Western Challenge Part 1

Chapter 1

         A stiff wind was blowing across the deck of the ship that would take them to the New World.  Megan felt it as she climbed onto the deck along with her little sister Heather, who gripped strongly to her sister's hand despite being young.  Megan led them across the deck and down into the lower level where passengers in steerage would travel for this journey, although she could see the other passengers who would be traveling in the proper cabins on the upper levels.  Megan wished they could travel in the upper levels, but she knew that it was all her brother could do to afford the steerage tickets to send her sister and herself to the United States from their homeland of Ireland after the death of their parents so recently. 

         Their brother was older than them, by less than a decade, but he already had a wife and three bairnes to care for and could little afford to house his younger sisters.  Although nearly fifteen, Megan still looked several years younger and with the care needed for her seven year old sister, Heather, who was blind and partially deaf, she thought she couldn't consider working outside the home or to marry, although her sister-in-law Katie tried to push her burly and course older brother on her.  Megan didn't care for Katie's brother and thought that he was too much of a bawdy slob, so she was pleased when her own brother Aiden had been able to purchase the tickets for the journey.

         The girls walked down the stairs and were able to find an area in steerage where they would be able to hopefully ride out the journey in relative peace.  Megan motioned for Heather to lay on one of the few available bunks to sleep, while she went around to investigate the rest of the travelers.  There were men, women, and children of all ages gathered in groups doing various tasks about the ship. 

         Megan watched as one woman did her mending and rocked her baby in a sling.  She walked up to the woman and asked her her name, to which the woman replied that she was named Peg and that her children were Myra and Liam.  Meg thought that the children were little dears, although a bit noisy, although when Peg learned that Megan had a little sister she suggested that she take the children over to meet her.  Megan did that, but unfortunately the other children didn't know what to think when they learned that Heather was blind and deaf.

         For the rest of the trip Megan and Heather stayed together for the most part, enduring the ships food on the bad days and enjoying it somewhat on the good days.  Every morning they walked around the top deck so that they could experience the ocean the best ways possible.  Even if Heather was blind and deaf, Megan felt that her sister's mind was still constantly busy and needed to be occupied, so she felt that the daily trips around the deck were a necessary therapy.  Megan would often notice the curious stares of the other passengers, as well as the crew, but she tried to ignore them as much as possible for her sister's sake.

         One day, while walking the deck, Megan noticed a young sailor standing off to the side, just staring out into the ocean.  She would've ignored him, except that when they walked by him, Heather bumped his cap off.  “Oops sorry...” Megan whispered under her breath as they walked by.  She stooped down to pick up the young sailor's cap, but he bent down at the same time.  “Oh it tis fine lass, no problem...How'dya do ma'am my name's Gaz, what's yours then?” the lad asked, his eyes sparkling a brilliant blue, while his dark hair caught ever so slightly in the wind.

         “Oh sorry sir, my name's Megan and this here's my sister Heather.”  “We're sorry we disturbed you right then.”  Megan said trembling slightly.  Gaz gave her a cheeky smile then and said “Oh it weren't no bother to me.  Still though what's up with your sister? Cat got her tongue?”    Megan stared back at the boy and shook her head, replying “No the child is just blind and deaf, tis all.  Nothing to worry about.”  “Oh okay whatever you say, just be careful taking the child around the ship, or else    she'll fall in and will be swimming with the mermaids!” Gaz said with a twinkle in his eye.  “Oh you've got to be kidding now aren't you?”  Megan said exasperatedly.  “Oh I might be or I might not be...Alright yes of course I am kidding..., but I did get you there for a few minutes now didn’t!?”  Gaz joked.

         Megan didn't think he was that funny, but she enjoyed his company,  so she stuck around him while she showed her different aspects of the ship and his job on it.  He also treated her well, more like a brother closer to her own age, which was something she'd missed as of late in her dealings with Heather.  So then every day for over a week Megan sought out Gaz from the other sailors to visit with for a while  and in the end their developing friendship was one of the aspects to daily life on the ship that she looked forward to every day.

         One night though there was a fierce storm on the ocean which rocked the ship to and fro on large waves.  The storm woke many of the passengers up, including Megan and Heather, but in the end the ship and most of the travelers faired quite well.  Megan went up to the main deck the next day to look for Gaz, the ship's crew approached her and told her that most likely during the storm her friend and their fellow crew member Gaz had been lost at sea.  This news broke Megan's heart, but she didn't want to appear with anything less that a stiff upper lip, especially since she still had her sister to take of. 

