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 "But I'm not a bad guy in spite of it, am I, Baby Doll?"

"No, you bet your sweet life you're not, Letcher. I'd rather have 'em rough like you than a little sneaky skunk like Warner."

Minnie was dismayed by Letcher's easy familiarity. When he walked down the aisle looking at their costumes, their make-up, he seemed scarcely aware that they were half-dressed. Minnie frantically slipped her petticoat over her chemise when his back was turned, but he spied her out before she was able to get into her dress.

"Well, look who's with us!" shouted Letcher, bellowing with laughter again. "Got a new cat in our alley. What's your name, sweetie?"

"Miss Flynn," Minnie answered as she made a screen of the white dress and the coat of her suit.

"Hell! What's the idea of the Lady Godiva stuff?" He reached over, caught the dress and pulled it away from her. "Say, listen, kid, I read once in a book that modesty is a bum figure. That needn't worry you."

Tears came to Minnie's eyes.

Letcher saw them. "Well, what do you know about that?" His smile suddenly collapsed and an expression of blank dismay took its place. "Well, I'll be—" and he turned defensively to the girls—"What do you know about that?" he repeated with heavy scorn. "I've insulted her! Come on, girls, tell her that she needn't be afraid of me, that I was only kiddin' her."

"Hand me my dress," Minnie demanded, "I'm going to get out of here!"

The girls, whose antagonism had been aroused by Minnie's indifferent manner, laughed uproariously. Their laughter branded her with hot irons. She dropped to her knees,