Spectacles of Love (Spinster Orphan Train)

by Teresa Ives Lilly

  Charlene turned to her father. “Have I ever denied you access to my room, Father?”

  “No.” He glared at his young wife. “What is all this about? If Charlene wants to lock her room, I see no reason she can’t.”

  “Oooh. You always take her side. I don’t know why I try to…”

  “I’m sorry if you weren’t able to speak to me,” Charlene spoke gently, trying to stop the pending onslaught of accusations. “I was very tired and must have turned the lock by mistake. I’m here now. Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

  Altheia filled a plate, overflowing with food, which Charlene knew the petite woman would not eat.

  “I want to know what was going on between you and Robert.”

  “Robert? You mean Mr. Thornton? Nothing was going on. What do you mean?”

  “I saw you and him with your heads together. It looked most cozy.”

  Charlene bristled. “It was nothing of the sort. We were merely speaking of the Orphan Trains.”

  Her stepmother gave her an accusatory stare. “I’m quite sure Robert would not have been speaking of anything so tedious. He doesn’t approve of Mr. McCully always talking about the orphans. Why would he himself speak of them?”

  “Perhaps he had a change of heart?” Charlene couldn’t help but goad the woman. “He assured me he plans to sway his support to Mr. McCully.”

  Altheia sat down and nibbled at her food. “What would ever make him do that?”

  “He promised to do it, to make me happy,” Charlene spoke, immediately realizing she had just made a huge mistake.

  “To make you happy? I can’t imagine why Robert would care about your happiness. I insist you tell me the truth.”

  Charlene’s father slammed his fist down on the table. Both women jumped slightly and stared at him.

  “Altheia, enough! I happen to know the truth. Thornton has promised McCully his support. I heard him tell the man myself. And, while we are on the subject of Thornton, I’ll advise you, my dear wife, to give up on keeping him in your entourage of admirers. He has switched allegiance from you to Charlene. In fact, he hinted to me before his departure last night that he’d be coming back to begin courting someone in my home.”

  Charlene couldn’t see Altheia’s features clearly, but she heard the woman’s intake of breath.

  Before her stepmother could say another word, Charlene pushed back her chair and stood.

  “I’ll go have a word with Cook, Father. Then I plan to run down to the Children’s Aid Society Building and speak to Mr. McCully about trying to help.”

  Her father sat up. “I’m not too sure I like the idea of you going there. It’s not the best part of town.”

  “I’ll have our driver take me right to the front door. I’m sure it will be fine.” Charlene turned and walked determinedly out of the room. The last thing she heard was her stepmother’s whining voice asking, “Why is she going to speak to Cook?”

  ~

  Charlene sat in the carriage staring out the window as the driver weaved his way across town. She could feel herself fuming with anger. She wasn’t sure if she were angrier about Altheia and her accusations or with Mr. Robert Thornton, who had somehow given the impression he planned to begin courting Charlene.

  Not that I haven’t always wished for a handsome man to court me. But, Lord, Thornton is the complete opposite of the type of man I would want. He and I see nothing the same.

  Charlene watched fuzzily as a horse-drawn omnibus passed by. Her father was a supporter for the newer use of small steam locomotives called “dummies” to pull streetcars. She wondered, however, if it would be a good idea. Could horse-drawn carriages and steam locomotives work together on the tight streets of Manhattan?

  From her seat in the carriage, she saw the storefronts, each with a striped awning over the sidewalks. The buildings, each at least three stories high, were also apartments for those who lived in the area.

  Just then her driver stopped the carriage. Charlene slipped her head out the window to see why.

  “Sorry, Miss,” the driver called back. “Had to stop or run into a group of street urchins.”

  “Are they gone now?” she asked.

  “Yes, Miss.” The driver clicked the reins, and the horse began to move again.

  Charlene sat back with a frown. Suddenly she felt the carriage dip slightly in the back. She squinted her eyes trying to see out the small window. What she was able to see was the back of a young man’s head. One of the street urchins must have jumped on the carriage.

