Shade of Shame — Gail Martin

Five-year-old Mary Jane is one of hundreds of orphaned children at the New York Children's Mission. When her wish for the possibility of a new family is finally granted with her spot on the orphan train bound for Missouri, Mary Jane is ecstatic. By the time the train reaches its last stop, Mary Jane has yet to be adopted. She has no idea what a mulatto is, but from the tone of voice of those asking if she's mulatto, she knows it's bad.