KITTY CARTER
Canteen Girl
_Story by_
RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD
_Illustrated by_
HENRY E. VALLELY
[Illustration: FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM _Series_]
WHITMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
RACINE, WISCONSIN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Copyright, 1944, by_
WHITMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
All names, characters, and events in this story
are entirely fictitious
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. They Also Serve 11
II. A Strange Meeting 21
III. The USO Party 34
IV. Emergency Feeding 45
V. The Snack Bar 58
VI. A Revelation 72
VII. The Tangled Web 83
VIII. What’s in a Title? 96
IX. Into the Marshes 108
X. The Beach Party 119
XI. Terrapin Island 130
XII. The Lookout 144
XIII. A Dream Comes True 152
XIV. More Worries 166
XV. A Confession 178
XVI. Further Revelations 189
XVII. A Narrow Escape 203
XVIII. A Caller in the Dark 213
XIX. Trapped 226
XX. Rewards 238
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ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Billy and Kitty Waved to the Tall Man 10
“Then You Are Miss Dawson,” Kitty Said 25
“We’ll Be Glad to Have You,” Mrs. Evans Said 37
A Spurt of Flame Ran Across the Boy’s Shoe 51
“What’s So Interesting There?” Brad Asked 65
“How About Asking Hazel Over Tonight?” 77
“You’re Not Silly at All,” Kitty Told Him 89
“What Do You Want Here?” Punaro Asked Them 105
Kitty Caught the Surprise on Her Father’s Face 113
“The Coast Guard Saw It All,” Ned Told Them 125
“I Sho’ Gits Lonesome,” the Old Negro Said 141
Kitty Glanced at the Hard-Featured Man 157
Billy Moaned and Tossed Restlessly 169
“You May Have Picked up a Missing Link!” 183
Brad Suddenly Turned to Kitty 195
“Brad, Are You Hurt?” Kitty Wailed 209
She Helped Him Across the Dock 217
“Don’t Move or I’ll Shoot!” 225
“Oh, Hazel,” Kitty Said, “I’m Delighted!” 241
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[Illustration: _Billy and Kitty Waved to the Tall Man_]
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KITTY CARTER
Canteen Girl
CHAPTER ONE
THEY ALSO SERVE
“Oh, Kitty, look!” Little Billy Carter jumped up and down in delight
beside his tall sister. “There’s Daddy!”
“Where?” Kitty asked as she searched the files of marching troops for a
look at her dad.
Billy pointed with his chubby finger. “Yonder! The straightest, bestest
of all!”
Then Kitty’s heart swelled with pride, too, as she watched a tall man
with the other medical officers from the Naval hospital. They were all
wonderful, those rhythmical, moving lines of blue, green and khaki, but
for the two Carters the heart and soul of it all was the Chief
Pharmacist’s Mate they called Dad. They were sure the war could never
be won without him.
It was a gala day in Bayport, for every organization had turned out to
boost the Community Chest drive. Now a military band was passing, while
Billy’s small feet kept time, and scuffed out the soles of his shoes.
Kitty had had no idea a six-year-old could wear out so many shoes till
she had come home from college a short time ago. Was it really only a
few weeks ago? To Kitty it seemed ages, for her whole program of life
had been changed in that time.
“There come the WACs, to give Hitler whacks,” Billy prattled.
“And there are the WAVES, our American braves.”
Kitty laughed though her heart was like stone as she repeated the silly
rhyme she had made up for Billy at Christmastime when she told him she
was going to join the WAVES. How little she had dreamed during that
happy vacation that Aunt Nina would be gone in another month, and Billy
would have no one to look to except his big sister.
But Kitty couldn’t keep back the blinding tears as the WACs and WAVES
passed in their trim uniforms, their heads held high, their eyes bright
in the knowledge that they were doing their share to help win the war.
“When are you going to be a WAVE, Kit, and wear a pretty uniform?”
Billy wanted to know.
“I’ve decided not to be a WAVE, darling,” Kitty looked straight ahead
for fear he would see her tears.
“But you said you were going to help win the war. Dad says we all must.”
“Look, there come the tanks!”
Billy forgot his puzzlement over his sister’s change of plans, for the
tanks were followed by jeeps, trucks and more lines of marching men and
women. At last the parade went on down Bay Street, but Kitty still
stood staring at the moving stream of passenger cars in its wake,
though she really saw nothing that passed. Somehow she felt cheated,
out of it all. After a while an insistent, small hand tugging at hers
brought her back to the present.
“Aren’t we going to see the ducks in the park? You promised.”
“Yes, of course. It’ll be fun watching the ducks. Let’s go across to
the bay walk.”
They succeeded in crossing the street finally, and hurried down the
path curving around the bay shore. In sight of the water Kitty’s
spirits always lifted. After all it was for such as Billy that this war
was being fought, that they might be free to go to parks and feed
ducks, and walk along a bay shore without fear of bombs overhead. As
Dad had said, she was really doing more than her bit, giving him a
start in life.
Bayshore Park was a lovely spot of green under magnificent moss-draped
live oaks. By the time they reached it the parade had broken up and
marines, soldiers and sailors were scattered about the green slopes,
resting after their long march. At the duck pond Kitty took a small
package of bread crumbs for the ducks from her purse and handed them to
Billy.
As she sat on a bench near by, her attention was suddenly caught by a
group of Canteen workers serving a lunch to the tired soldiers. There
were young girls in the Corps, some even younger than she, laughing and
talking with the men as they served them coffee, doughnuts and
sandwiches from a long table under the trees. How hungry the boys
seemed and how appreciative of having some girls to talk to!