  At first she wanted to call out for the driver to stop and deal with him, but she quickly realized the boy meant no harm.

  I won’t deprive him of his fun, she decided.

  Charlene kept looking out the window. Finally, the boy turned his head, his eyes opened wide in surprise when he noted her watching him.

  “Good afternoon,” she called through the window.

  She could see the look on the boy’s face. He was trying to decide if jumping off was his best option.

  “Please don’t jump off. I’d hate for you to get hurt. I don’t mind that you’ve hitched a ride.”

  The boy’s face lit up with a smile. “Mighty kind of you, Miss.”

  “When we stop, please don’t run away. I’d like to speak to you.”

  The boy’s eyes grew wary.

  “You needn’t worry. I’ll not call the police. In fact, I’ll pay you for your time.”

  “Pay? Alright then.” The boy seemed appeased.

  Finally, the carriage came to a stop. The driver jumped down and opened the door. Charlene stepped out and moved around to the back. The boy was there, swinging his legs.

  “Miss, shall I call the police?” the driver asked, seeing the child. The boy looked ready to bolt, but Charlene reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

  “No. This young man has agreed to allow me to interview him.”

  The driver gave an odd stare.

  “Interview?” the boy and driver asked in unison.

  “Yes. I plan on writing an article for the newspaper about different people I meet in the city. You are my first.”

  The boy’s eyes bulged.

  “But first, I have a meeting in this building. Will you come along and wait for me?”

  The boy’s eyes traveled to the building. He tilted his head and asked, “What kind of place is this?”

  “It’s the Children’s Aid Society Building. Can’t you read the sign?” She pointed at the plaque above the door.

  The boy kicked at a loose pebble and mumbled, “Can’t read.”

  “Oh, I see,” Charlene answered, as if it were a regular affair of her life to meet a person who couldn’t read. “Can I persuade you to come with me? You may sit out in the hall and wait for me until my meeting is over. Then, perhaps I could take you for an ice cream soda?”

  She could see that sparked some interest in the boy’s eyes.

  “What about money? You said you’d pay me.”

  The driver took a step toward the boy with a raised hand. “The cheek. You hooligan, how dare you…”

  Charlene turned and held up her hand to stop the driver.

  “James. I appreciate your gallantries, but I am in no need of protection. Please come back in a half hour for me.”

  She spoke with authority, held out a hand and waited. The boy stared at her for a moment then placed his dirty palm into her hand.

  Chapter 3

  Charlene walked down the hallway and stopped outside the office door. There was a chair there. She looked down at the boy. “What is your name?”

  “Andy.”

  “Okay, Andy. Will you sit here and wait for me?”

  The boy’s eyes scanned the area. He shrugged and sat. “Sure, but someone’ll come along and kick me out.”

  “Not here they won’t.”

  The boy didn’t look convinced, but Charlene promised to return quickly. She opened the door and stepped into the office. A clerk looked
up.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I would like to speak to someone who is in charge of the Orphan Train project.”

  “Hmm, well, Mrs. Alden is usually who you would speak to, but she’s away at the moment. We do have Mr. McCully here today.”

  Charlene wanted to clap her hands. “That would be fine. He knows who I am. Just tell him that Miss Charlene Trumbel would like to speak to him.”

  The clerk stood and disappeared into another office but returned only seconds later.

  “Mr. McCully will be glad to see you.” She held the door open and indicated for Charlene to enter.

  “Oh, there’s a young boy out in the hallway. He is with me. I was wondering if you might have something he could eat.”

  The clerk walked over, opened the outer door and looked at the boy.

  She turned with a nod. “I’ll take him something.” She smiled.

  Charlene proceeded into the room. Mr. McCully stood up.

  “Miss Trumbel, what a pleasure. Have a seat. How can I help you?”

