"Thank you, but I'm afraid you'd be more bother than help," she replied. "Thank _you_, but you don't know me. I ain't so green as I look by no manner o' means. I've been doing my own housekeeping for four terms." "I know all about that," laughed the girl. "You young men rooming do precious little cooking and no dish-washing at all." "That's a base calumny! I made it a point to wash every dish in the house, except the spider, once a week; had a regular cleaning-up day." "And about the spider?" "I wiped that out nicely with a newspaper every time I wanted to use it." "Oh, horrors!--Mother, listen to that!" "Why, what more could you ask? You wouldn't have me wipe it _six_ times a day, would you?" "I wonder it didn't poison you," commented Mrs. Welsh. "Takes more'n that to poison a student," laughed Albert, as he went out. The next afternoon he came bursting into the kitchen, where Maud stood with her sleeves rolled up, deep in the dishpan. "Don't you want a sleigh-ride?" he asked, boyishly eager. She looked up with shining eyes. "Oh, wouldn't I! Can you get along, mother?" "Certainly, child. Go on. The air will do you good." "W'y, Maud!" said the little girl, "you said you didn't want to when Ed--" Mrs. Welsh silenced her, and said: "Run right along, dear; it's just the nicest time o' day. Are there many teams out?" "They're just beginning to come out," said Albert. "I'll have a cutter around here in about two jiffies; be on hand, sure." Troutt was standing in the sunny doorway of his stable when the young fellow dashed up to him. "Hullo, Uncle Troutt! Harness your fastest nag into your swellest outfit instanter." "Aha! Goin' t' take y'r girl out, hey?" "Yes; and I want to do it in style." "I guess ol' Dan's the horse for you. Gentle as a kitten and as knowin' as a fox. Drive him with one hand--left hand." The old man laughed till his long, faded beard flapped up and down and quivered with the stress of his enjoyment of his joke. He ended by hitching a vicious-looking sorrel to a gay, duck-bellied cutter, saying, as he gave up the reins: "Now, be keerful. Dan's foxy; he's all right when he sees you've got the reins, but don't drop 'em." "Don't you worry about me; I grew up with horses," said the over-confident youth, leaping into the sleigh and gathering up the lines. "Stand aside, my lord, and let the cortege pass. Hoop-la!" The brute gave a tearing lunge, and was out of the doorway before the old man could utter another word. Albert thrilled with pleasure as he felt the reins stiffen in his hands, and saw the traces swing slack beside the thills. "If he keeps this up he'll do," he said aloud. As he turned up at the gate Maud came gayly down the path, muffled to the eyes. "Oh, what a nice cutter! But the horse--is he gentle?" she asked, as she climbed in. "As a cow," Albert replied.--"Git out o' this, Bones!"