Debutante Hill. Lois Duncan

      “Who?” Dodie stared at her in amazement. “You’re joking!”

      “No,” Lynn said, “I’m not joking. I really do have a date with him. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”

      “Why, he’s a juvenile delinquent!” Dodie exclaimed. “He’s already been in trouble a couple of times with the police. He’s wild and he runs around with a terrible crowd. How can you possibly—” Then, suddenly, a look of understanding crossed her face. “Oh, I see what you’re doing. You can’t date the Hill fellows because they’re all at the deb parties, so you’ll date the other extreme. Let Daddy meet Dirk once, and he’ll be begging you to get back with the old Hill crowd again.”

      There was admiration in her voice at the cleverness of the plan, but a note of contempt, too.

      “It’s smart, Lynn, but it doesn’t sound like you.”

      “Why, that wasn’t my idea at all!” Lynn protested. But even as she said it, her mind slid along Dodie’s words, seeing the possibilities. She had not consciously planned for her date with Dirk to have this effect on her parents, but perhaps it would, at that. And if it did, certainly she would not be sorry.

      When Saturday evening finally arrived, Lynn found herself dressing with as much care as she had ever shown on her most exciting date with Paul. She had selected her tan wool dress with the three-quarter length sleeves and gold belt, the dark brown suede pumps with medium high heels. It was a good outfit, simple and striking, and she hoped that Dirk, who had never seen her except in a school dress or a skirt and sweater, would be overwhelmed.