New Yorkers

The door opened and Jim came in and closed it. He looked very thin and he needed a new coat. His eyes were on Della. She could not understand the look on his face, and she was afraid. He was not angry or surprised. He just watched her, with that strange look on his face. Della ran to him. ‘Jim,’ she cried. ‘Don’t look at me like that. I sold my hair because I wanted to give you a present. It will soon be long again. I had to do it, Jim. Say “Happy Christmas”, please. I have a wonderful present for you!’ ‘You’ve cut off your hair?’ asked Jim. ‘Yes. I cut it off and sold it,’ Della said. ‘But don’t you love me any more, Jim? I’m still me.’ Jim looked round the room. ‘You say your hair has gone?’ he said, almost stupidly. ‘Yes. I told you. Because I love you! Shall I get the dinner now, Jim?’ Suddenly Jim put his arms round his Della. Then he took something from his pocket and put it on the table. ‘I love you, Della,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t matter if your hair is short or long. But if you open that, you’ll see why I was unhappy at first.’ Excited, Della pulled off the paper. Then she gave a little scream of happiness. But a second later there were cries of unhappiness. Because there were The Combs – the combs for her beautiful hair. When she first saw these combs in the shop window, she wanted them. They were beautiful combs, expensive combs, and now they were her combs. But she no longer had her hair!

‘Will you buy my hair?’ Della asked. ‘I buy hair,’ Madame replied. ‘Take your hat off, then, and show me your hair.’ The beautiful brown hair fell down. ‘Twenty dollars,’ Madame said, and she touched the hair with her hand. ‘Quick! Cut it off! Give me the money!’ Della said. The next two hours went quickly. Della was happy because she was looking round the shops for Jim’s present. At last she found it. It was a gold chain for The Watch. Jim loved his watch, but it had no chain. When Della saw this gold chain, she knew immediately that it was right for Jim. She must have it. The shop took twenty-one dollars from her for it, and she hurried home with the eighty-seven cents. When she arrived there, she looked at her very short hair in the glass. ‘What can I do with it?’ she thought. For the next half an hour she was very busy. Then she looked again in the glass. Her hair was now in very small curls all over her head. ‘Oh, dear. I look like a schoolgirl!’ she said to herself. ‘What’s Jim going to say when he sees me?’ At seven o’clock the dinner was nearly ready and Della was waiting. ‘Oh, I hope he thinks that I’m still beautiful!’ she thought.