Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-19

THAT was all. And go cents Of 1t was
lin pennies. Pennies saved one and
two at a time by bulldozing the grocer
and the vegetable man and the butch
Ier until ones cheeks burned with the
silent imputation of parsimony that
such close dealing implied. Three
times Della counted it. One dollar
and eighty-seven cents. And the next
day would be Christmas.
There was clearly nothing to do
but flop down on the shabby little
couch and howl. So Della did 1t.
Which instigates the moral reflection
that life Is made up Of sobs, sniffles
and smiles, with sniffles predominant
ling.
While the mistress Of the home Is
gradually subsiding from the first
stage to the second, take a look at
the home. A furnished fiat at So per
week. 1t did not exactly beggar de-
scription, but 1t certainly had that
word on the lookout for the mendi-
cancy squad.
| In the vestibule below was a letter.
box into which no letter would go,
and an electric button from which no
mortal finger could coax ring. Also
appertaining thereto was a card bear
Il ing the name, "Mr. James Dillingham;
Young"
The "Dillingham" had been flung to
the breeze during a former period of
prosperity when its possessor was be-
ing paid $50 per week. Now, when the
income was shrunk to $50, the letters
of Dillingham;" looked blurred, as
though they were thinking seriously
of contracting to a modest and unas-
suming D. But whenever Mr.. James
Dillingham; Young came home and
reached his fiat above he was called
Jim and greatly hugged by Mrs.
James Dillingham; Young, already in
troduced to you as Della. Which is all
very good.
Della finished her cry. and attended
her cheeks with the powder rag. She
stood by the window and looked out
DULY at a grey cat walking a grey
fence in a grey backyard. Tomorrow
would be Christmas day, and she had
only $1.S7 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 she had calculated. They always
are. Only $1.S7 to buy a present for
tJim. Her Jim. Many happy hour
she had spent planning for something
nice for him. Something fine and
rare and Notwithstanding just q
little bit near to being worthy Of the
honor of being owned by Jim.
There was a pierglass between the
windows of the room. Perhaps you
have seen a pier-glass in an SO fiat.
A very thin and a very agile person
may, by observing his reflection in a
rapid sequence Of longitudinal strips.
obtain a fairly accurate conception Of
his looks. Della, being slender, had
mastered the art.
Suddenly she whirled from the win
dow and stood before the glass. Her
eyes were shining brilliantly, but her
face had lost it's color within twenty
seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her
hair and let 1t fall to its full length.
Now, there were two possessions Of
the James Dillingham; Youngs In
which they both took mighty pride.
One was Jim's gold watch that had
been his fathers and his grandfath-
er's. The other was Della's hair. Had
the queen Of Sheba lived in the fiat
across the airshaft, Della would have
let her hair hang out the window some
day to dry just to depreciate her
majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King
Solomon been the janitor, with all his
treasures piled up in the basement,
Jim would have pulled out his watch
every time he passed. just to see him
pluck at his beard with envy.
| So now Della's beautiful hair fell
about her, ripping and shining like
cascade of brown waters. 1t reached
below her knee and made itself almost
garment for her. And then she did
it up again nervously and quickly.
Once she faltered for a minute and
stood still while tear or two splashed
on the worn red carpet.
| On went her old brown jacket; on
went her old brown hat. With
whirl of skirts and with the brilliant
sparkle still in her eyes, she fiuttered
out the door and down the stairs to
the street.
Where she stopped the sign read:
Nine. Sofronie Hair Goods of All
Kinds" One flight up Della ran, and
collected herself, painting. Madame
large, too white chilly, hardly looked
the "Sofronie."
will you buy my hair?" asked
Della.
Il buy hair" said Madame. Take
your hat off and let's have sight at
the looks of it."
Down rippled the brown cascade.
Twenty dollars" said Madame,
lifting the mass with practiced hand
Give it to me quick" said Della.
Oh, and the next two hours tripped
by on rose wings. Forget the hashed
metaphor She was ransacking the
stores for Jim's present.
She found 1t at last. 1t surely had
been made for Jim and no one else.
There was no other like it in anv OF
the stores, and she had turned all Of
them inside out. 1t was a platinum fob
chain. simple and chased in design,
properly proclaiming its value by
substance alone and not by meretri-
cious ornamentation-as all good
things should do. 1t was even worthy
of The Watch. AS soon as she saw 1t
she knew that it must be Jim's. 1t
was like him. Quietness and value
the description applied to both. Twen-
ty one dollars they took from her for
1t. and she hurried home with the 81
cents. With that chain on his watch
Jim might be properly anxious about