Now she recognized one of the girls from near her home over on Palmetto
Island. Why Sally Bright was still in high school! How could she get
into the Canteen Corps?
“Look, Kitty, the sailor made me a boat!” Again Billy’s voice recalled
her from her abstraction.
She discovered a young yeoman squatting by the pond with Billy as they
launched a magnolia-leaf boat, with an oak-leaf sail. Billy was
gobbling half a sandwich the sailor had given him.
“You shouldn’t have given him your sandwich!” she exclaimed.
The young man sprang to his feet, apparently seeing her for the first
time.
“They’re so good,” he explained. “I couldn’t eat with him looking on.”
He had brown eyes that twinkled as he spoke.
“They do look good,” she admitted.
“Let me get you one? These Canteen girls sure have a genius for making
sandwiches.”
“Oh, no, don’t bother, please. I’m not hungry.”
“I’ve a kid sister who’s learned lots about good food since she’s been
a Canteen worker.”
“Kid sister?” repeated Kitty, puzzled.
He laughed. “Well, she’s not such a kid after all, I guess. Junior in
college.”
“How can she be a Canteen worker and go to college, too?”
“Oh, she has plenty of extra time to get in her Canteen quota of hours.
A girl can do Canteen work anywhere she happens to be living.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. You mean they don’t have to sign up for full
time or go away from home to do that work?”
“Sure!”
“Oh say, why didn’t I know about this before?”
The sailor’s face grew serious at the desperate way in which she spoke.
“Why? Would you like to do Canteen work?”
“I’d like to do anything to help.”
“Well, gal, nobody’s keeping you from it! There’s Miss Pearson right
over yonder. I’ll introduce you to her. Heard her say she’s going to
start a new nutrition class next week.”
He caught her hand and started across the green to the end of the long
table where an efficient-looking woman, in a blue uniform with spotless
white collar and cuffs, was pouring coffee. Within a few feet of her
the sailor stopped suddenly.
“What _is_ your name? After all, introductions are awkward without
having the names of both parties.”
They laughed self-consciously.
“Kathryn Carter—Kitty they call me, of course.”
“I’m Yeoman Brad Mason.”
“I knew you were a yeoman—your crossed feather insignia,” she told
him. “You see my dad’s been in the Navy ten years.”
His face brightened. “Oh, then we’re practically in the same family.
And now that the formalities are over we’ll proceed to business.”
Kitty glanced toward the end of the table and realized that Miss
Pearson had overheard their little conversation. The three of them
laughed, and the ice was completely broken.
“Since introductions are now unnecessary, Miss Pearson,” said Brad,
“let me explain that this young lady has suddenly discovered there’s
such a thing in this man’s war as a Canteen Corps.”
Kitty flushed. “Oh, really now, I’ve always known about them, but just
got the idea of doing that work myself.”
“It’s certainly the duty of everyone to serve somewhere.”
Kitty felt a slight edge on Miss Pearson’s tone, and was aware that her
eyes swept over her smart sweater suit and the jaunty blue tam.
“I’ve always meant to do my bit the minute I got my degree,” Kitty
hastened to explain. “But I’ve thought and dreamed and worked toward
going into the WAVES.”
“Well, why don’t you? They’re doing a marvelous work.”
Kitty’s eyes wandered to where Billy poked at his sail boat with a long
stick. “I can’t go now,” she said in a low tone. “My aunt who has taken
care of my little brother since my mother died, also left us six weeks
ago. Dad’s in the service, and there’s no one left with Billy but me.”
Miss Pearson followed Kitty’s glance to the little form beside the
pond. Her voice was warm with understanding as she said, “Yes, he’s
your first responsibility.” Then she smiled gently as she added, “But I
know it was hard for you to give up your dream of being a WAVE.”
“Don’t think I’m bitter about it,” Kitty hastened to assure her. “I
adore Billy. He’s worth any sacrifice I could make. But if I could help
somewhere to hasten the end of this war, nothing would make me happier.”
“That’s certainly _our_ aim.” Miss Pearson glanced with a comradely
look at Brad.
“I’ll say!” he agreed heartily.
“Do you think I could get into the Canteen Corps? Mr. Mason says you
don’t have to live away from home.”
“Of course, they’ll be delighted to have you, my dear. Come over to the
station wagon, and I’ll give you some leaflets telling about our work.”
“Wait a minute till I get Billy. He’ll be sure to fall in the pond if I
go out of sight.”
“You go ’long. I’ll look after Billy,” volunteered Brad. “I like that
boy. He’s enough like my oldest sister’s kid to be his twin.”
As they turned toward the station wagon that had brought over the
Canteen supplies, Kitty began to have misgivings.
“Maybe I can’t do this sort of thing at all. You know I majored in
music at school.”
“You like to eat, don’t you?” retorted Miss Pearson in that snappy,
business-like way she had.
“I’ll say, and cook, too! It’s one of my hobbies.”
“Well then, what are you worrying about?”
She reached to the car seat and took out a brief case packed with
notebooks and leaflets.
“This little book will tell you what the Canteen Corps is.”
As Kitty took the blue book with the Red Cross on the cover she
exclaimed, “Oh, it’s part of the Red Cross work?”
“Of course. What did you think it was?”
“I hadn’t thought. This will make it all the more wonderful, working
with the Red Cross. You know I think that’s the most marvelous
organization. It’s simply great what they do for anybody, anywhere.”
