“The first won’t be so hard,” Nancy said consolingly. “We just walk through the front door and out the back—to be sure our masks don’t leak or anything.” “Only tear gas, anyhow,” Mabel added. “It’s not nearly so bad as the others.” “That’s what you think,” said Shorty. “One of our nurses back home said she got badly burned about the neck and wrists when she took the test.” “She probably wasn’t as snugly protected as we are. That’s why they make our shirts now with the extra protection flaps at the cuffs and front. No skin exposed,” explained Mabel. The nurses stood in line, their gas masks on. Already they could hear laughter and nervous giggles on the other side, as the first of the group marched through and came out triumphantly to take off their masks till time for the next test. Nancy and her friends didn’t mind the first test so much, though they were glad enough to hurry out the back door. On the second trip they went in with their gas masks on, took them off inside, then hurried out. “I’ll Be Glad When This Is Over,” Moaned Shorty “Oh, boy, is this fresh air good!” exclaimed Nancy, when she rushed out the back door. “It was awful!” wailed Shorty. “My face is stinging all over. I wouldn’t go in there again for anything!” “But you have to!” stated Nancy. “The hardest test is yet to come.” “I can’t! I just can’t!” wailed Shorty, her cheeks wet with tears that had not all been caused by the stinging gas. “If you don’t go through it you’ll never get overseas,” Nancy warned her. “I don’t see why they put us through all this misery,” wailed Shorty. “We know how to put on gas masks in case there’s any trouble over yonder. No sense in torturing ourselves like this when we may never have to put ’em on again.” Nancy caught Shorty by the shoulders and shook her slightly. “Now you cut out that kind of talk, or they’ll not let you go down under with us.” “Come on,” warned Mabel. “It’s our turn again.” Nancy caught Shorty’s hand. “Come on, honey,” she said in a wheedling tone. “We’ll go through together.”
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