by D. L. Dennis
Miss Cartwright had been revived and had been taken into the house. Everyone else followed Jake and Jenny. The door swung open as Jake walked up on the porch. Mrs. Miller hurried up to Jake as he carried Jenny over the threshold. Her face was grave and all of the color had drained from it as she saw Jenny in Jake’s arms. She was not a person that lost her composure easily, but was almost in a state of shock. How did Jenny fall off the bridge? How did Jake find her? Was she badly hurt? There was total silence as Jake carried Jenny into the room. No one said a word or made a move.
Quickly, Mrs. Miller regained her composure and started barking orders. “Get a pile of blankets, call the doctor, warm some apple cider, get a fire going in the fireplace. Get all the children into dry clothes and bring them around the fire so they can get warm. The rest of you that are wet, change your clothes.”
When the news spread that a few of the children had gotten caught in a rain storm on the bridge and that Jenny had fallen into the river, all of the staff had now congregated in the main room. Some were gathered around the windows trying to see what was going on outside, while others were standing in small groups wondering what to do. Others were trying to keep the children calm, which was no easy task. Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock. Upon hearing Mrs. Miller’s orders, they quickly gathered their senses and scattered to do as she said. Mrs. Miller was a very kind person, and they all loved her, but they could tell that when she barked those orders, she meant for them to move and move fast!
Mrs. Miller told Jake to take Jenny to her room and lay her down on her bed. Mrs. Miller followed him into Jenny’s room. She took Jake’s coat from around Jenny, handed it to him and told him to go to his cabin and get some dry clothes on. She saw the concern on Jake’s face, but insisted that he go to his cabin and change clothes. He left reluctantly, but she knew he would change clothes as quickly as possible and return to see how Jenny was. He was as concerned about Jenny as she was. She hurriedly shut the door and began to undress Jenny. She wanted to get the wet clothes off, some dry ones on and then get her wrapped in a warm blanket. She prayed that someone had been able to reach Dr. Carlson, and that he was available to come quickly. She knew he would unless he was out on a house call.
Jenny roused a little bit several times and when she did, she mumbled a few words. Mrs. Miller could not understand much of what she was mumbling, but did catch the name Christopher a couple of times. She could not understand why Jenny would be saying his name. She knew that Jenny loved to see the old man and enjoyed taking him a snack, but thought it was rather strange that she kept saying his name.
Mrs. Miller felt Jenny’s legs, feet, her arms and hands. She did not seem to have any broken bones. She was not a doctor, but she had seen enough broken limbs in her work with children and could usually tell if one was broken. Jenny did not moan when she touched her which was a good sign. She could see some minor scrapes and bruises beginning to form, but none of them seemed serious. Jenny had a bruise and a good sized lump on her forehead, and that seemed to be the most serious of all. Jenny did flinch as Mrs. Miller gently removed her wet clothes, so that was a good sign too. She was surprised that Jenny felt as warm as she did. Her little cheeks were beginning to regain some of their color which made Mrs. Miller feel optimistic that Jenny would be OK. This was the second time that a miracle was happening in Jenny’s life – the first happened the night Jake discovered the basket at the front gate and now, surviving a fall into the river. Both incidents were surrounded by unimaginable circumstances.
Since Jenny had been miraculously brought out of the river, the fire department was not needed. There were a lot of unexplained events that had taken place in the last hour, and Mrs. Miller had no answers. How did Jenny fall through the slats on the bridge? How did Jenny get out of the river? How did she get to the bench? The answers to these questions would have to wait. Or, would they ever have the answers? Right now all she wanted was to find out if Jenny was OK. She needed to verify that someone had been able to reach Dr. Carlson and find out what he said about coming to the orphanage. She was sure he would come if at all possible. The children in the orphanage seemed to have captured his heart also.
Once Mrs. Miller had Jenny in dry clothes and wrapped in a blanket, she opened the door to find Jake standing right outside, which did not surprise her. He had changed out of his wet clothing and was anxiously waiting for her to open Jenny’s door. Mrs. Miller told him to stay with Jenny until she found out if someone had been able to reach Dr. Carlson. Jake told her that Dr. Carlson was on his way. As soon as he had those words out of his mouth, the front door screen slammed, and they could hear the booming voice of Dr. Carlson.
