by Mabel Maney
"Of course!" Cherry cried. "You can count on me, Nurse Marstad. I'd never let you down! Why, you're not nearly as tough as everyone says!" she added.
Nurse Marstad chuckled. "You assumed I was going to fire you because you made one mistake. After all, doesn't everyone say I'm so tough that I practically eat probation nurses for breakfast?"
Cherry didn't know what to say. She always tried to be diplomatic. "Everyone knows you have high standards. And there was that one nurse..."
"So that awful rumor about Nurse Rita Rooney is still making the rounds!"
Cherry had indeed heard the rumor. Why, all probies heard it the first day on the job. Legend had it that a beginning nurse made a simple mistake during surgery, and Nurse Marstad reprimanded her so harshly she hung herself that very night. Her ghost haunted the first-year nurses' quarters during the full moon, the senior nurses said.
"You mean she didn't hang herself because of you?" Cherry blurted out before she could stop herself.
"Nurse Rooney is very much alive and well and living in Key West with Nurse Greta Green. I should know. I was her roommate until the day Nurse Green showed up."
Cherry's jaw dropped. "But why do they tell that terrible story?" she asked indignantly.
Nurse Marstad smiled widely, revealing a darling dimple in her left cheek. "Someone's idea of a joke, I guess!" she shrugged.
Cherry was astonished. Why, Nurse Marstad wasn't the big bad wolf everyone thought!
"It would be an honor to deliver your package, Nurse Marstad," Cherry said proudly.
Nurse Marstad unlocked the bottom drawer of her desk and took out a bundle the size of a clutch purse, wrapped in brown paper and tied securely with white string. Using her fountain pen, she addressed the package in bold handwriting before handing it to Cherry.
She walked Cherry to the door, handed her the precious parcel, and resumed her no-nonsense tone of voice.
"Nurse Aimless, I order you to go and pack!" she said, with a stern tone in her voice but a twinkle in her eye. "And Cherry," she added in a whisper, "Mum's the word about Nurse Rooney. That story keeps probies on their toes, and I kind of don't mind it myself!"
Cherry impulsively hugged the older woman. "I'll send you a postcard," she promised. She suddenly felt in high spirits.
Why, Nurse Marstad was human after all! And really quite attractive when she smiled, Cherry thought, as she headed back to her room to begin packing.
She was almost to the nurses' dorm when she realized she still had Nurse Marstad's lavender handkerchief clutched in her hand. "I'll wash and iron it tonight and return it in the morning," she promised herself. She jammed the handkerchief in her pocket, her thoughts turning to other things.
She hated to leave before Lana was found, but deep in her heart she knew Nurse Marstad was right. She could use a rest. And besides, now she had an important package to deliver!
"Two whole glorious weeks, and they're all mine!" she thought happily, a little skip in her walk. General Hospital could not have had a happier nurse than vacation-bound Cherry Aimless.
* * *
CHAPTER 3
* * *
The Journey Begins
The distinctive creak of rubber-soled shoes outside her door woke Cherry from a deep slumber. Being careful not to disturb her roommate, Nurse Cassie Case, Cherry slipped out of bed, donned her pinkflowered chenille robe and fuzzy slippers, and quietly opened her door.
"I must have been dreaming," she thought when she peeked out and discovered no one in the hallway. "That, or I'm a little jumpy after the events of last night! I may as well get an early start on my trip," she reasoned, but when she saw the soft glowing dial of her electric alarm clock, she changed her mind.
"Three in the morning and I'm thinking of getting up?" she yawned, jumping back into bed and snuggling under the warm covers.
She slept in fits and starts the rest of the night. Once she thought she heard someone jiggling her doorknob, but decided she was imagining things. Eventually she resumed her slumber, and when she awoke, Nurse Case was gone. On her neatly-made bed was a note for Cherry:
I didn't want to wake you because you'll need all your rest for the trip ahead. Have a gay time in San Francisco!
Cherry hopped out of bed, gave her face a good scrubbing in the little corner sink and put on the travel outfit she had selected before going to bed, a cornflower-blue madras skirt, simple white cotton blouse and comfortable flats.
