I laid my eyes on you in that big room. I'm all yours.
You can do anything you want with me. For God's sake,
tell me that you like me a little."

The blood slowly mounted to her cheeks in red waves
of tremulous emotion.

"I like you very much," she said in low tones.

He seized her hand and held it in a desperate grip.

"I love you, Kiddo," he went on passionately. "You
don't mind me calling you Kiddo? You're so dainty
and pretty and sweet, and that dimple keeps coming in
your cheek, it just seems like that's the word--you
don't mind?"

"No----"

"You don't know how I've been starvin' all my life
for the love of a pure girl like you. You're the first
one I ever spoke to. I was scared to death yesterday
when I saw you. But I'd 'a' spoke to you if it killed
me in my tracks. I couldn't help it. It just looked
like an angel had dropped right down out of the gold
clouds from that ceilin'. I was afraid I'd lose you in
the crowd and never see you again. It didn't seem you
were a stranger anyhow--I didn't seem strange to you,
did I?"