by Al Lacy
Jimmy shook his head again.
“Girls too?”
The boy nodded.
Deborah hugged Jimmy close to her. “Mr. Myers, something has to be done about this.”
“I agree, but unless I know who to deal with, it’s pretty difficult to stop it.”
“How long has Jimmy been here at the orphanage?”
“Since he was no more than two or three days old. We found him on the orphanage doorstep one morning, wrapped in a blanket. A note was pinned to the blanket, saying the baby’s name was James Kirkland and that the parents were too poor to keep him.”
Deborah bit her lips and laid her cheek in a loving manner against Jimmy’s head.
Myers went on. “We contacted the police. They did a search among the city’s Kirklands, but no Kirklands were found who could have been the baby’s parents. The police concluded that the name was false. But since we needed a name for the little guy, we registered him as James Kirkland, and of course, called him Jimmy.”
Deborah kissed the top of Jimmy’s blond head. “Well, honey, I’m glad at least that your parents left you on the doorstep of the orphanage, rather than in a trash receptacle in some alley downtown.”
Myers leaned toward the boy again. “Jimmy, I want you to know that I understand why you’re afraid to name those boys and girls who tease you. They said they would hurt you if you told on them, didn’t they?”
Jimmy nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Myers sighed, eased back in the chair, and looked at Deborah. “Well, I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to have a meeting and do something about it.”
After supper that evening, the staff of fourteen men and women and the three hundred and seven orphans met in the orphanage’s small auditorium. Walter Myers stood before them on the platform and told them of the incident that day when Miss Williams found Jimmy Kirkland crying on the playground because some of the boys and girls had been teasing him about his speech impediment.
The superintendent had the undivided attention of the crowd as he frowned deeply. “I am thoroughly ashamed of you boys and girls who have made fun of Jimmy’s speech problem. He can’t help it that he talks the way he does. He was born with the problem, and it is cruel for you guilty ones to tease him about it. Any one of you could have been born with the same impediment. You ought to thank God that you weren’t and show kindness and sympathy to Jimmy.”
Among the orphans, many were exchanging glances.
Myers went on. “I know that some of you boys who have picked on Jimmy have told him you would hurt him if he told anyone who you are. He has not told anyone. Believe me, if he had, you would be in real trouble. Do you understand that? Every one of you who has teased him should apologize to him.”
Staff members were nodding their agreement.
Myers ran his gaze over the young faces. “Listen close, now. Even though Jimmy refuses to tell me who the guilty parties are, sooner or later, I am going to find out. And I assure you, the punishment is going to be severe. Whoever you are, you are mean little cowards and you deserve to be punished. So if you want to face the consequences, just go on being cowards. You will be found out. On the other hand, if you will go to Jimmy and tell him you are sorry for what you have done to him and ask his forgiveness, you will spare yourself the punishment I’ve got planned for you. You see, when I find out who you are, but Jimmy tells me you came to him for forgiveness, there will be no punishment.”
Myers dismissed the meeting and conversed on the platform with some of the staff members.
Jimmy Kirkland was sitting beside Deborah Williams on the front row of seats while the children were milling about the auditorium, talking.
Deborah leaned over and said, “Jimmy, I’m going to leave you now, so if there are any of those who want to ask your forgiveness, they can do so without me listening.”
Jimmy nodded. “All r-right.”
Deborah mounted the platform steps and joined in the group conversation with the superintendent.
Less than a minute had passed when Jimmy saw two of the girls coming toward him who had teased him that very morning about his speech problem. Leah Penrose was eleven years old and Nadine Sellers was ten.
Jimmy stayed seated as they drew up and looked down at him.
Leah said, “Jimmy, Nadine and I are sorry for teasing you this morning. Will you please forgive us?”
“Please, Jimmy,” added Nadine. “We were wrong to do that. We really are sorry, and we want to be forgiven.”
Unknown to the girls, the conversation on the platform had been stopped abruptly, and the adults were looking on. The majority of the orphans were also observing the scene.
