Laddie: A True Blue Story

le S

ther child-wor

ittle Sist

in this house?" inquired Laddie at

fast as I could. There was no telling what minute May might take it into her head that she was a little

you may go wi

ere I am, if I come whe

ht!" sai

use, sat on the front step a

ng to be a sec

ny one else in our family, or among our friends, that to share his secrets, run his errands, and love him bli

ecret yet," he

egged, holding my

ow that I should send you. Possibly you can't find the way. You may be afraid.

he matter

ternoon, so I made an engagement to spend the time with a Fairy Princess in our Big Woods. Fathe

. A Princess would be the Queen's daughter. My father's people were English, an

secret, hur

for her to sit on; spread a Magic Carpet for her feet, and build a wall to screen her. Now, what is she going to

nd he can have

much as mine. If I tell, she may not like it, and then s

t dare tell a

arry her a letter to explain wh

yet. And that wasn't the beginning of it. Paddy Ryan had come back from the war wrong in his head. He wore his old army overcoat summer and winter, slept on the ground, and ate whatever he could find. Once Laddie and Leon, hunting squirrels to make broth for mother on one of her bad days, saw him in our Big Woods and he was eating SNAKES. If I found Pat Ryan eating a snake, it would f

nd hunt for her, or will

ing what wonderful things may happen any minute. One of them is this: whenever the Princess comes there, she grows in size until

stioned, so filled with awe and i

curls fall over her shoulders. One hair is strong enough for a lifeline that will draw a drowning man ashore, or strangle an unhappy one. But

I to do

ane to the Big Woods, climb the gate and walk straight back the wagon road to the water. When you reach that, you must turn to your right and go toward

ignantly. "Father taught me

rpet, and the walls I made. Among the beech roots there is a stone hidden with moss. Roll the stone back and there will be a pi

that

he has, she may have left a letter there to tell me. If there is one, put it in your pocket, hold it close every step of the way, and you'll be safe coming home as you were going

all see,"

big girl as you really wouldn't be ashamed to be afraid of, climb on a fence and call. I'll be listening, and I'll come

ds tight, and in the other I gripped the letter in my pocket. So long as Laddie could see me, and the lane lay between open fields, I wasn't afraid. I

ew, only he didn't know some of the prettiest ones; I had to have books for them, and I was studying to learn enough that I could find out. Or I had ridden on the wagon with Laddie and Leon when they went to bring wood for the cookstove, outoven, and big fireplace.

thick one with patterns on its back like those in Laddie's geometry books, and a whole rattlebox on its tail; not to eat any berry

she could hate any one, because once they had stolen some fine shirts, with linen bosoms, that she had made by hand for father, and was bleaching on the grass. If Gyp

er, just to make her family even numbers. I never felt much hurt at her, but some of the others I never have forgiven and maybe I never will. As long as there had been eleven babies, they should have been so accustomed to children that they needn't all of them have objec

jig on the ridgepole of our

a strange flower, chasing a butterfly, or watching a bird. Besides, if I didn't look in the fence corners that I passed, maybe I wouldn't see anything to scare me. I was going along finely, and feeling better every minute

of it. The next, my hand was on the note in my pocket. My heart jumped until I could

aybe God would take care of me. There was nothing wrong in carrying a letter to the Fairy Princess. I though

. That made me think of the Crusaders, and the little gold trinket in father's chest till. There were four shells on it and each one stood for a trip on foot or horseback to the Holy City when you had to fight almost every step of the way. Those shells meant that my father's people had gone four times, so he said; that, although it was away far back, still each of us had a tiny share of the blood of the Crusaders in our vei

white clothes in streaks it took months to bleach out. I always liked Sarah Hood for coming and dressing me, though, because our Sally, who was big enough to have done it, was upstairs crying and wouldn't come down. I liked Laddie t

a fine time and enjoying herself the most she ever had in her life. The land was paid for long ago; the house she had planned, builded as she wanted it; she had a big team of matched grays and a carriage with side lamps and patent leather trimmings; and sometimes there was money in the bank. I do not know that there w

heir children to be the nieces and nephews of an aunt or uncle younger than themselves. They said it so often and so emphatically that father was provoked and mother cried. Shelley didn't like it because she was going to school in Groveville, where Lucy, one of our married sisters, lived, and she was afraid I would make so much work she would have to give up her books and friends and remain at home. There never was a baby born who was any less wanted than I was. I knew as much about it as any one else, because from the day I could understand, all of them, father, mother, Shelley, Sarah Hood, every one who knew, took turns telling

rying. So were Shelley and little May, although she said afterward she had a boil on her heel and there was no one to poultice it. Laddie leaned against the door

thers were so busy crying harder, now that they had an audience

me think we had a funeral! Where is m

gladdest boy alive; because he was only a boy then, and he told

six months afterward. In fact, not until Shelley taught me by pinching me if she had to rock the cradle; the

for me that from the hour of my birth Laddie named me Little Sister, seldom called me anything else, and cared for me all he possibly could to rest mother. He took me to the fields with him in the morning and brought me back on the horse before him at noon. He could plow with me riding the horse, drive a reaper with me on his knees, and hoe corn while I slept on his coat in a fence corner. The winters he was away at college left me lonely, and when he came back for a vacation I was too happy for words. Maybe it was wrong to love him most. I knew my mother cared for and wanted me now. And all my secrets were not with Laddie. I had one with father that I was never to tell so long as he lived, bu

ig Woods Enchanted, a Magic Carpet and the Queen's daughter becoming our size so she could speak with him. No doubt the Queen had her grow big as Shelley, when she sent

nd I had gone as fast as I could until Something jumped; since, I had been settled on that cordw

ey would push through the floor of Heaven. I tried to shut my ears and run so fast I couldn't hear a sound, and so going, I soon came to the creek bank. There I turned to my right and went slower, watching for the pawpaw thicket. On leaving the road I thought I would have to crawl over logs and make my way; but there seemed to be kind

been there. He had been able to cut and stick much larger willow sprouts for his walls than I could, and in the wet black mould they didn't look as if they ever had wilted. They were so fresh and green, no doubt they had taken root and were growing. Where I had a low bench under my tree, he had used a log; but he had hewed the top flat, and made a moss cover.

