episode 1

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. that was all.

She had put it aside, one cent and then another and then another, in her careful buying of meat and other food.

Della counted it three times. one dollar and eighty-seven cents. And next day would be Christmas.

There was nothing to do but to fall on the bed and cry. So Della did it. Only $1.87 to buy a gift for Jim. Her Jim.

She had many happy hours planning something nice for him. Something nearly good enough. something almost worth the honor of belonging to Jim

The James Dilligham Youngs were very proud of two things which they owned. One thing was Jim's gold watch. It had once belonged to his father. And, long ago , it had belonged to his father's father.

The other thing was Della's hair

If a queen had lived in the rooms near theirs, Della would have washed and dried her hair where queen could see it.

Della knew her hair was more beautiful than any queen's jewels and gifts.

If a king had lived in the same house, with all his riches, Jim would have looked at his watch every time they met. Jim knew that no king had anything so valuable

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a falling stream of brown water. it reached below her knee. It almost made itself into a dress for her

And then she put it up on her head again , nervously and quickly. Once she stopped for a moment and stood still while a tear or two ran down her face.

She put her brown coat. She put on her old brown hat. With the bright light still in her eyes, she moved quickly out of the door and down to the street.

Where she stopped, the sign said:

"Mrs. Sofronie. Hair Articles of all kinds"

Up to the second floor Della ran, and stopped to get her breath.

Mrs. sofronie, large, too white, cold-eyed, looked at her.

"Will you buy my hairs?" asked Della

" I buy hair, " said Mrs. Sofronie.

"Take your hat off and let me look at it."

Down fell the brown waterfall.

" Twenty dollars," said Mrs. Sofronie, lifting the hair to feel the weight.

" Give it to me quickly, " said Della.

Oh, and the next two hours seemed to fly. She was going from one shop to another, to find a gift for Jim.

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and for no one else.

There was no other like it in any of the shops, and she had looked in every shop in city.

It was a gold watch chain, very simple made. It's value was in it's rich and pure material. It was so plain and simple, you knew that it was very valuable. All good things are like this.

It was good enough for the watch

to be continued...............

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