Nancy Clue Mysteries 2 - The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend

by Mabel Maney

  WELCOME TO IOWA!

  "We're finally here! Did you know, Midge, that the tallest corn ever grown was right here in Iowa? A farmer named Lawrence Flanders grew a stalk measuring twenty-three feet, two and a half inches tall!"

  Midge grew wide-eyed in alarm. She said nothing.

  Cherry checked her Travel Guide to Corn Country, which she had purchased at an earlier rest stop, listing all events and fairs throughout the corn belt. "If we were traveling only a few days later, we would get to see Plowing Day in Des Moines, where men compete on their tractors to see who is the best contour plower. The man who wins this is known for a year as the Contour King," she informed Midge. "For ladies, there is a slipper-kicking contest to see which lady can kick her slippers the highest. Oh, wouldn't that be fun to see, Midge?"

  Midge was too busy chewing on a rope of red licorice to reply.

  "It says here, this feature alone is worth traveling miles to see. Forty thousand people come each year to Plowing Day! I'll bet they need a lot of Fairground Nurses for that many people. Besides danger of sunstroke and hay allergies, people often overindulge on many delicious foods and get indigestion, I'll bet," Cherry dreamed happily.

  "I can't wait to get to River Depths," she sighed. "Then all our troubles will be over. I'll bet Hannah's clad in a simple house dress and a crisp starched apron, baking up a storm while she awaits Nancy's return."

  Midge didn't answer.

  "She's probably too hypnotized by the miles and miles of corn fields, glistening crimson and orange in the light of dusk to respond," Cherry thought. "Don't you think so, Midge?" Cherry quizzed her. "Don't you think that soon all our troubles will be over?"

  "I hope you're right, Cherry," Midge sighed.

  Cherry unrolled her window and took a deep whiff of the rain-drenched fields. "There's nothing sweeter smelling than wet corn! " she cried out. She took another deep breath, intending to fill her lungs with the fresh country air, but found herself gasping and choking instead.

  "Pew! What's that smell?" her traveling companions cried in unison as they jerked awake. They had unfortunately passed a pig farm!

  "Where are we?" Nancy asked sleepily. She stretched her arms over her head and arched her back, stiff from sleeping so long on the floor of the car. "I could sleep forever," she yawned. "Maybe I will," she murmured. She lay back down and closed her eyes.

  Cherry, checked the Iowa map which she kept stored, neatly folded, in her skirt pocket. "We're only a few miles from Kornville," she reported. She checked her Travel Guide to Corn Country so she could inform her chums of the many fascinating facts about the nearby town. "It's a farming community with a population of thirty thousand. It's also home to many worthy state institutions, like The Industrial Home for Problem Girls, for example.

  "Iowa provides institutional homes for those who have failed to become good citizens," Cherry was delighted to report as she read her booklet aloud. " `Every effort is made to help them by emphasizing religious training and educating them in sewing, beauty culture and other domestic arts, and teaching them to be industrious.' "

  She was further impressed when she saw hygiene and sanitation were taught as well. "'Here girls are being taught clean living and right-thinking,' " she read aloud.

  "Could we drive by there?" Midge wanted to know. "Do you think they give tours?"

  "That would be fascinating and educational, Midge, but it says here it's only open to the public on the fourth of July, when townspeople are encouraged to visit the troubled girls and bring them picnic suppers," Cherry informed her. "Besides, if we had had time to stop anywhere, I would have insisted on a trip to Red Cloud, Nebraska, to visit the childhood home of Willa Cather. She was an important American writer who never married but instead devoted her life to her work, much as I do.

  "Oh, look, Midge, there's even a school for the feebleminded!" Cherry cried as she continued browsing through her book. "It's called The Iowa State School for the FeebleMinded."

  "That's a very original name," Midge cracked.

  "It sounds like a wonderful place, too, Midge!" Cherry enthused. "Listen to this:

  " `Every effort is made to provide amusements and entertainment in order to make the lives of the more than twelve hundred unfortunate people here as happy as possible.' "

  Cherry wondered if someday she, too, could be a FeebleMinded Nurse.

  "It's hard to believe there's anyplace more interesting than Nebraska, but Iowa is living proof," Midge remarked dryly. "Ouch!" she yelped.

