Whispers in the Wind (36 page)

They stayed awake, whispering long into the night. Finally, from sheer exhaustion, Leanne dropped off to sleep with her head in Tharyn’s lap, and Tharyn fell asleep, her head leaning against the frosty window.

When Millie Voss came through the coach, checking on the girls, she stopped several times and pulled blankets up around their necks, attempting to keep them warm and comfortable. A low-burning lantern in the coach cast eerie shadows over the sleeping girls.

As Millie approached the seat where Tharyn and Leanne were sleeping, she carefully pulled Tharyn’s head far enough away from the cold window to place a pillow under her head. She also tucked Tharyn’s blanket firmly under her chin.

Tharyn stirred, but did not awaken.

Millie then leaned down to check on Leanne. She saw that
the girls eyes were open. “What’s the matter, Leanne? Can’t you get to sleep?”

Leanne pointed her face up toward the nurse and whispered, “I guess I’m too excited to sleep, Miss Voss. Tomorrow will open a whole new world for me. I hope I’m not a disappointment to those good people who are planning to adopt me. It’s—well, it’s really kind of scary.”

Millie patted her cheek. “I’m sure it is, but I really don’t think you have anything to be worried about. From what Mr. Brace has told me about the Rosses, they are a very special, loving family. I’m sure you won’t be a disappointment to them. They’ll have room in their loving hearts for you, too.”

“I’m sure you’re right, ma’am. It’s just that—well, it seems almost too good to be true, that someone would really want to take a blind girl into their home.”

“It’s not too good to be true, believe me. You’ll see what I mean when you meet the Rosses.”

“Thank you, Miss Voss,” said Leanne, trying to stifle a yawn. “You’ve relieved me of some of my fears. I think I can sleep now.”

“Good.”

Millie tucked Leanne’s blanket up close to her chin. She thought of suggesting that Leanne move to one of the empty seats vacated by the girls who had been chosen, but she refrained. She knew that Leanne found a certain comfort sleeping with her head on Tharyn’s lap.

Millie started to say something else, but saw that Leanne’s eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly. She stroked her hair. “Sleep well, little lamb. Your Shepherd is watching over you.”

With that, the nurse turned and moved down the aisle. She found her own resting place at the rear of the coach and eased onto the seat. A satisfied smile played across her face as she rested her head on a pillow against the back of the seat and closed her tired eyes.

Chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman and his wife, Breanna, had a six-acre tract of land in the country some four miles southwest of Denver, and at the same time the orphan train was pulling into Limon that evening, the Brockmans and their neighbors, David and Kitty Tabor, were finishing a delicious supper that Breanna had prepared.

David and Kitty—who were in their midforties—had talked to John and Breanna at church the past several Sundays about their plan to take a teenage orphan off the next orphan train. The Tabors had not been able to have children and wanted one so very much. They felt at their age, they should choose a child in his or her teens.

All along, John and Breanna had agreed that this was wise thinking. John had brought up some weeks back that since David had recently been promoted to vice-president of Denver’s First National Bank, whatever child they chose would have a secure future financially.

As they left the table and went into the parlor, the Tabors talked about the orphan train that was to arrive tomorrow morning and how excited they were about the child they were going to take into their home and adopt in the near future.

Breanna brought up how excited Mike and Julie Ross were about the thirteen-year-old blind girl who would be on the train.

John smiled and said, “And bless their hearts, they plan yet to adopt a fifth handicapped child.”

Everyone agreed that the Rosses were special people. Most couples who were looking to adopt a child would shy away from a handicapped one.

Breanna ran her gaze over the faces of David and Kitty. “I’m taking tomorrow off from the clinic so I can stay with the three Ross children while Mike and Julie go to Union Station to pick up Leanne Ladd.”

Before the Tabors headed for their nearby home, the four of them had prayer together, asking the Lord to direct David and Kitty to the child He wanted them to adopt.

