windar
Teller of Tales
Chapter 34.
Sunday dawned clear and sultry. By the time Stan and Archie finished breakfast and set out along the road, it was already uncomfortably hot. Where the route ran past open fields, they had to stop and wipe their necks and faces with handkerchiefs. The stretches through forest were blessed reliefs.
‘At least,’ Stan thought, ‘I’m not carrying a heavy canvas knapsack like Vandergrift.’
He had asked Archie before they had set out what was in the sack. “Some things that might turn out to be useful. I cabled my butler down in the city after our conversation yesterday and he assembled it and put it on the late train. The hotel had someone pick it up at the station.”
‘I guess when you’re rich, you can arrange that sort of thing,’ Stan thought. Much as he hated to admit it, he knew that having Vandergrift’s resources might be the key to arranging Barbara’s escape.
They rounded a bend in the road and came upon the stone wall that surrounded the Institute. “This is the place,” Stan announced. “There’s the main gate,” he said, pointing to a gap in the wall a hundred yards or so ahead.
Archie broke into a run and Stan followed. Peering through the iron bars, Archie took in the large mansion with its well-tended lawn. “It looks rather comfortable,” he mused. “Perhaps, Mr. Moore is right and we ought to give the treatment time to work its magic.”
“Suit yourself,” Stan replied. Vandergrift and his money would certainly be a big help in this enterprise, but if he had to, Stan would figure out a way to accomplish his goal by himself.
Vandergrift shucked off his knapsack and laid it on the ground, stooping down to unbuckle the straps and rooting around inside. His hand emerged clutching a pair of binoculars. “We might as well have a closer look,” he said. “These have been very helpful in grouse hunting,” he added.
He put them to his eyes and scanned the front of the house. Then he lowered them and handed them to Stan, looking quite perturbed. “There’s something on the garden flagstones to the left of the door,” he said.
Stan lifted the binoculars and focused on the area Archie had singled out. “It looks like a naked body sort of spread-eagled,” he reported. Then he saw the object move. “It just moved.”
“Let me have them again,” Archie said. He peered through the glasses. “She seems to be staked out. In the sun in this heat- it’s inhuman!”
Stan noticed that Archie had used the female pronoun to describe the victim, which seemed reasonable given that the place was an Institute for Wayward Young Women. He could see even with his naked eye that the body was moving, but appeared to be held down by something. “Can I have another look?” he asked.
Vandergrift handed him the binoculars. Suddenly the prone figure lifted her head. “It’s Barbara!” Stan exclaimed.
Archie grabbed the binoculars and stared at the figure. “Yes, I’m certain that’s her! It’s appalling! She could die from dehydration.”
“Certainly, though I suspect Darwin won’t allow that to happen. After all, he wants to keep the money coming in from her father.”
“We have to tell Mr. Moore right away. We’ll take the next train down to the city. Two of us have seen it so he’ll have to believe it, even if one of them is you.”
“I’m not so sure. Darwin has him snowed or she wouldn’t be here in the first place, and the parents of all the other girls, too, no doubt.”
“Then we’ll go to the authorities,” Archie said. “Surely, this is not permissible.”
“I don’t know. It seems this has been going on for some time. Many people see women’s sexual urges as a threat and anything done to keep them under control is permissible. Just look at Comstock and his followers. Besides, that will take time and in the end, they’ll only release her to her father and who knows where he’ll send her next. I say we’re better off taking the matter into our own hands.”
“That seems risky.”
“I’ve lived most of my life taking risks, Vandergrift. I understand that you haven’t had to, so it’s not something you’re used to. If my plan fails, we can still go to the authorities or speak to Moore, or go talk to The Herald.”
“And in the meantime, what about Barbara?” Archie asked. “It hurts me to think of her suffering.”
“It hurts me, too,” Stan replied. “But as I said, I don’t think Darwin will allow her to come to serious harm. That would risk the future of his operation. Let’s head back to the hotel and get organized,” Stan suggested. “That’s our best way to help her.”
