And then he saw Her, under the lights, between her brother and the strange young man with glasses, and his heart seemed to stand still.

He had waited long for this moment.

He had time to note the light, fluffy something that hid her queenly head, the tasteful lines of her wrapped figure, the gracefulness of her carriage and of the hand that caught up her skirts; and then she was gone and he was left staring at the two girls of the cannery, at their tawdry attempts at prettiness of dress, their tragic efforts to be clean and trim, the cheap cloth, the cheap ribbons, and the cheap rings on the fingers.

He felt a tug at his arm, and heard a voice saying:- "Wake up, Bill! What's the matter with you ?" "What was you sayin' ?" he asked.
"Oh, nothin'," the dark girl answered, with a toss of her head.

"I was only remarkin'-- " "What ?" "Well, I was whisperin' it'd be a good idea if you could dig up a gentleman friend--for her" (indicating her companion), "and then, we could go off an' have ice-cream soda somewhere, or coffee, or anything." He was afflicted by a sudden spiritual nausea.