“Because I don’t believe you could beat me.”
“Want to try it?” she challenged. He shook his head.
“Not while you’ve got one skate strapped on with a necktie,” he answered. “But if you think you’d like a race some time you let me know.”
She looked him over speculatively and what she saw must have impressed her a little, for there was a note of uncertainty in her voice when she said:
“I guess I could beat you, Mr. Conceit. I beat Schonberg last winter. Can you skate faster than he can?”
“I don’t know. I never saw him.”
“Never saw him!” she cried. “How long have you been at Hammond?”
“Since about this time yesterday,” he replied smilingly.
“Oh!” she said. “You’ve just come? You weren’t there in the fall?”