CHAPTER XIII

BRAVE LITTLE SUNNY BOY

Miss Davis, feeding the goldfish in the largest glass bowl, overheard
what Oliver said to Helen.

"Why, Oliver!" she said in surprise. "How impolite you are! How can
you say such a thing to Helen? Besides, didn't you have girls at your
birthday party?"

"Oh, girls are all right at parties," explained Oliver. "They always
go to parties. But I don't think girls should want to be in a snowball
fight, Miss Davis."

"Miss May said the girls could have the back lot whenever they wanted
it," said Helen. "And if you don't let us play with you, Oliver
Dunlap, there won't be any snowball fight; you haven't any other place
to play."

This was true. Oliver knew it, and Helen knew it. Boys who live in a
city can not have a snowball fight in the street, lest they hit people
who may be walking past. No back yard is a safe place because of the
many windows that may be broken. A vacant lot, like the one behind
Miss May's school, is really the only place for this kind of fun. Miss
May early in the school year had made a rule that this lot should be
for the girls in her school whenever they wanted it. The boys might
use it, she said when the girls didn't care to play on it.