Kitty Carter Canteen Girl Read online

  CHAPTER TWO

  A STRANGE MEETING

  “Will I be eating sandwiches you made the next time the Canteen serveshere?” Brad Mason’s eyes twinkled teasingly as he put the question toKitty 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. Ifyou hadn’t dropped those remarks about the Canteen work I might neverhave 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 gohome. It was strange how Brad Mason seemed like someone she had alwaysknown.

  “Wait a minute, now!” exclaimed Brad, pretending to be angry. “Youcan’t walk out of my life like this. After all we’ve been introducedproperly with Miss Pearson as witness.”

  Kitty glanced up into his face as she buttoned Billy’s coat. Then theylaughed 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 ChiefPharmacist’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’soffice at the hospital.”

  Kitty thought he was joking and said so. “I don’t remember ever seeingyou there.”

  “Been on leave for two weeks, and I had a little sick spell beforethat.”

  “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 twomonths.”

  “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 busback to the island with you?”

  “I came in our launch. I have to wait and meet someone who is coming inon the four-thirty train. But say, if you’re not in a hurry we’d beglad to have you ride back across the bay with us. There’s plenty ofroom.”

  “That’ll be swell.”

  The town busses were so packed with people going home from the paradethey decided to walk to the railroad station as it was only a fewblocks down the street. When Billy got too tired Brad took him astridehis 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 ofthe station.

  “No, a new nurse is coming to the hospital. I think she has worked insome hospital with Dad before. He knew all the island busses would bejammed after the parade, so suggested I come over in the launch andbring her back.”

  As Kitty had never seen Hazel Dawson she was a little uneasy for fearshe would slip through the train gates unrecognized. There were severalsmartly uniformed women among the travelers, WACs, and WAVES and WomenMarines. Most of them hurried by as if familiar with the station andtown. Then she saw a brisk-looking Navy nurse, following a redcaploaded with bags. Kitty was still hesitating when the nurse pausedsuddenly and looked her straight in the face.

  “Are—are you—?” Kitty began.

  She got no further when the nurse exclaimed, “Why you must be KittyCarter, 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, thenintroduced Brad and Billy.

  “This really is an honor. It seems almost like going home to havesomeone meet me,” said Miss Dawson happily.

  They caught a taxi outside the station. After the flurry of seeingabout baggage Hazel Dawson seemed tired as she settled back in the carseat. Kitty glanced fleetingly at her face to see a weary, worriedexpression in her eyes.

  “Tired?” she asked sympathetically. Somehow she felt strangely drawn tothis older woman. She judged Ensign Dawson to be somewhere in herthirties. Evidently she had already seen real action. On her coat shewore the yellow ribbon for South Pacific service, and two starsindicating she had been in two major engagements. Her eyes held theshadowed, yet kindly light of one who eased much suffering.

  “Not too tired,” she replied to Kitty’s question as she forced a smileto her lips. She studied the girl’s face thoughtfully a moment beforeshe added, “So you’re Kitty Carter.”

  “They say I look like Dad.”

  “You do. I had no trouble recognizing you. Wherever your dad is healways keeps your picture and Billy’s on his desk.”

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  _“Then You Are Miss Dawson,” Kitty Said_]

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  “So you’ve served with him before?”

  “We worked together several months in the Pacific, and were in the samehospital at Annapolis.”

  “I didn’t visit Dad when he was at Annapolis. You see ever since thewar began I’ve been cramming, winter and summer, to get my degree. Iwanted 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 anunderstanding 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 intoCanteen 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 acquaintedwith her, even if I did have to use Billy as a go-between.”

  “Billy as a go-between!” exclaimed Kitty, shocked. “Do you mean youmade that sailboat for him with an ulterior motive?”

  “I’ll have to plead guilty!” But Brad’s hearty laugh betrayed no senseof guilt. “When I saw you sitting on that bench looking so pensive Isaid 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 toyou 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 theCanteen Corps and invited Brad to ride home with us.”

  “But you can bet she wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t been comingalong. 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 wasbeing loaded again. Miss Pearson glanced her way and waved.

  “I think she’s going to be nice to work with,” said Kitty happily. “Ican hardly wait till Monday to begin my training.”

  “Can I ride in the station wagon with you when you’re a Canteenworker?” Billy wanted to know.

  “If they’ll let you.”

  At the corner where they had to turn toward the docks, the taxi washeld up by traffic. A crowded Palmetto Island bus in front of them wasloading passengers. A dozen or more people couldn’t get on at all.Among them Kitty noticed Lieutenant Cary, one of the physicians fromthei
r own hospital. It seemed a shame to leave him to wait for the nextbus when there was plenty of room in their launch.

  As the taxi crept through the traffic near the spot where the younglieutenant stood, she called out to him, “Come down to the dock.” Shepointed down the side street toward the bay. “We’ll give you a rideover to the island in our launch.”

