At breakfast the following morning Lieutenant Hauser rapped for
attention with her knife. Expectant faces turned quickly toward her,
for the feeling that important changes were just ahead had swept the
camp like a tidal wave.
“I have good news for you,” said Lieutenant Hauser.
The nurses waited for no more. Their eager exclamations swelled into
cheers that swept the mess tent.
An odd expression tightened their commanding officer’s face a moment
before she continued, “I see our enemies are not the only ones who get
a foresight of our movements.”
This brought an alarmed silence. But Miss Hauser quickly relieved their
tension by smiling as she said, “Naturally you’ve been looking forward
to, and preparing for this news. We have been ordered to a port of
embarkation.”
This really brought cheers that rang through the pine woods.
“When? Where?” Two thoughtless ones asked eagerly.
“Those are sealed orders,” replied Lieutenant Hauser. “We’ll know where
only when we get there. My immediate orders are to tell you to be ready
to roll out of this camp in an hour.”
Those who had not eaten all their breakfast forgot to finish, as they
hurried off to pack and roll up their tents.
“Just a minute,” she called after the too-eager ones. “The orders I
have already given about writing of our activities are more binding
than ever. If you must write home merely say you’re well and busy.
There was one train wreck not so long ago when someone let it slip
about troop movements. You don’t want to invite any such disaster
again.”
For the first time Nancy felt a gulf widening between herself and the
two loved ones back home. This was really her first great test.
Someone had asked Miss Hauser a question Nancy had not heard, but now
she listened while their First Lieutenant said, “I think it might be
safer just to send out cards. Then you’ll be more careful not to say on
them anything that might betray our movements.”
At noon that day their convoy drew up at the rear of a hotel in a city
so large it had taken them a half hour to reach its busy center. They
were herded into a long room where a hotel clerk assigned them their
quarters. There were to be only two to a room once more, so Nancy and
Mabel managed to get together again.
When Nancy found there was a bath with shower she was exuberant. “Won’t
it be wonderful to get really clean all over once more!”
She was peeling off her coveralls as she talked.
“We’d better enjoy the clean-up while we can get it,” Mabel warned. “I
figure we’ve got a long train journey ahead no matter whether we embark
on the Atlantic or the Pacific.”
The changes were swift from then on. They had lunch and an elaborate
dinner that evening in a private dining room. To Nancy’s delight Major
Reed had lunch with them. Before leaving the dining room Captain Lewis,
who had arrived with him, gave them a talk, praising their diligence
and cooperation during the training period.
Just before she finished she said, “I would suggest that you stay in
your rooms and rest as you must be on your way again during the night.”
That was all. No one knew what would be their method of transportation
or where their destination.
“Might as well be a prisoner,” complained Tini, when she packed into
the elevator beside Nancy. “I wanted to get my hair set. I look a
fright.”
Nancy nudged her and whispered, “Be quiet! Elevator boys have ears,
too.”
The nurses found the hall of the floor they had taken over jammed with
baggage brought over from their basic training camp. Nancy’s and
Mabel’s foot lockers had already been placed in their room.
“Everything seems to run smooth as magic,” said Mabel. “Wish they’d let
us go to the stores to get a few things.”
“I imagine we’ll be given time to get the last-minute necessities at
the port of embarkation,” said Nancy. “I hear we have to take more
shots and physical exams after we get there. That takes time.”
At eleven o’clock that night they marched aboard their Pullman, as
Nancy had seen those soldiers file into the fatal eight cars less than
six weeks earlier. It seemed incredible that she had learned so much in
such a short time.
Though Nancy was generally ready for sleep she felt wide awake that
night. She had no patience to wait till morning to learn whether they
were traveling east or west.
Two nurses had been assigned to each lower berth and one to the upper.
Nancy, Mabel and Tini had one section, so Nancy quickly volunteered to
sleep in the lower with Mabel.
“You’re larger than either of us,” she said to Tini. “You’ll need more
stretching room.”
“Thanks,” said Tini, accepting the favor as if she were really more
entitled to it than the others. “I never slept with anyone—know I
wouldn’t get a wink.”
When the two friends packed into the lower Nancy whispered, “I can
hardly wait till morning to see whether we’re going east or west.”
“Would seem too good to be true to be sent to the South Pacific,” said
Mabel.
“If training’s any indication they’ve certainly been preparing us for
that.”
They turned out the light and after a while Mabel raised the shade a
little. She lifted her head and peered out. After an interval she
whispered, “Nancy, we really are heading west!”
“How can you tell?”
“By the stars. See—yonder’s the North Star, and the Big Dipper low on
the horizon.”
Nancy remembered enough from her Girl Scout days to recognize the
northern constellation at the left of the train. For several minutes
she kept lifting her head to peer out, and assure herself that they
were really keeping an even course into the west. Finally she settled
back with a feeling of great satisfaction and tried to sleep.
The Pullman was silent now, except for the humming of the wheels
beneath them. Nancy was almost asleep when she heard a peculiar sound
overhead. She opened her eyes and saw through a crack at the edge of
the berth that Tini’s light still burned. She concentrated her
attention on the almost imperceptible sound. It was like the scratching
of a pen on paper. Instantly she knew Tini was at her letter writing
again.
“Do you hear something, Mabel?” she asked, nudging her friend.
Mabel lifted a sleepy head to listen. “Somebody writing with a scratchy
pen. Must be Tini. Never would have thought she’d be careful enough to
keep a diary.”
“Maybe it’s a letter.”
“But Miss Hauser asked us only to send cards.”
