le broke the silence of the house.

Maud went to peep over the banisters, and came flying back in a rapture.

"It 's Will come for me! Can't I go? It don't snow hard, and I 'll
bundle up, and you can send for me when papa comes."

"I don't care what you do," answered Fan, who was in a very bad temper.

Without waiting for any other permission, Maud rushed away to get ready.
Will would n't come up, he was so snowy, and Fanny was glad, because
with her he was bashful, awkward, and silent, so Tom went down and
entertained him with Maud's report. They were very good friends, but led
entirely different lives, Will being a "dig," and Tom a "bird," or,
in plain English, one was a hard student, and the other a jolly young
gentleman. Tom had rather patronized Will, who did n't like it, and
showed that he did n't by refusing to borrow money of him, or accept
any of his invitations to join the clubs and societies to which Tom
belonged. So Shaw let Milton alone, and he got on very well in his own
way, doggedly sticking to his books, and resisting all temptations
but those of certain libraries, athletic games, and such inexpensive
pleasures as were within his means; for this benighted youth had not yet
discovered that college nowadays is a place in which to "sky-lark," not
to study.

When Maud came down and trotted contentedly away, holding Will's
hand, Tom watched them out of sight, and then strolled about the house
whistling and thinking, till he went to sleep in his father's arm-chair,
for want of something better to do. He awoke to the joys of a solitary
tea, for his mother never came down, and Fanny shut herself and her
headache up in her own room.

"Well, this is cheerful," he said, as the clock struck eight, and his
fourth cigar came to an end. "Trix is mad, and Fan in the dumps, so I
'll take myself off. Guess I 'll go round to Polly's, and ask Will to
drive out with me, and save him the walk, poor chap. Might bring Midget
home, it will please her, and there 's no knowing when the governor will
be back."

With these thoughts in his head, Tom leisurely got under way, and left
his horse at a neighboring stable, for he meant to make a little call,
and see what it was Maud enjoyed so much.

"Polly is holding forth," he said to himself, as he went quietly up
stairs, and the steady murmur of a pleasant voice came down to him. Tom
laughed at Polly's earnest way of talking when she was interested
in anything. But he liked i