As they walked, Stan laid out his plan. “It seems somewhat irregular, but it might work,” Archie conceded.
“Sometimes, my friend the longshot pays off,” Stan replied.
The next morning, they boarded a southbound train. “We need a boat for a quick getaway,” Stan said. “There’s a boatyard down at Poughkeepsie near the train station.”
“This is turning into quite an adventure!” Archie said.
Stan nodded. “Barbara will love this story if we ever get to tell it to her,” he replied.
Soon, they arrived at the station and made their way to the boatyard. It was a busy scene of boats loading and unloading goods of all varieties. Towards the end of the pier was a steam-powered tugboat; Winner’s Circle was painted on its stern. Stan took that as a favorable omen. He approached the man standing by the gangway smoking a pipe. “Is this your boat?” he asked.
“Aye,” the man replied.
“You have a crew?” Stan asked.
“Aye, two,” the captain replied. He was a man of few words.
“We’d like to hire you for a job,” Archie said.
“When?” the captain asked.
“Tomorrow night,” Stan replied.
The captain protested that he was contracted to go upriver to fetch a barge load of lumber at Albany tomorrow and haul it down to the City.
“How much are they paying you?” Archie asked him.
“$ 250,” the captain replied. Stan doubted it was that much.
“I’ll give you $ 500 to take us up near Rhinecliff and then down to the City,” Archie said. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small purse. “Here’s $ 50 now; the rest will be forthcoming upon completion of the journey.” He ostentatiously showed the captain that he had the promised amount and more to spare.
Stan described the spot they looking for.
“Yep, I knows it,” the captain said.
“We want to reach there around midnight tomorrow,” Stan said.
“Then we’d best leave here by sunset,” the captain said. “Even a bit before.”
“OK,” Stan replied. “We’ll need that skiff so we can row to shore,” he added, indicating the small rowboat on the rear deck.
The captain nodded.
“Also, can you bring a ladder?” Stan asked.
“How long?”
“Can you find one that’s twenty feet?”
“I reckon so,” the captain replied. They shook hands and went into the town to look for the print shop that the station master had recommended. On the train down, they had composed the letter and visiting cards for each of them. For an exorbitant fee, the manager was able to promise they’d have them by that afternoon.
Before catching the train back north, they sent a telegram to Dr. James Darwin c/o The Darwin Institute for Wayward Young Women: “State Medical Board wishes to discuss matters STOP Drs Gould and VanDyke will arrive tomorrow 10 AM STOP”
Stan and Archie were met at the front gate promptly at 10 AM the next morning by a very large, imposing man, who escorted them down the stone path, through the front door of the mansion and into the impressive office of Dr. James Darwin, who rose from his comfortable leather chair, behind his imposing desk to greet his visitors.
Stan handed him his visiting card, identifying himself as Dr. Stanley Gould, graduate of Johns Hopkins Medical School. Darwin took the card in his left hand and examined it, then extended his right hand to shake Stan’s hand. He repeated the same ritual, with Dr. Archibald VanDyke, graduate, according to his card of Yale Medical School. “Please have a seat, gentlemen,” he said.
“We’ll come right to the point, Dr. Darwin,” Stan began. “We’ve heard good things about your Institute and its results and have been sent by the State Medical Board to see what your methods are.” Darwin nodded sagely.
‘Dr. VanDyke’ took up the matter. “We all recognize the gravity of the problem posed for society by an excess of female libido. No great nation can long endure if its youth are corrupted by loose morals,” he said.
“Indeed!” Dr. Darwin concurred. “I could not agree more. All the tools of modern science must be brought to bear on this problem and that is what I have dedicated my life to. In all modesty, I think I have devised a most effective program.
“Would you be willing to perhaps show us just a small sample of your methodology?” Archie asked.
“For distinguished colleagues such as yourselves, I would be happy to.” Stan was pleased that he had convinced Archie that with a person such as Darwin, flattery was the preferred approach.
