Paul hesitated; he did not feel at all inclined to leave his comfortable chair and this interesting book. On the other hand, he wanted to have Bill Hedges think well of him. From the first he had regarded this big, strong fellow with a secret admiration, the sort of admiration he felt for certain heroes in his favorite books. When Bill had made some showy play on the athletic field or performed a thrilling stunt on the skating-rink, Paul, watching from the side-lines, became breathlessly excited. He had often wondered what it would be like to have such a person for a friend. But until this moment Bill Hedges had paid little attention to him, and Paul Seabury was much too shy to make advances, even when they had been thrown together for the holidays in the foneliness of the empty school.