Chapter Fifteen

Rumors Laid to Rest

It wasn’t long before several of the townsfolk appeared and boarded the Orphan Train. They were a friendly bunch, and to the delight of the children, they had all brought baskets of food.

“Thought we’d have a picnic for supper,” one of the ladies announced. “We were planning to have it outside if the weather was fine.” She beamed at the children as she sank down on a seat. “We was real disappointed when we heard that the sheriff had word not to let you off the train,” she confided to Matron. “Some folks up north of here heard rumors about this train, but Sheriff McCarty says he doesn’t think they’re true. So we went ahead and came. My name’s Naomi Pruitt.”

Mrs. Pruitt settled back in the seat and patted the red plush covering beside her. “My, ain’t these nice? I never been on a train in my life. How does it feel to be hurtled along through space that way? Scary, huh?”

“We’ve gotten used to it,” Matron replied. “We’ve certainly met some interesting people.” She smiled at Mrs. Pruitt. “It was lovely of you to think of a picnic. We’ll all enjoy it.”

“Mercy, yes. I can’t sit here and visit. I’d better get this food set out. More folks are on the way.”

By the time everyone had arrived, the coach was crowded with visitors and children. Four seats were needed to contain all the wonderful things the ladies had prepared. The children were struck speechless with the display of ham and chicken and turkey on big platters. Bowls of potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and pickles sat beside the rolls, butter, and jam. Cakes, pies, cookies, and fruit completed the meal.

“I never saw that much to eat in my whole life,” Trudy declared. “Do you suppose they get to have all this every day?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Matron replied. “Country folks work hard and eat well.”

“I’d work hard too, for food like this,” Trudy said. “I hope someone takes me home with them.”

Naomi Pruitt put her arm around Trudy’s shoulder. “I’ll take you with me. I never saw such a skinny young one. My children will love to have a new sister in the family.”

Trudy’s eyes sparkled, and she hugged Mrs. Pruitt tightly. “How many children do you have?”

“Only eight,” Mrs. Pruitt said, “and they’re all older than you. You’ll be the only one in school. Except your sister Dary. She’s the teacher. What grade you in?”

Trudy looked troubled. “I ain’t never been to school.”

“Well, don’t you worry about that. Dary’ll have you reading in no time. You just get together whatever you got to take with you.”

“Look!” Philip called from the window. “Here comes the sheriff back, and he’s got a lady with him. Do you suppose he came for one of us?”

Sheriff McCarty answered that question when he and his wife joined the others. “We don’t plan to adopt anyone,” he said to Charlie Glover, “but my wife, Rose, wanted to see the train and the children. Never had anything like this in town before. Guess that’s why I was suspicious. Nothing personal, you understand.”

“Of course,” Charles replied. “You were wise to be cautious. I’ll leave an address that you can use to check things out if you have any questions.”

“Ask him if he carries a gun,” Bert whispered to Ethan.

“You ask him,” Ethan replied. “You’re not afraid of anyone.”

“I’ll ask him,” Philip volunteered. “Maybe I’ll even ask him if he’d like to take me.” He sidled over to the big man. “Mr. Sheriff, sir. Us fellows would like to see your gun.”

“Well, now, I’m sorry, son. I didn’t expect to meet any bad guys on this train, so I left the gun back in my office.”

“That’s all right,” Philip told him. “Someday I’ll have one of my own. I’m going to be a sheriff when I grow up.”

Sheriff McCarty looked around the car, then called to a man who was talking to a neighbor. “Here, Cal. Here’s a young fellow who wants to be a deputy. What do you think?”

Cal came over and looked at Philip.

“That’s my brother,” the sheriff said. “And he’s looking to find a boy who might make a good lawman.”

Philip’s hand was lost in the big one belonging to Cal McCarty, and his arm was shaken vigorously. A loud voice boomed, “How old are you, son?”

“Nine.”

“You ever been in jail?”

“No, sir.” Philip gulped.

“Good place to stay out of. You like school, do you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Looks like a pretty good deputy to me,” Cal said to his brother. “Let’s see what Emma thinks.”

Emma McCarty agreed, and Philip beamed at the chance to begin a new life in Chelsea.

The sheriff’s wife, Rose, was talking with Matron as she looked around the coach. “Brandon was right. These are lovely children. Do you think all of them will ...” Suddenly Rose turned pale and stopped speaking.

Matron watched her with alarm. “Are you all right, Mrs. McCarty? You look ill. Do sit down!”

Sheriff McCarty hurried over to his wife. “What’s the matter, Rose? What happened?”

Rose pointed. “That’s Kathleen’s girl!”

Matron turned to see who the woman was talking about. “That’s Shala. She’s one of our girls.”

“She does look like your sister, all right, but Kathleen was never in Chicago. And anyway,” the man reminded his wife, “we know that the family died in a fire.”

“But Brandon, no one could look that much like Kathleen and not be her daughter.” Rose turned to Matron Daly. “Was she found on the streets of Chicago?”

“Oh no,” Matron replied. “Shala has been at Briarlane Christian Children’s Home since she was two years old. That was eleven years ago.”

“Where is the home?” Sheriff McCarty asked.

“In Pennsylvania. Shala was brought in by a woman who said the child’s parents had died in an accident. The name on her baptismal certificate was Shala O’Brien.”

“It is Kathleen’s baby!” Rose declared. “Oh, Brandon, they told us the whole family was gone. But I knew the moment I saw her that she had to be Kathleen’s girl!”

“It certainly looks like it,” her husband said. “She’s our girl now.”

Together they went to talk with Shala, and soon they were getting her things in a bag to take with her.

“I found a family that is really family!” Shala said. “I didn’t know anyone in the world belonged to me.”

Sheriff McCarty added, “Chances are you wouldn’t know it now if I hadn’t heard those rumors.”

“Oh! What if you had sent the train on without ever knowing that our Shala was on there!” Rose hugged Shala. “But the Lord knew. He turned something bad into good for us.”

There were hugs and tears when the three children finally left with their new families.

“How are we going to get along without Shala bossing us around?” Bert wondered aloud that evening.

“She could play ball better than some of the boys,” Riley reflected.

“Yeah, and marbles, too,” Ethan added. “And she took good care of Alice.”

Everyone was quiet as the train pulled away from Chelsea. Of the twenty-five orphans who had left Chicago, thirteen were left.

“It gets to feel a little lonesome as we approach the end of our route,” Charles Glover told Matron quietly. “They’re glad when their friends find new homes, but they can’t help wondering what lies ahead for them.”

“I’ve worked with homeless children most of my life,” Matron said, “and I don’t think there’s a braver bunch anywhere to be found. I’ve tried to give all of them the hope that there is one Friend who will be with them no matter where they go.”

She looked over to Ethan, who held Will on his lap as they looked at a book together. “I’m grateful that you’ve given a Bible to every child who leaves. Who knows what harm that will keep them from?”

“The Bibles are a gift from a gentleman in Chicago who is interested in Hull-House,” Charles replied. “It’s the only possession some of these children have when they leave us. I’m sure God will honor that.”

He will indeed, Matron thought later as she made sure the girls were covered for the night. Whatever their future holds, God is in it.