Question

one dollar and eighty - seven cents.... pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher 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.
which statement is the best conclusion that can be made from the passage?
the character is sad because the grocer, the vegetable man, and the butcher have been mean to her.
the character has spent her money foolishly, and now she thinks she has made a horrible mistake.
the character cannot afford to buy a christmas present.
the character has difficulty understanding things because she has to count her money three times.

Explanation:

The passage emphasizes that the character has only one dollar and eighty - seven cents, and Christmas is the next day. Counting the money three times shows she is aware of her limited funds. There is no indication that the grocer, vegetable man, and butcher were mean (no such description in the text). There is no mention of her spending money foolishly. Counting money three times is more about emphasizing the small amount rather than her having difficulty understanding. The key is the small amount of money which implies she can't afford a Christmas present.

Answer:

The character cannot afford to buy a Christmas present.