Colonel William G. Smollett: Oh yes, and another thing. I neglected to inform your mother that I like my breakfast promptly at seven. Coffee, thin toast, and two eggs, boiled, two and a half minutes, under no circumstances more than three.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But golly, Colonel Smollett, we can't afford to give you breakfast.
Colonel William G. Smollett: Indeed?
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Even as it is now, poor Mother doesn't know what she's going to do. When Fidelia was here, the bills didn't seem so high, but now, with the way things are going -
Colonel William G. Smollett: Please. I'm quite prepared to pay.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Oh. That's fine. What would you say to fifty cents a day?
Colonel William G. Smollett: That seems a bit high under the circumstances.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: All right, we'll make it three dollars a week. There's the doorbell. Well, let's call it a deal. Good night, Colonel.

Colonel William G. Smollett: Well, isn't anybody interested in this cake? By the way, Fidelia, just what was the experimentation you referred to in connection with this cake?
Fidelia: I tried something new. I bought it.

Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: [starts to rain and Jane and Bill take refuge in an old barn] Oh boy, we certainly made it just in time! Ho, Ho!
Jane Deborah Hilton: How will we get home if this keeps up? It must be almost seven o'clock.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: [checks his watch] Well, what do you know? You guessed it! It's just exactly 18 minutes to seven.
Jane Deborah Hilton: Only five hours more.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Oh, I almost forgot for a little while.
Jane Deborah Hilton: I didn't forget. Not for a minute. I've thought about it all day long.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Well, gee, I never thought anybody would care about me... anybody like you.
Jane Deborah Hilton: Bill.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Oh, Jane! I don't want to leave you!
Jane Deborah Hilton: It won't be for long, darling.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: It might be for months, or for years, maybe.
Jane Deborah Hilton: It doesn't matter. I'll be thinking about you all the time. Someday the war will be over, and then we can be ...
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Then we can be married, Jane?

Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Do you mind if I smoke?
Jane Deborah Hilton: Of course not. Bill, why are you so... so timid about things?
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: What do you mean, Jane?
Jane Deborah Hilton: Oh, I mean about asking if you can smoke. Well, nobody else does that. And, well, I mean everything. Is it... I hope you won't think I'm being forward, but is it something to do with your grandfather?
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: No, it isn't that. Although I suppose I've always been sort of scared of Grandpa.

Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: You see, my father was a soldier. He was a colonel when he died. I guess all the Smolletts all the way back were soldiers. One of them was with Washington at Yorktown. Although sometimes I think Grandpa just made that one up.
Jane Deborah Hilton: I'm sure he didn't. You ought to be awfully proud.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Oh, I'm proud, all right. But something went wrong with me. Mother died when I was born, so I never knew her. Well, of course I never knew her.
Jane Deborah Hilton: That's a shame.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: She could paint pretty well, china and things. I hope I can show you her work sometime. That is, if Grandpa ...
Jane Deborah Hilton: If Grandpa what?
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Well, if I go home. You see, I haven't lived home since West Point.
Jane Deborah Hilton: West Point?
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Oh, Jane, you don't want to hear all about this, do you?
Jane Deborah Hilton: Not if you don't want me to, Bill.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Oh, but I do of course. There's no one in the whole world that I'd rather explain - that I'd rather tell.

Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: You will marry me when it's over, won't you, Jane? You won't be mad at me because I didn't marry you now?
Jane Deborah Hilton: Of course I won't be mad. But you take care of yourself.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: I will.
Jane Deborah Hilton: You write to me.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: I will. You do understand, don't you?
Jane Deborah Hilton: I think so.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: You know it's because I wouldn't want you to be - Well, you know, if anything happened to me ...
Jane Deborah Hilton: A widow, you mean.
Corporal William G. 'Bill' Smollett II: Well, yes, but not only that. If something happened - I mean, if I was -
Jane Deborah Hilton: If you were wounded? Oh, Bill, I'd take care of you the rest of our lives, always.

Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Class president! Class pin-up girl. I heard all about how she got elected.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh, that's not fair, Brig. Becky's a very bright girl.
Mrs. Emily Hawkins: She most certainly is. I would say that Becky's one of the brightest, and one of the most attractive girls in this town.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that.
Fidelia: No, ma'am!

Mrs. Anne Hilton: [as she passes by Colonel Smollett, who is fussing with a bunch of shoes] Having difficulties, Colonel?
Colonel William G. Smollett: Oh, hello, Mrs. Hilton. Do you by any chance know where I might get some shoe polish that isn't made of old sausages?
Mrs. Anne Hilton: [Chuckles] I wish I could get some sausage that isn't made of old shoe polish!

Mrs. Anne Hilton: [Fidelia places presents under the tree] What are those, Fidelia?
Fidelia: Mr. Hilton done sent these to me a long time ago and told me to put them under the Christmas tree just like we've always done.
[gets choked up]
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Now, now, now, no tears, Fidelia. There's nothing to cry about.
Fidelia: I can't help it. He sent me something, too. Mr. Hilton never forgot me, even when he was fighting them devils.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: He'll be so happy to hear that you're back on the old job again.
Fidelia: Yes, ma'am. Miz Hilton, can I confide you something?
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Yes, Fidelia.
Fidelia: Brig sent her daddy his gift just like nothing had happened.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Of course she did. So did Jane. So did I.
Fidelia: You all did that? Miz Hilton, I guess I just ain't on the right side of the Lord. I just ain't had the right kind of faith. But I will have. From now on, I'll be a true believer.

Mrs. Anne Hilton: [on the phone] How much will that be for three days? What? Brig, turn that thing off, I can't hear. I'm awfully sorry. Yes. Will this get into the early edition? Yes. Fireplace and bay window. Oh, all right, put in "homey atmosphere."
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Mother! Mother! Wait, please!
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Keep quiet, Brig. Would you send the bill to this address, please? Thank you.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: Mother, you don't mean you're going to rent *your* room?
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Of course I am, that's the room that will bring the most money. I'll take your room, and you can double up with Jane.
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But Mother, you're not going to put somebody in Pop's room? Oh, I didn't mean that.
Mrs. Anne Hilton: Now, you wouldn't want those characters in that other city to put Pop in anything but their best room, would you?
Bridget 'Brig' Hilton: But that's different. He's Pop.