Kitty Carter Canteen Girl Read online

  KITTY CARTER Canteen Girl

  CHAPTER ONE

  THEY ALSO SERVE

  “Oh, Kitty, look!” Little Billy Carter jumped up and down in delightbeside his tall sister. “There’s Daddy!”

  “Where?” Kitty asked as she searched the files of marching troops for alook at her dad.

  Billy pointed with his chubby finger. “Yonder! The straightest, bestestof all!”

  Then Kitty’s heart swelled with pride, too, as she watched a tall manwith the other medical officers from the Naval hospital. They were allwonderful, those rhythmical, moving lines of blue, green and khaki, butfor the two Carters the heart and soul of it all was the ChiefPharmacist’s Mate they called Dad. They were sure the war could neverbe won without him.

  It was a gala day in Bayport, for every organization had turned out toboost the Community Chest drive. Now a military band was passing, whileBilly’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 tillshe had come home from college a short time ago. Was it really only afew weeks ago? To Kitty it seemed ages, for her whole program of lifehad 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 sillyrhyme she had made up for Billy at Christmastime when she told him shewas going to join the WAVES. How little she had dreamed during thathappy vacation that Aunt Nina would be gone in another month, and Billywould have no one to look to except his big sister.

  But Kitty couldn’t keep back the blinding tears as the WACs and WAVESpassed in their trim uniforms, their heads held high, their eyes brightin 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 aheadfor 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 thetanks were followed by jeeps, trucks and more lines of marching men andwomen. At last the parade went on down Bay Street, but Kitty stillstood 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 hersbrought 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 tothe bay walk.”

  They succeeded in crossing the street finally, and hurried down thepath curving around the bay shore. In sight of the water Kitty’sspirits always lifted. After all it was for such as Billy that this warwas being fought, that they might be free to go to parks and feedducks, and walk along a bay shore without fear of bombs overhead. AsDad had said, she was really doing more than her bit, giving him astart in life.

  Bayshore Park was a lovely spot of green under magnificent moss-drapedlive oaks. By the time they reached it the parade had broken up andmarines, soldiers and sailors were scattered about the green slopes,resting after their long march. At the duck pond Kitty took a smallpackage of bread crumbs for the ducks from her purse and handed them toBilly.

  As she sat on a bench near by, her attention was suddenly caught by agroup of Canteen workers serving a lunch to the tired soldiers. Therewere young girls in the Corps, some even younger than she, laughing andtalking with the men as they served them coffee, doughnuts andsandwiches from a long table under the trees. How hungry the boysseemed and how appreciative of having some girls to talk to!

  Now she recognized one of the girls from near her home over on PalmettoIsland. Why Sally Bright was still in high school! How could she getinto the Canteen Corps?

  “Look, Kitty, the sailor made me a boat!” Again Billy’s voice recalledher from her abstraction.

  She discovered a young yeoman squatting by the pond with Billy as theylaunched a magnolia-leaf boat, with an oak-leaf sail. Billy wasgobbling 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 firsttime.

  “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 makingsandwiches.”

  “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 beena Canteen worker.”

  “Kid sister?” repeated Kitty, puzzled.

  He laughed. “Well, she’s not such a kid after all, I guess. Junior incollege.”

  “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 fulltime 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 rightover yonder. I’ll introduce you to her. Heard her say she’s going tostart a new nutrition class next week.”

  He caught her hand and started across the green to the end of the longtable where an efficient-looking woman, in a blue uniform with spotlesswhite collar and cuffs, was pouring coffee. Within a few feet of herthe sailor stopped suddenly.

  “What _is_ your name? After all, introductions are awkward withouthaving 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 toldhim. “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 MissPearson had overheard their little conversation. The three of themlaughed, 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’ssuch a thing in this man’s war as a Canteen Corps.”

  Kitty flushed. “Oh, really now, I’ve always known about them, but justgot 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 hereyes 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,” Kittyhastened to explain. “But I’ve thought and dreamed and worked towardgoing 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 longstick. “I can’t go now,” she said in a low tone. “My aunt who has takencare of my little brother since my mother died, also left us six weeksago. 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 be
side thepond. Her voice was warm with understanding as she said, “Yes, he’syour first responsibility.” Then she smiled gently as she added, “But Iknow 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. “Iadore Billy. He’s worth any sacrifice I could make. But if I could helpsomewhere to hasten the end of this war, nothing would make me happier.”

  “That’s certainly _our_ aim.” Miss Pearson glanced with a comradelylook at Brad.

  “I’ll say!” he agreed heartily.

  “Do you think I could get into the Canteen Corps? Mr. Mason says youdon’t have to live away from home.”

  “Of course, they’ll be delighted to have you, my dear. Come over to thestation 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 Igo out of sight.”

  “You go ’long. I’ll look after Billy,” volunteered Brad. “I like thatboy. He’s enough like my oldest sister’s kid to be his twin.”

  As they turned toward the station wagon that had brought over theCanteen supplies, Kitty began to have misgivings.

  “Maybe I can’t do this sort of thing at all. You know I majored inmusic 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 withnotebooks 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 sheexclaimed, “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, workingwith the Red Cross. You know I think that’s the most marvelousorganization. It’s simply great what they do for anybody, anywhere.”

  Miss Pearson smiled at the exaggeration. “Well, my dear, it’s not quiteso comprehensive as that. But we do stand ready to help in allemergencies, and that’s where the Canteen workers play such animportant 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 toprepare large quantities of food right out in the open.”

  “I learned something of outdoor cooking in my Girl Scout work yearsago,” said Kitty proudly.

  “Then you already have a splendid foundation. Some scouts are helpingus 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 classnext 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 itup 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 thanthe foundation course and emergency feeding. We do so many things. Weoften serve refreshments at blood donation centers. We have Snack Barsin USO halls. Sometimes our Canteen women help with school lunchcounters 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 inneed of workers there.”

  “Oh, I’m so happy to learn about this! And you still think I can do itand not neglect my duty to Billy?”

  “Of course, my dear. We have many mothers with several children, whomanage to keep up their quota of Canteen hours every year and notneglect their homes. In fact they’re better mothers and homemakers forhaving taken the courses.”

  “I’ve got to hug somebody—you!” exclaimed Kitty, impulsively throwingher arms around Miss Pearson. “It’s so wonderful to find something Ican really do to help.”

  When Miss Pearson had told her the time and place of the nutritionclass, Kitty hurried back to Billy, wondering if she would ever havepatience to wait till Monday to begin her training.

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