小说园>最后一片叶子教案中职 > 第7章 the gift f the agi（第2页）
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?
