I dashed perspiration from my brow. "Polly," I croaked , "you mustn't take all these things so literally. I mean this is just classroom stuff. You know that the things you learn in school don't have anything to do with life." 14 3 "Dicto Simpliciter," she said, wagging her finger at me playfully. 14 4 That did it. I leaped to my feet, bellowing like a bull. "Will you or will you not go steady with me?" 14 5 "I will not," she replied. 14 6 "Why not?" I demanded. 1 47 "Because this afternoon I promised Petey Burch that I would go steady with him." 1 48 I reeled back, overcome with the infamy of it. After he promised, after he made a deal, after he shook my hand! " The rat! I shrieked, kicking up great chunks of turf . "You can't go with him, Polly. He's a liar. He's a cheat. He's a rat." 1 49 "Poisoning the Well," said Polly, "and stop shouting. I think shouting must be a fallacy too." 15 0 With an immense effort of will, I modulated my voice. "All right," I said. "You're a logician. Let's look at this thing logically. How could you choose Petey Burch over me? Look at me--a brilliant student, a tremendous intellectual, a man with an assured future. Look at Petey--a knothead , a jitterbug , a guy who'll never know where his next meal is coming from. Can you give me one logical reason why you should go stead with Petey Burch?" 15 1 "I certainly can," declared Polly. "He's got a raccoon coat."