Gail Gardner Wins Her Cap

“Well, I’ve decided,” announced Gail Gardner, bursting into her father’s study in her usual whirlwind manner. For a minister’s daughter, she was not the quiet, serious young lady that she earnestly tried to be. Inside she was serious, but she never gave that impression. Mr. Gardner looked up, a little annoyed by the interruption.

“Decided what?” he asked, an apprehensive expression crossing his face. This flyaway blonde daughter of his was always making decisions for herself and upsetting his carefully laid plans for her future. Gail stood there, her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes dancing with enthusiasm. She was holding the morning paper in her hand.

“I’ve decided to try again, Dad,” she told him. “You know, ‘if at first you don’t succeed’ and all that. Maybe City Hospital will take me. I don’t need to tell them I was turned down when I went to the city before and applied for training at Memorial Hospital. I want to forget about that if I can. This time I may have better luck. There’s an article in the paper telling about the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps and urging girls to enlist. It says all the hospitals have relaxed a little on their requirements. The Government pays our expenses and give us a monthly allowance of fifteen dollars to start. I’d be independent, Dad. But there! I won’t tell you any more,” she finished, tossing the paper on her father’s desk. “Read it yourself. It’s all in here…”