Carmella Commands
ness. They all think it’s a million a minute—and never think of the graft you have to pay.”
Mrs. Pieri sat, stunned. Her boy admitted stealing. She did not understand the reason. But he had stolen. She bowed her head and wept.
“Boy, you’ve got a bum alibi,” said Carmella. “So you stole cheap money to keep up a bootleg front, did you? My God, what a nut!”
Sergeant Donovan, standing near, understood most of the Italian talk.
“Well,” he said to himself, “I will be everlastingly damned! Ain’t they the hellions, these wops!”
A clerk entered and touched his arm.
“Sorry folks,” said the sergeant, “but this here young guy is due in court. Me and him better beat it.”
Sullenly the boy pleaded not guilty. But he had no lawyer, so the case was set for trial a week later.
Because the sum involved was small, the judge placed bail at what he considered a nominal figure. But to Nicolo, unaided, two hundred dollars was as impossible as twenty thousand.
“Oh, my poor boy!” moaned Mrs. Pieri, knowing nothing of what was happening, except that a big policeman stood beside Nicolo. Carmella tried to explain the situation to her.
“Somebody must pledge two hundred dollars, or Nicolo must stay in the prigione.”
“He didn’t do it,” moaned the mother, forgetting his own admissions.
[226]
