The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-10-16
SHE WANTED A
REAL DOLL
By WALTER TAyLoR FIELD

a his little room over the kllcueh al
Caraffa's, where he boarded, and
thought long and earnestly. The chill
dren were playing down stairs. He
could hear little F~rancesca's voice
begging her mother for a doll-not a
rag doll, but a real doll like the other
girls had" and Mrs. Caraffa answered
that if papa brought home good wages
that week she should have one. Then
Francesca laughed and clapped her
hands, and she and her brother Bruno
began to sing. They we're having a
good time. those children. He loved
them. They were his friends. They
were all that he had to love. His W
children and his wife were dead. He
had no kin except a brother in italy
who had disowned him. He had lost
his job the week before and he had
been drinking.
That was enough to make one
think, but it was not all. A catastro-
phe had fallen upon him and upon
that house-before which all lighter
misfortunes we're as nothing. There
had been trouble last night at the
Cafe Stella around the corner and a
mar had been killed. Tony was drunk
at the time, but not so drunk as to be
ignorant of how it was done. Caratfa
had been with him. A stranger had
come to their table and had picked a
quarrel. There has been high words
and the thrust of a knife under the
strangers heart. And it was Caratfa
who had made the thrust. Tony knew
that very well, though it was Tony's
knife with which he did it.
Caraffa did not seem to know what
he had done. Caraffa was very
drunk. indeed. Joe MaIato, the owner
of the place, had seen the scuffle and
perhaps he knew who had struck the
blow, perhaps he did not. But Joe al
ways protected his customers. He had
opened the back door and told them
to 90, and they had gone-Tony lead
ing Carafa home, and leaving the
stranger dead on the floor.
The crime could not be hidden long.
Even now detectives must surely be
on the trail. What should he do?
Flight was open to him, but that
would Re a confession of guilt and
lie felt sure that he should in the end
be caught. Tony had no money and
no friends-except the Caraffas. Then,
too. there was q terrible feeling OF
weaEness-of incompetence. He was
nor equal TO the effort
another thought struck him with
terrific force. What of Carafat
Ca-aHa had q famuy-Bruno and lit
tie Franeesca-Ah. carissima. how
he loved that little one. And Mrs.
Carana was a good woman, who had
been kind 10 him when be was sick.
Thev were Bis friends-and Caraffa.
What would happen to the wife and
children IL it should be known that
Cara1a was the murderer:
An hour passed. Still Tony sat On
fhe edge Of the bed. lost in thought.
Then there was a sharp rap at the
55or-a sound Of footsteps and loud
talking in the room below. The 0 Q
stems we're on the stairs. They were
at bis door. The door swung open
and two officers entered. eve want
YOU they said. That was all.
Downstairs all was confusion. An
other officer was with Caraffa. Caraffa
was protesting loudly. The children
were crying. Mrs. Caraffa was ges-
ticuIating and uttering a torrent OF
speech. Tony said nothing. There
was nothing to say. He and Caraffa
went out with the officers.
1t the station they were subjected
to the usual grilling. Joe Malato' the
owner of the Cafe Stella, was also
there. Caraffa maintained-truly-
bat he remembered nothing about the
murder. The police captain showed
TONY the knife, stained with blood,
and asked him whose it was.
at ees my knife" said Tony, simply.
-"And YOU stabbed the man, didn't
your" asked the captain.
Tony looked into the eyes of Joe
Malato to see what he knew. The
CAPTAIN looked, too-that was his
business. But the eyes of Malato
were in~scrutable. Then Tony thought
OF Bruno anu AlliC
did it matter to him, after allF
There was a pause of not more than
two seconds. Then he turned and
looked fxedly at one of the brass but
tons on the captains coat while ne
said:
yes, l stabbed him."
The captain turned to Malato.
Did you see the stabbingY' he
asked. .
Malato had received his u yes"
he answered, 'Tony Bandini did it"
did Caraffa have anything to do
with it?" asked the captain.
mo, he do nothing. He war asleep
He war drunk"
The captain turned to Caratfa.
"Go home" he said. "We don't want
anything more of you"
Caraffa went-looking with a pitiful
- IoaI- 81 TOpv He hpSitafQ0