to say t to put it mildly. tty muc to do. But because of Jamies prese really became somet    mucs. e finis performance    a c evening even more people s. Even Eric came up to me afterulated me, wer w o me before was somew of a surprise.

        "t; ;Im proud of you, buddy.”

        , Miss Garber , "Marvelous!" to anyone o    o be , repeating it over and over so muc I kept on    long after I    to bed t niger ains closed for time, and spotted o tears in     time Id ever seen    into ime. roking ;My angel," to    myself choking up.

        t;rig; I realized,    so bad after all.

        After t go of eac proudly motioned for o visit    of t, and s a boatload of gratulations from everyone backstage. S on telling people s kno. S ty, it came across in a totally different ood in tting , and Ill admit t of me t felt like old . I couldnt    be tle proud as o one side, sopping when she was close.

        Looking up at me, s;t you did. You made my father very happy.”

        "Youre ; I said, meaning it.

        tra, I realized t    y to walk here.

        t ting off because of all tting tty    ion at nig to bed. Even so, I couldnt    t Jamie.

        Jamies transformation during tartling, to say t, and I assumed it    kno    I did, and so I was amazed w m back dressed like er, , and all.

        One look    took, and I couldnt    feel sorry for     s it slip ale o    talked to    told    a good job soo, but I could tell rig it    going to last. Attitudes fed since co break, and part of me    mig    people actually knew s even beore less.

        I ed to talk to    my impressions, I really did, but I o do so after t only did I    to do, but I ed a little time to t o tell o be , I ill feeling a little guilty about to     just because turned out great. It o do    t in all our time toget kind, and I kne Id been wrong.

        I dido talk to me, eito tell you trut    lunc off in t so as I o tell    about my ts, I agreed. For old times sake, you see.

        A mier Jamie got doo business.

        "Do you remember t walk ; she asked.

        I nodded, wis broug up.

        "You promised to make it up to me," she said.

        For a moment I    Id do already    on.

        "ell, Ive been t ; sinued    letti a ;and t Ive e up h.”

        S mind gat out in businesses all over to on ters, usually ers, so t people could drop to go to ted to ask people straig for ted to give voluntarily. t, in ian to do.

        I remembered seeing tainers in places like Cecils Diner and ter. My friends and I used to toss paper clips and slugs in t looking, si of like a    being dropped io ourselves about ting someto joke about ing somet, and s out and find not slugs and paper clips. Sometimes,    makes you s exactly w I did.

        Jamie sahe look on my face.

        "You dont o do it," sed. "I    t since Cmas is ing up so quickly and I dont ll simply take me too long to collect them all. . . .”

        "No," I said cutting ;Ill do it. I dont o do anyway.”

        So ts arting ednesday, eves to study for, even    application needing to be finis of every place sarted at to out about sixty s in all, and I figured t it ake only a day to collect to putting t, it    aken Jamie almost six o do because s o find sixty empty jars and s and t out only t    a time. arted out, I felt sort of funny about being t it , but I kept telling myself t Jamie o help.

        I    from busio business, colleg t day I realized it o take a little lo.

        Id picked up only about ty tainers or so, because Id fotten one simple fact of life in Beaufort. In a small to o simply run inside and grab t g or or saying o someone else you mig just    done. So Id sit talking about t fall, or tion t ted my opinion on ore. Jamie, I ko act like I t s me to. It er all.

        to keep t stop to cake i dumped one jar or    into t, bining t along. By t day all to my room. I sa too many-but I    actually nervous until I emptied tents onto my floor and sa ted primarily of pe nearly as many slugs or paper clips as Id t t be, I ill disened     a lot of money, especially wy kids.

        I did disced, t it ake, I    out t day, ted y proprietors ake: $23.89.

        ter ting up t believe it. terfront, s and teenagers like me . e     think.

        Seeing tle ed in all-$55.73-made me feel a t for almost a imes. t nigo call Jamie to tell    Id collected, but I just couldnt do it. Sold me ed sometra special t going to do it-even I kne. Instead I lied to old    I    going to t total until t toget    mi    too depressing. I promised t over ternoon, after sc out. t day est day of tmas was only four days away.

        "Landon," so me after ting it up, "this is a miracle!”

        "; I asked. I knely    was.

        "t t in ts    acked i little piles all over t all quarters and dimes.    c table, ing urned he sound of her voice.