Miss Pearson smiled at the exaggeration. “Well, my dear, it’s not quite
so comprehensive as that. But we do stand ready to help in all
emergencies, and that’s where the Canteen workers play such an
important part. We are ready to feed people after air raids, storms,
floods, and disasters of all kinds.”
“Oh, that is important!”
“And we must work under all sorts of handicaps. We often have to
prepare large quantities of food right out in the open.”
“I learned something of outdoor cooking in my Girl Scout work years
ago,” said Kitty proudly.
“Then you already have a splendid foundation. Some scouts are helping
us this afternoon.”
“What must I do to get in? When can I start?”
“First you must take a course in nutrition. I’m starting a new class
next Monday morning.”
“Is the class filled? I hope I can get in.”
“I already have a full class, but I can make room for someone like you.
You see lots of women take this course, even when they can’t follow it
up with Canteen work.”
“When this course is finished may I sign up for Canteen work?”
“You have to follow the nutrition course with a course in Canteen work.”
“Wish I’d started sooner so I’d be ready for work now.”
“The course may seem long, but there’s much more to Canteen work than
the foundation course and emergency feeding. We do so many things. We
often serve refreshments at blood donation centers. We have Snack Bars
in USO halls. Sometimes our Canteen women help with school lunch
counters or in day nurseries.”
“There’s one over on Palmetto Island where Billy sometimes goes.”
“So you live on Palmetto Island? That’s all to the good. We’re badly in
need of workers there.”
“Oh, I’m so happy to learn about this! And you still think I can do it
and not neglect my duty to Billy?”
“Of course, my dear. We have many mothers with several children, who
manage to keep up their quota of Canteen hours every year and not
neglect their homes. In fact they’re better mothers and homemakers for
having taken the courses.”
“I’ve got to hug somebody—you!” exclaimed Kitty, impulsively throwing
her arms around Miss Pearson. “It’s so wonderful to find something I
can really do to help.”
When Miss Pearson had told her the time and place of the nutrition
class, Kitty hurried back to Billy, wondering if she would ever have
patience to wait till Monday to begin her training.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER TWO
A STRANGE MEETING
“Will I be eating sandwiches you made the next time the Canteen serves
here?” Brad Mason’s eyes twinkled teasingly as he put the question to
Kitty when she returned to the duck pond.
“Maybe.”
“Are you really going to take the Canteen course?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for worlds! And say, I owe you a vote of thanks. If
you hadn’t dropped those remarks about the Canteen work I might never
have thought of joining.”
“And what a prize they would have missed!”
Kitty flushed as she took Billy’s hand and told him it was time to go
home. It was strange how Brad Mason seemed like someone she had always
known.
“Wait a minute, now!” exclaimed Brad, pretending to be angry. “You
can’t walk out of my life like this. After all we’ve been introduced
properly with Miss Pearson as witness.”
Kitty glanced up into his face as she buttoned Billy’s coat. Then they
laughed gayly.
“At least you might tell me where you live,” Brad persisted.
“On Palmetto Island near the hospital. My dad works there. He’s a Chief
Pharmacist’s Mate.”
“Not really!”
“Maybe you know him, since you’re in the Navy.”
“Why, were as good as in the same family. I work in the registrar’s
office at the hospital.”
Kitty thought he was joking and said so. “I don’t remember ever seeing
you there.”
“Been on leave for two weeks, and I had a little sick spell before
that.”
“Oh, then that explains it.”
“Odd I never saw you before.”
“I came home from college about a month ago. Dad’s been down here two
months.”
“Yeah, I know him well. He’s tops!”
“We think so, don’t we, Billy?”
“You bet! He’s the bravest man in the whole Navy.”
Kitty made a move to leave the park, but Brad followed.
“I didn’t parade. I got into town only today. Couldn’t I ride the bus
back to the island with you?”
“I came in our launch. I have to wait and meet someone who is coming in
on the four-thirty train. But say, if you’re not in a hurry we’d be
glad to have you ride back across the bay with us. There’s plenty of
room.”
“That’ll be swell.”
The town busses were so packed with people going home from the parade
they decided to walk to the railroad station as it was only a few
blocks down the street. When Billy got too tired Brad took him astride
his shoulders and didn’t seem to care a bit if anyone stared at him.
“Going to meet some girl friend?” he asked when they were in sight of
the station.
“No, a new nurse is coming to the hospital. I think she has worked in
some hospital with Dad before. He knew all the island busses would be
jammed after the parade, so suggested I come over in the launch and
bring her back.”
As Kitty had never seen Hazel Dawson she was a little uneasy for fear
she would slip through the train gates unrecognized. There were several
smartly uniformed women among the travelers, WACs, and WAVES and Women
Marines. Most of them hurried by as if familiar with the station and
town. Then she saw a brisk-looking Navy nurse, following a redcap
loaded with bags. Kitty was still hesitating when the nurse paused
suddenly and looked her straight in the face.
“Are—are you—?” Kitty began.
She got no further when the nurse exclaimed, “Why you must be Kitty
Carter, or her duplicate.”
“Then you _are_ Miss Dawson?”
“No other. But I didn’t expect anyone to meet me.”
Kitty explained about the parade and the crowded busses, then
introduced Brad and Billy.
“This really is an honor. It seems almost like going home to have
someone meet me,” said Miss Dawson happily.
They caught a taxi outside the station. After the flurry of seeing
about baggage Hazel Dawson seemed tired as she settled back in the car
seat. Kitty glanced fleetingly at her face to see a weary, worried
expression in her eyes.
