Being Mary Ro

by Ida Linehan Young

  Bridie stopped to talk to a dark-haired lady. She turned to introduce her sister and only then realized that Mary wasn’t behind her. Bridie tried to catch Mary’s attention but had to retrace her steps.

  “Mary. Mary. Mary, have you gone deaf?” Bridie asked.

  Mary shook her head. “Sorry, Bridie. I can’t believe this place exists.”

  The other lady laughed. “It’s quite the sight. That’s for sure.”

  “Mary, I’d like for you to meet my friend, Helen Osborne,” Bridie said.

  “Storrow,” the lady said. “Remember, Bridie, I’m Helen Storrow now.”

  Bridie laughed. “Sorry, Helen. I keep forgetting you’re married to James.”

  Helen extended her hand to Mary. “Bridie and I have been friends for several years. I married last year. We haven’t seen much of each other since then.”

  The lady’s smile was genuine and immediately lessened Mary’s anxiety.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Mary said.

  “You, too. Bridie called me yesterday, out of the blue. She knew I volunteered quite a bit here and thought I might be able to help you.”

  “Really,” Mary said, as she looked at her sister. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “Nonsense. I’m happy to help you,” Helen said. Helen and Bridie exchanged pleasantries and agreed to meet for tea in the next few weeks. Bridie left after promising to have Helen and her husband over for supper one evening soon.

  Helen gave Mary a tour of the library and showed her how to borrow and return books. She also showed Mary some of the more private rooms where she could study.

  “I know this can be quite overwhelming, but don’t let the size of the place or the numbers of people intimidate you,” Helen said. She told Mary that she was an English teacher and could give her tips on what to study for the entrance exam. Helen was very friendly and helpful and quickly had her set up for a day of research and study. She insisted on taking Mary to a nearby deli before she got settled. Mary had some kind of smoked meat sandwich that she’d never had before. It was delicious.

  Helen was great company. Mary learned that she and her husband spent a lot of time hiking and canoeing. This seemed sort of silly at first, before Mary likened it to her spending time walking in the woods and rowing dories in the pond. The words might be different, but the concept was the same. Surprisingly, they had lots in common.

  By the time Bridie’s husband, Robert, came for her, Mary was ready to go. Her mind was full. Helen had stopped by her study area three times and spent time asking her questions about the material. She told Mary she would ensure Mary passed the entrance exam “supposing it killed them both.” “Us girls have to stick together,” was her only comment every time Mary apologized for taking up her day. Helen said she came from a long line of “bluestockings,” females who believed women should be able to do anything they wanted—especially with their labour. Overall, it was an enjoyable day and one that was repeated during the coming weeks.

  As expected, Danol came for supper that evening. She couldn’t wait to tell him about her studies and her new friend. Bridie had been instrumental in giving her a chance to make the grade. All she needed was to work hard. Danol could see the change in her. Her hesitancy was all but gone, and Mary was thriving with the new challenge. It was remarkable. Like crocuses in springtime, she was resilient and hardy. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her during the meal.

  “I best be going. I’ve a long day ahead of me,” Danol said. “I know Mary is anxious to get back at the books.”

  “Danol, don’t leave on my account.”

  “It’s all right, Mary. I really should be going.”

  “I’ll see you to the door.”

  He bid them all a good night with the promise that he would come for supper once he returned from New York.

  Danol took her two hands in his when he got to the porch and out of sight of the rest of the family. “I can’t say how happy I am to see you like this.”

  “Like what, Danol?”

  “I don’t rightly know. You look happy and excited.”

  “Well, that’s because I am,” she said.

  He laughed and gently squeezed her hands. “I suppose that’s right. But that’s just it. You see things so simply.”

  “Are you making fun of me?”

  “Never.” He raised his eyebrows and grimaced at the thought. “You amaze me, my dear Mary. You have so much studying ahead of you. You’re going to be a doctor, you’re in a strange city, you’re miles away from the only life you’ve ever known, and you’re just happy. No more to it than that.” He squeezed her hands one more time. “You’re something else, Mary Rourke.”

  She was radiant, her innocence evident in her expression. He stared at her for some time.

  “Danol!” Mary said. He shook his head.

  “Where are my manners? Don’t study too hard, Mary. I’ll see you in two weeks.” He quickly planted a kiss on her forehead and rushed out the door.

  Mary leaned back on the door and once more put her fingertips to where his lips had pressed her skin. “Mary Rourke, you’re in a fine tangle,” she whispered skyward. “A fine tangle, indeed.”

  17

  The next two weeks were a steady routine of study, eat, and sleep. She met Helen each weekday and borrowed books from the library to use on the weekends. Helen called Mary “her project,” and Mary was extremely grateful for her help. Despite the fact that there wasn’t much excitement to share with Meg, Mary wrote a brief note each evening to add to her correspondence. Poor Meg wouldn’t believe how many people lived here in Boston.

