Cherry Ames 09 Cruise Nurse Read Online Free PDF Page B

next day, Puerto Cabello.
    Then to Cartagena in Colombia. Ditto about air-mail letters at that port. We go straight back to New York from there.”
    Everybody made careful notes. “I’ll check my spelling with an atlas,” Gwen promised. “Otherwise expect no word from me.”
    The Ameses and Midge had engaged rooms at the Lexington. They kissed Cherry good night in the lobby.
    “See you aboard ship tomorrow.”
    “I’m going to buy stacks of leis and drape them around your neck the way the Hawaiians do,” Midge threatened. “Aloha,” she fi nished, proud of the two new words she had added to her vocabulary.

    “BON
    VOYAGE!”
    31
    The next minute—or so it seemed to Cherry—it was morning, the morning. Since it was a working day, farewells to the Spencer Club were said over breakfast.
    Cherry had to repack her suitcase to make room for her Christmas presents. Standing in the icy bedroom it was almost impossible to believe that in a day or so the weather aboard ship would be so balmy she could use every one of her gifts.
    Then suddenly, weak-kneed and rather shaky, she was climbing up the Julita’s gangplank. Although the ship would not sail until noon—and it was not yet eleven —several groups of passengers were already aboard. Arm in arm, they trooped along the promenade deck. Others swarmed up the gangplank accompanied by friends who were seeing them off.
    Everyone was in a holiday mood. Corsages of exotic orchids were pinned to mink-coated shoulders. Sea gulls circled overhead, mewing catlike. Through the happy shouts and bursts of laughter of the passengers, Cherry heard the intermittent screaming of the winches as the cargo was loaded into the ship’s hold. Bang, roll, clank; bang, roll, clank! Cherry had been told that part of the freight would be unloaded at Curaçao. The island had almost no agriculture and imported millions of cases of American canned goods: tomato juice and paste for the hot Spanish dishes; smoked codfi sh from New England; celery, onions, green peppers, and all kinds of fruit.
    Cherry thrilled all over as she took a deep breath of the salty air. It was heavy with the smell of fresh paint, wet steel, water-soaked wood, and creosote.

    32 CHERRY
    AMES,
    CRUISE
    NURSE
    Hesitantly, she plunked her suitcase down on the deck. Should she try to work her way through the milling crowds and locate her cabin? Or should she wait until a steward or somebody offered help?
    A slightly husky voice behind her settled the matter. “Welcome aboard, Miss Ames.” It was Dr. Monroe, looking as Midge would have said, “out of this world” in his trim uniform. There was a reassuring grin on his lean, tanned face.
    “Good morning,” Cherry got out, feeling about as poised as Midge would have felt in similar circumstances. But it was pleasant being on deck with this tall, good-looking man standing protectively beside her.
    Then Cherry saw Midge herself galloping up the gangplank with Charlie. Behind them, more sedately, came her father and mother. Cherry proudly introduced her family to Dr. Monroe. Midge was too smit-ten by the sight of this handsome young man in his glamorous uniform to do anything but stare worshipfully. Time fl ew. All too soon came the cry “All ashore that’s going ashore!”
    Last hugs and kisses. “Bon voyage! Bon voyage!” Big melting snowfl akes pelted their upturned faces as they waved to Cherry from the pier. Tears welled up into her eyes. The gangplank was wheeled away, separating her from her family for Christmas. She couldn’t change her mind now.
    Someone lightly tapped Cherry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to drag you away, Miss Ames,” she heard Dr. Monroe

    “BON
    VOYAGE!”
    33
    say. “There’s been an accident. One of the crew slipped in an oily spot on the engine-room fl oor. Compound fracture of the right arm.”
    Dr. Monroe’s manner was completely professional now. Cherry sensed that this serious-faced young physician never mixed business with pleasure.