[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
patients. Every one of them, acting on her and Dr. Hal s
earlier instructions, had thrown away Nature s Herb
Cure. No sample there for Mr. Short to collect. Nor
had these persons seen the old pedlar. They thought
he must have changed his route.
At noon Dr. Hal notified Cherry at her office that he
had driven across the river to Missouri that morning,
and talked with the Swaybills cousins. Neither they
nor their neighbors had kept any of the fake remedy.
They had not seen the old pedlar, either. No other ped-
lar sold the stuff.
Cherry heard something interesting from one of the
other doctors in the county when she called him to
report on one of his patients. Dr. Boudineau, who trav-
elled all over the county, said he had not observed gin-
seng growing anywhere except on the abandoned farm.
And he told her that the pedlar had been seen in Red
Oaks two or three days ago. It was a small town in an
DISCOVERIES 143
area where, so far, Cherry had no patients. Old Snell
had tried to persuade a druggist there to stock and sell
Nature s Herb Cure, and had offered profitable terms.
The druggist would have nothing to do with the plan.
So the pedlar was trying to expand the racket in sev-
eral new places! He was changing locations in order to
evade her and Hal s public warnings!
Unfortunately, her afternoon s schedule took her not
to individual patients who might have a sample of the
stuff, but to one of the county s rural high schools, in a
far corner of the county. Dr. Rand, one of the county s
physicians, had asked her to assist in giving inocula-
tions against typhoid.
Cherry assisted with the immunization clinic at the
rural high school. Her work took up most of the early
afternoon. Afterward, she spent a few more precious
minutes talking to the teenage boys and girls.
Many of them belonged to the 4-H Club, sponsored
by the United States Department of Agriculture, and
told Cherry they hoped to win awards at the fair. The
boys were raising fine bulls, hogs, colts, and were grow-
ing prize corn and vegetables, here in the richest soil in
the nation. The girls grew flowers of all kinds, did fine
baking, breadmaking, canning, and preserving, and
sewed everything from clothing to curtains and quilts.
The girls asked Cherry whether she would head a
4-H Club project for them in health, nursing, and first
aid. A good many of the boys wanted to take part in
that, too. Cherry was happy to say yes. She left it to
them to decide, and notify her, when and where they
144 CHERRY AMES, RURAL NURSE
would hold their meetings. It was all she could do to
break away from these friendly boys and girls.
Cherry left the school building and started back
toward Sauk. On the way she stopped at a highway
telephone booth and called Jane Fraser. Both Hal and
Mr. Short wanted to learn from Jane where Floyd was
today.
Between this party line and that talkative parrot, I ll
have to choose my words carefully, Cherry thought.
She listened to the operator ringing the Barkers num-
ber and hoped Floyd would not answer.
Jane s voice came on. In a kind of double talk,
Cherry conveyed her question. All Jane was able to
reply guardedly was: I don t know for certain. I think
our friend went rabbit hunting.
Rabbit hunting in the woods? Near Snell s shack?
Cherry said, I ll be in touch with you soon again. Right
now I have an appointment with a patient. She wished
she could tell Jane that the patient was herself.
chapter xi i
The Old Pedlar Reappears
phoebe grisbee was as good as her word. she had
ready several coats and scarfs for Cherry to choose
from, and a box of pale face powder to tone down her
rosy cheeks. Working together, they managed to make
Cherry resemble a wan country cousin. Cherry hid her
dark hair under a scarf and added a pair of dark glasses.
Even so, she wasn t sure the pedlar would not recog-
nize her as the county nurse.
Talk in a high-pitched voice, Phoebe Grisbee
advised. Drawl, like the Missourians do.
Cherry tried it and thought she wouldn t fool a soul.
She d better say very little. She still didn t look sick;
she made herself slump and droop.
You look almost as miserable as Henry feels. Phoebe
Grisbee chuckled. A joke on us, pretending you re the
patient. Hope I drive all right, excited as I am.
145
146 CHERRY AMES, RURAL NURSE
They went out to the Grisbee s garage. Getting into
the car, Cherry discovered that Dr. Hal, Mr. Short, and
Mr. Steeley, the sheriff, were already on the floor in
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]