  Every evening she started a letter to Peter, but she wasn’t sure what she should say. Her mind was swarming with information from the books, and she couldn’t quite come up with what she wanted to write. Should she simply write “yes” and wait for his reply? She was worried about him and what he must be going through if his son was gone. She didn’t know how to express that so she wouldn’t bring him any further hurt.

  Bridie found a woman doctor in the area and made an appointment for Mary to speak to her. She met Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, who had been a thriving practitioner for over ten years. Dr. Blackwell graduated from the same program Mary was entering. She helped ease Mary’s anxiety regarding the university. To Mary’s delight and astonishment, she also offered to be a mentor, asking if Mary would like to attend clinic when the time was right. Mary was elated at the prospect and had a much clearer picture of what her time at school would be like.

  Danol dropped by one day shy of two weeks later and invited her out to supper. She didn’t want to go at first, but Danol and Bridie insisted she needed a break. Mary was happy to give Bridie and Robert an evening alone with the kids and to leave the books for an evening, so she gratefully accepted.

  Danol escorted her to an Italian restaurant not far away. Mary was absolutely astonished that she could go into a fancy place like this and just sit down at an elegant table while others tended on her. Meg was not going to believe this! Danol helped her order from the menu. He could only imagine what it was like to see this world through her wide eyes.

  After ordering their meals, the conversation turned to the serious topic of Pearce and his trial.

  “Pearce was sent to Auburn State Prison, where he’ll be executed using a new device called the electric chair,” Danol said, after glossing over the details of the trial.

  “I don’t know what that is, Danol, but I can’t say that I’m sad. He was a very bad man.” She spoke softly, her mind drawn back to when she had wounded him in her kitchen.

  “You’re right. He was.” After a short silence, Danol decided to change the subject. Suddenly he felt nervous, and his palms began to sweat. “I put in my notice today,” he said. “In two months I’ll no longer be a police lieutenant but a regular citizen.”

  “Oh, Danol, wh
at are you saying?”

  “I thought long and hard about this while I was recovering at Mrs. Ange’s, and again while I was in New York. Mary, you were a big part of the decision. When I saw how you could give up what you had known in pursuit of a dream, that made me reflect on what I was doing and why.”

  He told her that his father had died as a policeman doing something he loved. Danol had become an officer because of his father, not because he wanted that life. He realized that fact when Pearce almost killed him and when Mary came into his life. After much soul-searching, he was certain this was the step he wanted to take. He realized he loved the sea as much as he enjoyed helping people. “By having a sailing medical ship, I can do both—with your assistance, of course.”

  “I’d had nothing to really lose, Danol. But you, you’ve your career.”

  “It wasn’t a career. It was something I did to make a living. I’m happy you helped me see that.”

  “Danol, it’s I who need to thank you, not the other way around. You’ve given me so much.”

  “You be the best damned doctor anyone has ever seen,” Danol said. “You can do that—that’s my repayment. You saved me, Mary, in more ways than one. It’s you that I need to repay, not the other way around.”

  Their meal arrived before she could respond. She didn’t know what she could say.

  Danol changed the direction of the conversation again, talking about the $10,000 reward that would put a down payment on their boat. The conversation came easy between them during their delicious courses and while he walked her home. They didn’t speak of his career change.

  “Good night, Danol.”

  “Good night, Mary.” He watched while she closed the door and then walked to the streetcar.

  Bridie asked her how her evening had gone. Mary insisted it was just two friends meeting and was a little put out that Bridie was reading more into it. Although her conversation with Danol played on her mind, Mary went to her room once again thinking of Peter and wondering about his son.

  She took out her notes on world history and began to review them. It was no use. She couldn’t concentrate at all this evening.

  Peter had been on her mind every night since she arrived in Boston—really since she left John’s Pond. Going through the newspapers didn’t assuage her concern. She was disappointed to find the stories with updates from St. John’s were fewer and fewer.

  She wondered if Peter had tried to contact her in John’s Pond. Surely Mrs. Ange would forward any messages.

  Mary decided it was time to finish her letter. Peter deserved an answer, and she must discover the fate of his son. She sat at the desk and began to write again for what felt like the fiftieth time.

  My dearest Peter,

  Your proposal those few short weeks ago took me by surprise. Your showing up in John’s Pond was so unexpected and was quite a shock for me. I would never have guessed that you’d ask me to marry you. I’ve so many questions for you, but they can wait until we meet again. I was sorry to hear about your wife and I’m hoping that you have found your son to be safe.

  I’ve a proposal for you that I’ll talk to you about in the spring. I’ve gone to Boston to visit my sisters, but I’ll be back. I’m coming back to you. The answer to your question is yes. It has always been yes. I’ve dreamed of being Mrs. Peter Nolan for most of my adult life and will happily accept if the offer is still open.

  I look forward to hearing from you. I hope this finds you well.

  All my love,

  Mary

  Mary sealed the letter and addressed it to Dr. Peter Nolan in care of the General Hospital in St. John’s. She would give Peter and Meg’s letters to Bridie in the morning. Her sister would post them for her.