“Tired?” she asked sympathetically. Somehow she felt strangely drawn to
this older woman. She judged Ensign Dawson to be somewhere in her
thirties. Evidently she had already seen real action. On her coat she
wore the yellow ribbon for South Pacific service, and two stars
indicating she had been in two major engagements. Her eyes held the
shadowed, yet kindly light of one who eased much suffering.
“Not too tired,” she replied to Kitty’s question as she forced a smile
to her lips. She studied the girl’s face thoughtfully a moment before
she added, “So you’re Kitty Carter.”
“They say I look like Dad.”
“You do. I had no trouble recognizing you. Wherever your dad is he
always keeps your picture and Billy’s on his desk.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration: _“Then You Are Miss Dawson,” Kitty Said_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So you’ve served with him before?”
“We worked together several months in the Pacific, and were in the same
hospital at Annapolis.”
“I didn’t visit Dad when he was at Annapolis. You see ever since the
war began I’ve been cramming, winter and summer, to get my degree. I
wanted to get through as soon as I could and join the WAVES.”
“Yes. Your father told the you had to change your plans.” Hazel sent an
understanding glance toward Billy, sitting on Brad’s lap.
“But I’m going to be able to help after all,” said Kitty eagerly.
“Really? Then you’ve made arrangements for the boy?”
“Oh no. I can help and still keep our little home. I’m going into
Canteen work.”
“That’s splendid!”
“I might never have thought of it if I hadn’t met Brad Mason today.”
“Oh, you only met today.”
Brad grinned boyishly. “I thought it was important to get acquainted
with her, even if I did have to use Billy as a go-between.”
“Billy as a go-between!” exclaimed Kitty, shocked. “Do you mean you
made that sailboat for him with an ulterior motive?”
“I’ll have to plead guilty!” But Brad’s hearty laugh betrayed no sense
of guilt. “When I saw you sitting on that bench looking so pensive I
said to myself, ‘Now there’s a pretty girl who needs cheering.’”
“And we women have the idea it’s the service men who need cheering,”
said Hazel.
Kitty laughed in spite of her chagrin. “Well. I’ll have to hand it to
you for being a cheerer-upper,” she admitted.
“How did he stir up your interest in Canteen work?” asked Hazel,
entering gayly into their banter.
Kitty gave a sprightly account of their meeting, and ended by saying.
“And before I knew what had happened I had practically joined the
Canteen Corps and invited Brad to ride home with us.”
“But you can bet she wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t been coming
along. I know Kitty’s kind. She’s a stickler for form.”
“Oh, not really!”
“Just the same it’ll do you no end of good being a Canteen worker,”
Brad persisted.
Kitty was about to make a saucy retort when Billy piped up. “Look, Kit,
there’s the Red Cross station wagon!”
Sure enough they were passing the park where the station wagon was
being loaded again. Miss Pearson glanced her way and waved.
“I think she’s going to be nice to work with,” said Kitty happily. “I
can hardly wait till Monday to begin my training.”
“Can I ride in the station wagon with you when you’re a Canteen
worker?” Billy wanted to know.
“If they’ll let you.”
At the corner where they had to turn toward the docks, the taxi was
held up by traffic. A crowded Palmetto Island bus in front of them was
loading passengers. A dozen or more people couldn’t get on at all.
Among them Kitty noticed Lieutenant Cary, one of the physicians from
their own hospital. It seemed a shame to leave him to wait for the next
bus when there was plenty of room in their launch.
As the taxi crept through the traffic near the spot where the young
lieutenant stood, she called out to him, “Come down to the dock.” She
pointed down the side street toward the bay. “We’ll give you a ride
over to the island in our launch.”
He acknowledged her invitation with a dignified bow. When they moved on
Kitty turned to Brad and said, “Seemed a shame not to pick him up. You
know him of course—Lieutenant Cary?”
“Oh, yes.”
Kitty was surprised to find Brad’s cool tone reflecting some of her own
instinctive dislike of the man. She tried to disregard the feeling for
she scarcely knew Lieutenant Cary. She had encountered him only a few
times in her father’s office at the hospital. Though he made obvious
efforts to be friendly Kitty had an unaccountable aversion for him. But
she could not let her ungrounded prejudice go so far as to make her
pass by one of her father’s co-workers, when she had plenty of room to
take him home. Transportation conditions were bad enough, without
anyone traveling with unused space.
Brad was most helpful in loading Hazel’s suitcases into the launch. By
the time they had loaded the launch and warmed the motor, Lieutenant
Cary came sprinting toward them. Brad and Miss Dawson saluted their
superior officer as the physician paused a moment on the dock.
“This is really kind of you, Miss Carter,” Cary said, stepping into the
launch. “I had no idea there’d be such a traffic jam when I came over.”
“Miss Dawson, may I present Lieutenant Cary?” said Kitty, while Cary
still stood beside her in the middle of the launch.
He bowed with what Kitty thought exaggerated formality under the
cramped conditions. “You’re the new nurse scheduled to begin work
tomorrow, I presume?”
“That is correct, Lieutenant Cary.”
Kitty felt as if icy spray had been dashed into her face at the
coolness of the tone.
“You’re no relation of Mate Willard Dawson, I presume?” questioned the
Lieutenant.
“I’m proud to say he’s my brother!” Hazel Dawson spoke the words almost
with defiance.
Kitty, standing between the two wondered what all this meant. Their
antagonistic attitude was most unaccountable. She glanced at Brad to
find a strained, embarrassed look on his face.
