society can help him.”
Miss Cookson smiled at Patrick. Her face seemed nice. It was round with rosy cheeks.
“God’s grace is with you,” Miss Cookson said. “Several of our orphans have found homes already.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” Patrick asked.
Miss Cookson opened her purse. She took out a thick piece of paper. It was the size of an index card.
“Those children aren’t riding the last part of the orphan line,” she said. “I have extra tickets.”
She handed the conductor the piece of paper.
Mr. Alford pulled a metal hole puncher out of his pants pocket. He punched a star-shaped hole through the ticket. He handed it to Patrick.
“Don’t lose this,” Mr. Alford said. “I need to punch your ticket at every stop.”
Mr. Alford left the car.
Patrick put the ticket in his jacket pocket next to Eugene’s letter.
He scanned the passenger car. He didn’t see Eugene or Beth. There were several empty seats. He planned to sit down and read the letter.
He chose an empty seat in the front of the car. But Miss Cookson motioned for him to stand up.
“All the orphans must sit in the back,” she said. “Come this way, please.”
Miss Cookson led Patrick to the orphans. The two girls and two younger boys were sitting in one row. Patrick spotted the boy who had thrown the apple. He was surrounded by three empty seats.
Figures, Patrick thought. No one wants to sit near that kid.
Miss Cookson introduced the boys to each other. “Patrick,” she said, “please take the window seat next to Leonard. You’ll become good friends.”
Patrick doubted that. But he was willing to try.
Leonard smiled. He seemed happy to meet Patrick.
Then Miss Cookson turned around to return to her seat.
Patrick tried to pass Leonard to get to the window seat. But Leonard blocked his way. Then he stuck out his tongue.
“I need to sit down,” Patrick said, scowling. “Let me pass.”
“Do you like apples?” Leonard whispered. “I do. I wish I had mine back.”
Patrick didn’t want to return the apple. He had a feeling that Leonard would throw the apple again. But the apple didn’t belong to him.
So Patrick took the apple out of his pocket. He held it out to Leonard as a gesture of friendship.
Leonard ignored the apple. He stood up.
“Miss Cookson!” Leonard shouted. “The new boy just took my apple!”
Beth’s head felt dizzy. All around her were spinning colors. The air was cold. Her lungs hurt when she breathed.
She had no idea how long she fell. Or if she was really falling at all.
Moments later Beth found herself tumbling on some grass. She rolled down a short hill. Her elbow banged into a rock.
“Ouch!” she said. She stood up and rubbed her bare arm. She looked around for the Imagination Station. It wasn’t there. It may have never even landed.
Beth was on a little hill overlooking a small wood building. It was painted gray. Pines, oaks, elms, and other trees surrounded the area. Vines were growing everywhere.
Beth could also see a railroad-crossing sign and train tracks. A small train was stopped in front of the building. But she couldn’t see who was getting on or off. The building blocked her view.
The air smelled fresh and smoky at the same time. A chilly breeze whipped through the trees. She shivered and wished she had a coat.
Beth looked at her clothes. She was in a nice white cotton dress. Her shoes were sturdy black boots with black shoelaces.
She reached for the dress collar. The fabric had a pattern. It felt like lace.
Just then she saw something small falling from the sky. It was coming straight toward her.
Beth stepped aside and covered her head. A yellow gourd landed near her feet. The gourd bounced and rolled a bit before stopping.
Beth picked it up. It was dry and hollow. Inside she found a small book, a large tooth, and a bottle of medicine.
The book title was English-Waodani Dictionary. The medicine was to stop infections. The tooth looked as if it was from a jaguar.
“The wrong gifts again,” she said to herself. “The Imagination Station is still acting wonky.”
She put the tooth in her dress pocket. But she left the gourd on the grass. She walked toward the train tracks and building.
Suddenly a whistle blew three times.
The train was leaving! Had Patrick or Eugene gotten on the train?
Beth ran as fast as she could down the hill.