         When she got back to her bunk, she cried to herself, until she remembered what Gaz had told her once told her, how she had to see the beauty in life, although she wondered why he didn't tie himself to the mast before the storm could end.  Sometimes there just weren’t things you could explain, so perhaps this was one of them.  When Peg found her, she also attempted to reassure her that the good Lord has his time and place for the events that happen in one's life. 

         The rest of the trip went by fairly quickly after that, with some people talking to her, while others ignored Megan and Heather as they continued to make their daily trips around the ship to breathe in the sea air and experience the vast horizon that could be seen as they continued to sail all the further westward. 


Chapter 2

                 After a few delays, set by storms, illness by some of the passengers, and a variety of other reasons, the ship finally docked in the New York Harbor.  The sun glinting off the sea cast a welcome glow; however, the rest of the harbor looked more than a bit impressive to most of the passengers.    Megan found her sister and gathered all of their belongings together in several tidy bundles, which she tied to herself and her sister as they made their way through the crowds disembarking from the ships.

         There was an immigration station that they had to check with first, so they waited in the buildings there while the doctors asked them questions about where they were from, why they'd, what diseases they'd had, and so forth.  The officials almost didn't want to allow Heather entry; however by the grace of God, she was permitted entry at the last instance. 

         Megan breathed a sigh of relief when her sister was allowed entry.  She didn't even want to fathom what it would've meant to travel the entire journey and then not be permitted entrance into the States.  After her sister has affirmed by the officials, Megan collected all of their belongings and carried her sister as best she could from the immigration office, out into the cold.  The two girls walked for quite awhile until they found the building their great aunt lived in. 

         The building was an older brick structure which needed repair and slightly better maintained, but was otherwise solid.  The two girls crept up the stairs until they found their aunts apartment.  Their aunt was a rather elderly woman who had to use a cane, but she joyfully admitted the girls could join her for a cup of tea and stay as long as they like.   

         The ability to stay cleared away any doubts that the girls had about a place to stay.  It was good to be able to put down roots again, even if it was in a tiny city apartment.  In fact, the girls soon discovered that their aunt's apartment was so small it had only one bed in one bedroom.  Their aunt at first offered the bed to the two sisters, but then Meghan decided that their aunt needn't give up her own bed for them, that instead the better idea was to have Heather and their aunt share the bed, while Megan slept on the divan in the front room.  She decided this because Megan knew that she needed a job to help with their aunt’s added living expenses now that she and her sister would be living with her.

         It was for this reason that Megan was able to acquire her job at the textile mill.  She really didn't like having to deal with all of the bobbins and pins spinning so severely to produce the threads needed for the cloth woven by the mill.  The noise was also an annoyance, but Megan dealt with it as best as she could, thinking again how she was helping her aunt stay solvent and keep her apartment. 

         Sometimes while working, Megan heard other girls talk about how the west was expanding most readily and that many wanted to be able to get out of the mills, marry up, and raise a family out west.  A few of them even joked about answering one of the mail-order-bride ads placed in the papers by lonely cowboys.  Megan thought that was an interesting idea, but she still felt too young to attempt anything such as that, let alone she had Heather to worry about, which was an addition she was certain no lonely westerner would agree to take on as well.

         Megan, Heather, and their elderly aunt lived peacefully and in the same routine for nearly a year, until their aunt's health began to decline.    Megan realized that the added stress of seeing to Heather's needs was probably something their aunt couldn't take much longer, but there was little Megan could do, especially with her shifts at the factory. 

         Then one day soon afterward, Megan came home to the apartment to discover Heather had made a mess of the place and was sleeping peacefully under the table.  She quietly tidied up the kitchen area and picked up the living room area as well as she could, then she walked into her aunt's bedroom only to discover that her aunt had apparently passed away earlier in the day, and had fallen to the floor, where her body still laid.

         Megan was shocked and saddened by the discovery, so much that a neighbor lady came around and saw the situation, then contacted the authorities.    The police came around and accessed the situation themselves, and had the coroner take the body away to the morgue to be later buried in a pauper's grave.  Then the authorities realized that the girls were more or less orphaned and should be taken to an orphanage, but Megan assured them that she had a job at the mill and that she should be able to provide for their needs with her wage.  The police let it rest there, and then went on their way since there seemed to be more pressing criminal issues to deal with right then.

         Despite what she told the police, Megan didn't know how they would manage, other than by taking a second shift at the mill and having the neighbor watch her sister during the day.    And so that was what Megan and Heather did then for two months after their aunt's death.  Megan worked as much as she could at the textile mill, while Heather stayed with Mrs. O'Toole and her children.

