Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass. Hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolourwithintwentyseconds. Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength. Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoungsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride. OnewasJim'sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.TheotherwasDella'shair. HadtheQueenofShebalivedintheflatacrosstheairshaft,DellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutofthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty'sjewelsandgifts. HadKingSolomonbeenthejanitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,Jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy. SonowDella'sbeautifulhairfellabouther,ripplingandshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters. Itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher. Andthenshediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.Onceshefalteredforaminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet. Onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrownhat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereyes,sheclutteredoutofthedooranddownthestairstothestreet. Whereshestoppedthesignread:"MmeSofronie.HairGoodsofAllKinds." OneEightupDellaran,andcollectedherself,panting. Madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardlylookedthe"Sofronie." "Willyoubuymyhair?"askedDella. "Ibuyhair,"saidMadame."Takeyerhatoffandlet'shaveasightatthelooksofit." Downrippledthebrowncascade. "Twentydollars,"saidMadame,liftingthemasswithapractisedhand. "Giveittomequick"saidDella. Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.Forgetthehashedmetaphor.ShewasransackingthestoresforJim'spresent. Shefounditatlast.ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimandnooneelse. Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout. Itwasaplatinumfobchainsimpleandchasteindesign,properlyproclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotbymeretriciousornamentation--asallgoodthingsshoulddo. ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch.AssoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbeJim's. Itwaslikehim.Quietnessandvalue--thedescriptionappliedtoboth. Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe78cents. WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany. Grandasthewatchwas,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofachain. 
