Of course Teddy did not like this a bit. Having known Billie practically all his life, he naturally felt that he should have first right to her. And so there was a good-natured rivalry between the boys that amused Billie and Vi and Laura and rather piqued Rose Belser and Connie Danvers and some of the other girls at the school, who thought that Billie had more than her share. “For,” as Connie declared once to a sympathetic group of girls, “it’s ever so much more fun to be paddled around in a canoe by a boy than to have to paddle yourself, and it’s lots of fun to skate with them because they fairly haul you along. And here when we haven’t nearly enough to go around, Billie goes and takes two of the nicest ones. She’s a darling, of course, but I think she might be content with one!” And so when Vi had happened to mention innocently that Paul was ever so much fun, Rose Belser, who was preparing for a botany quiz at the other end of the room, looked up and made a face at her. “How do we know whether he’s any fun or not?” she said. “You had better ask Billie.” But Billie was too busy studying so that she might be free for the next day’s fun to hear, and Rose’s shot was lost. As though autumn had regretted giving way to winter so soon, it had been unexpectedly warm that day and the girls had worried for fear a thaw might spoil their sledding. But a cold wind rose in the night and the morning dawned clear and cold enough to suit even them. As soon as breakfast was over the coasters donned sweaters and caps and mufflers and ran down into the storeroom next the gymnasium to get their sleds. Then up once more and out into the bright morning sunshine, their cheeks glowing with health and their eyes sparkling with anticipation of the fun ahead of them! There were twenty-five of them in all, but as they filed out of the side door of the school they looked like a small army. “Isn’t it funny,” giggled Laura to Billie, “how many more of the girls turn out when they know the boys are going to be there?” “It’s sad but true,” admitted Billie, with an answering chuckle. “After that first heavy snowfall when we said something about an all-girls’ sledding party, they didn’t seem awfully anxious about it. Said it was too early in the season and they hated dragging sleds up the hill.” “Now I suppose they will expect the boys to do the dragging,” laughed Vi. When they had climbed almost to the top of the hill that made such a fine toboggan they heard the sound of boys’ voices. “Goodness, they must have started before breakfast,” said Connie Danvers, who was puffing with the effort to get her plump little body and her heavy sled up the steep incline. “Say, give me a lift, will you, Billie? This hill is so slippery.” “You mean that you’re getting too fat,” said Laura wickedly, as she reached over and grabbed Connie’s line. “I told you you were eating too much candy.”