  The three weeks of studying were up. Danol had stayed away most of the third week but wanted to take her to the university on the day of the entrance exam. He collected the books to return to Mr. Warren and escorted her to the university. “Good luck, Mary. I’m sure your hard work will pay off.”

  “Thanks, Danol.”

  At the end of the day, she walked out of the classroom not at all comfortable with how things would turn out. She forced a smile as Danol stood to greet her. “You stayed here all this time?”

  “Of course not. I went to work for a while,” Danol said. “So tell me about the exam.”

  “Well, there must have been a hundred or more people writing it,” Mary said. “Registration took a lot of time, and then we were all escorted to this large room. My hand is tired from all the writing and my head from all the thinking.” She made a fist, then flexed her fingers several times.

  Danol gently grabbed her hands. “It’s all over now. You have done everything you can. You have to trust it’s enough.”

  “According to Mr. Warren, my score will be the deciding factor for the medical program. At least for this year. If I don’t do well, I’ll have to take one or more years of study at the university before I can be admitted.” Mary paused and stared at Danol. “I don’t know what I will do in that event. I’ll have to talk to Bridie.”

  “Let’s wait until you get the results before you go preparing for the worst,” Danol said. “In the meantime, now that study is done, I have something I need to show you. Can you come out with me tomorrow afternoon?”

  The next day they hopped on a trolley which brought them to the wharf. Mary was still unsure about the vehicle. She would have been happier with a horse and cart.

  “Why did you bring me here of all places?” she asked.

  “We’re meeting someone who builds boats for a living. He had the shell of one ready, and I wanted you to help design one room on the inside—the doctoring part.”

  “But this is far too soon,” Mary argued.

  “I know that, but consider it an investment. I plan to build what we need and then lease it out to finish paying for it. Maybe I’ll make a few trips to see how she handles.”

  Danol explained how a lot of these types of vessels were needed for trade and how one special room would be hers and hers alone.

  “Really, Danol. I don’t know what such a ship should look like on the inside,” she said.

  “Remember when you had that young Tommy fellow on the pallets with the broken arm?”

  She nodded. “Yes, of course I do.”

  “Well, think about that and think about what would’ve made it a better area to work in. We can have a room for that. We also need bunks and supplies and equipment. The builder can help us with that. I want you to plan the medical room. You and Peter will be spending the most time in it.”

  They walked in silence for a considerable distance while Mary thought about their options. She couldn’t believe they were building an actual boat for this type of service with no thought to whether it would work or not. Then the memory of her parents came to the forefront, and that was reassurance that there definitely was a need and big benefits for people in outports.

  “Okay, Danol. I can ask Dr. Blackwell, too.” He took her hand and tucked it under his arm. They strolled along, chatting about the different things to ask for, some silly and some real, both laughing by the time they got to their destination.

  Danol introduced Mary to the boat builder, Sam Johnson, a big powerful man in his mid-forties.

  “Where is the doctor you planned to bring along?” Sam asked.

  “She’s right here with me. She’s not a doctor yet but will be using the boat in a few years to do her doctoring,” Danol answered, proud to call Mary a doctor.

  “I see,” said Sam, his tone a little too condescending for Danol’s liking.

  “I can take my business elsewhere if it’s a problem,” Danol said.

  “No, no, I’m just surprised, that’s all. I’ve never heard of any woman doctors before. I’ll be happy to work with you both to design the guts of the boat, as long as it doesn’t interfere
with the makings of a good vessel. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” they both said at once. They bantered ideas about on what they thought they needed, and Sam gave them some that they hadn’t thought of—cabins, some big, some small, for extended stays on the water and for having families aboard. By the time the morning had passed, they had all come to an understanding on a design and a rough vision for Mary’s room.

  “You have to name her before she goes in the water,” Sam told them.

  “I already have a name,” Danol said. “She’ll be the Angel Endeavours.”

  Mary looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

  “I was going to call her the Angel Mary but thought you might have a problem with that. The Queen Mary was already taken!” He grinned, letting her know that he had thought a long time about this.

  “Angel Endeavours she will be,” she said, nodding.

  Sam brought them out to the fully enclosed shell in the shipyard, and they both eyed the wooden structure, each envisioning the design they had put on paper. They told Sam they would be back in a month to see the progress before shaking hands to signify a deal.

  On the way back to catch the trolley, Danol asked her if she was sure that this vessel was an appropriate way to spend their money. They could back out now but not in a month’s time. Mary assured him it was what she wanted. They could return to Newfoundland next spring in a boat medically outfitted.

  18

  A week later, Bridie rushed into the kitchen, where Mary was busy putting bread in rise. “It’s here! It’s here! You’ve heard from the university.”

  Mary quickly cleaned her hands and clasped the letter between her fingertips as if she were holding delicate lace.

  “What if I didn’t pass?” Mary asked. Bridie made a fake attempt to grab the letter from her. “All right. Enough time has been wasted.” She put her finger under the flap and ripped it open. Mary sat back on the chair, her legs suddenly weak.