Carmella Commands
That evening she did not insist that Carmella help her with the dishes.
And Carmella, curiously enough, said nothing of it to Tommaso.
The next morning Baby Enrico had a pain. With all the power of his young lungs he protested. Maria knew very well that it could not be a serious pain, or there would be less lung-power. Nevertheless, it would be as well to call the district nurse on her morning rounds.
Miss Young, who brought healing and friendship to that section of Little Italy, usually passed the corner of Doty Street about ten o’clock. Maria sent Carmella down to the corner to notify the gray-clad visitor that there was need of her in the Coletta household.
“Stay from school till you meet the nurse,” said Maria, “and after you have sent her here, go to your teacher and tell her why you are late.”
Miss Kelly was used to such excuses. At least a third of her pupils were oldest children, and therefore the interpreters for their families. It was no uncommon thing to excuse a child for half a day for a shopping excursion downtown with her mother, in order to do the talking.
Routine purchases, of course, were made in the shops of Little Italy, the signs of which were sometimes in English, sometimes in Italian, and sometimes mixed. The druggist on the corner, for example, had on his swinging sign the word “Farmacia,” while on his win-
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