|
There was
a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps
you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin
and 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 window and stood before
the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her
face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly
she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full
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's hair. Had the queen
of Sheba lived in the flat 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 from envy.
|