        "Do you ts enoug; I asked ily.

        Little tears    believing    of er t been nearly t at me.

        "Its . . . ; sion t;Last year, I only collected seventy dollars.”

        "Im glad it    better t; I said t . "If you    placed t so early in t not ed nearly as much.”

        I kno I didnt care. For o    to do.

        I didnt    toys-I figured ster    a I go o tmas Eve so t I could be ts.

        "Please, Landon," sed and all, I just didnt    to turn her down.

        So ter, y at toot and my best tie and o my moms car    be my last feer because t o get    exactly t person to shop for.

        I o be at t seven, but ty port, and I o    until an outbound freigs , I arrived a fees late. t door    time, and I o pound on it until Mr. Jenkins finally    of keys until    one, and a moment later epped inside, patting my arms to he chill.

        "A; ;eve been ing for you. , Ill take you to where everyone is.”

        o t a moment to exhale deeply before finally heading in.

        It ter than Id imagined.

        In ter of t tree, decorated insel and colored lig s. Beree, spread in all dires, s of every size and sting close toget clote collared ss, , and most of t.

        On table beside tters of cookies, smas trees and sprinkled s sitting ting on ts laps, t tention as teo " t Before Cmas.”

        I didnt see Jamie, t least n. It . Sory, and I finally located ting on t of tree    beh her.

        to my surprise, I sa tonig as it    of tead of times, ser t someuated t blue eyes. Even    sparkles in e flo of ing. it even notig it, Id bee    tain trol.

        Jamie paused only oo look up from tory. Siced me standing in t back to reading to t took e or so to finisood up and smoot, to make o knoo go, I stayed where I was.

        By then Mr. Jenkins had slipped away.

        "Im sorry arted    you," s;but t so excited.”

        "Its okay," I said, smiling, thinking how nice she looked.

        "Im so glad you could e.”

        "So am I.”

        Jamie smiled and reaco lead t; ; she said.

        " ts.”

        e spent t    t, and cos t ts t Jamie boug t some tossed around ted frenzy, t every least, it seemed t all of ted, and t thanking Jamie over and over.

        By time t tled and all ts mospo calm doidied up by Mr. Jenkins and a , and some of to fall asleep beree. Some of to ts, and ts on t tree lig a;Silent Nig; played softly on a p    up in till sitting on t to Jamie, alk, not t eit ts on tree, and I rutold, I didnt kno sender look about -no,I k    Cmas Eve Id ever spent.

        I gla s gloy as anyone Id ever seen.

        "I boug; I finally said to ;A gift, I mean." I spoke softly so I    tle girl, and I    would he nervousness in my voice.

        Surned from tree to face me, smiling softly. "You didnt o do t." S oo, and it sounded almost musical.

        "I kno; I said. "But I ed to." Id kept t off to one side, and I reac, -o her.

        "Could you open it for me? My    no; S ttle girl, to me.

        "You dont o open it no," I said, s;its really not t big of a deal.”

        "Dont be silly," s;I    in front of you.”

        to clear my mind, I looked at t and started opening it, pig at tape so t it    make mucil I reacer setting to ted t ter,    up to s    I figured she could use a new one.

        pared    expect mu.

        "See, ts all. I told you it    muc; I said. I    disappointed in it.

        "Its beautiful, Landon," sly. "Ill    t time I see you. thank you.”

        e sat quietly for a moment, and once again I began to look at ts.

        "I brougoo," Jamie finally ree, and my eyes folloill beree, partially and, and I reac. It angular, flexible, and a little    it to my lap and    t even trying to open it.

        "Open it," s at me.

        "You t give to me," I said breat    believe remble.

        "Please," so me    voice Id ever ;open it. I    you to .”

        Relutly I slo    gently, afraid to damage it. I stared at it, mesmerized, and sloed    .

        I gla    knoo say.

        Jamie had given me her Bible.

        "t you did," so me. "It    Cmas Ive ever had.”

        I turned a responding and reay glass of punc;Silent Nig; ill playing, and took a sip    to soot. As I drank, all times Id spent o my mind. I t about t s nig about t about times Id he orphans.

        As t still. I looked at Jamie, to t to keep my posure, to Jamie again. S me and I smiled at h a girl like Jamie Sullivan.
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