Top of The Edge - From Encounter To Orientation

...the two ladies looked at each other and smiled. "We'll do it" they both answered simultaneously as they shifted their attention back to Mr. Smith.

Around the corner of the center room of the deck, Maryanne crouched listening intently to the conversation between Smith and her two friends. When she heard them say, "We'll do it.", she gasped so loudly that she was certain they must have heard it.

Smith responded to their agreement very matter-of-factly, "Welcome to the team ladies. We need to get you ready for duty ASAP. So, the next few days are going to be quite busy. Your last class of the day on Fridays is usually out between 2:30 and 2:45 in the afternoon. So, we will get together at 3:00. Bring whatever identification documents you have and meet me in the front lobby of the Francis Marion Hotel.

"Mr. Smith you still haven't answered our question as to what part of the coastline we'll be observing", Robyn stated interrogatively.

"There are several barrier islands between Charleston and Beaufort. The plan is to have you posted on the beaches of either Kiawah or Seabrook Island. We may even have you alternate between the two. Are you familiar with either of those islands?"

"I can point them out to you on a map." Cherry responded, "but that's about it."

"I have a friend that sometimes attends a church camp on Seabrook Island." Robyn stated.

"Both Islands are privately owned." Smith replied. "Kiawah Island is owned by the Vanderhorst family and has been passed down from generation to generation for nearly 200 years. Seabrook Island on the other hand was purchased in 1938 by Victor Morawetz of New York. Currently, he allows part of the property to be used for the Episcopal Church's Camp St. Christopher."

"So how are you able to carry out this coastal watch initiative on private property?" Robyn asked. "Would it be correct to presume that the U.S. government has designated them as eminent domain?"

"No, that would not be a correct presumption at all. The Vanderhorst family is one of the most historically patriotic families of South Carolina. Arnoldus I (first) fought in the Revolutionary war under the 'Swamp Fox', Francis Marion and was later elected governor of South Carolina (SC). The current owner of Kiawah Island, Arnoldus Vanderhorst V (fifth) is every bit the patriot as his ancestors. Without hesitation he was more than happy to grant us access to Kiawah Island's beaches for the Coastal Watch Initiative. As for Seabrook Island, Mr. Morawetz is a devout Christian and Episcopalian. He views his cooperation with this initiative as his personal Christian duty."

Followed by a brief moment of silence, Smith smiled and determined that now would be a good time to conclude the meeting. With a nod and a tip of his hat he politely articulated, "Ladies, I'll see myself out." Fortunately for Maryanne he exited the same way she and he had entered the deck earlier that evening.

As soon as they were certain Smith was no longer within ear shot. Cherry called out, "He's gone now, Maryanne. Did you hear everything?" Maryanne came around the corner wide-eyed and shaking her head. "Apparently not, because from where I was, it sounded like the two of you just volunteered for some flat-out craziness! What is wrong with you? Have you lost your ever-loving minds?"

Robyn replied, "Maryanne, you're always going on about how proud you are of your uncle the airplane pilot - 'A Tuskegee airmen'. Now is your chance to do something that will enable you to be proud of you."

"My chance?" she responded incredulously. "He wasn't talking to me. He doesn't even know who I am, and I know he's not going to allow you to just add me into the mix."

Now Cherry spoke, "Maryanne, I highly doubt that Mr. Smith or anyone else for that matter is going to be out there all night on the beach with us. We'll catch you up on everything we learn over the next several days, and when it's time for us to start observing we want you to be with us."

Maryanne smiled and slowly shook her head as she responded to their proposal, "I can't believe I'm actually considering this..."

Then immediately Maryanne switched gears and took charge, "We need to get moving. It's getting late and nearly past our time for being out of here. Y'all bring those teacups downstairs and help me make this place look like we were never here. My boss Mr. Johnson is very studious, and believe me if anything is out of place, he will know it".

As they concluded their cleanup, Maryanne made one last pass around the house ensuring all was secure and in place. Then they exited the rear of the mansion and Maryanne locked the door and said, "This was fun y'all, a little nerve-racking but none the less fun and adventurous. Be careful riding back to your dorm room."

"You think we're going to just leave you here to walk home alone in the dark at this hour?" Robyn's words were laced with shock and dismay.

"I'm not some 10-year-old child. I'm a grown woman, and I've walked these streets alone in the dark more times than I can even count."

Then Cherry piped in, "Yeah, well whatever, tonight we're walking with you and that is that."

Maryanne Clarke lived within walking distance of the Wentworth Mansion in the city housing project just across from 'the old city jail', a spooky old building that was vacant now and no longer in operation. At one time it had been both a jail and an insane asylum. As the three ladies walked past it, Robyn shuddered and said, "Every time I pass by this place it gives me the willies."

Maryanne replied, "Some that live around here say they've gotten used to it, but I'm certainly not one of them. Then there's a lot more that say it's haunted and they've even seen ghostly figures lurking about and looking out at them from the windows. Fortunately, I've never seen anything of the like, and lord only knows what I'd do if I did. I can actually see this place from my bedroom window. Sometimes when I look at it, I get a feeling of agonizing despair. I can't help thinking about those poor unfortunate souls that had the misfortune of being locked up in this wretched dark and dreary building."

At the front door of Maryanne's home, the three ladies exchanged hugs and goodbyes. Then Cherry and Robyn mounted their bikes and quickly rode back past the old City Jail on their way to their dorm room.

Orientation Starts - Fri 16 Oct 1942

Smith had decided to eat a late lunch in the hotel dining room. His table was by a window that overlooked Marion square as well as parts of King and Calhoun streets. He looked at his watch - 2:50. Then he looked out across Marion Square and saw Cherry and Robyn hurrying along the edge of the square adjacent to Calhoun Street. They were on their way to meet him. He smiled and thought to himself, "perfect timing" as he took the last bite of his pecan pie and one final sip of his black coffee. He left enough cash on the table to cover his meal plus a generous tip and headed to the front door.

Cherry and Robyn shared a class together on Friday afternoons - philosophy, and they both hated it. Class let out at 2:30, which gave them plenty of time to make it to their meeting with Mr. Smith. However, today their professor, Professor Michaels had asked to speak to Robyn alone in private after class. The meeting lasted only about 10 minutes, but now they would need to hurry to make it to their meeting with Smith. Both of them preferred being at least 10 minutes early for everything.

"The nerve of him... I can't believe that he actually thought... isn't he married? I think I want to kill him. What does he think I am anyway?" He actually insinuated that if I didn't... that he would fail me." The meeting with Professor Michaels had left Robyn overwhelmingly exasperated.

As they hurried along, Cherry quietly listened to her friend. Her animosity toward the professor was growing with every word of Robyn's detailed account of their private little meeting.

Just as Cherry reached for the front door of the hotel, it opened before she had a chance to pull on the handle, and Mr. Smith stepped out onto the sidewalk. He smiled and tipped his hat,

"Good afternoon, ladies. My car is around the corner. We have a great deal to accomplish, so let's get moving." and he started up King Street toward Calhoun.

Cherry and Robyn looked at each other before shrugging and falling in behind Smith. They both got into the back seat of his car as Robyn continued sharing her exasperation, only much quieter now around Mr. Smith, "What am I going to do? I can't afford to fail his class."

"Where are you taking us, Mr. Smith?" Cherry asked. Her tone was not at all pleasant.

Smith replied, "This afternoon we're going over to Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.