WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletoprudenceandreason. Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove. Whichisalwaysatremendoustaskdearfriends--amammothtask. Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy. Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically. "IfJimdoesn'tkillme,"shesaidtoherself,"beforehetakesasecondlookatme,he'llsayIlooklikeaConeyIslandchorusgirl.ButwhatcouldIdo--oh!whatcouldIdowithadollarandeighty-sevencents?" At7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops. Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered. Thensheheardhissteponthestairawaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment. Shehadahabitofsayinglittlesilentprayersaboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:"Please,God,makehimthinkIamstillpretty." ThedooropenedandJimsteppedinandclosedit.Helookedthinandveryserious. Poorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-two--andtobeburdenedwithafamily!Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves. Jimsteppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail. HiseyeswerefixeduponDella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher. Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor. Hesimplystaredatherfixedlywiththatpeculiarexpressiononhisface. Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim. "Jim,darling,"shecried,"don'tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsolditbecauseIcouldn'thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent. It'llgrowoutagain--youwon'tmind,willyou?Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfullyfast.Say'MerryChristmas!' Jim,andlet'sbehappy.Youdon'tknowwhatanice-whatabeautiful,nicegiftI'vegotforyou." "You'vecutoffyourhair?"askedJim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyet,evenafterthehardestmentallabour. "Cutitoffandsoldit,"saidDella."Don'tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?I'mmewithoutmyhair,ain'tI?" Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously."Yousayyourhairisgone?"hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy. "Youneedn'tlookforit,"saidDella."It'ssold,Itellyou--soldandgone,too.It'sChristmasEve,boy.Begoodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered," shewentonwithasuddenserioussweetness,"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.ShallIputthechopson,Jim?" OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.HeenfoldedhisDella. Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection. Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear--whatisthedifference?Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer. Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron. 