  "What happened, Midge?" Cherry cried. "Did a bee bite you?" She grabbed her firstaid kit, ready to spring into action.

  "I was bitten, all right, but not by a bee," Midge laughed. At this, Velma, who had been napping with her head in Midge's lap, sat straight up. She took out her compact and applied a thick layer of lipstick to her full, pouty lips.

  "Biting is a good way to spread germs and disease," Cherry cautioned them.

  "Yeah, you heard the nurse. No biting," Midge agreed. Cherry smiled when she realized Midge was finally taking her professional advice.

  "Then you'd better be good," Velma shot back at Midge.

  Midge popped a cigarette in her mouth, lit it, and took a long drag. She looked sideways at Velma, a sly look in her eyes. "I am good," she said softly.

  Velma grinned and slipped off her shoes. She propped herself against the car door, and stretched out with her feet in Midge's lap. "Yes, you are," Velma murmured as she stared at her girlfriend through half-closed lids. "You're very good," she purred as she wriggled about.

  Cherry had to grab her firstaid kit fast to keep it from falling off her lap as Midge abruptly jerked the car to the side of the road and cut the engine. "I can't drive anymore," Midge gasped as she jumped out of the car and flung her body against the side of the snappy convertible. She was almost in tears!

  Cherry was shocked to see how red Midge's face had become. "And she's breathing so heavily, she must be about ready to hyperventilate," Cherry thought in alarm. She grabbed the paper sack that had been serving as their litter bag, jumped out of the car, and popped it over Midge's head.

  "Oops, I forgot to empty it first," Cherry blushed as cookie crumbs, banana peels, and candy wrappers cascaded over Midge. "I'll clean up later," Cherry decided. She knew this was no time for second thoughts! Here was her chance to practice medicine in a faraway land with only her knowhow, taut nerves, and the most rudimentary of medical equipment to get her by!

  "Breathe deeply," Cherry warned her. "Or else you're going to hyperventilate, or faint, or worse! You're not too young for a heart attack or a stroke-one that could leave you incapacitated and in terrible pain for the rest of your life!" Cherry cried, trying to get her chum to relax.

  Midge pulled the bag from her head, licked the cookie crumbs from her lips, and lit a cigarette. After a short rest by the side of the road, Midge was still a little pink, but she had calmed down considerably.

  Once again, a cool head had proven to be the best medicine, Cherry realized with a smile.

  "I'd better drive," Velma murmured as she hopped in the car, adjusted the front seat to accommodate her petite frame, positioned the rearview mirror for best visibility and tied a chiffon scarf around her hairdo.

  "Are we ready to go?" Velma asked her passengers.

  "Ready," everyone chorused. Everyone, that is, except Midge.

  Velma switched on the engine. "You ready, Midge?" she asked in a light, teasing tone.

  "Yes, Velma, I'm ready," Midge sighed from the back seat. Off they went.

  "We'll be driving through Kornville in another hour!" Cherry cried excitedly. "Won't it be downright educational to see a real farm town up close? Wouldn't that be fun, Midge? Wouldn't you be excited?" she asked her chum, who seemed to be in unusually poor spirits.

  "Yes, Cherry, if anything could excite me, that would be it," Midge sighed.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 23

  * * *

  A Surprising Encounter

>   "Isn't it picturesque here?" Cherry cried as they drove through residential Kornville. "All these darling little houses with their white picket fences. This sure looks like a swell place to live.

  "Darn!" she cried upon spying a billboard advertisement announcing Kornville's Korn Karnival. "If we were only making this trip a little later, we could attend the annual festival. I read all about it in my book," she added. "A king and queen are crowned, and they reign over three whole days of fun, festivities, and crop-growing demonstrations."

  Velma eased the car into a spot in front of a sparkling chrome and green-tiled diner. "I've simply got to powder my nose," she murmured.

  "This is a good opportunity to call Bess and George again," Nancy declared. "Oh, darn, what did I do with my purse?" she worried aloud. Cherry handed Nancy her coin caddie, and Nancy and Velma headed inside.

  "Is there any food left?" Lauren wanted to know.

