Whistle-Stop West by Arleta Richardson Page B

She’s a good girl, but she don’t know much about living in a house. We ain’t had one lately.”
    â€œHow old are you, Pete?”
    â€œTen. But I’m almost eleven, I think.”
    He doesn’t look any older than the girl , Jenna thought. They both need some good food. She smiled at him. “Would you like to come with Ruby and live with us?”
    Pete looked around as though he wasn’t sure she had spoken to him. “Me? You want me, too?”
    â€œWe certainly do.” She extended her hand toward his. “Come and meet your new papa.”

    Ethan warmed with pleasure as the Burkes each took a child and went to talk with Agent Glover. When the new family left the church together a few minutes later, Ethan noticed that Matron was brushing away a tear.

Chapter Nine
The Chosen Ones
    Ethan’s attention was suddenly drawn to a disturbance at the front of the church. A girl had grabbed Simon’s arm and was attempting to pull him to his feet. Simon was clinging desperately to the pew. As Ethan raced to the rescue, the girl shouted, “This one’s mine!”
    Ethan snatched Simon and jerked him back. “You can’t have him. He’s already been adopted.”
    â€œI don’t see anyone coming to get him.” Glory Hodge looked around the room. “Mama said I could have any one I wanted, and I want him.”
    â€œWell, that’s too bad, because you can’t have him. He’s my brother, and he goes with me.”
    â€œMama!” Glory screamed and stamped her foot. “Tell this horrid boy that his brother is mine. Make him turn him loose!”
    Both Mrs. Hodge and Mr. Glover ran to the scene.
    â€œOf course you shall have him, Glory. What is the problem here, young man?” She glared at Ethan and took hold of Simon’s shoulder.
    â€œI’m sorry, ma’am,” Charles broke in. “Ethan is right. Simon isn’t available for adoption.”
    â€œWhat’s he doing up here, then?” Mrs. Hodge’s fancy hat shook with indignation. “These are all orphans, aren’t they? I should think we could have the one we want.”
    Mr. Glover gave a quick-witted reply. “Yes, ma’am. You may have your choice, but if you take this one, you must also take his two brothers and sister. They stay together as a family.”
    Mrs. Hodge backed away with a gasp. “Four children? Well, I never!”
    â€œWe make it a policy not to separate siblings from each other unless it is absolutely necessary. Someone has offered to take these four.”
    â€œCome along, Glory. You’ll just have to play with the children at school.”
    Glory stamped her foot again. “But Mama, you promised!”
    â€œI’m not going to adopt a whole orphanage, even for you,” Mrs. Hodge told her daughter. “Come along.”
    She swept out of the church with a protesting Glory in tow. Her sister, Edna, followed them, nodding pleasantly to her neighbors as she passed.
    Mr. Glover mopped his forehead and escorted the boys back to Matron. Ethan was shaken, but Simon gave voice to other concerns.
    â€œI wish people would stop pulling my arms,” he said.
    As the afternoon wore on, several other children were spoken for. Three-year-old Millie went with a young couple. Martin, age twelve, was taken by a kind-looking farmer and his wife. The schoolmaster from a neighboring town chose six-year-old Duane because, he said to Mr. Glover, “The boy has my red hair and my father’s name! How could we leave him here?”
    â€œIt looks like young Billy picked his own folks,” Ethan observed to Matron. “He’s still hanging on to that man.”
    Matron smiled at the small boy who clung to a farmer’s pant leg as the man talked with his wife.
    â€œIt’s up to you,” the woman told him. “He’s already decided that he’s going with you. You’ll have to pry him