Carmella Commands
“Sure he does,” said Carmella.
“Well, then!” said the boy, as if this were the last word.
Carmella answered nothing. It occurred to her that there were times when to tell the truth and let hearers disbelieve it was one of the higher forms of diplomacy.
The Contractor Coletta myth grew amazingly in the school, and Carmella discovered that she was being treated in accordance with it. More invitations from the boys, which she steadily declined; more furtive gifts of cake and candy from the girls.
It reached out into Little Italy, until it came to Doty Street and to Nicolo. At first he scoffed. But he invited Carmella to the movies with a new sense of importance, and was less offended when she declined.
Between films, when she had accepted, he told her queer tales of after-dark deliveries of bootleg liquor at the homes of the socially prominent, some of which were based on fact. Carmella found these highly diverting, but once was moved to ask if there was no danger in these transactions.
Nicolo sneered.
“Not a chance! No danger to Mike. Hasn’t he got one captain and two inspectors on his pay roll? And don’t he own the alderman from the ward?”
“But the government crowd?” persisted Carmella.
“Government hell! Ain’t one of the raiders Mike’s cousin? All Mike’s afraid of is that there’ll be a
[201]
