Carmella Commands
call her anything but Kid or Kate. And she slaps hard, Miss Sargle, you bet.”
Giulia put her hand to her cheek, unconsciously. Elena giggled uneasily.
“Well, Giulia,” said Miss Sargle. “I’ll give you a dime if you’ll run over to Carmella’s house and see if she’s there. If she is, tell her I’d like to see her. Right away, quick! There’s a lady downstairs who wants to talk with her. But you just tell her Miss Sargle wants her right away.”
“May I leave my library book here, Miss Sargle?”
“Yes, yes, yes! But please run! And ask Carmella to run back with you.”
“By gollies, said der captain, if it ain’t it a emergencies wot it is,” hummed Giulia to herself as she tossed her book into a willow chair and dashed down the stairs.
Miss Sargle descended more slowly. And thought. Here was another eccentricity to be charged to Carmella. Slapping other children unless they called her Kate. Yet the girl had never objected when Miss Sargle and other workers had used her Italian name. Strange child! Strange child!
“I’ve sent for Carmella,” she announced, looking into the room where Mrs. Barrington sat, still tense in meditation.
“Thank you!” said the lady absently.
Miss Sargle started for her office across the corridor, but turned to say:
[6]
