Carmella Commands
“Sure I’ll phone,” said Dixon, as Carmella responded to the nurse’s push on her shoulder by dashing for the elevator. He went back to bed, dizzy with ideas that were new to him. He had planned to own a garage some day.
That evening, again on the arm of his chair, Carmella said to Tommaso:
“I called on Mr. Dixon today.”
“Si! But you did not speak of what you said last night?”
“Not much. Just a little, padre. I told him maybe you might want to talk with him.”
Tommaso smoked for a time in silence, then asked:
“What did he say?”
“He was surprised. He did not know. I asked him to telephone tonight if he was interested. Will you go to the hospital to see him?”
“I have much work. When will he be well?”
“He can leave the hospital in about two weeks, the doctors told him.”
“And then he could come here to talk some evening?”
“Sure he would, padre. But why wait? Can’t you see him in the hospital?”
“It can wait till he is well,” answered Tommaso, and would speak no more about it.
Carmella thought her father stubborn and slow. She fretted, lest Dixon turn to something else. When he telephoned, she explained that the business must wait
[244]