"It's just the ticket for a comfy car trip," she declared, surveying herself in the full-length mirror. She doublechecked the contents of her stylish white leather suitcase and matching cosmetics bag before latching them securely. Cherry wasn't sure what the styles were in San Francisco, so she had packed a wide variety of outfits, from play clothes to formal wear. She put Nurse Marstad's package in her purse and left her room.
After a delicious breakfast of soft-boiled eggs, melba toast and fruit cup in the hospital cafeteria, Cherry had two stops to make. The first was the payroll office, to receive her vacation pay. There was an envelope attached to her pay packet, addressed to her in Nurse Marstad's unmistakable handwriting. Inside was a map of Oregon, a crisp ten-dollar bill, and a note.
Cherry, I really appreciate this-you are a lifesaver! Use the money for gasoline and a treat. I've marked the map so you know where you're going.
Have a good time-that's an order.
Peg Marstad
Cherry remembered that Nurse Marstad's lavender handkerchief lay crumpled in the pocket of last night's uniform, which she had thrown hastily into her suitcase. Her friends laughed v hen she packed her uniforms for a vacation trip, but Cherry knew that a nurse could be called into action at any time, and she wanted to be appropriately attired if such an occasion should arise.
Besides, she wanted to show off the uniform to her chums in Pleasantville.
She had forgotten all about the handkerchief the night before during an impromptu party thrown together by her chums. Nurse Dina Darling, an Iowa farm girl with big brown eyes and a fetching smile, had filched some cheese and crackers from the cafeteria, and Nurse Polly Pluck, a tall brunette with an elfin grin and a dancer's graceful body, had produced a bottle of sparkling apple cider. "For special occasions," she said when she popped the cork. For these hard-working nurses, a vacation was a special occasion, indeed.
Cherry resolved that she would wash and iron the handkerchief at her mother's house and promptly mail it back to Nurse Marstad-or Peg, as she had begun calling her in her mind.
Her next stop was Women's Psychiatric to ask about Lana. Nurse Gerry George reported that Lana was still missing, but they were certain she would be found soon.
"Now, don't you worry about a thing," said Nurse George as she escorted an anxious Cherry to the elevator. "Marstad said if you came around to send you on your way," Nurse George laughed. "I guess she knows you pretty well, Cherry. First to volunteer and last to leave. You'd make a great army nurse! Now, get out of here and have some fun!" She gave Cherry a quick hug and playfully shoved her into the elevator.
Cherry felt drawn to the handsome woman with her warm manner and soft brown eyes. Nurse George was someone she would certainly like to get to know better. "I'll send her a postcard, too," she decided.
She walked briskly to the hospital garage where she stored her 1953 dark blue Buick. "It's not a very glamorous car," she thought, comparing it to the flashy red convertible with white leather seats parked in the next space.
"But it's sturdy and dependable, just like me." She smiled at her reflection in the car window and patted her dancing black curls into place.
She put her suitcase and cosmetics bag in the trunk, checking twice to make sure the lock was secure. "If you must leave home, at least leave in style," her mother had sighed when she gave her the luggage as a high school graduation present.
Cherry hopped into the car and put her purse containing Nurse Marstad's package on the passenger seat beside her. Cherry sighed and settled into he
r seat. The drive home to Idaho would take at least eight hours, and she was eager to be on her way.
She pulled her car into a nearby service station, and while the attendant filled her tank, Cherry checked to make sure she had her maps of Washington and Idaho. Although she knew the route by heart, it comforted her to know they were available if she ran into trouble. Although Cherry had an excellent sense of direction, she refused to go anywhere without a map.
She was engrossed in planning the first leg of her journey when a strange man wearing a fedora pulled low over his face reached into her car and snatched her purse!
Cherry screamed, and the startled man dropped her purse and ran. The attendant raced after him, but to no avail.
"He disappeared around that corner," she said apologetically, handing Cherry her purse. "Are you all right, miss? Do you want me to call the police?"