Darwin led them through the corridors of the old building and down to the basement. “This is where we practice our aversion therapy, which, I believe, is critical to obtaining our best results. The patient is restrained upon this table, for their own protection of course, and their genitals are stimulated. If they become aroused a small, mildly uncomfortable electric shock is administered. The patient then learns to associate sexual arousal with unpleasant, rather than pleasant feelings and thus acquires control over her bodily urges.”
“Ah, yes, the methods of Dr. Pavlov, applied to humans, rather than dogs,” Archie said.
“Precisely,” Darwin replied.
“And what is your success rate, Dr. Darwin?” Stan asked.
“Oh, very high. Some patients require more time here than others of course, but as long as their parents don’t give up, we are able to achieve at least a meaningful reduction in inappropriate behaviors in almost all cases.”
“That sounds most promising, Dr. Darwin,” Archie said. “Where are your patients at the moment?”
“I believe they are in the sewing room, Dr. VanDyke. We like to keep them busy when they are not undergoing treatment. Idle hands are the devil’s playground, after all.” Stan and Archie nodded in agreement.
Darwin led back upstairs to a room where around a dozen women, clad in simple dresses, were seated at a long table, their backs to the visitors, busily sewing. They stood discretely in the doorway.
“You know, Dr. Darwin, I think it would be interesting for us to interview a couple of the patients in private, to get a feel for how they are reacting to the therapy,” Archie said. Stan nodded knowingly to show that he concurred with his colleague.
Dr. Darwin looked a bit askance. “Well, I don’t know. These are very delicate matters.”
“It would be most helpful for our report to the Board,” Stan insisted.
“Well, perhaps I could select a couple of patients whom you could meet with briefly. I don’t want to interrupt their schedule.”
“We understand, Dr. Darwin. We won’t take up much of their time. How about that one, the second from the end on the left?” Archie asked, pointing at one whom he was quite sure was Barbara.
“Hmm, well, that is Barbara Moore. She is rather early in her treatment and not typical at all.”
“I understand, Dr. Darwin. But in the interest of scientific rigor we need to get a representative sample of both the good and the bad,” Stan said. “We’d also like to include one of your more tractable patients. How is that one third from the right?”
“Ah,” Darwin replied. “That is Gwendolyn Barber. She is far along, almost ready to go home.”
“Good, that will make a very fair sample then,” Archie said. “Is there a room where we can interview them?”
“Um, yes, let’s go down the hall,” Darwin said, leading them to a small examining room. There were two chairs. “You gentlemen can be seated,” he told them. “The patients can stand.”
“Thank you, Dr. Darwin,” Stan said. “You can send Miss Barber in first, then Miss Moore.”
He left, closing the door behind him. Soon there was a knock. “Come in,” Stan announced. A very pretty young woman entered. “You must be Gwendolyn,” Stan said.
“Yes,” she replied, meekly.
“We are doctors from the Medical Board here to see how you are progressing in your therapy,” Archie said.
“Oh, it’s going just wonderfully,” Gwendolyn exclaimed. “I am almost ready to go home. I feel in control of myself now and I look forward to a wonderful life as a wife and mother.”
“And the treatments are not too difficult?” Stan asked.
“Not at all. Oh, the shocks hurt a bit, not too bad, but it’s definitely worth it if I can live my life free of unwanted urges that cause me to act in harmful ways.”
They chatted a bit about her family and her plans for the future. Then, Stan thanked her for her time and asked her to send Barbara Moore in.
After a few moments, the door opened and it was her! A look of shock passed over her face and she appeared ready to speak, but Stan and Archie both clapped their hands over their mouths to indicate the need for silence. “Please close the door,” Stan said.
As soon as she closed the door, Stan whispered, “Quiet. I am sure someone is listening at the door.”