         Two months to the day, nearly, of their aunt's sudden death, Megan was working on her shift at the mill, when suddenly several of the bobbins came loose.  The threads snapped out like whips, and before she could do anything about it, they cut off parts of several of her fingers.  This accident not only severed parts to several of Megan's fingers, but also severed her career at the textile mill.  Although the mill paid her initial medical expenses, they felt that she had not been paying attention, so she was at fault.  This they used as their excuse why they would not repay her renumeration for the accident and thus let her go because she was physically unable to perform the work.

         In the meantime, Megan learned during her convalescence that Mrs. O’Toole, who was supposed to be caring for her sister, had actually been looking into institutions to admit Heather into mainly because the young girl's disabilities were too much for her to handle.  Megan then spent the next several weeks resting and trying to heal her hands and mutilated fingers, all the time knowing that the rent was due soon and there was hardily anything to pay it with.  She tried to sell some of her aunt's things, but they proved to be either of little value, or the creditors took what they could to pay off their aunt’s debts.  When Megan realized they would soon be homeless, she didn't know from where help would come next.


Chapter 3

         It was with heavy hearts the next week that Megan helped Heather pack all of their belongings into several pieces of cloth that they tied around themselves, and then stole out into the streets before the people from the state institution could arrive to get Heather, or the people from the county orphanage or worse could get herself.

         Megan had met up with a few street children who lived a hard scrabble existence on the streets either out of necessity or opportunity.  Despite the hard luck stories, Megan felt like these children led a noble life representing their personal needs. 

         Noble or not, Megan soon realized that life on the streets truly was a hardscrabble existence where dog eat dog.  Megan did her best to shelter her sister from much of it as she could, while Megan's new friends sheltered her from the cruelest elements.  The friends didn't want what innocence the girls still possessed to be robbed from them, so they found little “jobs” for them to do that didn't lead them to the risk of the worst crimes.

         One day, Megan was out selling matches on the street corner, when suddenly a lady in along blue dress came by and Megan thought that she might make a sale, when suddenly her sister Heather came up her and began to pull at her.  Megan began chastising her sister and that her potential customer had surely left, when suddenly the woman came up to her.

         “Hello girls, I see you have a bit of an argument going on here, may I help?”

         “No ma'am, we're fine.  My sister just doesn't know her place anymore, so I just have to take care of her. You don't need to bother us.”  Megan said nervously trying to calm Heather.

         “Oh but I insist,  my name is Mrs. Charles Loring Brace, Letitia Brace, and I was wondering where you girls might live, if anywhere?”  Mrs. Brace said as she approached the girls even further.

         “Well ma'am if it's all the same, we'd rather not say.  You're a stranger and some of our friends told us not to talk to stylish women, in case she might be a Madame...if you know what I mean...oops I think I admitted too much.”  Megan babbled nervously.

         “Well young lady you have nothing of the sort to worry about in that manner with me.  As I said before, I am Mrs. Letitia Brace, and my husband and I run a Christian Children's Aid Society.    I think we might be able to help your sister too.”  Mrs. Brace said with a pleasant smile.

         “Well I hope it’s not like those institutions like what our neighbor wanted to send my sister to!  Dreadful places, with little personal care!”  Megan countered inquisitively.

         “We do have a large house where some of the children live for a time, however my husband and I have began a program where we place orphans from the cities into loving homes in the West where extra hearts and extra hands are always needed.”  Mrs. Brace explained.

         “How do you get the children to their new families?  Is it like a mail-order-catalog?”  Megan asked.

         “Oh not quite, but good question.  We go in groups of about eighty children and travel by train from the East all of the way to the West, until we reach the West Coast in California.  Once we travel past the border between Missouri and Kansas the opportunities become available for most of our adoptions, and we've been able to place most of our children by the time we reach California.” she explained.

         “That sounds good, although are there any limits or requirements or anything?” Megan asked curiously.
         
         “Well typically we want children to be able to be on their best behavior for potential adoptions, so we may have to work with your sister...although I know one family who's taken a few of our hard to place children before... and typically most of our children are up until the age of 15 or 16.  Much older than that, especially with girls, you get into a gray area...but we don't need to worry about that do we?”  she explained and inquired.

         “Oh no no...no worries there...Yeah I'm almost 15...” Megan inadvertently lied, though mainly to be able to be with her sister.  She feared that if her sister was able to ride the Orphan Train without her, that wouldn't do.  Heather needed her, and Megan was sure God could forgive the lie about her age, especially if it meant keeping the sisters together.

         And so, Megan & Heather, along with several of the other street children, were rounded up and taken to Christian Children's Aid Society of New York, to be readied for the next trip westward on the Orphan Train.

