ow Carmella looked forward to a happy summer of movies and dances with Nicolo.
She had “passed” the seventh grade tests and said good-bye to Miss Kelly. For nearly three months there lay ahead of her nothing but play, much of which she was decided should be at the jobs where her father was at work. In the fall she would be a senior in grammar school, which was a pleasant thing to look forward to. A sense of command went with it. But for the present, vacation.
She had intended to sleep late next morning, and browse in the kitchen for breakfast. But that night she forgot to change the schedule of her alarm clock, so that on vacation’s first day it rang at the usual hour. Carmella was up before she realized the mistake, and although the notion of going back to bed occurred to her, she heard Raffaela and Paola dressing frantically. She remembered their recent combined attack on her, and decided to begin the day.
Tommaso had left when the trio came down to breakfast. As they finished their meal, Maria said:
“Now that you have no school, you shall wash the
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