  Charlene stood still and tried to focus her eyes. Most of the room was blurry, but she was able to make out the larger items and moved to a chair and sat gingerly on the edge.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Mr. McCully, because you are the person to whom I actually wanted to speak.”

  The man tilted his head slightly. “About what?”

  “The Orphan Train.”

  “Oh, my favorite subject. But may I ask why?”

  “I’m considering trying to write an article about it for the newspaper. To tell the truth. Perhaps make the wealthy families in New York understand the need for it and try to get you more support.”

  Mr. McCully was quiet for a moment. “Do you really want to know the truth? How far are you willing to go to find out the truth?”

  Charlene swallowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I mean, are you willing to ride the Orphan Train? To learn firsthand how the entire process works?”

  Charlene felt a bit stunned by the thought but slowly nodded. “Yes, I am.”

  “Perhaps you heard me mention we needed someone to ride along with our Matron on the next train. If you went along, you would see how the whole thing works.”

  Charlene looked slightly shocked.

  “You can even meet the children from the orphanage beforehand.”

  “How long would I be gone?”

  “A few weeks.”

  Charlene’s hands grew sweaty. Fear gripped her chest, but the memory of her stepmother’s constant criticism flashed through her mind.

  “I’ll do it.”

  Mr. McCully stood and moved around to the front of the desk. He reached down and lifted her hand. “My Dear, you have no idea how much this will mean to us here at the Children’s Aid Society. But do you believe your father will allow this?”

  Charlene felt her hope crash. Her father would not approve. But she would just have to convince him.

  “I’m sure it will be fine. What will I need? What should I do?”

  “If you can meet me at the orphanage tomorrow afternoon, you can meet the Matron. She will be able to answer all of your questions.”

  Charlene agreed, stood and shook hands with Mr. McCully. He didn’t let go of her hand at first but leaned closer.

  “Miss Trumbel, I’m a bit concerned. I noticed the other evening, you squinted and stumbled several times. Are you in need of spectacles?”

  Charlene blushed. “Oh, I’m fine. I was a bit tired the other evening. That’s all.”

  McCully smiled. “Good, because the children can be a handful and need to have a sharp eye kept on them.”

  Charlene left the office feeling flustered. She was excited about going on the train with the orphans, but Mr. McCully’s concern about her sight niggled the back of her mind.

  I’ve gotten along fine all these years, Lord. Surely, a train ride with some children shouldn’t be a problem.

  She purposely pushed the lie she’d told to the back of her mind, but it kept creeping out. Finally she stamped her foot.

  I was tired the other night so that wasn’t a lie.

  As she made her way across the outer office, she ran right into a small trashcan beside the clerk’s desk. She tried to convince herself that anyone would have bumped into it, but she knew, deep within, it was because she couldn’t see it.

  When she opened the outer door, Andy stood up.

  “The lady in there brought me some cookies and a sandwich. Pretty good eats.”

  Charlene giggled at his words then sobered picturing the sideboard of wasted food she picked at this morning.

  “Andy, do you have a family? A home?”

  “No.”

  Charlene stared at him in perplexity. “Then where do you stay?”

  The boy hesitated then mumbled, “I have a box.”

  “A box?”

  He nodded and stared back at her innocently.

  Charlene wasn’t sure what else to say. The idea of living in a box made no sense to her.

  She held out a hand for the boy. “Come along with me.”

  The boy moved beside her, a wary look in his eyes. “You promised me some money.”

  “Yes, but I think we need to get you a real meal first.”

  They stepped out of the building; Charlene stopped on the front stoop.

  “Andy, do you see the carriage I came in?”

  The boy looked up at her curiously. “It’s right in front of us, Miss.”

  “Wonderful, come along.” She sallied forward. When they reached the street, James was standing by the carriage with the door opened.”

  “Get in the carriage, Andy.”