“What happened to Jenny? Where is she? Are the other children OK?”
He seemed to be extremely upset which was quite unusual for Dr. Carlson. He was always such a gentle person that everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared at him.
“Well,” he bellowed, “Don’t just stand there. Show me where Jenny is.” Everyone jumped into action, and Dr. Carlson was quickly shown the hallway to Jenny’s room. He nodded at Jake as he walked by and saw Mrs. Miller standing in the doorway.
The minute Mrs. Miller saw Dr. Carlson, she motioned for him to come into the room and said, “Jenny fell into the river. I have checked her arms and legs, and she does not seem to be hurt except for a few minor scrapes and bruises. She has a nasty bruise and lump on her forehead.”
Dr. Carlson looked at Jenny on her bed. Jenny looked like she was sleeping peacefully. As soon as Dr. Carson started his examination of her, Jenny’s eyes fluttered and slowly opened. She seemed to be somewhat dazed for a minute and mumbled the name Christopher. She quickly regained her senses and focused in on Dr. Carlson’s face. As she recognized him, she gave him a weak smile. Tears welled up in Mrs. Miller’s eyes as she let out a gasp. She did not realize that she had been holding her breath as Dr. Carlson began to examine Jenny.
“Well, Jenny,” Dr. Carlson said in a gentle voice, “It looks like you took a little swim in the river. Is there anything that hurts?”
Jenny slowly replied to Dr. Carlson that nothing hurt except her foot hurt a little bit, and her head. Dr. Carlson felt Jenny’s crippled foot, turned it as much as he could in each direction and declared that it seemed to be OK. He told Mrs. Miller that Jenny probably twisted it a little bit and that it might be a little sore for a few days.
Dr. Carlson continued to examine Jenny, but did not find anything except for the scrapes and bruises that he was sure would heal in a few days. The pupils in her eyes were of normal size so that was a good thing. He was quite surprised that he did not find anything seriously wrong. If Jenny tumbled off the bridge and fell into the river, she was one lucky little girl that she did not hit her head.
Dr. Carlson wondered how she had gotten out of the river. He knew that the river was very deep and running fast because of the rains that had been falling. Maybe that was a good thing because if she had fallen in when the river was more shallow, she may have landed on a rock and gotten hurt badly.
Dr. Carlson wanted to question Jenny as to how she had gotten out of the river, but thought that it would be best if he left that to Mrs. Miller. He did not know why she had mumbled the name Christopher, but maybe Mrs. Miller would know. Maybe she had a good friend there at the orphanage name Christopher.
Chapter 26
HOME AGAIN
Dr. Carlson patted Jenny’s arm and said, “I want to talk to Mrs. Miller for a minute so you stay quiet right here. It won’t take long.” Jenny nodded her head and seemed to drift off. Dr. Carlson motioned for Mrs. Miller to step into the hall. Jake had stood steadfast in the hallway by the door. He was not going anywhere until he heard what the doctor said. Mrs. Miller assured Jake that Jenny seemed to be OK except for a few scrapes and bruises and for him to go into Jenny’s room while she talked to Dr. Carlson. Jake’s face broke into a big grin. He was so elated he felt like doing a jig, even if he was too tired.
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p; Dr. Carlson told Mrs. Miller that it looked like Jenny would be just fine, but to keep her rather quiet for the next few days.
“Let her play quietly, but keep her from doing too much running around and playing, even if she says she feels OK. I think she will be just fine, but we want to be cautious for a few days. I will be out again day after tomorrow to check her over. You can always call me if you see anything that worries you. Are the other children alright?“
Mrs. Miller assured Dr. Carlson that she thought the other children were OK. She thought they were just wet and scared, but the staff was taking good care of them. She most certainly would call him if Jenny displayed any symptoms that concerned her, or if any of the other children came down with anything. As Dr. Carlson started to leave, then turned with a perplexed look on his face and asked Mrs. Miller, “How did Jenny get out of the river? Someone said that Jake found her laying on a bench across the footbridge by the forest.”