“Stan, Archie, it’s wonderful to see you,” Barb whispered. “You have to get me out of here. This place is horrible. They whip you and …”
Stan interrupted her. “We know. We’re here to get you out, but we have to sneak you out, since your father has given Darwin custody over you. You can tell us all about it after.”
Barb nodded to indicate that she understood.
“We will come for you tonight around midnight,” Archie said.
“But how? The doors are all locked and there are bars on the window.”
“Are any of the bars loose?” Stan asked.
“One of the girls told me that the bars in the bathroom at the end of the upstairs hall are a bit shaky, but it’s too high to jump.”
“We will have a ladder by the window and a boat waiting down by the river. Tonight around midnight,” Archie said.
“OK,” Barb replied, smiling at her two knights in shining armor. “I will try anything to get out of here. This place is horrible.”
“Now let’s speak in normal voices. Pretend that your therapy is going well,” Archie whispered. “It sounds like your unwanted urges are still there, but are less than when you first arrived here,” he said in his normal speaking voice.
“Yes, that seems accurate,” Barbara replied, more loudly.
“Well, stay with the treatment,” Archie added. “Dr. Darwin has your best interests at heart. Hopefully, you can go home soon.”
“I know he does and I am eager to finish so that I can be free of these desires which have tormented me,” Barbara replied.
Stan stood and opened the door. A stern looking woman just happened to walk by. Stan knew that she had been listening and hopefully would report Barb’s parting words to Dr. Darwin. She escorted Barb back to the sewing room, as the two doctors made their way to Darwin’s office.
“I must say we are most impressed, Dr. Darwin,” Archie said. “Your methods are obviously sound. It’s beyond dispute that your patients, even the difficult one, Miss Moore, are gaining a solid sense of self-control.”
“Yes,” Stan added. “Our report to the Board will be most favorable. I am sure that many of our colleagues may want to refer patients to you.”
Darwin beamed broadly. “I am happy to help all who are in need. I see it as my duty to the young women of our nation and to the country.” They shook hands and Stan and Archie made their way out to the gate, accompanied by Max, who locked the gate behind them.
Sunday dawned clear and sultry. By the time Stan and Archie finished breakfast and set out along the road, it was already uncomfortably hot. Where the route ran past open fields, they had to stop and wipe their necks and faces with handkerchiefs. The stretches through forest were blessed reliefs.
‘At least,’ Stan thought, ‘I’m not carrying a heavy canvas knapsack like Vandergrift.’
He had asked Archie before they had set out what was in the sack. “Some things that might turn out to be useful. I cabled my butler down in the city after our conversation yesterday and he assembled it and put it on the late train. The hotel had someone pick it up at the station.”
‘I guess when you’re rich, you can arrange that sort of thing,’ Stan thought. Much as he hated to admit it, he knew that having Vandergrift’s resources might be the key to arranging Barbara’s escape.
They rounded a bend in the road and came upon the stone wall that surrounded the Institute. “This is the place,” Stan announced. “There’s the main gate,” he said, pointing to a gap in the wall a hundred yards or so ahead.
Archie broke into a run and Stan followed. Peering through the iron bars, Archie took in the large mansion with its well-tended lawn. “It looks rather comfortable,” he mused. “Perhaps, Mr. Moore is right and we ought to give the treatment time to work its magic.”
“Suit yourself,” Stan replied. Vandergrift and his money would certainly be a big help in this enterprise, but if he had to, Stan would figure out a way to accomplish his goal by himself.
Vandergrift shucked off his knapsack and laid it on the ground, stooping down to unbuckle the straps and rooting around inside. His hand emerged clutching a pair of binoculars. “We might as well have a closer look,” he said. “These have been very helpful in grouse hunting,” he added.
He put them to his eyes and scanned the front of the house. Then he lowered them and handed them to Stan, looking quite perturbed. “There’s something on the garden flagstones to the left of the door,” he said.
Stan lifted the binoculars and focused on the area Archie had singled out. “It looks like a naked body sort of spread-eagled,” he reported. Then he saw the object move. “It just moved.”