Kitty deliberately raced the engine to end the awkward moment. As she
slowly and skillfully steered the launch through the harbor traffic,
she wondered what all this meant. Who was this mysterious Willard
Dawson, and why should Hazel be so stiff-necked in her assertion that
he was her brother? Fortunately Hazel was in the prow, while Lieutenant
Cary sat in the stern with Brad. Billy always wanted to stand in the
prow, so Nurse Dawson kept a protecting arm around him while Kitty ran
the boat.
Kitty’s father had said many times that she had been born with the salt
of the sea in her veins, like all the Carters. Two generations of naval
officers had been preceded by a great-grandfather who was captain of
his own sailing vessel, so Kitty had only been following the family
tradition when she aspired toward the WAVES. But she decided that
afternoon as she headed back toward Palmetto Island that serving the
Canteen was the perfect substitute under the circumstances.
The noise of the motor made conversation difficult, and she was rather
glad of it, for the afternoon had been so eventful she had much to
think about. First and foremost was her delight in making a service
link. And meeting Brad—that was something she would never forget! And
Hazel Dawson, too. She sensed it was the beginning of a new and
different sort of friendship. She wondered why the thought of Dr. Cary
chilled her ardor. Did Brad know why these two seemed to freeze on
meeting? She meant to ask him when she had a chance.
Hazel caught her attention, waving toward the receding shores.
“Beautiful country—marvelous!” she exclaimed, above the noise of the
motor.
“You’ll love it here.” Kitty told her. “I’ll take you boat riding, even
if we have to row to save gas. You must see these intriguing marshes,
and the beautiful shore lines with the wonderful live oaks draped in
Spanish moss.”
“This is my first trip south, in my own country,” Hazel told her.
Palmetto Island now came into view with its many smokestacks marking
the sky line. A fringe of palmettoes farther east was lost in the mists
where the inland waterways met the sea. Kitty pointed to the western
shore where a large white building stood on the point.
“There’s the Bernard General Hospital,” she said to Hazel. “Our house
isn’t far away, and the Marine Base is farther east and south.”
“A lovely spot!”
Kitty thought she caught a wistful note in Hazel’s voice, and her eyes
were almost sad as she drank in the beauty of green marshes, the blue
sky, and the bluer sea.
On reaching the island docks Kitty phoned her father as they had
previously arranged to send down a car. When she came out of the
warehouse where she had used the phone, Lieutenant Cary was gone.
“We could have taken him up with us,” she said, embarrassed that she
had failed to invite him specifically before she had gone to phone her
father.
“He said he had to stop on the way up to see a friend,” Brad explained.
“He left his thanks to you for giving him a lift.” Then to Kitty’s
amazement Brad added in a low tone through almost closed teeth, “Good
riddance, if you ask me!”
That night at supper Kitty gave her father an account of her unusual
afternoon, the main point of which was to tell him she wanted to begin
Canteen training.
“I’m proud of you, Kitty, that you wouldn’t give up till you found some
way you could serve under the circumstances,” said her father.
“Then you do think I can do it?”
“Of course. There’s nothing to prevent it.”
“We’ll have to pay Jane extra to stay with Billy the nights I’m on
duty. Can we afford that?”
“Certainly, my dear. I’ve been thinking we might fix up that room
behind the kitchen so Jane can be here all the time.”
“That’s a swell idea, Dad. I’d think she’d be glad to have a place rent
free. Last week she had to borrow money to pay her rent.”
They talked over further details of the new arrangement for their
combination nurse and cook. But even while they discussed their
domestic problems Kitty’s mind kept going back to the meeting between
Lieutenant Cary and Ensign Dawson.
Finally she blurted out, “Dad, did you ever know Willard Dawson,
Hazel’s brother?”
He glanced at her sharply. “No, he left before I came. I was sent to
take his place.”
“Then he worked a while with Lieutenant Cary?”
“Of course. Cary has been here six months. But why do you ask?”
Then Kitty attempted to give him an account of the meeting on the
launch, and the animosity she felt existed between the two strangers.
Her father tried to brush her suspicions aside. “You mustn’t get the
habit of attributing motives to every little thing people do, Kitty.
Often people are merely tired or preoccupied, and their coolness has no
significance at all.”
But Kitty was not satisfied with this explanation. She felt that her
father knew much more about the mysterious Willard Dawson than he had
revealed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER THREE
THE USO PARTY
All the next day, though Kitty had many obligations and numerous things
on her mind, her thoughts continually returned to the peculiar
circumstances of her boat ride from town. There was something very
mysterious about the whole business. She felt certain her father had
evaded telling her all he might have. Was the new nurse involved in
some mystery?
Suddenly Kitty recalled Brad’s worried expression at the meeting of the
two. He looked like one who suspected the cause of the disharmony.
Though she could not question Nurse Dawson there was no reason why she
shouldn’t talk to Brad about what had happened. Maybe she would see him
at the USO party Saturday night.
As she dressed for the party the following night, Kitty’s thoughts were
busy with what she would say to Brad. All the girls were wearing gay
evening clothes, even though they were pre-war gowns, for this made the
occasion seem festive for the boys.
Vera Parsons, a member of the Motor Corps, who drove the station wagon
around to collect the girls for the USO parties, honked before Kitty
had quite finished dressing. She threw her coat around her shoulders,
caught up the skirt of the fluffy evening dress of pale yellow, and
hurried toward the front door.