As the Tabors rode side by side in their buggy, heading home in the moonlight, David put his arm around Kitty and pulled her close to him. “Just think, honey, the Lord willing, this will be our last night alone in our big rambling house for many years to come.”

“That’s right, sweetheart. Won’t it be wonderful to have a child to love and care for? I’m so excited I can hardly breathe!”

David chuckled. “Well, you’d better keep breathing, ’cause I don’t want to raise a child by myself.”

Kitty giggled. “Oh, don’t you worry, dear husband. I’ll be right here with you all the way.”

As the train was pulling into Denver’s Union Station the next morning, the children in both coaches were singing the little song they called “Where Fragrant Breezes Sigh.”

After the prospective foster parents had been cleared by the Children’s Aid Society sponsors, the orphans lined up.

Mike and Julie Ross, who had already been cleared and approved by Charles Loring Brace, approached Mark Newton with the most recent letter from Brace.

Mark looked at the letter, smiled, and said, “I’m so happy to meet you folks! Come with me. Your new daughter is right down near the end of the line with our nurse.”

Butterflies were flitting in Julie’s stomach and Mike’s heart was pounding a rapid tattoo against his ribs as they spotted the white uniform of the nurse and made their way toward the girl who stood at her side.

“Oh, Mike,” whispered Julie, “she’s so pretty!”

“That she is, honey. Pretty as a picture!”

“Isn’t she precious? Even though her eyes can’t see, she seems very much aware of all that’s happening. The nurse is looking at us and telling her we’re coming.”

“Yes! And look at that smile! You would never know she was blind. The Lord has blessed us so marvelously.”

Mark smiled and said, “Here they are, Leanne! Your new parents!”

Leanne’s eyes were sparkling behind a dewy mist as she opened her arms and said with emotion tightening her throat, “Oh, Mama! Papa!”

They instantly stepped into a three-way embrace and clung to each other with tears moistening all three faces.

When Julie found a modicum of composure, she spoke with her voice full of joyful tears. “Oh, Leanne, we are so happy to have you as part of our family! Welcome, darling, welcome!”

Mike swallowed tears. “Yes, precious Leanne, welcome to the Ross family! We love you very much already!”

“Thank you, Mama and Papa!” said Leanne, almost squealing with delight. “I love you too, and I’ve been so excited to meet you!

The trio stood close together while Mark and Millie stood looking on. After they had talked for a few minutes in an attempt to get acquainted, Leanne said, “Mama, Papa, before we go, I need to say good-bye to my best friend in all the world. She’s an orphan too. Her name is Tharyn Myers.”

Mark Newton spoke up. “Leanne, Tharyn is being interviewed at the moment by prospective foster parents, but I’ll lead the three of you there and interrupt the conversation long enough for you to tell her good-bye.”

Leanne nodded. “All right, Mr. Newton. Thank you.”

Mike and Julie looked at each other, smiling while Millie Voss hugged Leanne, telling her good-bye. Millie congratulated the Rosses, then hurried away.

Mike and Julie each put an arm around Leanne, and as Mark Newton led them down the line toward the spot where Tharyn was being interviewed, Mike said, “Julie and I know this couple who are talking to Tharyn. David and Kitty Tabor. They belong to the same church we do, and we are close friends.”

Leanne’s heart began pounding like a trip-hammer.

As they drew up, David Tabor smiled at Mark Newton. “Kitty and I were about to call for one of the sponsors. We want to take Tharyn home with us.”

At these words, Leanne’s heart lurched in her chest. It lurched again when she heard Tharyn say, “I want to live with Mr. and Mrs. Tabor, Mr. Newton.”

“Oh, Tharyn!” squeaked Leanne. “God answered our prayers!”

The two girls were instantly in each other’s arms.

When their emotions had settled some, Tharyn told the adults how the two of them had prayed earnestly that the Lord would have a family in Denver choose her so they could grow up together.

Leanne leaned close to Tharyn. “Honey, my parents and yours go to the same church! We’ll really be close.”