“Let me have them again,” Archie said. He peered through the glasses. “She seems to be staked out. In the sun in this heat- it’s inhuman!”
Stan noticed that Archie had used the female pronoun to describe the victim, which seemed reasonable given that the place was an Institute for Wayward Young Women. He could see even with his naked eye that the body was moving, but appeared to be held down by something. “Can I have another look?” he asked.
Vandergrift handed him the binoculars. Suddenly the prone figure lifted her head. “It’s Barbara!” Stan exclaimed.
Archie grabbed the binoculars and stared at the figure. “Yes, I’m certain that’s her! It’s appalling! She could die from dehydration.”
“Certainly, though I suspect Darwin won’t allow that to happen. After all, he wants to keep the money coming in from her father.”
“We have to tell Mr. Moore right away. We’ll take the next train down to the city. Two of us have seen it so he’ll have to believe it, even if one of them is you.”
“I’m not so sure. Darwin has him snowed or she wouldn’t be here in the first place, and the parents of all the other girls, too, no doubt.”
“Then we’ll go to the authorities,” Archie said. “Surely, this is not permissible.”
“I don’t know. It seems this has been going on for some time. Many people see women’s sexual urges as a threat and anything done to keep them under control is permissible. Just look at Comstock and his followers. Besides, that will take time and in the end, they’ll only release her to her father and who knows where he’ll send her next. I say we’re better off taking the matter into our own hands.”
“That seems risky.”
“I’ve lived most of my life taking risks, Vandergrift. I understand that you haven’t had to, so it’s not something you’re used to. If my plan fails, we can still go to the authorities or speak to Moore, or go talk to The Herald.”
“And in the meantime, what about Barbara?” Archie asked. “It hurts me to think of her suffering.”
“It hurts me, too,” Stan replied. “But as I said, I don’t think Darwin will allow her to come to serious harm. That would risk the future of his operation. Let’s head back to the hotel and get organized,” Stan suggested. “That’s our best way to help her.”
As they walked, Stan laid out his plan. “It seems somewhat irregular, but it might work,” Archie conceded.
“Sometimes, my friend the longshot pays off,” Stan replied.
***
The next morning, they boarded a southbound train. “We need a boat for a quick getaway,” Stan said. “There’s a boatyard down at Poughkeepsie near the train station.”
“This is turning into quite an adventure!” Archie said.
Stan nodded. “Barbara will love this story if we ever get to tell it to her,” he replied.
Soon, they arrived at the station and made their way to the boatyard. It was a busy scene of boats loading and unloading goods of all varieties. Towards the end of the pier was a steam-powered tugboat; Winner’s Circle was painted on its stern. Stan took that as a favorable omen. He approached the man standing by the gangway smoking a pipe. “Is this your boat?” he asked.
“Aye,” the man replied.
“You have a crew?” Stan asked.
“Aye, two,” the captain replied. He was a man of few words.
“We’d like to hire you for a job,” Archie said.
“When?” the captain asked.
“Tomorrow night,” Stan replied.
The captain protested that he was contracted to go upriver to fetch a barge load of lumber at Albany tomorrow and haul it down to the City.
“How much are they paying you?” Archie asked him.
“$ 250,” the captain replied. Stan doubted it was that much.
“I’ll give you $ 500 to take us up near Rhinecliff and then down to the City,” Archie said. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small purse. “Here’s $ 50 now; the rest will be forthcoming upon completion of the journey.” He ostentatiously showed the captain that he had the promised amount and more to spare.
Stan described the spot they looking for.
“Yep, I knows it,” the captain said.
“We want to reach there around midnight tomorrow,” Stan said.
“Then we’d best leave here by sunset,” the captain said. “Even a bit before.”
“OK,” Stan replied. “We’ll need that skiff so we can row to shore,” he added, indicating the small rowboat on the rear deck.
The captain nodded.
“Also, can you bring a ladder?” Stan asked.
