142 THE JONATHAN PAPERS 



&quot;Do you mean mine?&quot; He grinned down 

 at his farm regimentals. 

 &quot;Well, then&quot; 



&quot;Why, of course, if you really mean it,&quot; he 

 said, and added, as he looked out reflectively 

 at the puddling road, &quot;You ll get your hair 

 wet.&quot; 



&quot;Hope so! Now, Jonathan, aren t you 

 silly, really? Anybody would think we d 

 never been for a walk in the rain before in our 

 lives. Perhaps you d rather stay indoors and 

 be a tabby-cat and keep dry.&quot; 



&quot;Who got the mail?&quot; 



&quot;You did. But you wanted the paper 

 and you ran.&quot; 



The fact was, as I very well knew, Jonathan 

 really wanted to go, but he did n t want to 

 start. When people really enjoy doing a 

 thing, and mean to do it, and yet won t get 

 going, something has to be done to get them 

 going. That was why I spoke of tabby-cats. 



Jonathan assumed an alert society tone. 

 &quot;I should enjoy a walk very much, thank 

 you,&quot; he said; &quot;the weather seems to me per 

 fect. But,&quot; he added abruptly, &quot;wear woolen; 

 that white thing won t do.&quot; 



