Stefan gasped, jerking Frances to a stop. She glanced down at him in surprise. He was staring fixedly at the mounds of fresh carrots, golden onions, and white turnips tinged with purple.
“What are those?” Stefan asked.
Mr. Nash picked up a carrot, rubbed some specks of dirt from it onto his already soiled apron, and handed it to Stefan. “Have you ever eaten a carrot?” he asked.
Stefan shook his head. “At home we mostly had potatoes and cabbage. Then at the orphanage we had bread and butter and sometimes a thick, brown soup.” He studied the carrot, then took a bite, jumping as it cracked under his teeth.
“Like it?” Frances asked.
Stefan munched happily. “It’s good!”
“So are peppermint sticks,” Mr. Nash said. From a jar on the counter he produced a small sugary stick covered with red and white stripes and handed it to Stefan.
“Now, let’s fill your order, Miss Kelly,” Mr. Nash said. “What’s first on the list?”
Frances blinked. “I had a list,” she said, “but my plans have changed. I’ve agreed to escort Stefan to New York City to meet his aunt and uncle, so I won’t need to stock up on supplies.” She thought a moment. “I’ll just get something to cook for supper tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Carrots, of course, and a fryer.… We can take the leftovers on our trip.… Oh, and a small jar of molasses. I think Stefan will like flapjacks.” She came up with half a dozen items and Mr. Nash fit all her purchases into a string bag.
“Ill put it on your account,” he said. “Have a good trip, Miss Kelly, and a safe return.”
“Thank you, Mr. Nash.” The parcel wasn’t heavy, so Frances picked it up and led Stefan out of the store and down the sidewalk to where Johnny’s wagon was hitched.
As she pulled two carrots from her bag and handed them to Stefan, showing him how to offer them to the horses, she heard Johnny’s voice behind her. “Well, well, who’s this fine young man who’s giving a treat to my horses?”
Frances turned to face Johnny, but he didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes on Stefan.
“Johnny Mueller, this is Stefan Gromeche,” she said. “Stefan came to Maxville with the orphan train riders.”
This time Johnny did look at Frances, with surprise. “He’s an orphan train rider? Then where is …” He straightened and glanced around.
“Stefan’s aunt and uncle recently arrived in the United States. When they found he’d been sent west on one of the orphan trains, they asked that he be returned.”
“My uncle has a huge mustache,” Stefan said. He spread his hands two feet apart. “It’s this big.”
“My, my, that’s very impressive. I’m glad you have a fine uncle like that to claim you,” Johnny said. He smiled at Stefan. “Would you like to pet my horses? Here … I’ll hold you up.”
This was the Johnny Frances had known, the Johnny with whom she’d fallen in love. Smiling, she watched him reach out to Stefan. Johnny was kind, gentle, and playful, and Frances loved him all the more.
But in a few minutes Johnny said, “It’s getting late, Frances. Find the people who are to take care of Stefan, and I’ll get your boxes of supplies from the store.”
“The only supplies I bought are already in the wagon,” Frances said.
He looked surprised. “But you told me you needed to buy a great many things.”
Frances pointed to the string sack. “This is all I’ll need. I don’t want bugs to get into my flour or ants into the syrup while I’m away.” She looked at Johnny without smiling and said, “I agreed to escort Stefan back to New York City. If you’ll please lift him into the wagon, we can be on our way.”
Johnny, unable to move, stared at her. “You’re going to New York?”
“Yes. I’ll be gone close to three weeks.” She added, not knowing why, “Longer, if I decide to stay awhile.”
Stefan, too impatient to wait for Johnny to help him, clambered up the spokes of the nearest wagon wheel and into the bed of the wagon. He squirmed like a puppy among some empty feed sacks, finding a comfortable place in which to settle down.
“Frances,” Johnny asked, “where will you stay while you’re in the city? Who will look out for you?”
She could hear the shock and hurt in his voice. She wanted to hold him and cling to him, but anger kept her backbone as stiff as the whalebones in her corset. “A Miss Claudine Hunter, from the Children’s Aid Society, will meet us at the station and reunite Stefan with his aunt and uncle. And, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m perfectly well able to take care of myself!”