"Now," said Pellams, under the Oak, "you have about the same ideas on love-affairs as I have and you'll sympathize with me in this thing. When I got in to dinner last night, the gang gave me the hottest jolly of my misspent life. They're all alike; they can't understand having a straight friendship for a girl without it's being a puppy-love. So they tumble at once that my driving you means I'm yours for keeps. That sort of a thing makes me tres fatigue and I've a scheme." "Not your first, is it?" "In what way do you--" "I know something of your 'schemes,' young man; that fake fraternity and the snipe-hunts and an examination in English 1 c." "Oh, those!" Pellams did not blush at the record. Instead, he smiled. His smile was always worth seeing. It was the point of one of his Club stunts. Every muscle got into the interference and his round face grew rosy into the roots of his thick brown hair. This grin was not lost upon Katharine. "What am I to do, pray?" asked she; "pose as Professor of Domestic Economy?" "This is a bird of a josh on the house," he cried. "You'll come in on it, won't you?" "Plans first, before I commit myself. You might want me to elope in a buggy." "Never again!" declared Pellams; "my idea is, why can't we pretend to have a case on each other--not any passing fancy, but a real peacherino, like the best of them?" Somewhat to his surprise, the girl was not visibly enthusiastic. "Just how do I profit, please, if I butcher myself to make your Roman holiday?" "You can die happy, knowing we've pulled their le--bluffed 'em beautifully. You're down on love-affairs yourself, you told--" "Your philosophy of heaven includes a josh on the other fellow, I verily believe," returned Katharine, smiling; "but it is just possible, you know--shall I be very frank?" "You have been, before!" "Well, then, I might, you know, prefer the society of some other men in college to the exclusive privilege of yours, even with this wonderful josh thrown in." "Who, Smith?" "There are others." "I know I'm not much of a sq--ladies'-man," he persisted; "but I can learn, can't I?" "Your manners are not very dreadful when you think about them; but oh, you have lots to master, the little things, you know." "I let you carry your books this morning--" "Bravo!--if you only learn to think of them sooner--all the little ways a girl--" "Sure--you can teach me and rap my knuckles--" "That would be a pleasure. I've wanted to do it for months." "And, you see, you'd have the distinction of being the only one I couldn't hold out against." "Oh, above all things, don't be conceited, or I can't think of it." "That means you will think of it?" "You're really not half bad! You caught _that_ on time. Yes, I'll help you in your joke, to punish their silliness, but only for a week, on trial you understand."