Ever since I wasverylittle I knew some day my prince would come. I used to imagine his riding up on a snow-white horse to scoop me up2 and carry me away to his castle. Of course, as I grew older I gave up this fairy-tale idea, but I knew that somewhere in the world there was a Special Person looking for me just as I was looking for him. It had to happen；it was written in the stars.

I never talked much about my dream* **cept to Mother. Oh, I had a few dates with silly boys once in a while3, just to kill time4until that Special Person arrived.

He arrived when I was seventeen. He was Ted Bennington, a new boy in our neighborhood.

Several things led up to5 my getting to know Ted.

For my birthday Mother gave me a locket6. When I opened the package I was surprised. The locket was not new. It was something she had prized many years. I had often seen it. In fact, every time I opened Mother's jewelry box looking for a pair of earrings or a bracelet to borrow, I saw it in its special place, together with some of the things that Daddy had given her.

There was the whole story of a romance in that box—Daddy's track medals, his fraternity7 pin, some gift pins, and the silver bars8he wore when he was in the Navy.

“But,Mother,”Isaid,“do you really mean for me to have this? It belongs to you.”

“IndeedIdo,” Mother said. “It does mean a lot to me, but I've always said my daughter should have it when she became seventeen.” There was a faraway9 look in her eyes I did not understand.

“Butwhy seventeen?”I asked.“That's hardly a mile- stone10in one's life.”

“Itwas to me,” Mother said. “It was the age of heartbreak11.”

I looked at her in disbelief. “Your heart was never broken,” I said.

It was impossible to think of Daddy, with his warm gray eyes and gentle smile, ever breaking anyone's heart, least of all12Mother's. Daddy and Mother had had a beautiful marriage. They always seemed to have fun together. But Daddy had died two years ago

“Oh, itwas broken,all right,” Mother said lightly. “And yours may be too, dear. It often happens that way.”

I laughed to myself. I didn't quite understand what Mother was talking about. But I did love the locket. It was tiny and heart-shaped, held by a thin gold chain, and it was lovely.

The locket wasn't the only gift I received. Besides that Mother gave me an evening dress. And Nance, my best friend, gave me a pair of rose slippers to wear with it. But the gift that caused my heart to beat faster was a simple blue scarf with a gold border. It came from Ted Bennington.

“Ihopeyou like it,” he said. “I don't know much about picking out presents for girls.”

“Iloveit,”Isaid.“It'sjust beautiful!”

I liked the gift, but I liked Ted himself even more. I liked the way his blond, curly hair fell over his forehead, and his honest blue eyes and nice square chin. I liked his being shy and sweet and serious. He was so different from the smooth know-it-alls13in our senior class.

I had begun noticing Ted about two months before. He had been in my class one month, and I hadn't paid him any attention. In fact, nobody paid him any attention. He was a quiet boy, and he wasn't on any of the school teams. He worked after school and on weekends in a drugstore14. I think that might have made him shy, having to work when other kids goofed around15.

I didn't have a date for the Homecoming Dance16 and I was on the lookout for17 someone to take me. You don't have too much choice when you're a senior18 and most of the senior boys are going steady with juniors19 and sophomore20. So I made a list of the boys who were left and crossed off the ones who were too short, and that left only four. Ronny Brice weighs three hundred pounds, and Steven Salerno can't stand me, and Stanley Pierce spits when he talks. Only Ted was left.

Ted Bennington, I thought, you may not know it yet, but you are going to take me to the Homecoming Dance.

And I managed it, I spoke to him and smiled every time I had a chance. As we left class each day, I just happened to be at the door when he came out. A week or two of that and then the big step. “Nancy's having a party this weekend, Ted, a girl-ask-boy affair21. Would you like to go?” It was really pretty easy.

Ted was standing at his locker22 when I asked him. He turned and looked surprised as though he had not heard me correctly.