Carmella Commands
“Thank you, Mr. Barrington. That’s fine!”
“All o. k. You may get the job; may not. But I’ll take a chance. You were a good chauffeur. Mrs. Barrington⸺”
“That’s all right,” said Dixon. “Forget it! It was a good turn for me.”
That same night he was in Tommaso’s home, telling of the interview, when Tommaso said “we must not promise more than we can do.”
“We can do it, all right,” said Dixon.
These business interviews were a curious medley of speech. Tommaso knew some American, including profanity. Dixon knew a few Italian phrases. Car- mella sat between them, understanding both.
Sometimes they went on without her. But anything complicated called for her services as interpreter.
“If we can do it, we shall do it,” said Tommaso.
“Won’t it be grand!” exclaimed Carmella. “We’ll be millionaires pretty soon, Mr. Dixon.”
She danced across the floor, and blew him a kiss.
“Not too soon, kid,” warned Dixon.
She danced across the floor till Tommaso thundered:
“Sit down! When I wish dancing, I will ask you. Now you ask Mr. Dixon how long notice we must give to hire steam shovels.”
“Mr. Dixon,” said Carmella, “Mr. Coletta would like to know how much notice to get those steam shovels, and if you ever get me called down like that again I’ll hate you for life.”
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