Carmella Commands
“Gee!” exclaimed Carmella.
Behind this offer was more than the girl knew. Hope House, frankly, was not going very well. Few mothers were interested, and children were dropping out. Those who still came would not behave. Miss Sargle herself lacked the human touch.
In looking about for a helper who could really help, Miss Sargle had remembered Carmella. The girl had always been a leader. In her anxiety—which was in reality an anxiety to retain her position—Miss Sargle had visited Principal Carroll of the grammar school Carmella had attended.
“She’d be your ideal!” he replied promptly. “She can whip her weight in wildcats. And what’s more, she does it.”
He recounted a playground incident when Carmella had soundly punished a group of quarreling children.
“The funny part of it was,” he went on, “that she didn’t make enemies of them. She’s got personality. In all my experience, I never saw a youngster her age with so much of it. Get her, and your troubles with other children are over, even if she licks them all the first week.”
Miss Sargle had urged Carmella on Mrs. Barrington with almost suspicious earnestness.
“You understand,” Mrs. Barrington continued, “that this would be paid for. You’d have a salary.”
Carmella’s eyes shone.
“How much?” she demanded.
[273]