Although Cherry was frankly shaken, she didn't want to lose any time. She wasn't as worried about her purse as she was about Nurse Marstad's precious parcel. What if it had been stolen? "I'd have to change my name and move to another town," she though grimly. "I'd never be able to face Nurse Marstad and admit I let her down."
She paid for the gasoline, thanked the attendant for her help, rolled up her windows and locked her doors. "No one's getting this purse away from me again," Cherry vowed.
She drove with her eyes securely on the road ahead and her thoughts back at the busy hospital, her many nurse chums, and the now even more mysterious Lana. At times she wanted to turn back, and as the miles passed, taking her further and further from Seattle, she felt a sense of apprehension. Had she failed as a nurse? Nurse Marstad didn't seem to think so. Cherry replayed the hour of Lana's disappearance again and again in her mind.
If only she hadn't left the room! "But I thought someone needed me," she consoled herself.
Still, she had a nagging feeling that somehow there was something she had missed. She mulled over the two lengthy conversations she had had with Lana. Although Lana was friendly, she had a way of turning the conversation away from herself, and both times Cherry was surprised to find herself the focus of the conversation.
It had been Lana who had urged her to fly in the face of family disapproval and visit her Aunt Gertrude in San Francisco. Cherry had wanted to visit her beloved aunt many times, but each time she talked of going, it seemed some family emergency had come up. Or was it that her family just didn't like Aunt Gertrude? Cherry knew that couldn't be. Why, everyone loved the attractive, vivacious Miss Aimless!
The thought of seeing her aunt after all these years put Cherry in a better mood. Still, she would have felt even happier had she been able to solve the puzzle of the lovely Lana.
Cherry was proud of her sleuthing abilities. Hadn't she saved poor Miss Pringle's farm from being sold out from under her by her unscrupulous nephew? Cherry smiled as she re membered how, working as visiting nurse to Miss Polly Pringle of Pleasantville the summer after getting her R.N., she had uncovered the nephew's spiteful scheme and stopped the sale just in time.
Her thoughts drifted to her family. She knew her mother would be happy to see her, yet her mother's habit of scrutinizing her daughter from head to toe, starting with her short hair-do and ending with her ungainly size-nine feet, was a bit unnerving.
But she felt so good after hearing the glowing report from Nurse Marstad, she was determined not to let her mother bother her this time. "I'll just pretend I don't hear her," Cherry decided. "And if she's upset about my leaving so soon, I'll just explain that I'm transporting important medicine!"
She checked her watch. It was after noon, and she felt ready for a good stretch and some lunch. She stopped at a tidy roadside cafe and stepped out of her car for some quick calisthenics, to the amusement of the other travelers. Cherry was aware that her actions looked odd, but she ignored their giggles. As a nurse, she knew that sitting for too long was bad for the circulation, and a good stretch was the best medicine for sleepy limbs.
After a nourishing lunch of an egg salad sandwich, jello and milk, she purchased steaming coffee in a paper cup and took it to her car. She hoped it would revive her for the last leg of the trip.
Cherry balanced the paper cup on the seat, and while she waited for the coffee to cool, she opened her purse, took out her compact, and reapplied her lipstick. She reached for a tissue from her glove compartment and clumsily knocked over the cup of coffee, spilling it inside her purse and all over Nurse Marstad's important package!
"Oh, dear!" she cried, grabbing the cup before its entire contents could empty into her purse. She used a tissue to wipe the package, but when she did, she erased the name and address right off the brown paper wrapping!
"Jeepers!" she cried. "How am I going to deliver this now? I can't call Nurse Marstad and admit I dropped hot coffee on her package." She looked at the map the head nurse had given her, and was relieved that her destination was clearly marked. "At least I know the town I'm going to," she sighed.
"Now if I can just find the name and address of the person who's supposed to get this. Maybe their name is on the inside," she thought brightly.
Cherry carefully untied the string holding the parcel together. Inside the brown-paper wrapper was Lana's book!
"Why, this isn't medicine!" Cherry cried. "Nurse Marstad must have goofed and given me the wrong package!" Although it was hard for Cherry to believe that Nurse Marstad ever made a mistake!
