Book 15, by Julie Tatham
Illustrated by ???
Grosset & Dunlap, 1954
"All of the patients take long naps after lunch. It's one of our rules."
"A very good rule," he said. "I feel sure that a week in this lovely old home is going to do me a world of good."
--From Cherry Ames, Rest Home Nurse, p. 32
Cherry enjoys supervising the nursing staff at a rest home, until two difficult patients create turmoil.
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Patient
Cherry tells her mother and father about her new job as nursing supervisor and discusses the patients at the newly opened Wayside Rest Home, run by Jane Smith, where old pals Gwen Jones and Josie Franklin are also working. She drives to work with Junior Volunteer Midge, arriving just as a heavyset man collapses in the Wayside driveway.
Chapter 2: The Heiress Arrives
The ill man, Gerald Stanley, is admitted to Wayside with an injured wrist (he fell on it) and a bad case of nerves; rich young heiress Nanine Underwood, with a new baby but no visible husband, also arrives.
The idea of turning the Wayside Inn into a rest home originally came from Cherry's mother (Clinic Nurse, p. 177).
Chapter 3: Cherry Is Suspicious
Cherry has a run-in with Nanine, who becomes upset when Cherry says she looks like Rapunzel; Cherry dislikes Mr. Stanley and wonders why he is so secretive about his locked briefcase, which he refuses to relinquish.
Chapter 4: A Front-page Story
Cherry begins teaching Nanine how to care for her baby, and Midge, a stringer for the County News, reports Mr. Stanley's arrival to the newspaper and learns that he is a rich retired lawyer.
Chapter 5: Sesame Nanine confesses to Cherry that her husband doesn't know about their baby, bewails her shortcomings as a homemaker, and complains that "Sesame" is making her richer by the minute; Mr. Stanley is furious that he's been mentioned in the newspaper.
Chapter 6: A Mysterious Phone Call
Army lieutenant Dan Clyde arrives to visit his "Uncle Jerry," but Cherry won't allow visitors; Mr. Stanley becomes highly upset when he learns about the visitor. Cherry takes a phone message for him from someone named "Benne," but she thinks the caller is Dan Clyde.
Chapter 7: Cherry Copes with Ricky
Cherry assigns some chores to keep a young patient, Ricky Cartright, busy so he won't keeping interfering in a budding romance between two older patients, Bob Porterfield and Felicia Martin.
How tall is Cherry? She estimates that Mr. Stanley is "only a couple of inches taller than I am--five feet seven, I should say" (p. 24). That means Cherry is about five feet, five inches tall, somewhat taller than the average American woman.
Chapter 8: Bedlam on the Second Floor
Night nurse Gwen reports hearing strange noises; cleaning day upsets the routine; and Cherry teaches Nanine to give her baby a bath.
Chapter 9: An Unpleasant Scene
Cherry is furious at Mr. Stanley's temper tantrum after he receives an odd gift and flings it, almost hitting Josie; Cherry later realizes that this gift is from Dan Clyde.
Chapter 10: Josie Is Upset Mr. Stanley's odd behavior upsets Josie, and the nurses realize that he knows the particulars of their schedule and may be pilfering food.
Chapter 11: More About Sesame
Some of the gardener's tools are missing, as well as Ricky's spaceman goggles; Cherry realizes that all the strange gifts that have upset Mr. Stanley are connected with the word "Sesame."
Chapter 12: Strange Happenings
Cherry learns that a newfangled electric can opener is called Sesame; Gwen reports more strange noises in the night and missing food.
Chapter 13: Cherry Makes a Decision
Cherry realizes that there must be a connection between Mr. Stanley, Nanine, and Dan Clyde; Bob and Felicia become engaged to each other; and Nanine considers contacting her estranged husband.
Chapter 14: An Interrupted Search
The nurses are baffled by the disappearing tools and food; Cherry suspects that Dan may be blackmailing Mr. Stanley.
Chapter 15: Threats! Mr. Stanley receives more threatening messages and balks at moving to a different room at the Wayside.
Another Cherry Ames book that features a secret passage dating from the pre-Civil War days of the Underground Railroad is Rural Nurse.
Chapter 16: Dan's Story
Cherry confronts Dan and learns that his deceased father invented the Sesame can opener, but Mr. Stanley stole the rights to the invention and sold them.
Chapter 17: Rapunzel Loses Her Temper Nanine is envious of Bob and Felicia's happiness over their engagement because her own marriage is in such a shambles.
Chapter 18: A Hectic Day
Cherry thinks that Mr. Stanley is searching for secret passages in the old house so he can sneak out and avoid Dan, and is convinced that Mr. Stanley is the culprit who took the missing items.
Chapter 19: In the Secret Tunnel
Cherry finds the secret passage in Mr. Stanley's room and confronts him in the underground tunnel; when he is about to bind and gag her, she smashes her flashlight on his injured wrist and runs for help.
Chapter 20: Happy Ending Dan proves his claim on the Sesame can opener, Mr. Stanley is captured, and Nanine--whose company manufactures the can opener--reconciles with her husband.
Cherry Ames, Rest Home Nurse
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