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in Heaven, Elizabeth, what has happened to you?" Ruth sobbed and sat on the edge of the bed.
She had her back turned to Elizabeth so that when the girl touched her she sprang up from the bed,
shivering with alarm. She checked herself quickly and turned back to face her. She took her dirty hand
in her own, and, looking at her close saw that she was crying. "What is it, Elizabeth? What's happened
here?"
"Ruth! Oh, Ruth!" Elizabeth cried.
"Yes, it is I. Hasn't Gretchen been taking care of you? Where is she anyway?" Ruth demanded.
"Hilde wouldn't let her," Elizabeth said softly and then slowly turned her eyes back to the ceiling.
Ruth would have none of that. She was surprised that she had spoken, but since she had Ruth had no
intention of letting her slip back into her mute self. "Elizabeth!" She spoke loudly, causing the girl's eyes
to focus again, "I want you to answer my questions. NOW! First, when did you eat last?"
"I don't know!" She cried.
"When?" Ruth demanded, "Today? Have you had anything to eat today?"
"No," Elizabeth said, trying to turn her head away.
"Yesterday? Did you have anything to eat yesterday?" Ruth demanded, tugging at her hand, hard.
"I ... I don't ... I don't know," She answered.
"All right, Elizabeth, I'll manage something to eat. Have you been working the last two days? Have there
been men here with you?"
" ... Yes ..." She sobbed. "Many."
"Who took the coupons? Who collected the coupons?" Ruth demanded.
"I don't ... maybe Gretchen. They ... they said they gave them to ... to a girl," Elizabeth whined.
"I see," Ruth said, even though she wasn't sure she did. "I'll talk to her. I want you to get up and bathe
and I'll go get us some food, Elizabeth. Hurry up!" She made her get out of the dirty bed and head
toward the sink. "And you're going to do it for yourself, Elizabeth. I have to go for food. And don't get
back in that filthy bed. I'll come back and help you change it." Ruth stopped only long enough to make
sure that Elizabeth was doing as she told her, then headed for the door.
"Ruth?" Elizabeth said, not looking at her, "Such a pretty dress."
Ruth burst into tears. She turned back into the cabin and sat on her own bed and cried. Elizabeth
walked to her and put her hand on her head. Ruth cried harder. Ruth clasped the girl to her, arms
around her waist and wailed. It was the first good cry she had had in a long time.
Slowly Ruth brought herself under control. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I had forgotten about my dress. It is
pretty, isn't it?" She stood and made a complete turn so that Elizabeth could see the whole thing. "And, I
have something else much better - but, I'll tell you about that later. I have to go for food. Get washed,"
she said, then kissed her lightly on the lips. She left feeling much calmer than she had been in a long time.
She decided that she would have to cry more often.
Ruth didn't bother to knock at Gretchen's cabin. She pushed the door open roughly and entered the
room which was exactly like her own, Gretchen looked up, frightened, then smiled and said, "I didn't
recognize you with your fine clothes."
"I hardly recognized Elizabeth, either. She's filthy and she hasn't eaten since I left. Give me all the
coupons you have." Ruth spoke so forcefully that her words left no room for argument on the other girl's
part.
"But ... I ... don't have any, Ruth." Gretchen faltered, then burst into tears. "Fraulein Direktor Schmidt
took them."
"I don't believe you. She can't use them. I want them now!" Ruth retorted, making a move toward the
girl.
"I Only have four," Gretchen cried, backing away from Ruth. "And they're mine. I'm starving," she cried.
Ruth had noticed that the girl looked in the direction of the armoire when she spoke about the coupons.
Ruth went to the armoire and jerked it open. She opened a small box and took out the valuable yellow
coupons, all of them, then turned back to Gretchen. "Since you have only four, I'll take the rest of these.
I'm positive Elizabeth earned them anyway. I thought I could trust you," Ruth told her in a voice filled
with disgust.
"Aie ..." Gretchen wailed, then through her sobs told Ruth, "Nurse Hilde made me do it ... It's not my
fault."
"You lie," Ruth told her calmly, but she knew that Gretchen wasn't lying now. There was no doubt in her
mind that Hilde had issued the orders to the girl.
Ruth felt not only much older than the girl standing before her, but infinitely wiser. She also pitied her.
She retreated somewhat and said, "It doesn't matter. I have the coupons now. But - if you mention this
to Direktor Hilde - you'll be in trouble. Real trouble. I didn't know that you were so friendly with her."
Gretchen looked up sharply at Ruth. "Well she ... she helps me," the girl tried to explain.
"I'm sure she does," Ruth gave the girl a cutting glance. Then it came to Ruth like a flash! Gretchen and
Hilde were lovers! For some reason she knew it and just as clearly knew that she would find a way to
use her new gained knowledge against Hilde when the time presented itself. For now she smiled
knowingly and left Gretchen's cabin. She was only a few yards away when she noticed Hilde headed
toward the cabin from which she had just departed. She placed herself behind a wall so that she would
be out of sight of the nurse and watched her enter Gretchen's cabin. She would like to have been there
to see the look on her face when Gretchen recounted, as she was sure she would, her visit. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]