Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a grey cat walking a grey fence in a grey backyard. To-morrow would be ChristmasDay, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than shehad calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour shehad spent planning for something nice for him. 

Something fine and rare and sterling--something just alittle bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim.There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8Bat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinalstrips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, buther face had lost its colour within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to itsfull length.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. 

One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della'shair. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang outof the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts.