Evening star., 1934-08-16

4NO "AiCACdPOAA GNAAoo CdShoOh ~
treated. Mazda sank down on one of
the white iron cots and wished in
tensely that she had not been fool
enough to refuse to go to Hot Springs.
The door of the cubicle opened vio-
lently, and Mazda loked up at big
blond girl, with hair too waved and
lips too red She was chewing gum.
II thought I heard you come in
she said in hearty voice. But was
too scared of Miss Jackson to come
out. Doesn't she freeze you? You're
the last one to come, so come down
the hall to the So-called recreation
room and meet the rest of the probes.
Your name is Connell, isn't it? I'm
Bertha Gulick. Nurses are supposed
to call each other by their last names,
but you call me Bert, anyhow. Then
I won't feel I'm SO far away from
home
MAZDA was dragged down the hall
to the recreation room, which was oc-
cupied by about dozen other proba-
tionerS. There were several really
charming girls among them, and
Mazda thought gloomily, Just my
luck to be saddled with wild woman
like Bert instead of one of my own
sort, or even a nice dumb dray horse
like that Carlson girl"
All the girls were so excited by the
novelty of the experience that they
were up and dressed in good time next
morning. Mazda was slower than the
rest, as she had not yet learned that
a morning bath was luxury you must
forego when you breakfast at $50.
AS she struggled into her uniform.
Bert good-naturedly smoothed her bed
for her and showed her street clothes
out of sight, and Mazda was so CRATE
full for the service that Bert's hair did
not look so frizzly as it had the night
before.
After hasty breakfast all the day
nurses assembled in the chapel. Mazda
heard the older girls grumbling as
they went, and observed that some
few of them Cancelled a block of six
or eight names when they signed up
for attendance. No one was in a re-
ligious frame of mind, but all sat
viSibly brooding over the loss of an
extra 10 minutes of sleep. In the
midst of the opening hymn there was
a raucous blaring from directly above
the chapel. Miss Burns, who was
conducting chapel, looked outraged,
but the noise of the unseen radio was
augmented by half a dozen alarm
clocks, the girls were laughing uncon-
trollably and Miss Burns was forced
to dismiss chapel.
1T was the internes," whispered
Bert, as the probationers were herded
toward the practical nursing class
room. Bert was magnet for gossip
and rumorS; she knew more about the
inside dope in day than Mazda, un-
assisted, would have gathered in
month. 1T seems the interneS sent
protest to the T. S. o. because that
morning hymn singing disturbed their
sleep. Now they are getting rough
about it"
Surely they can't get away with
that" said Mazda. A few short hours
in the hospital had begun to impress
her with the autocratic power of the
training school office.
That's the swell part Of it," giggled
Bert. 1.-THE T. S. o. has no control
over the interneS. If it came to q
showdown, the Office would lose out
because the internes are on call and
really need their sleep. I heard one
of the seniors saying chapel would
have to be discontinued"
When they reached the class room
they discovered that Miss Jackson was
the practical nursing instructor.
I'VE will begin with inspection of
uniforms" she announced. MAZDA
had once read a funny piece of fiction
about Gen. Pershing's surprise inspec-
tion of company of soldiers. Miss
Jackson was more formidable than
any general. The probationers who
had come on duty so confidently, with
uniforms according to specifications,
now discovered that they could do
nothing right. One by one they wilted
before Miss Jackson's unexcited but
caustic criticism. Mazda got of fairly
well; beyond the fact that she had
the wrong color stockings and that
her waistband was too loose, there was
nothing wrong, and she stepped CRATE
fully back into obScurity. Bert was
the last one to be singled out.
oC4OAC L SohC uP bILC 1IldIJcI VI
your uniform" said Miss Jackson S
fiat voice, you will please go to your
room and remove rouge and npstick
from your face. Your hair must be
dressed plainly and neatly, and you
must, of course, wear net. Finger
nails should be short, not long and
pointed"
Berts face got crimson. IL seemed
to swell with fury, but she managed
to utter the prescribed, Yes, Miss
Jackson" before she left the room
with an unorthodox f1ounce.
During the rest of the hour Miss
Jackson tried to instill a few points of
hospital etiquette, which boiled down,
Mazda thought, to the simple creed
that probationers were worms of the
dust and were to admit it at every op-
portunity.
Il will now take the class on a tour
of the hospital, so that you will not
be at loss if sent on errands."
1t is no easy matter to subdue the
high spirits of dozen girls between
| the ages of 18 and 81, but Miss Jack
son had done so, and it was a chas-
! tened group which trailed after her in
her swift progress through the halls
| While waiting for the elevator Mazda
saw Johnnie Casey coming down the
hall at the heels of an older man. She
| beamed at him, it was so good to see
his familiar face; but he ignored her
and he and the other doctor strobe
past the waiting group of nurses, got
into the elevator which Miss Jackson
standing there.
I'VE must remember that a doctor
takes precedence over a nurse" said
Miss Jackson.
So she had to hold doors for Johnnie
Casey. WELL" thought Mazda help
lessly.
(To Be Continued)