The Queen of the Big Time Read Free Page B

where it is.” Papa smiles. “But Nella cannot ride the trolley alone.”
    “I could go with her, Papa,” Elena says from the doorway. She looks at me, knowing how much it would mean to me.
    “We cannot afford the trolley twice a day, and two of you, well, that is out of the question.”
    “I could walk! It’s only three miles!”
    Papa looks a little scandalized, but once again, Elena comes to my rescue. “I’ll walk with her, Papa.” How kind of my sister. She was average in school and couldn’t wait to be done with the seventh grade. And now she’s offering to walk an hour each way for me.
    “Thank you, Elena,” I tell her sincerely.
    “Girls, let me speak with Miss Stoddard alone.”
    The look on Papa’s face tells me that I should not argue the point. Mama has not said a word, but she wouldn’t. Papa speaks on behalf of our family.
    “Papa?” Assunta, who must have been eavesdropping from the stairs, comes into the room. “I’ll walk her into town.” Elena and I look at each other. Assunta has never done a thing for me, why would she want to walk me into town?
    “Thank you,” Papa says to Assunta and then looks at me as if to say, See, your sister really does care about you . But I am certain there must be some underlying reason for Assunta to show this kind of generosity toward me. There must be something in it for her!
    “I am starting a new job in town next month,” Assunta explains to Miss Stoddard. Elena and I look at each other again. This is the first we have heard of a job. “I am going to work at the Roseto Manufacturing Company. I have to be at work by seven o’clock in the morning.”
    Elena nudges me. Assunta has been keeping secrets. We had no idea she was going to work in Roseto’s blouse mill.
    “School begins at eight,” Miss Stoddard says.
    “I’ll wait outside for them to open the school. I don’t mind!” Miss Stoddard smiles at me. “Really, I’ll stand in the snow. I don’t care!”
    “Nella, let me speak to your teacher alone.” Papa’s tone tells me he means it this time, so I follow Elena up the stairs and into our room.
    “Can you believe it? I’m going to school!” I straighten the coverlet on my bed so the lace on the hem just grazes the floorboards.
    “You deserve it. You work so hard.”
    “So do you!”
    “Yes, but I’m not smart.” Elena says this without a trace of self-pity. “But you, you could be a teacher someday.”
    “That’s what I want. I want to be just like Miss Stoddard. I want to teach little ones how to read. Every day we’ll have story hour. I’ll read Aesop’s Fables and Tales from Shakespeare aloud, just like she does. And on special days, like birthdays, I’ll make tea cakes and lemonade and have extra recess.”
    Assunta pushes the door open.
    “When did you decide to work at the mill?” Elena asks her.
    “When I realized how small my dowry would be. Papa’s money is all tied up in cows. I don’t want Alessandro thinking he got stuck with a poor farm girl.” Assunta goes to the window and looks out over Delabole farm. “But he is getting stuck with a poor farm girl, so I have to do my part.”
    I never thought about a dowry, but it makes sense. Of course we have to pay someone to take Assunta off of our hands. Who would take her for free?
    “I’m sure Alessandro isn’t expecting—” Elena begins.
    Assunta interrupts her. “How do you know what he expects?”
    The funny thing is, I’ve read all of Alessandro’s letters to Assunta (she keeps them hidden in a tin box in the closet), and I don’t remember a single word about any expectations of a dowry. But now is not the time to point that out. If she knew I read her private mail, she’d do worse than scratch me.
    “Alessandro is a lucky man.” Elena and Assunta look surprised. “You’re very kind.” I smile at Assunta. “You didn’t have to offer to walk me to school, but you did and I appreciate it.”
    “You will have to work for the