Chapter 4

         Megan and Heather spent nearly two months at the Christian Children's Aid Society house, living there, adjusting to the routines of the house, and preparing for the next trip West that the Orphan Train would be taking.  The next trip would be leaving Boston in late August, and returning in early November.  The trip previous to this one had been too soon after  Megan and Heather had first arrived, and the staff agreed that they needed to work with Heather longer before she would be ready to travel.

         Every day while at the house, Megan went downstairs to the room where Heather and another little girl named Helen were receiving their lessons and behavior modification exercises.  Some of the activities, such as learning to sit still, learning to feed, and dress oneself were things that Megan thought that a young child would usually learn, however she could see the benefit Heather was getting out of the lessons, even if her progress seemed slow.

         Megan also met two other girls closer to her 'age', although they were in reality, closer to about 12,  named Mary and Hilary.  Both of these girls shared a room with Megan on the second floor, and for the most part all of the girls got along pretty well.  Mary and Hilary were quick pals because both had attended the same church before their parents had died.

         Their stories were interesting too,  Mary had grown up with only her mother, since her father had died when she was three, and she and her mother had gotten along pretty well by themselves, her mother had worked as a maid for a large estate in Boston, until she became suddenly ill herself and passed away when Mary was only eleven.  Hilary's parents had both  been quite prominent in their church, with her father even being the pastor of a large congregation.  Hilary's parents had been killed in a freak buggy accident when they'd been out visiting some of their parishioners, and fortunately Hilary hadn't been along for the ride.  Since she had been a preacher's daughter, Hilary always tried to act like it was her mission to save the world, but her 'holier than thou' attitude was more off putting than not at times. 

         After a few weeks of rooming together, Megan realized that Mary was often the target of Hilary's jealous barbs, and this was especially true when both girls seemed to notice a young boy named Pat who they both seemed to pursue.  From what Megan could see, Pat seemed to like Mary better than Hilary, and that was where her jealous streak would come out.  Megan tried to call her out on it once, but Hilary just retorted back that she was a 'papist'  and had probably misquoted the verse on jealousy.  After that  Megan thought she'd just keep a safe distance and view the whole drama from afar, since she could still remember being twelve, but didn't want to have to really relive it again.

         After about two months of living in the house, the drama of Hilary & Mary arguing over Pat, and checking up on Heather's progress in her special intervention classes, and helping around the house in general, Megan was glad when Mrs. Brace came in to make an announcement.

         “Children, I have gathered you all here to make an announcement.  Today I have the list of  everyone who is to ride the next Orphan Train west to be placed in loving homes.  These children are expected to be on their best behavior for the length of the trip, so that they can be shining examples of what this home stands for.  The names I have are as follows; Mary Adams,  Patrick Cleburne, Hilary Faden, Megan & Heather Mellody, Chip...”

         And on she read until she had read over a dozen names of children who would be traveling on the next Orphan Train in only two weeks time.  Megan was glad that both she and her sister would be able to travel together, since traveling without Heather or mainly leaving her behind was her biggest fear.  Megan also couldn't help but chuckle when Hilary and Mary squealed a bit when they realized that Patrick would be traveling along as well.  She could only hope that the girls didn't cause trouble to each other as they traveled, and tried to attract Patrick's attention.  For all Megan knew, with those girls, and her sister, to contend with, it would be one interesting trip.

         The two weeks spend by rather quickly, and before they knew it, the children were at the train station, boarding the locomotive that would take them on to their new lives out west.  Megan had made sure to braid her hair and her sister's hair into two pigtails, as was required by the rules for travel, listed in  the Christian Children's Aid Society handbook, which all of the older children had been given a copy of.    The girls were also all given white blouses and waist less shift pinafores, stockings, and sturdy shoes, while the boys had matching shirts and trousers.  These were the uniform that the Society had created, to make the children appear more uniform, and to make them easier to pick out in a crowd. 

         Megan didn't know what to think of the pinafore dress, especially since she was finally just starting to hit puberty a bit physically, although she hope that she'd be able to go unquestioned about her real age a bit longer yet.  Girls who were “early bloomers” were not that uncommon, even as a young teen, so she would just give that as an excuse if anyone asked.

         Along with Mr. & Mrs. Brace, there were a number of other matrons designated to travel with the group.  These women, along with others who would meet them along the way, were supposed to keep track of the children while they traveled.    The children were divided into groups of two or three, mostly by age and gender.  As luck would  have it though Heather was put into a group with Helen and one other girl, while Megan was assigned to travel with Mary, Hilary, and another girl named Karen.  Megan didn't know what to think at first, but then saw that it was one of Heather's teachers who was traveling with her group, so she felt a bit better.