  Cherry shook her head. "We've already eaten the bag of apples, one dozen bananas, a box of chocolate bars, two loaves of bread, and the jar of peanut butter Nancy purchased this morning," she informed her.

  Lauren scampered out of the car and headed for the diner.

  "Lauren, come back. We're not scheduled to have supper for another hour," Cherry said, to no avail. Cherry opened her little red notebook where she kept accounts of gasoline expenses, mileage, and the driving schedule. "I didn't figure in time for unscheduled stops, so we've fallen slightly behind," she admitted. "Maybe we can get a sack of hamburger sandwiches and eat them in the car," she suggested, but changed her mind when she saw Lauren was already perched on a stool, sipping a soda.

  "Oh, let the kid have her fun," Midge declared. "There's barely been a peep out of her all day."

  Cherry realized Midge was right. "That long talk Velma had with her last night worked miracles," she remarked.

  Midge looked puzzled. "What talk?" she wondered. "I didn't hear anything. We all went to bed at the same time; plus, I was up half the night, anyway. I would have heard something."

  Cherry grinned. "Midge, you were out like a light the minute your head hit the pillow," she teased. "I was the one up all night-listening to you snore. Besides, you wouldn't have heard anything because Lauren and Velma went for a walk right after you fell asleep. Come to think of it, they were gone an awfully long time. I don't even remember hearing them come in," she mused. "Oh, I guess we are eating here. Look-Velma's joined Lauren."

  Cherry suddenly spotted two old friends walking up the street toward the diner. "Yoo hoo," she called. "Why, it's that nice couple I bumped into back in Pocatello, the ones who helped me find Nancy's jewelry box when I accidentally lost it the other day! " Cherry cried to Midge as she waved to the blond-haired woman and her male companion, who pulled his hat low over his face and looked away. "What a happy coincidence that they would be in Kornville at the very same time! Oh," she added in disappointment. "They turned down a side street. Too bad you didn't get to meet them, Midge. They're quite nice. They probably didn't recognize me, as last time we met, I was in my nightie," Cherry chuckled.

  "Huh?" Midge asked. She hadn't been paying attention.

  "Are you telling me that Velma and Lauren sneaked out in the middle of the night to have a private conversation, and stayed away for hours?" Midge stared at Lauren and Velma through the plate glass window of the diner. They were sharing a soda and chatting amiably. Then Midge stalked off.

  "Is it my imagination, or is she acting a little strange?" Cherry wondered. "Where are you going, Midge?" Cherry cried. "You'll miss supper. Shall we order some food for you?"

  But Midge waved her away. "Suit yourself," she said. "I'm going for a walk."

  "Oh, dear. Slushes, sundaes, burgers and shakes. Chickenin-a-basket. Fish sticks and Bar-B-Que. Whatever will I order for her?" Cherry thought worriedly as she stared at the sign over the diner.

  "What's eating Midge?" Cherry quizzed Velma once she made her way inside the sparkling clean chrome and tile diner. She perched on a stool, puzzling over her chum's odd behavior. "I've never seen her like this. She acted all queer, then she stomped off without saying where she was going. Something seems to be truly bothering her."

  "What's the date?" Velma asked.

  Although Cherry was puzzled, she opened her purse and checked the little calendar in her wallet. "It's July the eighteenth, why?"

  Velma laughed. "It's just that Midge gets really edgy when, well, you know. When it's her time."

  Cherry looked blankly at Velma.

  "You know. When her visitor arrives."

  Cherry blushed. Somehow, she never thought of Midge as having any visitors!

  Lauren, who was perched on the stool next to Velma, giggled nervously.

  "Lauren, menstruation is nothing to be ashamed of," Cherry scolded her. "Have you seen that little filmstrip-the one where the girl chipmunks go off into the woods to be alone for a few days?" she asked anxiously. "Well, if you have any questions, as a nurse, I'm the perfect person to talk to about intimate, personal matters in a simple, straightforward way.

  "I'd better check my firstaid kit to make sure I've got an assortment of sanitary products on hand," Cherry whispered to Velma. She hopped off the stool. "When Nancy returns, make sure she orders a nutritious supper, as we've got a long journey ahead of us tonight," she said to Velma. "And get two chicken-in-a-baskets to go," she added on her way out the door.

