seven o'clock
Several of those who were in favor of the sleigh-ride had sisters among the `` ten-centers , '' and they used every effort to learn what had been the result of the meeting ; but , in each individual case , before the boy had asked very many questions , he found that his sister was more successful in getting information from him than he from her . During that evening the girls kept their secret closely guarded , while more than one of the boys had inadvertently divulged enough of Si 's great scheme to enable the girls to judge quite clearly what they proposed to do . Si had notified his friends and adherents that he would meet them at half - past eight in the schoolroom , when he expected that each one would be prepared to pay his share of the cost of the sleigh-ride , and all hands were in the playground at an early hour next morning , anxious , but unable to get into the building . Why it was that the schoolhouse door should be locked so late on this particular morning , when it was usually opened as early as seven o'clock , no fellow could imagine . That the girls were the cause of their being deprived of their regular place for holding business meetings never occurred to them , and the only reason they could assign for this remarkable delay on the part of the janitor was that Deacon Littlefield was ill . They did not really hope that their teacher was sick ; but they would have been willing he should be slightly indisposed , if , in such case , they would have an unexpected holiday . Si did not think it advisable to neglect business simply because they were obliged to stand out-of-doors instead of being in a warm room , and he promptly collected twenty-five cents for the proposed sleigh-ride from each boy who was so fortunate as to have that amount of money with him .