The Coming of Fabrizze: A Novel (Black Squirrel Books) Read Online Free PDF Page A

worker called Bassetti. They bought the newspaper and went through it page by page. Fabrizze never turned up without a bag of oranges for the old man. Toward the end of the summer Bassetti realized that his pupil had become his teacher. He pointed out that the oranges were losing their sweetness now that he gave nothing in return. He made an end of it and sent Fabrizze home.
    Home was the red rooming house on Harrison Street. Fabrizze and Augustine shared room and bed on the seventh floor. They shared everything else with some fifty other immigrants packed together for warmth in this New World.
    â€œWhat smells and dialects!” said Augustine.
    No doors were closed in the day. People wandered through the halls. Long into the summer night there was talk running from window to open window. Augustine had the curious feeling that if something happened to one of them it would happen to all of them. He soon decided it was already happening.
    â€œThey dream and dream,” he told Fabrizze. “I had supper with Penza on the second floor. The man who works with us. I was telling him how bad it is here in America. He put his finger on his lips. He doesn’t want to hear about it. He has two shirts. He wears one and washes the other. He has a hole in his shoe. But in a few years he’ll send for a wife. ‘Look at this place,’ I said. He put the finger on his lips. He has a window in the room. He looks out and it’s good. There’s a boy next door who plays the harmonica. The music is good. ‘Wake up,’ I said. He put the finger on his lips.”
    â€œI understand it,” said Fabrizze. “Something is in the air. It makes you want to run. It’s exciting.”
    â€œIt’s garlic and codfish,” said Augustine. “Rumbone is making supper downstairs. It happens to be where I’m going. We have this plan for you. I want you to keep your eyes open on the job. Go to Bassetti again. Ask him questions about the work on the railroad. Learn everything you can. Be ready.”
    Rumbone winced when he saw Augustine.
    â€œJust in time for supper,” said Rumbone.
    â€œYou don’t mean it?” said Augustine. “There isn’t enough.”
    â€œSay no more,” said Rumbone.
    â€œEnough for one, enough for two, eh?” said Augustine.
    â€œEnough for one, enough for one,” said Rumbone. “Don’t mix it up, Augustine. We know each other from the village.”
    â€œYou run me through,” said Augustine. “Pass the fish then.”
    â€œI’ve been thinking about Fabrizze,” said Rumbone. “We must let these people know he’s there.”
    â€œIt isn’t right for me to take his part,” said Augustine.
    â€œI’ll take his part,” said Rumbone. “I’ve been watching this Rossi. The man is nervous. I’ll bring him down from behind.”
    Rumbone had the keen look of a hunter. Carefully he set about to stalk the railroad supervisor. He froze in his tracks whenever Rossi came in sight. He gazed in silence. Pale troubled eyes aimed down that blade of a nose.
    â€œYou there,” said Rossi. “Stop it, stop it.”
    Rumbone put up his shovel and came over.
    â€œI didn’t mean that,” said Rossi. “I want you to stop looking at me. I feel unbuttoned with it.”
    â€œWhat is it?” said Rumbone. “Who’s unbuttoned?”
    â€œNever mind,” said Rossi, starting away. “Back to work.”
    â€œWhat’s happening?” said Rumbone, following him. “They told me to stay here. But where you are taking me?”
    â€œGo back to work!” cried Rossi. “What a fool!”
    After several weeks of this Rossi took it into his head that Rumbone might be a source of information about the men. Rumbone sensed that the time was ripe. He winked and called the supervisor aside. He asked mysterious questions.
    â€œYou see him there?” said