  When Cherry got to their car, she was startled to find a middleaged dark-haired woman clad in a simple navy blue shift and navy pumps, crouched on the floor of the convertible.

  "Oh!" Cherry cried in alarm. "I must have the wrong car." But she quickly realized it had to be their car, as her firstaid kit was lying in plain view on the back seat.

  "Oops! " the woman cried as she jumped up and scrambled out of the car.

  "What happened?" Cherry cried. "Did you trip and fall into our car? These convertibles are a real hazard sometimes," she added in a soothing tone. The woman had to be awfully embarrassed; why, her slip had been showing!

  "Yes, that's it," the woman laughed as she brushed herself off, straightened her dress, and patted her short beehive hairdo. She took a red headscarf from her purse, tied it around her hair, and donned a pair of white plastic sunglasses. "Well, I simply must be going. My brother Howard is probably sick with worry wondering what has happened to me! " she cried as she raced off.

  Cherry smiled and hopped in the car to make a quick check of the feminine products in her firstaid kit. "What's this?" she wondered as she spotted a colorful piece of cardboard lying on the floor of the convertible. Why, it was the jack of clubs from the playing deck from the Pocatello Komfort Kourt!

  Cherry grew wide-eyed in concern. "Lauren must have stolen the deck, and this card fell out of her pocket," she reasoned. "This is the second time I've caught her stealing. Is Lauren a kleptomaniac?"

  But she forgot all about her worrisome young chum when she spied Nancy's summer straw bag crammed under the driver's seat. "So this is where Nancy's purse went to," she smiled, pleased to have found it. While she was startled to see Nancy's purse was wide open, she was equally relieved to find everything in its place, including the handkerchief-wrapped bundle of jewelry.

  "I'll have to tease Nancy later about being so careless with her things," Cherry grinned. "It's unwise to leave your purse in the car. Why, someone could step on it!"

  * * *

  CHAPTER 24

  * * *

  Eager Anticipation

  "A package of corn-on-the-cob holders for my mother, corn syrup for Head Nurse Margaret Marstad, a box of rubber erasers cleverly shaped like the state of Iowa for the nurses at the hospital, and for my good friend, Nurse Penny Perkins, a lovely wooden pencil box with the Iowa motto, `A Place to Grow,' carved on top."

  Cherry showed Lauren the charming, inexpensive gifts she had purchased at the Kornville Five-and-Dime while she was wandering through downtown looking for Midge. She found herself taken with the cute little town and i
ts quaint shops.

  "And, look, I got a whole box of assorted, discarded books and magazines at a second-hand book shop. I found a wonderful book that will make a fine addition to my medical library!" Cherry enthused. "It's the Women's Medical Guide by forty specialists. It has a section devoted to the treatment of kleptomania. Do you know what that is, Lauren? It's a nice word for someone who steals. Plus there are many sections explaining the psychology of women and all sorts of personality quizzes and guidelines so you can diagnose and treat mental disorders right in your own home!" Cherry cried excitedly. "With pictures, too."

  "That should come in mighty handy," Midge joked.

  Cherry whirled around to greet her friend. She was happy to see that Midge had returned, and in better spirits. Cherry's eyes sparkled. She was tempted to let Midge in on her little secret. She was planning to specialize in nervous women, all right, but not at Seattle General Hospital!

  "What's this?" Midge wondered, picking up a slim volume entitled Secrets of Life. "I could use this right now," she joked.

  "It's by Walt Disney, Midge," Cherry explained. "It's all about the mysterious worlds that exist right here on earth, about plant life and the insect world, fresh-water ponds and the jungles. Did you know that there is great wonder and beauty all around us, Midge?"

  "Yeah," Midge cracked. "Her name's Velma."

  Cherry had to smile. When it came to Velma, the usually unruffled Midge didn't even try to mask her ardor. Cherry knew she and Velma were lucky to have such devoted girlfriends.

  "Speaking of Velma, I purchased these women's magazines for her," Cherry said. "They're chock full of decorating hints and tasty recipes."

  "Velma's mother is always sending her articles from magazines like these so she can try out new things on me," Midge laughed.