Daddy-Long-Legs: Jean Webster

The story of a little French orphan who is spotted by a wealthy socialite playboy who offers, on a whim, to sponsor her care at the orphanage. But she never sees him - all she has seen is his long shadow on the wall and she calls him 'Daddy Long-Legs'. She writes him letters of gratitude; he never writes back, yet continues to sponsor her. When she goes to college, they finally meet. This book was made into a very popular film with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron.