ste.
What made you think I had?"

"Oh, you carry so much stuff in your pockets I thought maybe you'd have
paste."

"I might if it was summer, Flossie, and I was making kites with Bert. But
I haven't any paste now."

"Then have you got a postage stamp?"

"A postage stamp? Of course not! What good would a postage stamp be to
fasten your skate strap?"

"Well, a postage stamp has paste on it, hasn't it? Anyhow, it's sticky,
'cause I got some on my tongue once, and I just know if I could only
fasten down the end of this skate strap, to keep it from flopping up, and
coming out of the buckle, I'd be all right. It's the flopping end that
comes loose."

"Well, pooh! a postage stamp wouldn't be any good!" cried Freddie. "If you
did stick it on it wouldn't last more than three strokes. A postage stamp
wouldn't go far at all!"

"Some postage stamps do!" exclaimed Flossie. "Mother got one on a letter
the other day and it had stuck itself on half-way round the world--she
told me so. And if a stamp sticks half-way around the world I should think
it would stick while I skated down to the end of the lake."

"Huh! That's different!" half grunted Freddie, for, just then, he was
stooping over tightening one of his straps. "Anyhow, I haven't got a
stamp."

"Well, maybe you could fix my skate so it wouldn't come off," suggested
Flossie. "I've tried and tried, but I can't, and I don't want to stay here
all alone."

"Why Flossie Bobbsey! I'm with you!"

"I know, but Nan and Bert are away down at the other end, with Tommy Todd,
and Bert is going to buy hot chocolates. I know he is, 'cause he said so.
I don't want to miss them."

"Me neither! Wait and I'll see if I can't fix your skate, Flossie."

Freddie was small--he and Flossie were the smaller pair of Bobbsey
twins--but he was a sturdy little chap, and living out of doors, and
playing games with his older brother Bert had taught Freddie how to do
many things. He put Flossie's skate on her shoe, tightened the strap, and
then made it still tighter by putting some pieces of wood under the
leather loop.

"There!" he exclaimed, as he stood up, having been kneeling in the snow on
the edge of the lake. "I guess that will hold, Flossie. Now come on, and
we'll see how fast we can skate."

Together the brother and sister started off. This time Flossie's skate
seemed to be all right, needing neither paste nor a postage stamp to hold
it on, and in a little while the smaller twins ha