Jimmy nodded. “Yeth, I f-forgive you, b-both.”
Walter Myers stepped to the edge of the platform and spoke so all could hear. “I heard every word you said, Leah and Nadine. I want you to know that I am proud of you for asking Jimmy’s forgiveness.” He raised his eyes to the rest of the orphans in the auditorium. “Did you all hear that? Leah and Nadine just came to Jimmy and asked him to forgive them for teasing him this morning about his speech impediment. Because they have done this, they will not be punished. Who else wants to come down here and ask Jimmy to forgive them?”
There was dead silence and no movement.
Myers looked down at the boy. “Jimmy, come up here on the platform with me.”
Jimmy left his seat, mounted the steps, and halted in front of the superintendent. He looked up at him questioningly.
Myers laid a hand on his shoulder. “Would you like to tell me right now who the others were that teased you?”
Jimmy shook his head. “N-no, thir.”
The superintendent ran his gaze over the faces of the orphans. “You all heard that. He still won’t tell me who the cowards are. Leah and Nadine did the right thing. Jimmy has forgiven them, and so have I. The other guilty parties have one more chance to make it right. Come on.”
Still there was dead silence and nobody moved.
Myers set his jaw. “All right. You can all go to your rooms.”
Moments later, when the children were in the halls heading for their rooms, four boys, ranging from ten to twelve years of age made a circle around Jimmy, making sure there were no adults around. A twelve-year-old named Butch Hankins was their leader. Butch stood in front of Jimmy with a hard look in his eyes. “It’s a good thing you didn’t name us, you stutterin’ little weasel. If you had, we’d have beat you to a bloody pulp and told Myers you fell down the stairs. You ain’t gonna tell him, are you?”
Jimmy shook his head. “I w-won’t.”
The bullies mocked his speech, then one of them punched Jimmy’s shoulder hard enough to inflict some pain, and they walked away laughing, looking back at him.
Jimmy fought the tears that were threatening to spill, not wanting them to see him crying.
On that same Monday, Jody Claiborne was riding Queenie at a gallop across the Wyoming plains. Since there would be no school that week due to a teachers’ convention in Cheyenne, Jody had plans to visit some of the neighboring ranchers. Wednesday would be a special day. She and Betty Houston had another race planned.
Jody loved to ride. To her, it seemed she had been born on a horse. Her father had often said she could ride like a burr sticking in a horse’s mane. While Queenie carried her across the plains along the south bank of the Lodgepole River, Jody let the wind caress her face and breathed the pleasant aroma of the sage.
The scene around her awoke a sweet gratitude to the Lord for the fullness of her life in this vast country. She was rapt with love for all she beheld from her lofty perch: the swift Lodgepole River flowing toward the lower country like a golden ribbon in the Wyoming sun; a bald eagle poised like a feather on the air, silhouetted against the deep velvet azure of the sky; the grazing cattle on the surrounding ranches, making black dots on the sage; and the beckoning range before her that swept into the distance where the majestic Rocky Mountains lifted their proud peaks toward heave
n.
Soon the front gate of the Diamond L ranch came into view. Moments later, Jody slowed Queenie to a trot, then a walk. She smiled to herself as she turned onto Lakin property. She was eager to see how Lorraine and Maisie were doing since they had come to the Lakin home.
As Jody trotted Queenie down the winding lane that led to the small ranch house, she saw the two girls on the front porch. Suddenly Lorraine dashed to the door, opened it, and shouted something. Seconds later, Hap and Margie appeared. All of them waved to Jody, and Jody waved back. Seconds later, she drew up and slid from the saddle. Both girls bounded off the porch and opened their arms as they ran toward her.
While Lorraine and Maisie hugged Jody, Hap and Margie looked on, smiling. Jody was then invited to sit with them on the porch. Margie and Lorraine went inside while Jody sat down with Hap and Maisie climbed up on her lap.
