THE STORY: Horace, a boy of sixteen, is visiting his sister who has arranged a date for him with Emily Crews, the prettiest and most popular girl in town. The date is for a dance—but Horace claims that he doesn’t know how to dance. His sister coaches him a little, persuades him he’ll do very well, and goes off to call for Emily. And in Emily’s living room, waiting for her to appear, he discovers that Emily is being forced by her mother to go to the dance with him; and in great humiliation he leaves. He finds himself in a soda fountain where he meets Mary Catherine, a young girl who, like Horace, lacks confidence and so cripples her own considerable abilities and attractiveness. The two lonely young people are drawn to each other. Horace asks Mary Catherine to another dance, but at the same time his sister and Emily’s mother again arrange for Horace to escort Emily, this time with Emily’s cooperation, because she’s unhappy about the way she treated Horace. But Horace stands firm; he’s asked Mary Catherine, he wants to take Mary Catherine and he will. And he does. As Horace and Mary Catherine are about to leave for the dance they admit to each other their fears of not being good enough dancers, of not being popular—but, secure in the knowledge of one another’s liking and respect, they start off for their first dance with more confidence and happiness than they’ve ever felt before.