Mrs. Miller told him that she did not know how Jenny got out of the river. And, yes, Jake found her lying on the bench. It was a mystery to all of them, and they did not have any answers. She explained that Miss Cartwright had taken a few of the children across the footbridge to play, but she had not been able to talk to Miss Cartwright yet to see what had happened. She told him that Miss Cartwright had fainted, but seemed to be feeling alright now. Talking to Miss Cartwright was going to be her next task now that she knew Jenny was OK. Dr. Carlson told her to keep in touch and to be sure to let him know if Jenny displayed any symptoms that he should know about.
As the doctor left, Mrs. Miller went back into Jenny’s room. The door was open and she could see Jake sitting in a chair by Jenny’s bed. Jenny and Jake were grinning at each other which almost made Mrs. Miller giggle. Jenny seemed to have a way of wrapping people around her little finger, particularly Jake.
As soon as Jenny saw Mrs. Miller, she asked if she could get up and leave her room. Mrs. Miller nodded and told Jake to wait outside until she and Jenny were ready to go out to the big room. She told Jake that she wanted him to carry Jenny. Jake was more than happy to follow those instructions!
Mrs. Miller took a few minutes to pick out some more of the little sticks and leaves that had gotten caught in Jenny’s long hair. She tried to brush it a little bit, but it was somewhat of a tangled mess. Oh well, they would work on it again later. She took a cloth and wiped a few smudges of dirt off Jenny’s face and arms and declared that she was ready to visit the big room. She wrapped the blanket around Jenny and called for Jake to come in. Jake was elated when he saw Jenny sitting on the edge of her bed. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the couch in front of the fireplace where all the other children had gathered. It was not so cold outside that a fire was needed, but a roaring fire in the fireplace always seemed to make everyone cheerful.
When Jake walked into the room carrying Jenny, every one let out a cheer. When they saw Jenny smiling, they all started talking and laughing at once. Jenny started giggling too, and that really made everyone laugh even louder. Even Mrs. Miller let out a hearty laugh. Jake put Jenny on the couch, slapped his leg and yelled “Yahoo!” Even though it had been a near tragedy, everyone now was in a festive mood.
Mrs. Miller called for more hot cider and cookies for everyone. She had totally lost track of time. It might be close to meal time, but she did not care if the children just ate cookies. This was a day for rules to be broken. All of her children were safe, and she was so very thankful.
It took several minutes for the laughter and the chatter to subside. When Mrs. Miller finally got everyone’s attention, she told them that due to all that had happened, the next meal would be a little late. Everyone was to gather in the dining room in an hour if they were hungry. Slowly the staff went back to their jobs, and the children scattered throughout playing games or reading, but Jake hovered over Jenny. He was not going to leave Jenny’s side! Mrs. Miller walked over to the couch and told Jake that he could sit with Jenny until she came back. She needed to have a conversation with Miss Cartwright.
Mrs. Miller found Miss Cartwright in the playroom with some of the children. Miss Cartwright looked up as Mrs. Miller walked in and immediately began apologizing for what had taken place on the footbridge. She was afraid that Mrs. Miller was going to be furious with her for endangering the children. Mrs. Miller took her into her office away from the children and told her to calm down. She was not blaming her for what happened. She knew Miss Cartwright was a competent teacher and looked after the children as if she was their mother. She just wanted to find out what really did happen and how Jenny had gotten out of the river.
Miss Cartwright explained how she tried to get the children started across the footbridge when the storm came up so quickly. She had looked back just as Jenny’s crutch flew up in the air and she fell through the slats. Jenny had been on the swings and by the time she got off, she was the last one in line. Miss Cartwright said she did not know what to do – go back to where Jenny had been or get the children across the footbridge. Once she thought the children would be OK, she then ran back across and down the footbridge to the edge of the river trying to see what happened to Jenny. She saw Jenny’s head bobbing up and down in the water. Miss Cartwright said she knew that she was not a strong swimmer so she did not know whether she should jump in the river or not. Just as she was struggling with what action to take, she saw the old man running down the river bank as he was jerking off his raggedy coat. He threw it down and waded into the river until the water was over his head. She could see both the old man and Jenny bobbing up and down among the debris and rocks. She then ran back across the footbridge. By that time, several of the staff had gathered in the yard. The next thing she knew was she was laying on the ground. When she learned that Jake had found Jenny, she was completely baffled at the whole sequence of events. She could not answer Mrs. Miller’s questions about how Jenny got out of the river or how she came to be laying on the bench. She was as puzzled as everyone else. It was just a miracle that Jenny survived.
