“What’s your last name?” asked the policeman.
“That’s all—just Mamma.”
“What’s your husband’s name?”
“Dad. He’s at the office, but he’ll stop for me; pretty soon, I hope. I must get home and bake a cake.”
“I think you’d better come with me,” said the policeman. “We’ll try and find your husband.”
The woman got up willingly enough, and the policeman took her outside and turned her over to a colleague.
“Steve, here’s a lady named Mamma, and she’s waiting for her husband, a fella named Dad. He was supposed to come for her when he got out of the office, but I figure he’s been detained. You take her over to the Guest House, and if he comes here, I’ll tell him where she is.”
In the Travelers’ Aid Guest House, the woman was given a bath, a nightgown, and a bed. But these comforts and a good breakfast failed to refresh her memory. At eleven o’clock next day she was still Mamma, waiting for Dad and eager to get home and bake a cake. And they took her to the city hospital’s psychopathic ward.
“You must know where you live,” said Miss Fraser.
“Yes,” replied the woman.
“Well, tell me. We can’t send you home till we know where it is.”
“My husband knows where it is.”
“Yes, but he isn’t here.”
“He’ll be here this afternoon. He’s coming for me, and he’s coming early because it’s my birthday. They’re going to give me a surprise.”
“Who are?”
“My husband and Brother and Betty.”
“Who are Brother and Betty?”
“Why do you ask so many questions?”
“I’m interested in you,” said Miss Fraser.
“Well, Brother is my little boy, and Betty is my little girl. They both had the flu. And Dad had it. And Doctor was frightened. He thought they were all going to die. But we fooled him. They all got well.”
“What’s the doctor’s name?”
“My husband knows his name. My husband remembers everything.”
“But we can’t learn anything from him if you don’t tell us where he lives.”
“He lives at home, with me and Brother and Betty—at night, that is. In the daytime he’s at his office.”
“Where is his office?”
“He’ll tell you that when he comes.”
“But you see,” explained Miss Fraser, “he isn’t very likely to come because he doesn’t know you’re here. If you’ll just tell me his name and how to reach him—”
“His name is Dad, and he’s in his office because this is daytime.”
“What does he do?”
“He’ll tell you that, too. He remembers everything.”
Miss Fraser gave way to Miss Parnell.
“I understand this is your birthday.”
“Yes, and Brother said that he and Betty and Dad would surprise me with something if I would bake them a cake. I told them the surprise mustn’t be very expensive, because we must save up to pay Doctor. Doctor will have a big bill, because he was there three and four times a day for nearly two weeks. But as long as everybody got well, what do we care how big his bill is? Are you a nurse?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I’m not a nurse. I mean I’m not a trained nurse, but Doctor said I should have been a trained nurse. He said I seemed to do the right thing by instinct. He said if it hadn’t been for me, all three of them would have died—Brother and Dad and Betty. I didn’t go to bed for a whole week. Sometimes I went to sleep standing up. Did you ever do that? It’s a funny experience. But when it’s all over, you don’t mind what you went through, as long as everybody got well.”
“Have you got any money? I mean, has your husband got any?”
“He makes a good salary, but we haven’t saved. We have too much fun, I guess. The amount we spend for food, it’s a disgrace for a family the size of ours. And Dad always wants me to look nice.”
“Well, you need some new clothes and some new shoes and stockings.”
“I guess you’re right, but it’s a queer thing, because I just bought what I’m wearing.”
“How long ago?”
“Day before yesterday. And yesterday I was looking for some things for Betty when my purse was stolen.”
“What store were you in?”
“I can’t remember the name of the store—it’s the same place I usually go. If I had my purse, I could tell you. But never mind; my husband will know. He keeps track.”
The woman took a nap, and after it Miss Fraser renewed the siege.
“Can’t you tell me now what your name is?”
“It’s funny; everybody asks me that.”
“But you don’t tell anybody.”
“Yes, I do. My name is Mamma. I told your sister.”
“I have no sister,” said Miss Fraser.
“She looked enough like you to be your sister, and she kept nagging the same as you do.”
“Honestly I’m not nagging, but I do want to know your name and address so I can send you home. Brother and Betty are probably wondering what has become of you.”
“No, they’re not. They’re at school.”
“What school?”
“It’s two blocks from where we live.”
“What’s the name of it?”
“Do you want to send your children there?”
“I have no children.”
“Then why do you want to know the name of a school? You ask too many questions. When my husband comes, you can ask him anything you want to, but I’m tired of being nagged.”
Dr. Phillips took a turn at “nagging.” “Aren’t you anxious to get home?”
“Yes, I am. I’ve got to bake a cake.”
“Then why don’t you try to remember your name and where you live?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Dr. Phillips.”
“Well, thank goodness we don’t need a doctor. We did need one, but they all got well—Betty and Brother and Dad.”
“Will you try to describe the house where you live?”
“House! We’re not rich! We live in an apartment.”
“Where is it?”
“That’s all right. My husband will take me there. He’s coming for me this afternoon.”
“He can’t very well do that, because it’s evening now, and besides he doesn’t know where you are.”
“You’re too fresh! We have our own doctor, and we’re satisfied with him. If we want to make a change, my husband will send