Moments later, Margie and Lorraine appeared with tea and cookies. When everyone was seated, Jody said, “I wanted to come by and see how these girls are doing.”
“We’re doing fine, Jody,” said Lorraine. “We just love it here with Mama and Papa.”
“Yeah!” said Maisie, turning on Jody’s lap to look up into her eyes. “And guess what!”
“What?”
“Mama and Papa are gonna ’dopt us!”
Jody looked at Hap and Margie. “Really?”
“Really,” said Hap. “We have an appointment with Judge Morton in Cheyenne in just about an hour and a half.”
“Oh! Well, you’ll have to be leaving pretty soon.”
“You finish your tea, honey,” said Margie. “We have a few minutes before we have to leave. We’re just so glad you came to see us.”
Maisie looked up at Jody again. “Yeah! We sure are!”
Hap grinned. “I think you’ve made a friend for life, Jody. Maisie talks about you every day. The love you showed her that day at the railroad station has made a deep impression on her.”
Maisie twisted around on Jody’s lap, raised up on her knees, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Jody.”
Jody returned the kiss. “I love you too, sweetie.”
“Will you come back and see us some more?”
“I sure will, Maisie. I sure will.”
Soon the Lakins were in the family wagon, headed toward Cheyenne. Jody rode alongside them until she came to a fork in the road that would lead her home.
Hap and Margie thanked her for the visit, and as she put Queenie to a gallop, Lorraine and Maisie called to her and waved. With her long, dark hair flying in the wind, Jody waved back.
The next evening, Emma Claiborne was busy preparing supper in the kitchen when she happened to glance out the back window while slicing hot bread. She smiled to herself when her eyes focused on Sam and Jody, who were coming toward the house from the barn.
Jody had been helping her father with the evening chores, and Jody was carrying the milk pail. It pleased Emma that Jody was such a tomboy and loved to help her father with the chores. It was their special time together. They were chatting and laughing as they approached the back porch.
Emma carried the plate of fresh bread to the table and smiled as they climbed the porch steps and she heard Jody sniff. “Daddy, do you smell that? I hope it’s what I think it is.”
Sam chuckled. “Smells like fried chicken and all the trimmings to me. Let’s hurry!”
Emma heard Jody pour the milk into the strainer and set the pail down. They made short work of washing their hands at the galvanized tub on the back porch, then entered the kitchen.
Emma turned from the stove with the plate of crispy fried chicken in her hands, her cheeks rosy from the heat and her eyes sparkling. “Yes, you two, it’s your favorite meal. And I sure hope it tastes as good as it smells.”
Jody followed her mother, watched her set the plate of chicken on the table, then hugged her. “Mommy, you’ve never failed yet with your fried chicken dinner! Let’s eat!”
The Claiborne family sat down to supper. After thanking the Lord for the food, they began eating. The conversation went to Pastor Dan Forbes and his wife, Clara, who had been talking about the orphan train that was arriving in Cheyenne the next morning. The Forbeses had shared with the Claibornes recently that since Clara could not have any more children, they were praying about taking one of the orphans from the train.
Since they had Peter and Paul, who were twelve and ten, they would like to take in a girl, and they thought they would like to get one who was seven or eight years old. Pastor and Clara had told the Claibornes they felt peace about their decision and knew the Lord was leading them in this matter. Peter and Paul were in full agreement.
The Forbeses said they had spent many hours discussing their desire to take in a girl from the orphan train with their sons. At first, Peter and Paul were reluctant and said they thought their family was fine just the way it was. But as the days passed and prayers of the parents went heavenward, the boys began to see what a blessing a girl would be to their mother. They decided that having a girl in the family wouldn’t be so bad after all. This change in the boys’ attitude made their parents happy, and now, all four of them were looking forward to finding the little girl God had chosen for them. The boys were glad there was no school tomorrow because of the teachers’ convention, so they could go to the depot with their parents.
Later that evening, the Claibornes were sitting in the parlor together, talking about how excited the pastor and his family must be at that moment, knowing they were going to take a daughter into their home tomorrow.