She felt buoyantly happy as she kissed Billy good night and joined the
girls. Life had become an interesting adventure once more, with a goal
to work toward. She had the happy feeling of one who had at last found
a niche into which she fitted perfectly.
Kitty had been to only one other USO dance, for she had been in no mood
for parties when she first joined her father on the island. She missed
her Aunt Nina too keenly. It was Vera Parsons who made her realize
these dances were not like most others. She would not be going merely
for her own pleasure, but to help the boys forget they were homesick
and lonely and still had a big job ahead of them.
“You know they won’t allow just any sort of girl to go to these
dances,” Vera told her. “Only those of the highest caliber. They’re not
always easy to find, especially on an island as small as Palmetto. We
need all the nice girls we can get to help us out.”
So Kitty had attended the dance last Tuesday, and enjoyed it immensely.
It was then she had noticed, though only casually, the Snack Bar which
the Canteen operated. Tonight she planned to give the bar more than a
brief inspection, and to get acquainted with the workers.
Vera knew all the girls and introduced Kitty. She had been on the
island a year and was acquainted with everyone who was helping with war
work. Vera was a most capable girl, large and rather muscular, but with
such a wholesome attitude Kitty warmed to her at once. She had come
upon her the first time on a sandy road running through a palmetto
thicket. Vera was changing a tire with as much ease as a garage
mechanic. Kitty later learned that she was the type of girl who doesn’t
hesitate to put her hands to any task. Her reddish brown hair, snapping
brown eyes and gusty manner won her friends wherever she went.
“Well, Kitty Carter’s soon going to be one of you!” was her method of
introducing the Canteen candidate to the girls behind the Snack Bar.
“Kitty, this is Mrs. Evans. She’s Chairman of the Corps over here, and
this is Sally Bright and Judy Conner.”
“We’ll surely be glad to have you,” spoke up Mrs. Evans, a thin,
sprightly woman in her fifties. Though much older than the other two,
she was still young enough in spirit to be comradely.
“I can hardly wait to begin my training,” said Kitty, perching on one
of the stools, and leaning her elbows on the counter.
“When do you start?” asked Sally.
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[Illustration: _“We’ll Be Glad to Have You,” Mrs. Evans Said_]
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“Monday. The nutrition class first.”
“Yes, that must come first,” Mrs. Evans told her. “It’s a prerequisite
to the Canteen course. We have to know a lot about food since our job
is feeding people under all sorts of circumstances.”
“And we have to know how to wash a stack of dishes as high as the
Washington Monument,” put in Judy Conner with a groan.
“Fortunately no one has to do that all the time,” Mrs. Evans explained.
“We take turns doing the different tasks so everyone has an opportunity
to gain all-round experience.”
“I’m always glad when it comes my turn to make out menus,” said Judy.
“But Sally actually likes to clean up. Can you imagine that?”
Sally’s button nose wrinkled as her round face spread into a grin.
“Strange, but true. I like to bring order out of chaos.”
“Isn’t it wonderful that we have a group where different ones like to
do different things?” said Mrs. Evans happily.
“I like to cook,” Kitty told them. “I like experimenting and creating
new concoctions and trying out new recipes.”
“I’m afraid there won’t be much opportunity for new dishes in this
work, but you’ll be given plenty of opportunity to cook if you like
that.”
Kitty glanced at Sally with a look of appreciation. “But I just can’t
imagine anyone really liking to clean a kitchen.”
“They’re rare birds,” giggled Judy.
“It gives my esthetic nature a keen satisfaction to leave a kitchen
spick-and-span after the hullabaloo is over,” Sally explained.
“Sometimes she is too anxious to clean,” Judy reported. “She has a way
of cleaning up bowls and spoons before the cooks have finished with
’em.”
Sally went back to the kitchen to end their teasing, and Kitty asked,
“Is the nutrition course very hard?”
“Oh, no. Miss Pearson makes it very interesting. You learn all about
food needs in emergencies and food values for all times,” explained
Mrs. Evans.
“I guess we could all learn a lot about that.”
“Indeed we could! Part of our work, too, is giving instructions and
demonstrations to people. Good health and sane living are so dependent
on proper diet.”
“More so than most people will admit,” said Judy. “You’ll learn about
that in nutrition class.”
“Well, it seems I’m in line to learn lots that will help me even after
the war is won,” Kitty answered, and she felt her interest and
anticipation in the work increasing.
“The most exciting part of the work comes at the time of an emergency,”
explained Mrs. Evans. “I helped once during a flood out in Mississippi.
That was when I first went into Canteen work.”
“When we read about such things in the papers they seem so unreal and
far away,” said Kitty, suddenly feeling a great sense of responsibility
in her new undertaking. She realized now that a Canteen worker must
have the courage and endurance of a true soldier if she was to fulfill
her obligations.
There was much more she wanted to ask Mrs. Evans and the girls, but at
that moment the band began playing and Jimmy Barnes, a young
storekeeper, came to ask her to dance with him.
The second dance had just begun when someone tapped her partner on the
shoulder. Kitty looked over the sailor’s shoulder to see the spotless
white of a Naval officer’s uniform. She was surprised to recognize
Lieutenant Cary.
She could not suppress a startled exclamation, “Oh, you?”
“Sorry to break in, but I had to apologize for leaving yesterday at the
dock without telling you how much I appreciated the ride from town, but
I was late for an appointment.”
“Oh, that was O.K. Dad had told me to phone so we’d have a way of
getting Miss Dawson’s bags up from the dock.”