         The train started out then, with a loud groan, and a puff of smoke.  Megan looked out of the window as they pulled out of the station, glancing back at what would most likely be her last glimpse of Boston in a long while.  Then she looked down at her hands, now scarred from where they'd been mangled at the mill.  She shook her head and thought about all of the changes that had taken place within the past year and a half.  From leaving Ireland to come to New York, to then living with her elderly aunt who soon passed away, taking care of Heather, her injury, living in the street, living at the Children's Aid Society house, and now traveling on a train westward to more adventures and a new life.  What would the next eighteen months hold for her?  She had no idea.  She also wondered, would anyone want to take on Heather, let alone even she now that her hands were damaged some?  Somehow she knew only God knew the answer, so she said a silent prayer to herself as she flipped an auburn braid over one shoulder and rested her forehead against the glass to take a nap.

         The journey had begun, and what a journey it was.  The group stuck together up through Chicago, but then Mr. & Mrs. Brace received some news that made them cut their trip short and leave the group.  Past Chicago, and from St. Louis onward, the train made a number of stops at towns along the way.  The routine soon became that the children were herded out on the train and made to stand in two lines, with the oldest children in the back and the youngest children in front. 

         Perspective families would approach the group and inspect the children as one would cattle at a market.  Megan, as well as some of the other older children, found it a bit demeaning, but they kept quiet and behaved themselves because they knew any of the families who approached them were potential parents.    Usually during the stops at least one child was adopted by the perspective families, which pleased the Society, but in all it was a slow process.  A few times people would look over Heather and Megan, but when they saw Megan's hands or learn of Helen's disabilities, they would pass them by.

         After a few weeks, they were approaching Colorado, when suddenly Megan and Karen became ill and had to be quarantined in another car on the train.  By this time, Mary and Hilary had both been placed in new homes, so  the two ill girls were set apart to heal from their illness.  It was for this reason that they missed several of the stops, including the one at Denver where Mike & Julie Ross, the couple who had adopted several other special needs children earlier, adopted Heather and Helen.  Heather and Helen were the Ross's sixth and seventh children, although several of the oldest ones had already been able to leave home already to attend two separate universities, including Gaulladette College in the east.

         After being ill for nearly a week, Megan and Karen were able to rejoin the remaining children in the car they'd been traveling in together.  Megan spied the carriage and began counting the children, when she realized that her sister was no longer on the train.  Panicked, she approached one of the matrons, a woman she'd never seen before, and began asking questions.

         “Hello ma'am, my name is Megan Melody and I've been traveling with the group from the Orphan Train since Boston.  I was recently ill until earlier today when I rejoined the group, and now I'm wondering if you know where my sister is?”

         “Your sister you say?  Well I've only been traveling with the group for the group since Denver, but as far as I know I'm not sure if I know about your sister...Lets see, what's her name?”

         “It's Heather Mellody, ma'am.”  Megan said.

         “Well let's see...Heather...Yes, what I can say is that she was adopted by a family, but I can't give you any more information because it's confidential, I'm sorry.” the woman explained.

         “What do you mean it's confidential?  My sister was adopted and you can't even give me any more information?!  I don't believe this?” Megan  gasped.

         “I'm sorry young lady but those are the rules.  I'm sure that your sister is in a better place now.  Be glad that she found a home and pray that you will be blessed as well.”  the woman explained.

         Saddened by this news, Megan went over to her seat and began to cry.  She didn't know what to do now that her sister was gone.  She just prayed then that her sister was in a good placement, and that somehow, someway, she’d be able to see her again. 

         Karen noticed Megan's sadness, and told her that she would be her friend.  Megan appreciated that, and so they became fast friends, until at the next stop Karen was adopted out by a family who needed an extra pair of hands to help with a baby. 

         Megan looked down at her hands and became sad again that no one would want her now, especially with her mangled hands.  They only had two more stops before they reached California and would have to turn back again.  And so the next few stops proved fruitless as well, so by the time they reached California, there were still three children left who had not had homes. 

         Their stop in California lasted only two days, and the train turned around to head back to New  York again.  Megan thought it was interesting to be able to see the Pacific Ocean if only briefly, but she knew that somehow she had to find her sister.  At every stop she asked about her sister, but no one knew anything new.  What Megan didn't realize was that the train only made half as many stops on the return trip, so the stop where her sister had been adopted at wasn't even revisited.