“Just think,” said Jody, “right now that train is rolling westward, and that little girl the Lord has picked out for the Forbes family is hoping someone in Cheyenne will choose her and give her a home.”
Emma nodded. “That’s right, honey.”
“And she is a very fortunate little girl,” said Jody. “She will be taken into a wonderful Christian home where she will be loved, adored, and given all the care possible. If she isn’t a Christian, it won’t be long until she becomes one.”
Sam smiled. “That’s right, sweetheart. In the atmosphere of that home, the little girl will be lovingly given the gospel, and at that young age, will soon open her heart to Jesus.”
Emma sighed. “Just think of all those orphans Charles Loring Brace and his Children’s Aid Society are placing in homes from Missouri to California. What a marvelous thing it is. I’m sure glad the Lord put it on his heart to do this great work.”
“Amen,” said Sam.
“And amen,” echoed Jody.
At breakfast on Wednesday morning, Sam said, “I’d like to be a fly on the wall in the Forbes house right now. Can you imagine the excitement? I wonder if any of them got any sleep last night.”
“Probably not much,” said Emma. “This will be a banner day in their lives.”
There was a knock at the front door.
Jody shoved her chair back and jumped up. “That’ll be Betty. We’ve got a big race planned.”
When Jody opened the door, she found a smiling Betty Houston. “Good morning, Jody! Ready for the race?”
“Of course I am. Queenie and I are going to make you and Millie eat dust today! But my parents and I are not quite finished with breakfast. Come on back.”
Betty laughed. “We’ll see who eats dust today!”
While they kidded each other about who was going to win today’s race, Jody led her best friend to the kitchen. Sam and Emma welcomed Betty, and Emma poured her a cup of hot chocolate.
As the Claibornes were finishing their breakfast and Betty sipped her hot chocolate, Sam said, “So where are you girls going to do your racing today?”
“We’ve agreed to race each other for that five-mile stretch due east of the Circle C to the old Cheyenne Indian burial ground, Daddy,” said Jody.
Emma’s concern over the girls riding their horses at top speed rose in her heart. Keeping her voice steady, she said, “Please be careful, won’t you?”
“O
f course, Mommy,” Jody said, reaching across the corner of the table to pat her hand. “We’re always careful.” She giggled. “Queenie and I are going to leave Betty and Millie in the dust.”
Betty laughed. “Oh yeah? Well, we’ll see about that!”
At ten o’clock that morning, the Forbes family was on the platform in the Cheyenne depot as the train chugged to a halt. The two coaches that were designated for the orphans were at the rear of the train, just ahead of the caboose. They watched as the boys filed out of their coach, which was the one connected to the caboose, and the girls filed out of theirs.
The Children’s Aid Society adult escorts lined the children up on the depot platform as the crowd looked on. Many people had gathered to observe as the orphans were put on display—some as prospective foster parents and others who were simply curious.
When the forty-eight children were positioned properly, one of the men in charge explained the procedure to the prospective foster parents, and soon they were filing by to talk to the orphans and look them over.
The Forbes family was in the line, and while they were looking for a girl who was seven or eight years of age, Clara spotted one further down the line. To Clara, the child stood out from the rest of the children. She nudged her husband and drew his attention to the girl.
Her hair was dark and hung down her back in twin braids. Her brown eyes had a definite twinkle as she answered questions of the couple who had stopped to talk to her, and her little jaw was set at an angle that depicted determination. Unlike most of the others, there was not a sad expression on her face, but rather, one of excitement and curiosity at what was happening around her. She was even joking with the prospective foster parents.
Peter whispered, “I like her, Mama.”
“Me too,” said Paul.
“She’s loaded with personality,” said the pastor. “I really like her.”
There were still three more couples who would reach the little girl before the Forbes family could get to her. Clara prayed in her heart, Dear Lord, she seems to be just what we’re looking for. If she’s the one You have chosen for us, please don’t let any of these people ahead of us want her.