While she was loath to call her boss and admit she had opened the parcel, she knew, as a nurse, she was bound to deliver that special experimental medication!
"Even if I have to turn around and drive all the way back to Seattle General Hospital, I'll do it," she declared. "For there's no such thing as a vacation from helping others!" She hopped out of her car and made a bee-line to the nearest public telephone. She fished through her wet purse for the correct change, and a minute later, she was on the line to the main desk at Seattle General Hospital.
"I'd like to speak to Head Nurse Margaret Marstad, please," she said in a shaky voice.
"I'm sorry, miss," the operator replied. "Nurse Marstad is on vacation."
"How queer!" Cherry frowned. Why, she knew Nurse Marstad had just come back from a vacation.
"I'll transfer you to our replacement head nurse. Hold, please."
In a minute, Nurse Gerry George was on the phone. "I need to speak to Nurse Marstad," Cherry said, trying not to sound frantic. "It's very important."
"I'm sorry, Cherry, but Nurse Marstad is gone."
"Did she leave a message for me?" Cherry asked, not wishing to give away the nature of her call. "About a package?"
"She didn't leave a message for anyone. It was the queerest thing. I got to work at eleven and was told I would be the replacement head nurse for a while. I've got to go, Cherry. Golly, I never realized how hard Marstad's job was. Have a great vacation!"
Cherry went back to her car feeling more confused than ever. "What am I going to do?" she wondered. She glared at the book in her hand. "All this trouble," she cried, "over a silly little book!" She tossed it on the seat next to her. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. "Hmmn. Look, there's a note!" Cherry felt a sense of guilt creeping over her. She was aware she was reading correspondence not meant for her eyes.
Midge-Mother having problems with Father. Holiday plans canceled. Trouble at home. Can you advise?
Pegs
"If Nurse Marstad simply gave me the wrong package, this note wouldn't be in here," she reasoned, remembering that the package had been addressed to a Miss Midge Somebody. "I bet Nurse Marstad went away because of her family troubles, only she was too ashamed to tell anyone about it."
Cherry's heart went out to the gruff-seeming nurse. "She hides a broken heart under all her brusqueness," she thought, tears filling her eyes.
Cherry examined the cover of the book. The Lost Secrets of the Sisters of Mercy. Cherry was not a big reader, and religious stories did not appeal to her in the least. Still, the nun on the cov
er was awfully attractive, she thought.
She opened the book to the inscription page.
"With love from G.A. to C.M.," it said.
"This proves this is Lana's book, for these are the same initials I saw engraved on her ring!" Cherry exclaimed. "Why did Nurse Marstad claim this book belonged to her?"
Cherry laughed at herself. "I'm sure there's a very simple explanation for all this. Why, I'm starting to think everything's a mystery! I'll just deliver this parcel as promised, and when I get back to the hospital, I'm sure Nurse Marstad will clear all this up."
But she still had a kernel of doubt in the back of her mind.
She decided to have a closer look at the book. "As long as I've already opened it, I might as well have a peek," she reasoned.
She skimmed the first chapter. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something very different about this book!" Cherry mused as she flipped through the pages. Why, except for some men hired to haul heavy furniture in chapter three, all the characters in the book were women! Fascinated, Cherry read on. Before she knew it, more than an hour had passed, and she was a quarter of the way through the book. She was so deeply engrossed she had lost track of the time.
"Oh, dear!" she cried when she finally checked her watch. Cherry prided herself on her promptness, and although she hadn't called her mother to tell her she was coming, she had a schedule of her own to keep!
She put the book on the passenger seat, turned on her engine and put her car in reverse. But she found her exit was blocked by two men in a red convertible. She politely beeped her horn to let the men know they were blocking her way, but instead of moving, the driver got out of the car.
He threw his cigar butt on the ground, buttoned his black overcoat up to his chin and pulled his hat low over his face. He sauntered menacingly over to Cherry's car. His companion had slipped behind the wheel of the convertible and was gunning the engine.