“How long?”
“Can you find one that’s twenty feet?”
“I reckon so,” the captain replied. They shook hands and went into the town to look for the print shop that the station master had recommended. On the train down, they had composed the letter and visiting cards for each of them. For an exorbitant fee, the manager was able to promise they’d have them by that afternoon.
Before catching the train back north, they sent a telegram to Dr. James Darwin c/o The Darwin Institute for Wayward Young Women: “State Medical Board wishes to discuss matters STOP Drs Gould and VanDyke will arrive tomorrow 10 AM STOP”
***
Stan and Archie were met at the front gate promptly at 10 AM the next morning by a very large, imposing man, who escorted them down the stone path, through the front door of the mansion and into the impressive office of Dr. James Darwin, who rose from his comfortable leather chair, behind his imposing desk to greet his visitors.
Stan handed him his visiting card, identifying himself as Dr. Stanley Gould, graduate of Johns Hopkins Medical School. Darwin took the card in his left hand and examined it, then extended his right hand to shake Stan’s hand. He repeated the same ritual, with Dr. Archibald VanDyke, graduate, according to his card of Yale Medical School. “Please have a seat, gentlemen,” he said.
“We’ll come right to the point, Dr. Darwin,” Stan began. “We’ve heard good things about your Institute and its results and have been sent by the State Medical Board to see what your methods are.” Darwin nodded sagely.
‘Dr. VanDyke’ took up the matter. “We all recognize the gravity of the problem posed for society by an excess of female libido. No great nation can long endure if its youth are corrupted by loose morals,” he said.
“Indeed!” Dr. Darwin concurred. “I could not agree more. All the tools of modern science must be brought to bear on this problem and that is what I have dedicated my life to. In all modesty, I think I have devised a most effective program.
“Would you be willing to perhaps show us just a small sample of your methodology?” Archie asked.
“For distinguished colleagues such as yourselves, I would be happy to.” Stan was pleased that he had convinced Archie that with a person such as Darwin, flattery was the preferred approach.
Darwin led them through the corridors of the old building and down to the basement. “This is where we practice our aversion therapy, which, I believe, is critical to obtaining our best results. The patient is restrained upon this table, for their own protection of course, and their genitals are stimulated. If they become aroused a small, mildly uncomfortable electric shock is administered. The patient then learns to associate sexual arousal with unpleasant, rather than pleasant feelings and thus acquires control over her bodily urges.”
“Ah, yes, the methods of Dr. Pavlov, applied to humans, rather than dogs,” Archie said.
“Precisely,” Darwin replied.
“And what is your success rate, Dr. Darwin?” Stan asked.
“Oh, very high. Some patients require more time here than others of course, but as long as their parents don’t give up, we are able to achieve at least a meaningful reduction in inappropriate behaviors in almost all cases.”
“That sounds most promising, Dr. Darwin,” Archie said. “Where are your patients at the moment?”
“I believe they are in the sewing room, Dr. VanDyke. We like to keep them busy when they are not undergoing treatment. Idle hands are the devil’s playground, after all.” Stan and Archie nodded in agreement.
Darwin led back upstairs to a room where around a dozen women, clad in simple dresses, were seated at a long table, their backs to the visitors, busily sewing. They stood discretely in the doorway.
“You know, Dr. Darwin, I think it would be interesting for us to interview a couple of the patients in private, to get a feel for how they are reacting to the therapy,” Archie said. Stan nodded knowingly to show that he concurred with his colleague.
Dr. Darwin looked a bit askance. “Well, I don’t know. These are very delicate matters.”
“It would be most helpful for our report to the Board,” Stan insisted.
“Well, perhaps I could select a couple of patients whom you could meet with briefly. I don’t want to interrupt their schedule.”
“We understand, Dr. Darwin. We won’t take up much of their time. How about that one, the second from the end on the left?” Archie asked, pointing at one whom he was quite sure was Barbara.