Mrs. Miller was hoping that Miss Cartwright would have some answers, but she did not know any more than the rest of them. After speaking to her, Mrs. Miller was even more befuddled. Jenny could not have gotten out of that raging river by herself. Jenny had mumbled the old man’s name over and over, but there is no way that an old man could have pulled Jenny out of that river. Could he? No, that did not make sense. And even if he did, why would he lay her on the bench and not stay with her. Mrs. Miller believed in miracles, but she was skeptical of one of this magnitude.
Mrs. Miller knew that someone had sent the fire truck back to town, but she had seen the fire chief ambling around talking to different members of the staff when everyone was in the great room. She wanted to talk to him and hoped that he had not left. It did not take long to find him. There he sat, in the kitchen at the wooden table by the window, with a plate piled high with food. The cooks at the orphanage had quite a reputation for being able to put out a delicious meal, so he was taking the opportunity to avail himself of some of that good cooking.
Mrs. Miller sat down at the table and asked him if he would do a favor for her.
“Of course, I will. What would you like for me to do?”
Mrs. Miller explained that she would like for him to cross the footbridge and look around. Nothing that happened was making any sense to her. She briefly told the fire chief the story that Miss Cartwritght had told her. She expressed that Jenny could not have gotten out of that river by herself, and there was no one around other than the old man that sat on the bench when the children were playing on the playground. She just could not figure any of this out. She did not want to ask any of the staff members to go over today. They had all experienced enough stress for one day, and she did not want to put them through anymore. She was going to try to keep everyone in the house for the rest of the day. The fire chief told Mrs. Miller that as soon as he finished his plate of food, he would be more than happy to go look around.
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nbsp; Mrs. Miller went back to the great room and found Jake still sitting by Jenny’s side. She was going to have a hard time getting Jake to leave. Jake told her that Jenny had dozed off a few minutes, but she had been chatting and seemed to feel OK. Mrs. Miller told Jake that he could make a tray for he and Jenny, and they could eat in the kitchen when Jenny woke up. With a twinkle in his eyes and a big grin, Jake said that he would be delighted to do just that.
Mrs. Miller rang the bell for everyone to gather in the dining room for a late meal. She noticed that the children, and even the staff members, now seemed rather subdued, but she was not surprised. It had been a very nerve-wracking day so she was grateful for the quiet. After making sure that everyone was settled down, she went to the kitchen to make a tray for herself to take to her office. Her stomach was in such an uproar that she was not sure she could eat, but knew that she needed a little something. She also needed some quiet time to mull over all the events of the morning.
Just as Mrs. Miller was finishing her lunch, she looked up to find the fire chief standing in her office doorway. As he walked in, she motioned for him to have a seat. What had he found? She was anxious to hear his report. Maybe he would have some answers for her. She did not know what she expected him to find, but there had to be an answer to what had happened to Jenny.
Chapter 27
THE COAT
Mrs. Miller did not have to ask the fire chief anything. He sat down, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t have any answers for you. I looked around the beach and the playground area. I walked down the river bank for several hundred yards. As you know, the river is quite high and flowing rapidly. The only thing I found was an old, raggedy coat that looks like it would fit a rather large man and a long wooden staff. They were laying on the bench, and the coat was soggy. I brought them back and put them on the front porch. The coat looks like it needs to be thrown away, and I don’t know why anyone would want the wooden staff. It has some markings on it, but I don’t know if they mean anything. Maybe it is a foreign language. I did see a couple of broken slats on the bridge so that must be where Jenny fell through.” With a frown on his face, he said, “I did see some very large footprints in the sand and at the edge of the river bank. I thought maybe there were two sets of footprints, one towards the river and one back to the bench, but I could not tell for sure. They could have been there before today. That is all that I can tell you. I wish I had an answer for you.”