Circle of Love(13)

“Does she remember her parents?” Frances asked. “How young was she when she was orphaned?”

“She was a foundling, left on the steps of a hospital. Her date of birth and her mother’s first name were printed on a scrap of paper pinned to her blanket. She was taken in by a foster family in New Jersey, then returned four years later when the foster mother died. Virginia has lived in an asylum ever since.”

“Dear little girl. She needed a family in her past, so she created one for herself,” Frances said.

“She created a family, all right,” Miss Hunter said, “and you’ll never talk her out of it. She insists she remembers—names, places, everything.”

Again her fingertip returned to the list, sliding to the next line. “David Paul Howard, eleven. Very quiet boy. Used to doing what others tell him to do. David lived off the streets until a slightly older friend brought him to us. He wanted David to have a real home, he said.” She shook her head. “It’s amazing how David survived this long.

“Here are some other recent arrivals: Mary Beth Lansdown, eleven; Jessie Kay Lester, nine; Edward Paul Marsh, eleven—ah, he’s a caution; Marcus John Melo, twelve; Samuel Jacob Meyer, ten; Shane Howard Prescott, eleven; and Lizzie Ann Schultz, two. Lizzie is a darling. You can assign her to one of the older girls to care for on the trip. Most agents pair the little ones with the older girls. It’s a great help with so many children to watch over.”

“What about the children you just named? Any problems?” Frances asked.

“I can’t promise you that there won’t be problems. They’re all old enough to get into trouble. Maybe some already have, maybe some are going to. I don’t know. You’ll just have to spot any potential troublemakers and keep them in line.”

Frances nodded. She’d found that a hug or even a friendly pat on the shoulder was often enough to reassure a child who just needed to know he or she was cared about. She wasn’t worried about how the children would behave. She worried about how they would stand up to the terrifying ordeal of meeting strangers while wondering if they’d be chosen. She vividly remembered her own fears.

“Will Scott is twelve,” Miss Hunter said. “He was brought to us by his father, who works with a traveling circus. Mr. Scott explained why he was unable to care for Will, but Will is in mourning for his father. He can’t believe his father would send him away.”

Frances gulped back the tightness in her throat. She knew what Will must be feeling.

“Then there’s Adam John Stowe, eight, and Harry James Stowe, ten,” Miss Hunter said. “That little one clings to his brother night and day. How they’re going to be separated, I can’t imagine.”

She looked at the sheet of names and sighed. “The last two, now, may give you problems,” she said. “Agatha Mae Vaughn, who’s twelve, was banished from the orphanage she’s lived in for years. She’s a born troublemaker. Wait till you meet her. Her mind gets set on something and there’s no budging her. I don’t envy the people who take her in.”

“Maybe, with a little love—” Frances began.

Mrs. Hunter shook her head. “You’re very young, and love may seem to be the answer to everything, but with Aggie—” She smiled and said, “All I can say is, good luck.”

Frances reached for the list. “That’s all?”

“One more,” Mrs. Hunter said. “Seven-year-old Caroline Jane Whittaker. Her father beat her, and she’s very much afraid of him. He disappeared four months ago, soon after Caroline’s mother died. The aunt who took Caroline in brought her to us because she couldn’t afford to care for her. Caroline wants to go west to a new home, but she’s frightened.”

“Afraid she won’t be chosen? Or afraid of finding the right family?” Frances asked.

“Oh, no,” Miss Hunter said. “She’s afraid that her father will come looking for her. She’s afraid that he’ll find her.”





6





AFTER SUPPER FRANCES was introduced to the children. A plump, golden-haired little girl immediately raised her arms to Frances and said, “Mama”

“Aren’t you a love,” Frances said as she picked up the baby. “You must be Lizzie.”

“Lizzie,” the little girl repeated.

Miss Hunter beckoned to a thin girl with dark hair. “Mary Beth,” she asked, “how would you like to be paired with Lizzie on the trip?”

Mary Beth smiled proudly and held out her arms. “She likes to have me hold her.”