Carmella Commands
and recognized Dixon’s voice. The latter was sitting in the Barrington car, drawn up at the curb.
“Hello, Tommaso Coletta,” Dixon called. “How’s the real estate man?”
Tommaso did not wholly understand the English of the last sentence, but sensed the greeting.
“Buong giorno! How do?” he responded, in Italian and English.
“Two buongs and a giorno for me,” said Dixon, cheerfully. “And how’s Carmella Kid Kate?”
Tommaso caught a tone in the chauffeur’s voice as he asked about Carmella which made him hesitate. Then he said, speaking English:
“Carmella fine! Greendale, how she?”
Dixon laughed, good-naturedly.
“Greendale, she fine too,” he said. “Going down there with the boss pronto. The darn fool don’t know I’ve parked here fifteen minutes overtime already. But he can afford the fine if anything happens. Besides, they don’t often pinch a car with a driver in the seat.”
“Yes,” said Tommaso. “Mucha she build, Greendale?”
“Mucha she build you bet your sweet young building complex. Mucha she builda pronto.”
“Chanca for work?”
Dixon looked intently at Carmella’s father.
“Listen, old bird,” he said. “Listen to me. Why in⸺”
“No spika Eenglish. Parlate Italiano?”
[142]
