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Cherry could see his face in the night light. On his
chin there was a streak of red from the dim glow of
lights on the instrument panel. Wade smiled at her and
his hand touched hers.
Nice to have a lady aboard.
Nice to be aboard, Captain.
MYSTERY OF MARK GRAI NGER 53
This particular lady, I mean.
Cooper, Ames, and Company.
I mean more than that, Cherry.
Then came an event which shattered the smooth-
going, easy tenor of these many days and nights.
One afternoon, a mission to Prestwick completed,
they circled and prepared to land on their home field.
They kept circling. Cherry heard the officers up in front
grumbling about something. Lieutenant Greenberg s
radio tapped insistently. Finally they did land, easily
and smoothly. When Cherry and Bunce flung open the
side bays and jumped down, they found the whole field
almost deserted. No men, no planes.
Wade shouted from the cockpit, There s been a
bombing! I m going to taxi the ship over to the hangar.
You and Bunce take cover.
Two ground crewmen came running to see if the
arriving C-47 was all right. They told Cherry something
further.
Robot bombs. Not aiming for this base just aiming
to destroy anything, kill anybody. One of the villages
was hit.
Cherry gasped. Any civilian wounded in the hospi-
tal?
Yes coming in right now a lot of them.
Cherry and Bunce sprinted across the airfield for
the hospital. They saw Army ambulances coming up
along the country roads. Redoubling their speed, they
54 CHERRY AMES, FLI GHT NURSE
burst through the front door, and Cherry started for the
second floor where she was assigned.
Captain Betty Ryan caught her on the stairs. Oh,
thank heavens! You got in all right! I ve been worrying
about you!
Yes, ma am! I m going to pitch right in! and Cherry
raced on up the stairs. In the corridor she saw dazed-
looking English people, women and children and a few
old men, some of them badly hurt. She noticed partic-
ularly one indignant white-haired lady, a piece of quilt
tied over one eye, but her head held high.
The Chief Nurse in charge of the second floor
was trying to bring some order into the confusion.
Army doctors already were taking care of the severely
wounded. Army nurses were trying to classify the walk-
ing wounded, according to their injuries, and send them
to the right facilities. Cherry was assigned to a cubicle
of a room, given supplies, and told to cleanse, medicate,
and dress the surface cuts of the people who would be
sent in to her. She hastily put on an apron over her
flying slacks, and washed, her hands in strong anti-
septic. A thirteen-year-old girl Cadet brought a list of
names to her, and lined up the patients outside Cherry s
door.
Mr. Thomas Trethaway! Cherry called.
Into her cubicle came an elderly man. He wore
a rusty suit and a blue muffler. His right hand was
wrapped in a bloody handkerchief.
MYSTERY OF MARK GRAI NGER 55
Good day, mum.
Hello, sir! Cherry eased off the sticky handkerchief
and examined the gaping cut for glass or other particles.
What s happened to that hand?
I was just setting meself down to a nice dish o tea
and kippers when blimey! Jerry drops his calling card.
Bits o the window glass come whirling all over my tea.
Kippers aren t easy come by, I can tell you. It was a fair
disappointment to me, it was!
Cherry deftly cleansed and dressed the deep cut.
Well, it may have cost you the kippers, but you re lucky
you weren t hurt worse than this.
I been through worse bombings, far worse indeed!
But that s nothing. We don t take no notice of that sort
of thing.
Mr. Thomas Trethaway calmly took his departure.
Cherry called the next name on her list. Mrs. Ivy
Drew!
In came a frightened young mother with a very young,
crying baby. The baby showed no outward signs of in-
jury. Youthful Mrs. Drew said in a trembling voice:
I found him thrown on the floor. He won t leave off
crying, Sister. This time, I thought, the Jerries will have
had enough of bombing the Drews. But it seems I was
wrong. Can you make him stop crying? Please?
Cherry took one careful look and saw that the baby
had suffered a concussion. She summoned the young
Cadet and sent her speeding for a doctor.
56 CHERRY AMES, FLI GHT NURSE
Let s go across the hall, Mrs. Drew, she said gen-
tly and led the young mother, with her baby, into a
doctor s examining room. Cherry laid the baby down
on the table and gave the woman a sedative, to calm
her. Don t you worry. The doctor will take good care
of your baby. Talking soothingly, she laid out supplies
and instruments which the doctor might need.
The doctor arrived, a little out of breath. All right,
Nurse, thank you.
Cherry returned to her cubicle and treated several
more people. Gradually she worked her way down the
list. There were only two or three names left. She con-
sulted the list and automatically called out the next
name
Mrs. Hugh Eldredge!
then suddenly recognizing the name, Cherry
tensely waited.
The white-haired lady entered. She was quite tall
spare, straight, almost stately, dressed very quietly in
black. The taut delicacy of her features and fine faded
skin was apparent, despite a large makeshift bandage
which completely covered one eye and the side of her
face.
This annoying eye, she murmured. I daresay it s
nothing.
Despite the restrained voice, the elderly woman was
quivering. Cherry got her into a chair. Mrs. Eldredge
sat defiantly erect. Cherry was bursting with curiosity,
MYSTERY OF MARK GRAI NGER 57
but her duty as a nurse came before her personal
concerns.
Now just let me look, Cherry said reassuringly.
The eye was badly bruised, the whole cheek was
beginning to discolor, but it was only a surface injury.
What happened, Mrs. Eldredge?
We didn t hear the buzz bomb coming, though the
warning had sounded. I went to fetch my little grand-
daughter from school. On the way this one was quite
near, you see Mrs. Eldredge put her hand to her
head and sighed.
Cherry gave her a glass of water with a little aromatic
spirits of ammonia. When her patient had revived a bit,
Cherry asked:
Is Muriel all right?
Yes, thank you. Fortunately Muriel Why How
did you know my granddaughter s name? She is not
here with me!
Let me treat that eye first Cherry tried to cover
her own confusion just a moment
How extremely odd! My dear young woman, how
did you know that?
The woman s voice was imperious, and her drawn
face was full of distress. Cherry closed the door into
the hall. They were quite alone. Cherry said in a low
voice:
I am a friend of your friend in America, Dr. Joseph
Fortune.
58 CHERRY AMES, FLI GHT NURSE
Mrs. Eldredge gave Cherry such a look of distrust
that she was confounded. Mrs. Eldredge made no sign
that she had ever heard of Dr. Fortune. Be discreet,
Dr. Joe had warned. Perhaps the woman was waiting
for some further token of recognition.
Cherry continued softly, as she bathed the eye, Dr.
Fortune wants me to aid you in your difficulty, in any
way you wish me to.
Mrs. Eldredge tossed back her head. And what
would that difficulty be? she demanded sharply.
About your son-in-law, Mark Grainger.
Their eyes met.
Yes. Yes. You know, then.
No, I know none of the details.
Tell me your name, my dear.
Cherry Ames.
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