“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.”