         The next stop they were going to make was going to be in a small town, just over the line into southern Wyoming, and it would be one of the few they would be stopping at on this return trip.  Megan hoped and prayed that something good would come out of it.  It had to, she felt, it just had to.

Chapter 5

         Josh and Jack Ericsson loaded their wagon for their return trip from town as Josh's wife Alena instructed them from the side of the wagon.  It had only been three years since Josh and his wife Alena, along with Josh's younger brother Jack, had traveled all the way from Ohio to set up a homestead on land in southern Colorado, which he'd gotten from the Homestead Act.  The journey in the covered wagon wasn't easy, especially for two men and woman, and one man only not quite eighteen at the time,  but somehow they made it through to their plat. 

         At least 40 acres of prime farmland was his to do with as they desired, and they'd made good on their opportunity by at first building a soddy and tilling most of the farmland themselves.  The next year a cabin was built to replace the soddy, which was then turned into a storage shed, and a loft built into the cabin for Jack to sleep in, while Josh and Alena got the downstairs of the otherwise one room cabin.    They were able to add a barn and more animals the next year, which only improved things for them.    Now, after three years, Alena told them she was going to have a baby, a blessing for all.

         Alena's pregnancy was not without it's complications, since Alena was such a delicate woman to begin with.  It was a miracle that she had been feeling well enough today to accompany them to town to pick up the supplies they'd needed for the on-coming winter.  It was also because of Alena's delicate condition that they'd discussed getting a housekeeper of some sort to help her with the household chores around the house and their small farm.

         While the men were packing the supplies in the wagon, Alena suddenly mentioned that she'd forgotten to pick up one item from the general store, so she decided to go back for it.  Josh then decided to accompany his wife back into the store, leaving Jack outside with the wagon. Suddenly he remembered the newspaper office where he knew his brother & sister-in-law had wanted to place an advertisement for the housekeeper.  He was walking toward the newspaper office, when he heard and saw the train come in. 

         Being a bit curious about the train and its passengers, Jack decided to stop at the depot to check things out.  While he waited he saw a few children all dressed alike, walk off the train and stand in line on the station platform.  For some reason unknown, the children piqued his curiosity.

~*~*~*

         This was the next stop, and Megan knew she had to look presentable, or at least that was what the latest matron had told her.  To Megan though it was yet another unnamed town where people would probably just look her over, tell her she had a pretty face, but that her hands were no good. 

         Then there were the bristly old men who just leered at her with bloodshot eyes and scraggly yellowed teeth, who kept asking about her age or if the cat had gotten her tongue when they asked her rather rude questions.  Usually the matrons were able to keep men like that at bay, but still over the past while, Megan had began to lose herself in her own thoughts of her sister and so forth.
         
         She had just began to do that, when she suddenly looked up and saw a young man, only a few years older than herself, staring at their group from his perch on the board sidewalk.  From what she saw of him, he seemed better looking than some men she'd seen.  She kept an eye on where he walked, until she realized he was approaching their group. 

         Megan stared down at her hands and shoes, trying to take her thoughts off of the young man and began to look at her scuffed shoes and scarred hands, thinking of her sister and wondering what she was up to.  Suddenly she felt a presence and saw boot toes come right up and nearly touch the toes of her shoes.    Then she heard someone clear his throat, and she looked up to see the you man she'd seen earlier.

         “Oh oh my...” was all she could get out before he interrupted her.

         “Ah so you can speak!  That's good, because we were told to ask you your names...but before you say, let me guess...Is your name Mildred?” he playfully asked.

         “No!”  she shook her head.

         “I see, not Mildred.  How about Diana?” he asked again.

         “No...” she smiled.

         “Wrong again?  Well what is your name?” he inquired.

         “My name is Megan Mellody.” she answered.

         “Well pleased to meet you Megan Mellody, my name is John Ericsson, but you can just call me Jack.  Uh can I just call you Meg then?”  he inquired.

         “Sure if you want to.” she answered.

         “Well Meg, I've come here to ask you if you're good with housework and children at all, because I could use your help.”  he asked, his right eye squinting slightly.

         “Yes I've taken care of babies before, my sister and other relatives, yes.  By the way how can I be of help?” she inquired curiously.

         “Well my situation is this, my sister-in-law has been ill for most of her pregnancy and she needs someone to help her with the housework and some of the chores until she feels better, as well as possibly help her some with the baby when it's born while my brother and I work the farm.  We was going to place an ad in the paper for a housekeeper, but when I saw this here Orphan Train, I thought to myself that it might be an answer to prayer.  So I was wondering if you'd like to be a foster child of my brother and sister-in-law  and you can take care of my nephew, like a little sister.” he explained, as he pointed to a couple in their early thirties, who were standing off to the side, watching Jack make his appeal to Megan.