“So she’s an old friend?”
Though the young doctor’s words seemed harmless enough Kitty was
instantly on the defensive. Guardedly she replied, “I never saw her
till yesterday.”
“Though you met her at the train?”
Kitty noticed how blond the Lieutenant’s eyebrows were when he lifted
them with a skeptical expression. She made no reply to his last remark,
not knowing how best to speak.
He seemed to take the hint that the subject was closed, and after an
interval said, “You dance beautifully.”
“Thanks.”
“You look charming tonight,” he persisted.
She flushed in spite of not wanting him to pay her compliments. She was
about to make a pert retort when she reminded herself that he, too, was
in the service, even though she disliked him personally. After all she
had come here to try to make these men who were serving her country a
bit happier. Suddenly she caught sight of Brad watching her with a
puzzled expression.
To her relief the band crashed out the finale at that moment, and Brad
came to claim her for the next dance.
“So glad you came,” Kitty said cordially.
“No gladder than I am.” He grinned as he looked her over with a
sauciness at which no one could take offense. Then he whistled softly.
“Gosh, but you look like a dream walking!”
“But I came here to dance, not walk.”
“You didn’t come here to dance with Lieutenant Cary from now on if I
have anything to do with it.”
“Why he dances divinely.” Kitty found herself defending the man she
didn’t like just to take Brad down a peg or two.
“Maybe he learned his dance steps where the great Strauss waltzes were
born.” Brad glanced around before he added “Vienna.”
“You mean?”
“We can’t talk here,” he warned quietly.
“I wanted to talk to you about something, too.”
“Did you?” he asked eagerly.
He took her arm and started toward the rear door. Some steps led down
to a court with a fountain in the center and natural palms around it.
There were dim lights, and a hostess to make everyone welcome.
Brad found a seat at the far end where the lights were dimmed enough
for them to catch a glimpse of the stars. Kitty glanced around to be
sure that no one else was within hearing distance.
“Brad, did you notice anything odd yesterday when I introduced Nurse
Dawson to Lieutenant Cary?”
“Plenty!” He spoke the word with significance.
“They seemed to have an innate animosity for each other when obviously
they had never met before.”
“If you ask me, Kitty, it was a blow to Lieutenant Cary to discover
Ensign Dawson on her way to Bernard Hospital.”
“But why?”
“Well, I hardly know how to tell you. It seems so intangible—sort of
hunch.”
“It must be a mighty big hunch, for I have the same sort of feeling
that something’s wrong somewhere. Miss Dawson looked so sort of
burdened.”
“Guess she has enough to make her feel depressed and definitely
self-conscious at being sent to this hospital of all places.”
“Why?”
“Something happened while her brother was here. He left under a sort of
shadow. Was shipped off to Santiago.”
“You mean he almost got a bob-tail?”
“Well, not quite. But I heard things were terribly mixed up in his
work. He was Chief Pharmacist’s Mate like your dad.”
“I wonder what was wrong?”
“That’s what I haven’t been able to find out. But on several occasions
I heard him and Lieutenant Cary having rather hot arguments. I could
never get to the root of their trouble.”
“Then you think Lieutenant Cary had something to do with Dawson’s
leaving the hospital?”
“I’m convinced of it.”
“Did you know him very well?”
“I wasn’t there long before he left, but I liked him an awful lot.”
“Naturally Lieutenant Cary would resent Nurse Dawson being sent to the
same base.”
“And he didn’t make any bones about showing it,” said Brad in disgust.
Kitty watched some couples go back to the dance hall as the band struck
up again. After an interval she said, “Brad, I believe Dad knows
something about all this.”
“He ought to, if anyone does. They put him in the position Dawson had
filled.”
“He shut up like a clam when I told him what happened in the launch
yesterday.”
Kitty sat turning the opal ring on her third finger, as she puzzled
over the complications.
“You have nice hands—capable,” Brad told her.
“That’s from all the years of piano practice. You have to have piano,
you know, along with voice training.”
“Some time will you sing for me?”
She smiled up into his eager eyes. “I’d love to. But right now, Brad, I
can’t think of anything but this queer business we’ve stumbled on. I
have a queer feeling it may mean real trouble at the hospital.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s anything as serious as that. But I’ll tell you
frankly I don’t trust Lieutenant Cary. He’s a man who’ll bear watching,
all right. I heard that just a year before the war broke out he was
studying surgery in Vienna and Berlin.”
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CHAPTER FOUR
EMERGENCY FEEDING
Kitty was glad the sun was shining brightly Monday morning when she ran
to the window to look out. She felt eager and ready to tackle the
toughest sort of job. She could face her friends with new assurance
now, for she was soon to be a part of the great army of workers
dedicated to restoring peace to a troubled world.
For a while at least, while their gasoline allowance lasted, she was
going back and forth in the launch, as that would save at least an hour
each day in transportation time. Two other girls from the island were
going to take the course with her and share those rides, so she felt
justified in the use of gasoline. She had spent the early years of her
life on the Gulf coast and was perfectly at home on the water. And how
she loved it!
Vera Parsons had decided to add the Canteen course to her other lines
of service, and Sally Bright’s sister, Lana, was joining also.
“I hope the course won’t be too dry,” mused Lana, when they were
crossing the bay that first morning.
“It won’t be if Miss Pearson’s in charge,” Vera assured her. “She could
put pep into a snail.”
“I wish I could begin work right now,” said Kitty. “I don’t see how
I’ll have patience to wait to finish the courses.”
