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第7章 the gift f the agi（第2页）

Downriledthebrowncascade。

"Twentydollars，

"saidMadame，liftingthemasswitharactisedhand。

"Giveittomequick，

"saidDella。

Oh，andthenexttwohourstriedbyonrosywings。Forgetthehashedmetahor。ShewasransackingthestoresforJim&aos;sresent。

Shefounditatlast。ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimandnooneelse。Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores，andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout。Itwasalatinumfobchainsimleandchasteindesign，roerlyroclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotbymeretriciousornamentation-asallgoodthingsshoulddo。ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch。AssoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbeJim&aos;s。Itwaslikehim。Quietnessandvalue-thedescritionaliedtoboth。Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit，andshehurriedhomewiththe87cents。WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightberoerlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycomany。Grandasthewatchwas，hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrathatheusedinlaceofachain。

WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletorudenceandreason。Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkreairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove。Whichisalwaysatremendoustask，dearfriends-amammothtask。

Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny，closelyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy。Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong，carefully，andcritically。

"IfJimdoesn&aos;tkillme，

"shesaidtoherself，

"beforehetakesasecondlookatme，he&aos;llsayIlooklikeaConeyIslandchorusgirl。ButwhatcouldIdo-oh!WhatcouldIdowithadollarandeighty-sevencents?

"

At7o&aos;clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-anwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechos。

Jimwasneverlate。Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered。Thensheheardhissteonthestairawaydownonthefirstflight，andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment。Shehadahabitforsayinglittlesilentrayeraboutthesimlesteverydaythings，andnowshewhisered:

"PleaseGod，makehimthinkIamstillretty。

"ThedooroenedandJimsteedinandclosedit。Helookedthinandveryserious。Poorfellow，hewasonlytwenty-two-andtobeburdenedwithafamily!Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves。

Jimstoedinsidethedoor，asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail。HiseyeswerefixeduonDella，andtherewasanexressioninthemthatshecouldnotread，anditterrifiedher。Itwasnotanger，norsurrise，nordisaroval，norhorror，noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenrearedfor。Hesimlystaredatherfixedlywiththateculiarexressiononhisface。

Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim。

"Jim，darling，

"shecried，

"don&aos;tlookatmethatway。IhadmyhaircutoffandsolditbecauseIcouldn&aos;thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouaresent。It&aos;llgrowoutagain-youwon&aos;tmind，willyou?Ijusthadtodoit。Myhairgrowsawfullyfast。Say&aos;MerryChristmas!&aos;Jim，andlet&aos;sbehay。Youdon&aos;tknowwhatanice-whatabeautiful，nicegiftI&aos;vegotforyou。

"

"You&aos;vecutoffyourhair?

"askedJim，laboriously，asifhehadnotarrivedatthatatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor。

"Cutitoffandsoldit，

"saidDella。

"Don&aos;tyoulikemejustaswell，anyhow?I&aos;mmewithoutmyhair，ain&aos;tI?

"

Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously。

"Yousayyourhairisgone?