Orphan Train Sweetheart. Mollie Campbell

sound more pleasant, he shook his head. “It’s not that. There are always more children on the streets in New York. These trips take so long, it feels like I’m missing the chance to help someone. And I can’t stand that.”

      * * *

      Cecilia turned to see Simon’s eyes scan the prairie behind the school. Her heart beat a little faster at the view of his strong profile and she chided herself. This was about the children, not about spending time with the handsome placing agent. He had just stated that he would return to New York as soon as he could. Was she going to be so silly as to put her heart in a position that would only lead to being hurt again? No, she couldn’t let that happen.

      Squaring her shoulders, she followed Simon up the stairs as he held the door to the school open. Entering the familiar room, she was pleased to see that all the children were standing in one very straight line in front of the large blackboard. The only sounds were the ticking of the clock on the wall and a slight shuffling of feet now and then. It appeared the children knew what was expected of them for the event. If they continued to behave this well, they would make an excellent impression on the potential parents.

      Running her eyes down the line, Cecilia looked closer at the children, wishing she had time to get to know each one. She hoped their new families would send them to school for the fall term so she could continue to keep up with how they were doing. Grabbing paper and a pencil, she went to the end of the line, starting with the boys, who were lined up youngest to oldest.

      The first boy was darling, with round cheeks and blond hair combed back. He looked up at her with wide blue eyes.

      “What’s your name, dear?”

      “Edwin.”

      “And your last name?”

      “Matthews.”

      Cecilia wrote his name at the top of her paper. “Edwin Matthews. Very good.”

      From behind her, a throat cleared and Simon corrected the child. “That’s ‘Edwin Matthews, ma’am.’”

      The boy’s face turned crimson. “Sorry, Mr. McKay. Edwin Matthews, ma’am.”

      Glancing behind her, it was all Cecilia could do to keep from rolling her eyes. But that was the kind of thing Cat would do and Cecilia had never been as forward and blunt as her younger sister. Still, she wished she could point out that Simon’s gruff commands weren’t necessary. These children behaved much better than the ones who attended classes with her.

      Turning back to Edwin, she gave him her most encouraging smile. “And how old are you, Edwin?”

      Thin shoulders shrugged. “The people at the home thought I might be around five. Ma’am.”

      Writing the number next to his name, Cecilia rested one hand on Edwin’s head for a moment. How could he not even know how old he was? The things he must have experienced in his life on the streets were unimaginable to her. With effort, she resisted wrapping the child in a hug and moved on to the next boy. He was James Watson, age eight. As she went down the line, Cecilia also met Charles Wilkinson and Patrick Dalton, both age nine.

      As she moved on to the girls, a heavy weight settled on Cecilia’s heart. These children were so strong and brave. Each must have a story of such pain and loss. She had lost her father several years ago, as an adult, and that had been terribly painful. She couldn’t imagine these little ones bearing such tragedy at their young ages.

      She set her focus on filling out the paperwork as she met Helen Watson, age four and sister to James and Gertie, a lovely ten-year-old down the line. Then there was Sophia Butler, seven, and Jane Dalton, eight. Jane was very clearly Patrick’s sister. They looked almost like twins, with matching dark hair and stormy gray eyes.

      Finally she stood in front of the oldest girl, fifteen-year-old Ada Baker, who held six-month-old Clara Brown. Ada was a beautiful young woman, with a slim figure and wavy blond hair. Watching her bounce the baby with practiced ease, Cecilia fervently hoped the girl would find a wonderful home where she could experience a few years of childhood before marrying and having children of her own.

      Standing back with the list still in her hand, Cecilia addressed the children, who stood at full attention thanks to Simon’s prodding. “Thank you all for answering my questions so well. The people of Spring Hill are so pleased to welcome each of you. I know you’ll all find parents who will love and care for you. And I hope each of you will attend school when the fall term begins since I’m the teacher and I would love to see you again.”

      She tried to meet as many of their eyes as possible with a broad smile as Simon took over from her, reminding the children of the process that would soon begin.

      The weight of worry that had settled on her became a heavy knot in the pit of her stomach as Cecilia slipped outside to see people already gathering to look the children over. She prayed that they would be gentle and kind as they examined the orphans. She had heard stories of little ones being treated like livestock at auction at these events. She would hate to see any of those darlings handled that way.

      The three men who formed the approval committee stepped forward to speak with her. Mr. Collins, the head of the school board and owner of Spring Hill’s largest mercantile, greeted her first with a tip of his hat. “Miss Holbrook. A fine day for placing out some orphans and doing our Christian duty, eh?”

      She nodded, trying to keep her irritation with the man at bay, as always. He had made it his mission for months to make sure she knew he didn’t care for a woman teaching their school. Fortunately, the rest of the board hadn’t voiced any disapproval with having a female teacher. Even if she didn’t love teaching the school as much as she had expected to, Cecilia needed the job. It was vital to keeping her independence, and thus, worth the frustrations that came along with it.

      The other two committee members greeted her with more sincerity than Mr. Collins. Then all three men filed into the school to meet Simon and the children.

      Cecilia stood in the shadow of the building and watched the gathering crowd. She knew many of the faces, but Spring Hill was growing quickly and there were always new people settling in. She offered up another prayer on the children’s behalf. There were so many unknowns about how this day would turn out. How could Simon stand the strain of doing this so often with so many children?

      Finally, Simon stepped out of the school and came to stand at the base of the steps. “Hello, everyone. If I could get your attention for a moment, I’ll give you the details of today’s proceedings and then you can go in and meet the children.”

      He paused, looking around until the crowd had quieted and stood watching him. “Thank you all for coming today. We have brought ten children, four boys and six girls, ranging in age from six months to fifteen years. They are all healthy and strong. We have worked with them the entire trip, so they will be well-behaved. Feel free to talk to the children and look them over, but please, be kind.”

      Turning back up the steps, Simon opened the door and held it open as the crowd streamed into the school.

      Cecilia watched from her position in the shadows, examining each face that passed her, wondering if they were as nice as they looked. She tried to determine if that woman would be a gentle mother or if that man would take good care of a child not his own.

      Shaking her head, she reminded herself that it didn’t matter what she thought. Simon and the approval committee were the only ones who could deny a placement. After the last person walked through the door, she started up the steps. She tried to guess Simon’s emotions as she approached him where he waited inside the door. His jaw was tight, arms crossed over his chest as he shifted on restless feet. Those intense eyes locked on hers as he spoke in a low voice. “Well, I guess it’s time.”

      Pressing one hand against her stomach in an effort to calm the fluttering inside, Cecilia fixed a smile on her face. “It is. Let’s go find good homes for your orphans.”

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