         “Be a foster little sister?...Yes I guess I could do that.” she answered him.

         “Good, I'll be back with the papers in a bit, and then we can be on our way.” he answered as he walked off toward Josh and Alena, whistling a happy tune.

         Megan didn't know what to think of that guy, Jack, who just said she was an answer to his prayers.  She supposed she could be his sister, although it would take some getting used to with his teasing ways sometimes.

~*~*~*

         Jack didn't know what to think of Megan, or Meg as he already liked to think of her as.  Yes she certainly would be an answer to his prayers as far as keeping the cabin cleaned and helping Alena.  She would also make an interesting little sister, and he knew he'd have fun picking on her with her red braids and all, but there was something about her that he couldn't place, though he knew he'd discover it sooner or later.

         Jack walked over to Josh and Alena to explain his actions as best he could.

         “So Jack, are you chatting up another girlfriend?  They're getting younger everyday, aye?” Josh teased.

         “Nah it's nothin' like that!  I was trying to find help for Alena here...” Jack exclaimed.

         “Oh really?  Well you're too kind, Jack, at least when you want to be...” Josh asked skeptically.

         “Oh Josh, let the boy be!  His heart's in the right place.  And anyway, I'd forgotten about the Orphan Train coming through...” Alena said.

         “Yeah, that little gal probably could be a help to Alena especially now.  D'ya think she's of a good sort?” Josh asked.

         “Oh she looks like she'd be a good helper, though she looks a little shy...” Alena said.

         “Oh I think she'll work out fine.  So are you going to adopt her then?”  Jack asked.

         “Yeah we'll take her, where do we go for the forms?” Josh commented.

         Josh and Alena  went over to the woman who was dealing with the foster care papers and asked that one be drawn up for Megan.  The woman questioned them, but after giving satisfactory answers and knowing that Megan had yet to be placed out, she quickly drew up the documents and said that he'd have to get them notarized and signed by a lawyer or a judge to make Megan their legal ward.  Then she produced another document, which listed Megan's age as thirteen, and a bit of her background information, which was scant  at best.

         After getting the documents, Jack walked back to the platform where Megan was standing, held out his hand, which she grabbed, said “Alright Meg, time to go” as he led her to his wagon, where he introduced her to Josh and Alena.  Meg was pleased to meet them and shook their hands when they made their introductions and said they had to be on their way. Suddenly Jack picked her up and placed her in the bed of the wagon and he climbed into the wagon next to her, then Josh flipped the reins on his horses, and they were on their way out of town.

         They'd only traveled a short way, when Jack asked Meg again about her life, to which she opened up to him about some of the events that had recently happened in her life.  She even told about her concern for her sister, which he agreed was an unfortunate loss.

         “My goodness Meg, you've certainly had quite the life so far for someone so young.  My your sister must be quite the tyke even yet.”

         “Well she's not really a tyke anymore, though I still think of her that way sometimes...Oh by now she'd be probably over eight years old by now...” she admitted offhand.
                
         “Really?  And I though you just said you were nearly eight when she was born?” he inquired, his right eyebrow lifting briefly.

         “Yeah I was almost eight when she was...oops!” Meg said suddenly embarrassed.

         “Uh Meg, how old are you?  Really, be honest...” he whispered.

         “Well uh, okay we're not with the Christian Children's Aid Society anymore...Jack I'll be honest with you, I just turned 16 last week.” Meg admitted, then looked down.

         She glanced up and saw Jack staring at her, with an odd expression momentarily pass over his face, the she straightened up, cleared his throat and said,

         “You're sixteen?  Not thirteen, but sixteen?  Well...that's interesting to say the least.  I guess you're a little closer to my age then...but I guess you can still be my niece, even we're barely five years apart...because I'm only 21.

         “ You're only twenty-one? Oh that's interesting...” Meg commented.

         Josh and Alena had missed most of Jack and Meg's conversation, particularly the part where she'd admitted to Jack her real age, so they asked her again about her previous life.

         Meg gave her story again, being more careful about her age, then asked “...So anyway what's this about you needing help?” 

         “Well it's not much more than what we said earlier,  given her delicate condition and how she's felt for most of her pregnancy, Alena could use your help around the house, from now through after the baby is born.  Even so we intend to treat you as our own daughter ” Josh said, while glancing back at her.

         “Oh yes I'll be glad to help you.  I've cared for invalid people before, although I don't know how well I'll do with my hands the way they are... ” Megan said slightly panicked.