“Hmm, well, that is Barbara Moore. She is rather early in her treatment and not typical at all.”
“I understand, Dr. Darwin. But in the interest of scientific rigor we need to get a representative sample of both the good and the bad,” Stan said. “We’d also like to include one of your more tractable patients. How is that one third from the right?”
“Ah,” Darwin replied. “That is Gwendolyn Barber. She is far along, almost ready to go home.”
“Good, that will make a very fair sample then,” Archie said. “Is there a room where we can interview them?”
“Um, yes, let’s go down the hall,” Darwin said, leading them to a small examining room. There were two chairs. “You gentlemen can be seated,” he told them. “The patients can stand.”
“Thank you, Dr. Darwin,” Stan said. “You can send Miss Barber in first, then Miss Moore.”
He left, closing the door behind him. Soon there was a knock. “Come in,” Stan announced. A very pretty young woman entered. “You must be Gwendolyn,” Stan said.
“Yes,” she replied, meekly.
“We are doctors from the Medical Board here to see how you are progressing in your therapy,” Archie said.
“Oh, it’s going just wonderfully,” Gwendolyn exclaimed. “I am almost ready to go home. I feel in control of myself now and I look forward to a wonderful life as a wife and mother.”
“And the treatments are not too difficult?” Stan asked.
“Not at all. Oh, the shocks hurt a bit, not too bad, but it’s definitely worth it if I can live my life free of unwanted urges that cause me to act in harmful ways.”
They chatted a bit about her family and her plans for the future. Then, Stan thanked her for her time and asked her to send Barbara Moore in.
After a few moments, the door opened and it was her! A look of shock passed over her face and she appeared ready to speak, but Stan and Archie both clapped their hands over their mouths to indicate the need for silence. “Please close the door,” Stan said.
As soon as she closed the door, Stan whispered, “Quiet. I am sure someone is listening at the door.”
“Stan, Archie, it’s wonderful to see you,” Barb whispered. “You have to get me out of here. This place is horrible. They whip you and …”
Stan interrupted her. “We know. We’re here to get you out, but we have to sneak you out, since your father has given Darwin custody over you. You can tell us all about it after.”
Barb nodded to indicate that she understood.
“We will come for you tonight around midnight,” Archie said.
“But how? The doors are all locked and there are bars on the window.”
“Are any of the bars loose?” Stan asked.
“One of the girls told me that the bars in the bathroom at the end of the upstairs hall are a bit shaky, but it’s too high to jump.”
“We will have a ladder by the window and a boat waiting down by the river. Tonight around midnight,” Archie said.
“OK,” Barb replied, smiling at her two knights in shining armor. “I will try anything to get out of here. This place is horrible.”
“Now let’s speak in normal voices. Pretend that your therapy is going well,” Archie whispered. “It sounds like your unwanted urges are still there, but are less than when you first arrived here,” he said in his normal speaking voice.
“Yes, that seems accurate,” Barbara replied, more loudly.
“Well, stay with the treatment,” Archie added. “Dr. Darwin has your best interests at heart. Hopefully, you can go home soon.”
“I know he does and I am eager to finish so that I can be free of these desires which have tormented me,” Barbara replied.
Stan stood and opened the door. A stern looking woman just happened to walk by. Stan knew that she had been listening and hopefully would report Barb’s parting words to Dr. Darwin. She escorted Barb back to the sewing room, as the two doctors made their way to Darwin’s office.
“I must say we are most impressed, Dr. Darwin,” Archie said. “Your methods are obviously sound. It’s beyond dispute that your patients, even the difficult one, Miss Moore, are gaining a solid sense of self-control.”
“Yes,” Stan added. “Our report to the Board will be most favorable. I am sure that many of our colleagues may want to refer patients to you.”
Darwin beamed broadly. “I am happy to help all who are in need. I see it as my duty to the young women of our nation and to the country.” They shook hands and Stan and Archie made their way out to the gate, accompanied by Max, who locked the gate behind them.