Tharyn and Leanne embraced again, weeping happily while praising the Lord for answering their prayers so marvelously.

While the rejoicing was going on, Mike leaned down and whispered in Julie’s ear, “And just think, sweetheart, in January, we’ll have number five! Kenny Atwood will be here with us then!”

Julie’s face beamed. “Yes, darling.”

Russell Mims had been observing while in the line nearby. He stepped up to Tharyn and took hold of her hand. “I’m so glad for you and Leanne, both. Even though I’ll be living somewhere else in this Wild West, I want to keep in touch with you … and you know why.”

Tharyn smiled at him while holding Leanne’s hand. “Yes, I know why, Russell.” She turned to the Tabors and asked if they
could write their address down on a piece of paper so she could give it to her friend, Russell, so he could write to her whenever he was chosen.

David wrote the address on a slip of paper and gave it to Russell. The boy asked Tharyn if he could give her a hug before she left, and she told him he could. Russell had tears in his eyes after he had hugged Tharyn and watched her walk out of the depot with her new parents, the Rosses, and Leanne.

In the parking lot, the Tabors and the Rosses climbed in separate buggies, saying they would see each other soon, and each drove its own direction.

In the Ross buggy, Leanne sat between her new parents. As they drove out of the depot and moved down the street, Julie described the surroundings as Tharyn had done on the trip. Leanne asked about the Rocky Mountains and Julie described their towering, snowcapped peaks as they touched the azure Colorado sky to the west.

Julie squeezed her hand. “Soon you’ll be familiar with all of it, sweetheart, and any time you have a question about anything, there are enough Rosses around to give you an answer. I know Mr. Brace has already told you that you have a brother and two sisters at home.”

“Yes, ma’am. It will be very nice living in a house with loving people. How can I ever thank you for taking me in?”

“No thanks are necessary, sweetie,” said Mike. “You are a blessing from the Lord, and an answer to our prayers.”

“That’s very kind of you, Papa. I hope I’m
always
a blessing. Even though I’m blind, I can still do any number of things very well. I always want to do my part and never be a burden.”

Mike patted her hand. “Neither you nor any of the other three children we have adopted will ever be a burden. We’ll tell you more about it later, but there is a fifth one coming. His name is Kenny, and he’ll be here sometime in January. Kenny recently
had to have one of his legs amputated. He is nine years old.”

Leanne’s face pinched. “Oh.”

Julie squeezed Leanne close. “Honey, God has blessed us with the marvelous privilege of bringing all five of you into our home. Were just so thankful for each one of you.”

Leanne sat quietly thinking over what her new parents had just said, and a sweet sense of well-being wrapped its arms around her.

O
n Tuesday, November 14 it was a cold, cloudy day in New York City.

Officers James Thornton and Fred Collins were walking their beat as usual and were talking about an arrest they had made earlier that day, when they had caught a man who had put a gun on an elderly street vendor and had taken his money.

As they moved down the busy sidewalk, they spoke to people they met along the way.

There was a gap in the crowd ahead of them on the sidewalk for a moment, and as they were talking, the officers saw a dark-haired teenage boy coming toward them. He was wearing a heavy coat with the collar turned up.

As they drew closer to the boy, Officer Thornton focused on his face. His eyes widened as he said, “Fred, that’s Dane Weston. How did he get out of prison?”

“I don’t know,” replied Collins, fixing his gaze on the boy, “but if he’d been released, we’d know about it. Let’s get him!”

Both officers darted toward the teenager, and when he saw them coming, he pivoted quickly and ran toward the nearest alley.

Both men drew their revolvers, and Thornton shouted, “Stop!”

The boy kept running, looking over his shoulder. Suddenly, as he drew up to the alley he pulled a revolver from his coat. Just before entering the alley, he fired off a shot at the officers.

The officers leaped aside and the bullet chewed into a light pole, scattering splinters. When Thornton and Collins had gained their balance, the boy had vanished.