“There’s nothing to keep you from helping right now,” Vera told her.
“There’re lots of Canteen Aides.”
“Canteen Aides?”
“Girls who haven’t taken the courses but do volunteer work in
emergencies.”
“Oh, that’s great! I want to get into it as soon as possible. I’ve felt
like a shirker these last weeks.”
“I don’t see why you call yourself a shirker,” consoled Lana. “With a
kid brother, a dad and a cottage to look after, I should think you’d
have your hands full.”
The nutrition classes were being held in the Power Company’s
demonstration kitchen. The trio from Palmetto Island found about thirty
women and girls gathered when they arrived. Miss Pearson, spotless in
her attractive uniform, was already giving out mimeographed sheets for
study. All the seats toward the back were taken, but Kitty and her
friends found folding chairs near the demonstration table, where Miss
Pearson had her materials spread out.
Kitty thought how easy it was to slip into the old habit of making
notes at lectures when she took a notebook and fountain pen from her
purse. Miss Pearson had not been lecturing half an hour when Kitty
realized how valuable the classes were going to be. She could use the
information now and long after the war.
“I want to sketch briefly what we must cover in this course,” Miss
Pearson began. “As a foundation every one must know the requirements of
good nutrition, and the value of different kinds of food.”
Kitty thought how little attention she had paid to such matters in the
years she had been concentrating on her music. She had eaten what was
put before her at school, and had given no heed to it unless she became
ill and the doctor restricted her diet.
When Miss Pearson mentioned that she would give assistance in planning
menus to fit food rationing situations Kitty was really delighted. That
planning had been a mathematical problem to her ever since she had
started housekeeping.
Field trips to large kitchens of the community, and to food preserving
plants promised interesting diversions to classroom activities.
“Tomorrow morning I’ve arranged for us to visit the Bayshore Bakery
after class,” Miss Pearson told them. “There you’ll learn a little
about mass production. You see we have to be prepared to cook large
quantities of food in times of emergency.”
Kitty saw that there was going to be real work, also, in the course. At
the bottom of their instruction sheets were some questions that must be
answered next day in class.
“We can discuss these going and coming in the boat,” Kitty suggested to
her friends as they were going out.
“I really think it’s going to be fun,” Lana said.
“And very valuable, too,” said Kitty.
“I noticed a couple of women from over at the oyster cannery
settlement,” said Vera. “Every woman over there ought to be taking this
course for the good of her family. Miss Pearson is going to show us how
to make a little bit go a long way.”
“That’s surely something we can all use,” said Kitty.
Their excursion to the bakery was followed by a visit to the oyster
cannery, the community cannery, a near-by cafeteria kitchen, and to a
school lunchroom, which was most efficiently organized.
“Every person in that lunchroom took our nutrition course when I first
gave it,” explained Miss Pearson.
Kitty found it hard to believe at the end of the first week that half
her nutrition course was already complete. She had enjoyed every minute
of it. To be a part of a great scheme like this, in which everyone was
cooperating for the general welfare gave her a glow of satisfaction.
She didn’t mind at all that she had to work till bedtime to finish her
home duties, to see about Billy’s clothes, and plan her own food
program for the next day. In her carefree days at college she had not
dreamed there was so much to be done in the world.
Classes were held in the evening during the second week of the course.
This was a compromise to fit the needs of several housewives, who found
it difficult to leave home in the morning. This arrangement made it
necessary for Kitty, Vera and Lana to ride the island busses, as the
girls could not go alone in the launch at night.
Palmetto Island was connected with the mainland by a long causeway
across the marshes. This made the bus trip about three times the length
of the boat ride.
The second evening, as the girls were returning home about ten-thirty
the bus stopped near the oyster cannery to pick up some passengers. One
of them was a sailor, wearing the crescent of the galley service. He
impressed Kitty as being a raw recruit. Though Kitty was preoccupied
with her own thoughts about the Canteen work, she had the fleeting idea
that the boy must be on his way back to Bernard Hospital. She probably
would never have thought of him again had not something rather peculiar
happened.
The sailor stood just in line of her vision on the crowded bus. The man
next to him had been smoking a cigar when he came aboard, and now held
it in his hand. Suddenly as the bus lurched around a corner red-hot
ashes from the end of the cigar fell on the sailor’s shoe. Instantly a
spurt of flame ran diagonally across the boy’s shoe, as if some
inflammable liquid had been spilled on it. Hastily the sailor stamped
out the flame with his other foot. It all happened and was over in a
flash. Kitty was impressed enough by the incident, however, to notice
that the young man got off the bus at the hospital station.
Even then she would probably have forgotten the incident but for the
strange events of the following day. She was roused at dawn by the
telephone. It was Mrs. Evans, Chairman of the island Canteen unit.
“There was a big fire over at the oyster cannery last night,” she told
Kitty. “Practically every shack on the point was burned down.”
“Oh, how terrible! Can I do anything?”
Kitty knew that the oyster cannery district was the poorest housed
section of town.
“Indeed there is! We need every Canteen worker we can get to help
prepare for these homeless people.”
“I’ll be right down,” said Kitty promptly.
“Could we use your launch?”
“Oh yes. I’m sure Dad won’t object.”
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[Illustration: _A Spurt of Flame Ran Across the Boy’s Shoe_]
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“We are already loading the station wagon, but that won’t hold all we
need. Miss Pearson phoned from Bayport for us to bring dishes,
equipment and all the help we can get.”
“I’ll be down as soon as I can put on my clothes,” Kitty promised.