The Letter

Beth’s breathing steadied as she sat on the platform. She flexed the hand that Patrick had squeezed. The pain was going away.

A gentle breeze blew in her face. The train was chugging along now. The platform vibrated with motion. The car swayed slightly whenever the train tracks curved.

A woman stepped out onto the platform. She wore black clothes and a large black hat with white flowers.

“Leonard! Patrick!” the woman said sternly. Her hands were on her hips. “I have looked all over the train. You boys have some explaining —”

Miss Cookson stopped taking when she saw Beth sitting next to Patrick.

“Hello,” Beth said with a smile. She recognized this woman as the agent from the Children’s Aid Society.

Beth stood up. “My name is Beth,” she said. “I’m Patrick’s cousin. I got on at the back of the train because I was late.” She held out her hand for a handshake.

Miss Cookson looked stunned. She gently squeezed the tips of Beth’s fingers with her own.

“Where are your parents?” Miss Cookson asked.

Beth gulped. She didn’t know how to answer truthfully. She looked to Patrick for a clue.

But Patrick’s face was hidden in his hands. He was no help.

“My parents,” Beth said slowly, “are with Patrick’s parents.”

Miss Cookson gave Beth’s hand another gentle squeeze. Then she let it go.

“I’m so sorry your parents aren’t with us,” Miss Cookson said. “But the Children’s Aid Society can help you.”

Beth nodded.

“It’s very strange that you weren’t on the station platform with Patrick,” Miss Cookson said. “What made you dillydally?”

Beth blushed. “I heard the whistle and bell only at the last minute,” she said softly. “I was behind the train station. My imagination kind of ran away with me. It seemed as if I had been in another world.”

Apparently Miss Cookson was not fond of creativity. “Let’s talk no more about such fanciful subjects,” she said. “Orphans need a good dose of reality.”

Miss Cookson then sent Leonard back inside. Leonard obeyed.

Then Miss Cookson looked down at Patrick.

He stood up and straightened his suit jacket. “Ma’am?” he said.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a cousin?” Miss Cookson asked.

“I hoped she was already on board,” Patrick said. “I didn’t see her inside the station. And she wasn’t on the platform.”

Miss Cookson sighed and shook her head. She seemed annoyed. Then she motioned the cousins to get inside the railcar.

“I’ll get Beth a ticket once you’re seated,” Miss Cookson said. “Conductor Alford is not going to like this at all.”

Beth went in first and then Patrick. Miss Cookson was last.

Miss Cookson assigned Beth a seat in the passenger car. She let Beth and Patrick sit together. Leonard was across the aisle. He had an empty seat next to him.

“I’m going to find Mr. Alford about Beth’s ticket,” she said to all three of them. “Stay seated and be polite.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Patrick said.

“Thank you, Miss Cookson,” Beth said.

Leonard only grinned.

Miss Cookson left the passenger car. Leonard leaned across the aisle. He grinned at Beth. He pulled an envelope out from the inside pocket of his jacket.

“What will you give me if I give you this?” Leonard said. He waved the envelope at Patrick.

Patrick wanted to snatch the envelope out of Leonard’s hand. He reached across Beth and tried to grab it.

But Leonard was faster. The orphan put the envelope back in his jacket. “Be careful,” he said, “or the letter might get burned.” He nodded his head toward the woodstove four rows up.

Patrick got angry and pointed a finger at the orphan. “You pickpocket!” he said to Leonard. “You weren’t trying to help me get Beth on board. You were stealing from my jacket pocket!”

Leonard grinned. “I wanted more candy,” he said.

“I’ll tell Miss Cookson,” Patrick said. “I can prove the letter is mine.”

“Miss Cookson doesn’t listen to tale telling,” Leonard said with a smirk.

Beth pulled the jaguar tooth out of her dress pocket. She held it up by her first finger and thumb.

Patrick recognized the shape of the tooth. It was like some he’d seen before in the rain forest. That meant the gifts were getting mixed up.

Beth moved the tooth back and forth. Leonard’s brown eyes followed the movement of the tooth. He slowly reached out a hand toward it.

Patrick leaned across Beth and pushed Leonard’s arm down. “Use your eyes,” Patrick said, “not your hands.”

Beth smiled. She closed her fist over the tooth. “Anyway,” she said, “the jaguar tooth is mine.”

Leonard’s eyes bulged. “A real jaguar tooth?” he asked.

“Of course,” Beth said. “It’s worth way more than a letter.”

Patrick knew the orphan had outsmarted him again. He sighed.

“Beth,” Patrick said, “the letter is from Eugene. Give him the tooth.”

Beth shook her head. “Nothing Eugene has to say is worth that much,” she said.

Patrick was now getting angry at Beth, too. He said, “That letter is important, and you know it.” His tone of voice was tense.

Beth glared at him. “The tooth is too valuable,” she said calmly. “And that’s a fact.” She looked at Leonard. “What else do you have?”

Leonard jammed his hands into his knickers pockets. He pulled out two pieces of candy and a penny. He put them in Beth’s hand.

Beth looked at the candy and the penny. She shook her head. “That’s not enough,” she said. “But you can do something for me.”

“What?” Leonard asked.

Beth smirked. “Promise that you’ll stop stealing,” she said.

“It’s a deal!” Leonard said, grinning.

Beth held out her hand. “The letter first,” she said.

Leonard reached inside his jacket. He handed her the envelope.

Beth leaned across the aisle. She put the tooth in Leonard’s hand.

“Be good now,” Beth said. “No more stealing, okay? You’re not a Whyos gang member.”

Leonard frowned. “How did you know about them?” he asked.

Beth smirked again. “I know lots of things,” she said.

Leonard put his hands in his pockets. “Okay,” he said. “I promise, no stealing.”

“He’s got his fingers crossed,” Patrick said. “You can’t trust him.”

Beth whispered, “Never mind him now. Just open the envelope.”

Patrick slid his finger underneath the envelope flap. He neatly tore the paper. Inside were two train tickets and a folded piece of paper.

Patrick took out the letter and unfolded it. He showed it to Beth.

Dear Patrick (and Beth if you’re together now),

If you have this letter, it means you landed at the Hogan Mountain, Missouri, train station. I waited there for about two days. No one familiar appeared, and so I headed south. I plan to assist the Pinkerton agents to gather evidence about a recent stagecoach robbery. Jesse James and his gang are believed to have committed the crime. It is to this end I believe Mr. Whittaker programmed this adventure. Come immediately to Little Rock on the number 7 train.

Your friend,

Eugene

PS: Don’t travel on January 31. It would be disastrous. That’s the day J J and gang robbed a train.

Beth wondered what day it was. She glanced at Patrick. Her answer was in his face.

Patrick’s mouth was shaped like an O. His face was as white as milk.

“Today’s January 31, isn’t it?” Beth said.