“I’m afraid Tini doesn’t give much heed to what Miss Hauser asks.”
“Well, it’s not my little red wagon,” said Mabel, and settled back on
her pillow. Her regular breathing soon indicated that she slept.
Nancy stayed awake long after the pen scratching stopped, wondering
uneasily about Tini. It seemed uncanny how the girl was always stuck
right under her nose. Did her superior officers do it by deliberate
intent? Before she finally slept she made up her mind to be more alert
than ever where Tini was concerned.
The following two days, however, were so filled with the wonders of
travel that Nancy temporarily forgot that Tini could be such a thorn in
the flesh. She had never been west of the Mississippi. For the first
time she saw the great western plains and thrilled when the mountain
ranges beyond loomed on the horizon. She had never dreamed mere color
could be so intoxicating until their long train crossed the first
canyon. It was like a fantastic dream, yet a sight never to be
forgotten.
The nurses had the best food the diner afforded. On their swaying
journeys to and from the diner they discovered that the train contained
many soldiers. None of the nurses lacked for diverting companionship
then. But Tini couldn’t be satisfied with one, she must keep two or
three buzzing around her all the time.
On the second day at noon Nancy and Mabel were in the diner when the
train stopped longer than usual at a small-town station. Nancy, sitting
next the window, glanced out to see Tini hurrying across the tracks,
and into the waiting room. Nancy could have sworn her right pocket was
bulky with something, letters no doubt. Tini was gone only a few
minutes before she returned carrying a magazine, but Nancy was sure her
pocket looked less bulky.
“Stubborn as a mule,” said Nancy to herself in disgust. “She was
determined to send a letter to Carl Benton.”
In spite of the number of men available many of the nurses spent their
time playing cards, or catching up on their magazine and book reading,
for which there had been little chance during their weeks of training.
On the third day they de-trained at the city of embarkation. Army
trucks were waiting to take them to another temporary abode. Again it
was a large hotel, where an entire floor was assigned to them. Cots had
been put in the double bedrooms, and again Nancy was packed in with the
room-mates she had had in the tents. They had only an hour before they
were to report in room three for instructions. Everyone was eager to
hear about the next step, and the room was full before the hour was up.
“First and most important,” said Lieutenant Hauser, when she stood
before them once more, “you are to hint to no one that we are preparing
to embark. No nurse is to leave the hotel without signing the register
when she goes out and when she returns. I prefer that you go shopping
or to the theater in groups. There are plenty of Red Cross volunteers
ready to show you around. You may want to buy many last minute items
not included in government issues. Each of you may take one of these
typed lists of suggestions, so you won’t forget something important you
may need out there. Do all you want to do promptly, for when we are
alerted no girl can leave the quarters.”
Lieutenant Hauser glanced at her notes and added, “Nor are you to have
any guests in your rooms. And everyone must check in by eleven o’clock.”
Nancy was relieved that they would be allowed to go out and do some
last-minute shopping.
“I understand the Red Cross has planned several social functions for
you, which you must attend as a unit. There will be one dance here at
the hotel at which you may wear evening clothes.” She smiled knowingly.
“You may not have a chance to dress up again for a long time. I want
you to enjoy yourselves as much as you can here—go to the movies, see
some good shows, but always be careful to observe strictly the rules I
have laid down.”
The nurses found, however, that the evenings were about the only time
they had for recreation, for there were numberless things to be done in
preparation for departure. When Mabel read her list of instructions she
fell back on her bed.
“I’ll never get my last-minute shopping done,” she groaned. “I’ll
feel like a bug-house by the time we finish with all these
inoculations—bubonic plague, cholera, typhus, yellow fever.”
Nancy scoffed. “You’re such a wind-bag, Mabel. You know we’ve already
had lots of them. This final checkup won’t be so bad.”
“At least I’m already immunized to smallpox and have had my typhoid
shots.”
“But say, doesn’t that list really spell the tropics to you?” Nancy
asked happily. “Wouldn’t Dad and Mom be thrilled to know I’m headed in
Tommy’s direction?”
“With present restrictions on mail it’ll be a long time before they
hear that,” Mabel reminded her.
“Anybody heard when we’re sailing?” asked Tini.
“If you ask me I don’t want to know,” Ida Hall told her. “Too much
responsibility to have such knowledge.”
“I figure it’ll take at least a week to unwind all this red tape,” said
Mabel. “They even want us to make our wills. Golly Moses, I haven’t
anything to will anybody! Just a few pieces of cheap jewelry. Money’s
never stuck to my fingers long enough for me to accumulate anything.”
“You’ll be getting more pay overseas,” Nancy reminded her. “And there
won’t be any place to spend it, if we really get near the front lines.”
However, Mabel did make out a will of sorts. The two friends went
together to attend to this bit of business. Nancy’s will was only a
simple statement leaving all she had to her parents. As they left the
office where their signatures had been witnessed Mabel said with rare
seriousness, “I haven’t any near kin, Nancy, so I’m leaving all I have
to you.”
“Oh, Mabel!” she exclaimed, her eyes suddenly blinded with tears.
“Not that I have anything much, but—but I’d just like you to know how
you rate with me.”
Nancy squeezed her friend’s arm and said softly, “I’ve never had a
friend like you, Mabel—so close I mean. You surely find out about
people when you live as close to them as we have these last weeks.”
“Makes us seem we’ve already known each other a lifetime.”
Mabel, always afraid of seriousness and sentiments said with a laugh as
they approached their room, “I wouldn’t have told you about it, if I’d
had enough to make it worth your while to put a spider in my dumpling.”
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