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for a moment. She often said little prayers quietly about simple everyday things. And now

she said: “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.”

The door opened and Jim stepped in. He stopped inside the door. He was quiet; he did not
smile as he always did. His eyes looked strangely at Della, and there was an expression in

them that she could not understand. It filled her with fear. It was not anger, nor surprise,
nor anything she had been ready for. He simply looked at her with that strange expression

on his face.

Della went to him. She said,
“Jim, don’t look at me like

that. I had my hair cut off
and sold it. I could not live

through Christmas without
giving you a gift. My hair will
grow again. My hair grows very

fast. It’s Christmas, Jim. Let’s be
happy. You don’t know what a

beautiful gift I have got for you.”

“You have cut off your hair?”
Jim asked slowly. It took him some time to understand what had happened. He was not sure

he knew.

“Cut it off and sold it.” said Della. “Don’t I look nice now? I am me, Jim. I am the same
without my hair.”

Jim looked around the room.

“You say your hair is gone?” he said.

“You don’t have to look for it, said Della. “It’s sold, I tell you-sold and gone too. I sold it for
you.”

From inside the coat, Jim took out something tied in paper. He threw it upon the table.

“If you open that, you will know what I felt when I came in.”

Della pulled off the paper. And then a cry of joy; and then a change to tears for, there lay the
combs that Della had seen in a shop window, without the least hope of owning them because

she knew they cost too much. Beautiful combs, with jewels, perfect for her beautiful hair.
And now they were hers, but her hair was gone.

87 Arrow - English Plus-8