locate the main door of the terminal building. When he did, he hurried outthe door just in time to see the Selby wagon heading south out of town.
Still crying, he ran that direction. “Katie! Katie! Don’t leave me!”
The wagon was too far away for Katie or the Selbys to hear him and soon passed from view. Richie kept running. After some ten minutes, he reached the edge of town. He could see a wagon on the road in the distance, but he wasn’t sure it was the Selby wagon. One thing he
was
sure of—the Selby farm had to be in that direction. Shoving his hands down in his coat pockets, he maintained a brisk walk southward.
A few minutes had passed when Richie heard the clopping of hooves and the rattle of a wagon. As he turned to look at it, he saw two teenage farm boys in the driver’s seat. They were both looking at him. The boy who held the reins pulled the wagon to a halt. “Hey there, little fella. You need a ride?”
Richie looked up at him and nodded. “Some people took my sister for a ride to their farm, but they forgot me.”
The other boy asked, “What’s the peoples’ name?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Selby.”
“Oh? Tom and Vivian Selby?”
“Uh-huh.”
“We know them. Their farm is about a mile farther down the road than ours. We’ll take you to the gate of our place, then you can walk to the Selby farm from there, okay?”
“Sure!”
“Well, come on,” said the one with the reins. “Climb in!”
At the depot, Dale Radcliff finished the paperwork with the couple who were taking the six-year-old girl, then headed back up the line. When he drew near the spot where Richie had been, henoticed that he was not there. He looked back and forth along the line, then asked the children who had been flanking Richie if they knew where he went. They replied that they did not. They were busy talking to the adults who were asking them questions.
Dale turned and went to Lorinda, who was busy signing up a couple who were taking a child. She looked at him as he drew up. “Honey, you look worried. What’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Richie Woods?”
“No. Didn’t those people take him and his sister?”
“They only took Katie. I left Richie in line to go and help another couple, and now I can’t find him. The children in the line said they didn’t notice him leave.”
“Well, somebody must have seen him leave.”
“I’ll see if Royce and Shelley saw him.”
Dale hurried to the Nelsons, who were standing at the head of the line, talking to Mandy Hillen. They had not seen Richie leave, either.
By this time, the prospective foster parents were almost through looking and no one else seemed interested in taking any of the other children.
Dale told the Nelsons and Mandy Hillen he was going to take some of the older boys to help him find Richie. Royce said he would go with him. When they had chosen six boys twelve to sixteen years of age, Dale stopped by Lorinda and informed her that he and Royce were taking the boys to help him find Richie. He asked her to inform the conductor, so he could hold up the train until they returned.
At the Selby farm, Tom and Vivian were with Katie in the bedroom they had prepared for her.
Katie ran her gaze around the bright room and patted thelovely bedspread. “Oh, this is just wonderful! I’ve never had my own bedroom before.”
“Come over here, dear,” said Vivian, and led her to a chest of drawers. She opened one and took out a small bolt of light blue cloth. “We definitely were planning on bringing a girl home, and I bought this material so I could make her a dress. Do you like it?”
“Oh yes! It’s beautiful!”
Tom’s attention had gone to the window. He took a step closer and said, “Well, look at that, will you?”
Katie and Vivian stepped up beside him and looked out to see Richie coming down the lane toward the house.
In Topeka, the Shawnee County sheriff and his deputies had joined Dale, Royce, and the older orphan boys in their search for
Still crying, he ran that direction. “Katie! Katie! Don’t leave me!”
The wagon was too far away for Katie or the Selbys to hear him and soon passed from view. Richie kept running. After some ten minutes, he reached the edge of town. He could see a wagon on the road in the distance, but he wasn’t sure it was the Selby wagon. One thing he
was
sure of—the Selby farm had to be in that direction. Shoving his hands down in his coat pockets, he maintained a brisk walk southward.
A few minutes had passed when Richie heard the clopping of hooves and the rattle of a wagon. As he turned to look at it, he saw two teenage farm boys in the driver’s seat. They were both looking at him. The boy who held the reins pulled the wagon to a halt. “Hey there, little fella. You need a ride?”
Richie looked up at him and nodded. “Some people took my sister for a ride to their farm, but they forgot me.”
The other boy asked, “What’s the peoples’ name?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Selby.”
“Oh? Tom and Vivian Selby?”
“Uh-huh.”
“We know them. Their farm is about a mile farther down the road than ours. We’ll take you to the gate of our place, then you can walk to the Selby farm from there, okay?”
“Sure!”
“Well, come on,” said the one with the reins. “Climb in!”
At the depot, Dale Radcliff finished the paperwork with the couple who were taking the six-year-old girl, then headed back up the line. When he drew near the spot where Richie had been, henoticed that he was not there. He looked back and forth along the line, then asked the children who had been flanking Richie if they knew where he went. They replied that they did not. They were busy talking to the adults who were asking them questions.
Dale turned and went to Lorinda, who was busy signing up a couple who were taking a child. She looked at him as he drew up. “Honey, you look worried. What’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Richie Woods?”
“No. Didn’t those people take him and his sister?”
“They only took Katie. I left Richie in line to go and help another couple, and now I can’t find him. The children in the line said they didn’t notice him leave.”
“Well, somebody must have seen him leave.”
“I’ll see if Royce and Shelley saw him.”
Dale hurried to the Nelsons, who were standing at the head of the line, talking to Mandy Hillen. They had not seen Richie leave, either.
By this time, the prospective foster parents were almost through looking and no one else seemed interested in taking any of the other children.
Dale told the Nelsons and Mandy Hillen he was going to take some of the older boys to help him find Richie. Royce said he would go with him. When they had chosen six boys twelve to sixteen years of age, Dale stopped by Lorinda and informed her that he and Royce were taking the boys to help him find Richie. He asked her to inform the conductor, so he could hold up the train until they returned.
At the Selby farm, Tom and Vivian were with Katie in the bedroom they had prepared for her.
Katie ran her gaze around the bright room and patted thelovely bedspread. “Oh, this is just wonderful! I’ve never had my own bedroom before.”
“Come over here, dear,” said Vivian, and led her to a chest of drawers. She opened one and took out a small bolt of light blue cloth. “We definitely were planning on bringing a girl home, and I bought this material so I could make her a dress. Do you like it?”
“Oh yes! It’s beautiful!”
Tom’s attention had gone to the window. He took a step closer and said, “Well, look at that, will you?”
Katie and Vivian stepped up beside him and looked out to see Richie coming down the lane toward the house.
In Topeka, the Shawnee County sheriff and his deputies had joined Dale, Royce, and the older orphan boys in their search for
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