  “What!” Both James and Andy again spoke at the same time. James finished with, “Miss, I don’t think…”

  “Thank you for your thoughts, James. But I would like Andy to come to the house with me. I’m sure Cook can provide him a decent meal.”

  James stiffened.

  Andy took a step back, but Charlene grasped his arm. “Remember you promised to let me interview you.”

  “Interview?” Andy asked, and Charlene realized he had no idea what the word meant.

  “I want you to tell me about yourself so I can write an article for the newspaper.”

  “Cor, Miss. What would you want to know about me that anyone else would want to read about?”

  Charlene assured him he would be a big help if he came along with her. Andy was reluctant, but a ride in a carriage was too tempting for him to pass.

  ~

  When they reached home, Charlene and Andy got out of the carriage. She turned to go in the front door, but James spoke up.

  “Miss, wouldn’t it be better if I were to take, uhm, your guest to the back entrance?”

  Charlene could hear the disapproval in the man’s voice.

  “No, Andy will join me.” She took the boy’s hand again and led him into the house.

  Once inside the foyer, Andy stopped and gave a low whistle.

  “Some place, Miss.”

  “Thank you, Andy. It belongs to my father. Come along; we can go to the parlor. I’ll have the maid bring you a plate, overflowing with ‘good eats.’ Then we can get started on that interview.”

  As they walked down the hall, suddenly Charlene stumbled. If it hadn’t been for Andy’s quick movement, she may have fallen.

  “Didn’t you see the bucket there, Miss? Looks like someone’s been mopping the floors.”

  “I must have been looking the other way. I’m glad you caught me. What a strong boy you are! How old are you?”

  Andy gazed at Charlene a moment then shrugged. “Don’t know.”

  “You don’t know your age?”

  “Nope, neither does Dale or Joe. We’s all been together for as long as we can remember.”

  “Are you brothers?”

  “We don’t think so. Least ways, none of us looks like the others. But we looks out for one another.”

  Th
ey reached the parlor and turned into the room. Charlene told Andy to sit on the sofa, but he watched as she carefully reached out in front of herself, feeling for the back of the sofa.

  “Miss, ain’t my business, but truth be told, you can’t see a bleedin’ thing.”

  Charlene took in a short breath.

  Andy went on. “I can see you don’t want anyone to know it so I won’t be blabbing’.”

  Charlene sunk onto the sofa with a sigh. “Thank you, Andy. It’s not something we speak of.”

  The maid came into the parlor, and Charlene ordered a tray of sandwiches and cakes. She couldn’t see the girl’s reaction but could imagine the shock on the young maid’s face at seeing the street urchin.

  “Now,” Charlene smiled. “You asked earlier why anyone would want to read about you. Well, perhaps people wouldn’t want to read about you, but I want them to read about you. I want them to know all about what life for an orphan in New York City is like. Perhaps it will change some of them. Make them give more money to groups like the Children’s Aid Society and the Orphan Trains.

  The boy cocked his head slightly. “What’s an Orphan Train?

  Charlene explained the Orphan Train to Andy, and his eyes lit up at her words.

  “You mean, the kids who ride that train gets a family?”

  She hesitated. She couldn’t say that for sure. “Most of them. I’ve been told that some of the older children are often hired to work on the farms.”

  Andy sat back and crossed his arms as if to indicate his lack of interest. But, suddenly he sat up. “And, you’re going to go on that Orphan Train to help?”

  Charlene nodded.

  Andy frowned. “Guess I better go along with you. You don’t know enough about orphans. You’d have your hands full, and besides…” his voice dropped lower, “you might need some help getting around.”

  Charlene leaned forward until she could focus on Andy’s dirty face. She bent over and kissed his forehead.

  “Thank you, Andy. I’d love to have you along with me. After we eat, I’m going to have the maid take you to the kitchen. The staff will find you some new clothes, get you a bath and give you plenty more ‘good eats.’ That is, if you will stay here until the Orphan Train leaves the city?”