Carmella Commands
“You bet he would,” Carmella answered easily. “He’s going to be a big man some day. But he won’t jump farther than he can land on his feet, my dad won’t. If he had the price, he’d be ahead of you instead of behind.”
In the pause that followed Carmella asked Dixon to stop around the corner from her house. Just as she was getting out, Mr. Barrington asked:
“Will you be there, out in Greendale, tomorrow morning, young lady?”
“Why should I?” asked Carmella softly.
“Because I say so! Because I want to talk turkey with your dad!”
Mr. Barrington shouted his answer, while Dixon, grinning, said out of the side of his mouth:
“Try, kid!”
“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Dixon,” said Carmella, ignoring his employer as she darted toward the corner.
“Funny kid!” said Mr. Barrington, perplexed.
Tommaso came into the house presently, tired and silent as usual. Carmella greeted him with extra solicitude, but did not try to make him talk. At supper, however, she saw that his wine glass was kept filled.
“You’re tired, padre,” she said once.
“Yes!” he answered, and drank the grape juice that had inadvertently fermented the winter before.
That evening Carmella washed the dishes almost faster than both brother and sister could dry them, and hurried into the living room. Tommaso was
[187]