  He acknowledged her invitation with a dignified bow. When they moved onKitty turned to Brad and said, “Seemed a shame not to pick him up. Youknow him of course—Lieutenant Cary?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  Kitty was surprised to find Brad’s cool tone reflecting some of her owninstinctive dislike of the man. She tried to disregard the feeling forshe scarcely knew Lieutenant Cary. She had encountered him only a fewtimes in her father’s office at the hospital. Though he made obviousefforts to be friendly Kitty had an unaccountable aversion for him. Butshe could not let her ungrounded prejudice go so far as to make herpass by one of her father’s co-workers, when she had plenty of room totake him home. Transportation conditions were bad enough, withoutanyone traveling with unused space.

  Brad was most helpful in loading Hazel’s suitcases into the launch. Bythe time they had loaded the launch and warmed the motor, LieutenantCary came sprinting toward them. Brad and Miss Dawson saluted theirsuperior officer as the physician paused a moment on the dock.

  “This is really kind of you, Miss Carter,” Cary said, stepping into thelaunch. “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 Carystill stood beside her in the middle of the launch.

  He bowed with what Kitty thought exaggerated formality under thecramped conditions. “You’re the new nurse scheduled to begin worktomorrow, I presume?”

  “That is correct, Lieutenant Cary.”

  Kitty felt as if icy spray had been dashed into her face at thecoolness of the tone.

  “You’re no relation of Mate Willard Dawson, I presume?” questioned theLieutenant.

  “I’m proud to say he’s my brother!” Hazel Dawson spoke the words almostwith defiance.

  Kitty, standing between the two wondered what all this meant. Theirantagonistic attitude was most unaccountable. She glanced at Brad tofind a strained, embarrassed look on his face.

  Kitty deliberately raced the engine to end the awkward moment. As sheslowly and skillfully steered the launch through the harbor traffic,she wondered what all this meant. Who was this mysterious WillardDawson, and why should Hazel be so stiff-necked in her assertion thathe was her brother? Fortunately Hazel was in the prow, while LieutenantCary sat in the stern with Brad. Billy always wanted to stand in theprow, so Nurse Dawson kept a protecting arm around him while Kitty ranthe boat.

  Kitty’s father had said many times that she had been born with the saltof the sea in her veins, like all the Carters. Two generations of navalofficers had been preceded by a great-grandfather who was captain ofhis own sailing vessel, so Kitty had only been following the familytradition when she aspired toward the WAVES. But she decided thatafternoon as she headed back toward Palmetto Island that serving theCanteen was the perfect substitute under the circumstances.

  The noise of the motor made conversation difficult, and she was ratherglad of it, for the afternoon had been so eventful she had much tothink about. First and foremost was her delight in making a servicelink. And meeting Brad—that was something she would never forget! AndHazel Dawson, too. She sensed it was the beginning of a new anddifferent sort of friendship. She wondered why the thought of Dr. Carychilled her ardor. Did Brad know why these two seemed to freeze onmeeting? 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 themotor.

  “You’ll love it here.” Kitty told her. “I’ll take you boat riding, evenif we have to row to save gas. You must see these intriguing marshes,and the beautiful shore lines with the wonderful live oaks draped inSpanish moss.”

  “This is my first trip south, in my own country,” Hazel told her.

  Palmetto Island now came into view with its many smokestacks markingthe sky line. A fringe of palmettoes farther east was lost in the mistswhere the inland waterways met the sea. Kitty pointed to the westernshore where a large white building stood on the point.

  “There’s the Bernard General Hospital,” she said to Hazel. “Our houseisn’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 eyeswere almost sad as she drank in the beauty of green marshes, the bluesky, and the bluer sea.

  On reaching the island docks Kitty phoned her father as they hadpreviously arranged to send down a car. When she came out of thewarehouse where she had used the phone, Lieutenant Cary was gone.

  “We could have taken him up with us,” she said, embarrassed that shehad failed to invite him specifically before she had gone to phone herfather.

  “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’samazement Brad added in a low tone through almost closed teeth, “Goodriddance, if you ask me!”

  That night at supper Kitty gave her father an account of her unusualafternoon, the main point of which was to tell him she wanted to beginCanteen training.

  “I’m proud of you, Kitty, that you wouldn’t give up till you found someway 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 onduty. Can we afford that?”

  “Certainly, my dear. I’ve been thinking we might fix up that roombehind 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 rentfree. Last week she had to borrow money to pay her rent.”

  They talked over further details of the new arrangement for theircombination nurse and cook. But even while they discussed theirdomestic problems Kitty’s mind kept going back to the meeting betweenLieutenant 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 totake 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 thelaunch, and the animosity she felt existed between the two strangers.

  Her father tried to brush her suspicions aside. “You mustn’t get thehabit of attributing motives to every little thing people do, Kitty.Often people are merely tired or preoccupied, and their coolness has nosignificance at all.”

  But Kitty was not satisfied with this explanation. She felt that herfather knew much more about the mysterious Willard Dawson than he hadrevealed.

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