         “Oh well I don't think that will matter that much.  And don't worry, I'm sure we'll get along fine.” Alena whispered to her from her seat in the front.

         “Oh, okay.  If you say so...I hope all goes well then.  I'm glad for my new family.” Meg said, excitedly.

Chapter 6

         They rode along in silence for a good while, both lost in their own thoughts.  Meg's attention kept wandering between glancing down at her hands, occasionally glancing up at Jack, thinking about her sister, and thinking about her current situation.

         What type of a situation had she gotten herself into?  Becoming the foster child of a couple seemed nice enough, but who also wanted her for the help she could give, and the niece of a somewhat handsome young man who was barely five years older than herself. Yes he wasn't that bad to look at, but since leaving town, he'd taken on a serious demeanor suddenly.  Would her new family be easy to get along with, especially Jack? Plus he was so tall, far taller than her Pa had been, or her older brother Aiden for that matter.  Thinking of her brother, she suddenly remembered how Jack had said that he'd treat her like a brother if she'd rather, which she thought was kind.  She also hoped that his nephew would be easy to care for, and that she could bring as much comfort to Alena as possible, although after the times her sister had given her, almost anything would be easier.

         At the same time, Jack was thinking about his current situation.  Glancing over at Meg, he just shook his head and thought about how this day had turned out quite differently than he'd first imagine.    What had he just done?  He had considered posting an advertisement in the paper for a housekeeper, but instead, via the Orphan Train no less, he'd acquired a niece or sister?  And what a young thing she was, and quite shy.  Even after talking about herself earlier, she'd now grown quiet, would he be able to get her out of her shell?

           Jack even wondered if the story she told about being sixteen was even true, but if it wasn't he'd steer clear of any thoughts of her in an intimate matter, at least for awhile.  He'd definitely just give it time and see how well she got along in his cabin.  He also hoped she liked the cabin, despite its small size.  At least he still had his loft...which would be mighty cold once winter set in.  Ah he wondered how that would go...but he'd deal with that issue when the time came.

         Jack heard Meg sigh a bit and asked her, “Is there anything wrong?  Penny for your thoughts.”

         “Oh I'm fine Jack, I guess..”  she sighed.

         “Do you have any questions?  About the farm or anything else?”

         “Yes, maybe...H-How far is it from here?”

         “Oh it's a fer piece from here yet, but to be more exact, it's about ten miles or so from town.”

         “Ten miles?”

         “Haha, yeah it's a bit of a ways, but so's most everywhere else.” he chuckled.

         Meg just looked away and stared off in the distance, pulling her bonnet tighter around her head.  Jack just shook his head, sighed, and they traveled on in silence, while Josh and Alena chatted off and on.  Obviously something was on Meg's mind, and he could scarcely imagine what might be troubling her, although he did consider that maybe she was worried about either her hands, her sister, or their sudden relationship, such as that was.

         Little did Jack realize, those were exactly the thoughts Meg had been having.  She was worried about what had happened to her sister, what Jack’s thoughts on her disabled hands were, and what his expectations about their relationship really were.  She didn’t know if he was just like every other guy, or if he’d treat her well.  So far he’d held his word and not tried anything forceful or underhanded, but she’d just have to keep an eye out for him, to see what he’d do next.  She didn’t mind though feeling his warm presence bump against her on occasion as they rode along in relative silence, along the dirt trail across the fields.

         Suddenly she decided to ask who all the land around them belonged to, to which Jack went on about how this field belonged to this neighbor and that farm belonged to that farmer.  Meg just leaned back listening to Jack talk as she decided to relax.  Without even realizing it, Meg soon began to doze and was soon leaning against Jack, which he didn’t mind.  He just put his arm around her slightly and patted her shoulder.

         Soon though their wagon came to a stop, and Jack gently tapped her on the shoulder.

         “Time to wake up Meg.”
         “Oh I’m sorry did I fall asleep?  I hope I didn’ botha ya.”  she said slightly startled.

         “No it’s no bother, I didn’t mind.”  He smiled down at her.

         She backed away on the seat a bit and began to straighten her bonnet and dress, then asked,

“Are we here already?” 

“No not quite.  This is just my…er…our neighbor’s house.  We’re here to drop off some supplies to the neighbors, so just wait here.” he commented as he climbed down from the wagon.  He then walked around the wagon to help her down, but she climbed over the wheel and jumped down herself.

“See I can do things for myself!”  she commented.

“Ha yeah I can see that!  Okay let’s deliver some of the supplies…” he began as he opened the tailgate of the wagon and started to hand her a package, but was then interrupted by a large woman who came rushing out of the house.