, "she'll have to go to Heaven before she finds anything b

urried to the beech, knelt and slipped the letter in the box, and put back the bark and stone. Laddie had sa

e minute to see whether the way to the stream was clear, and while standing tense and gazing, I heard something. For an instant it was every bit as ba

blackbird's wing. She was just as Laddie said she would be; she was so much more beautiful than you would suppose any woman could be, I stood there dumbly staring. I wouldn't have asked for any one more perfectly beautiful or more like Laddie had said the Princess would be; but she was no more the daughter of the Fairy Queen than I was. She was not any

sed in her finest, with Laddie driving, went in the carriage, all shining, to make friends with them. This very girl opened the door and said that her mother was "indisposed," and could not see callers. "In-dis-posed!" That's a good word that fills your mouth, but our mother didn't like having it used to her. She said the "saucy chit" was insu

ven peacocks. We could hear them scream whenever it was going to rain. Father said they sounded heathenish. I rather liked them. The man had stacks of money or they couldn't have lived the way they did. He came to our house twice on business: once to see about road laws, and again about tax rates. Father was mightily pleased at first, because Mr. Pryor seemed to have books, and to know everything,

ough typhoid fever, and then had it herself when she was all tired out. She wouldn't let a soul know she had a pain until she dropped over and couldn't take another step, and father or Laddie carried

othes. When it was Quarterly Meeting or the Bishop dedicated the church or they went to town on court days, you should have seen them-until Pryors came. Then something new happened, and not a woman in our neighbourhood liked it. Pamela Pryor didn't follow the fashions. She set them. If every other woman made long tight sleeves to their wrists, she let hers flow to the elbow and filled them with silk lining, ruffled with lace. If they wore high

storm, until you would think she couldn't see her way through her tangled black hair. She rode through snow and in pouring rain, when she could have stayed out of it, if she had wanted to. She didn't seem to be afraid of anything on earth or in Heaven. Every one thought she was like her

. But that was all she, or any one else, could say. The young fellows were wild about her, and if they tried to sidle up to her in the h

me among us, moving so proud and cold, blabbing old Hannah Dover said she carried herself like a Princess-as if Hannah Dover knew HOW a Princess carried herself!-every living soul, my father even, had called her the Princess. At first it was because she was like they thought a Princess would be,

hought any woman could, but she was Pamela Pryor, nevertheless. Every one called her the Princess, but she couldn't m

he moss carpet, on her knees, and the letter was in her fingers. It's a good thing to have your manners soundly thrashed into you. You've got to be scared stiff before you forget them. I wasn't so afraid of her as I would have been if I had known she WAS the princess, and have Laddies lett

urned to me, was rather startled; but when she saw me she laughed, and

o be," I said.

re for whom yo

! That's

eyes, the red deepen on her cheeks, and the

ried. "I wonder now if y

our folks," I said.

looked as if she were going to cry unless she

Do you know that being a stranger is the hardest t

our neighbours in, go to see them, and stop y

, "and could you keep your father

her. Of course I woul

was all I coul

er. It was an awful pity to tell her she shouldn't sit there, for I had my doubts if the real, true Princess would be half as lovely when she came-if she ever did. Some way the Princess, who was not a Princess, appeared so real, I couldn't keep from beco

ster, if you like," I said

ely!" cried

spel truth that she hugged me tight. I just had sense enough to reach over and pick Laddie's letter from her fingers, and then I was on her side. I don't know what she did to me, but all at on

aid, reaching up

o your fingers, and wrapped around them and seemed to tug at your heart like it does when a baby grips you. I drew away my hand, and the hair stretched out until it w

you doing?

g enough to draw a drowning man from the

cess. "It would take all I have,

just one hair of them is

. "I think he must have been maki

r doesn't believe in Fairies, and mother laughs,

e I do!"

at this COULD be

it so," said

this is a M

is a Magi

es are 'moonlit pools of darkness.' If only your hai

en tested. Perhaps I do know about making sunshine.

tery. It might be the reason she didn't want the people to see her. Maybe she was so busy making sunshine for the Princess to bring to L

st important. You can't have this letter unless I KNOW. It's the very first time L

you leave it whe

lace. You started to take it once;

aid the Princess softly. "Am I like a person who

said i

I happened to co

ds are prettie

nk I knew where

ok my

like the one you have there, then

I ans

om a hidden pocket drew other letters exactly like the one I held. She opened one and ran her finger along the top line and I read, "To the Princess," a

t me to have i

it if Laddie wrote it for you-but m

u think so?" s

w what people

f it, p

el

think it

no, I don't think that. But your father said in our home that there was no God, and you wouldn't let my mothe

lp believing that,

likely to show Laddie the way to f

," said th

u won't do it, w

e dancing lights that had begun to fade came back. "Over there," she pointed through o

Johnny," I ans

n who lives

fist Wi

ered to anoth

ls of th

head Smi

e man who live

ats hi

e house

rs about them.

woman on

ing but gussip and ma

your house, and your family goes to theirs. Do you suppose peo

nd your mother will let people in-my mother an

e said, "but maybe I could cha

nly a different way, and I know she'd like you, and so would Shelley. If Laddie writes you letters and comes here about sunshine, o

t until I have time to try-sa

st as long as La

nder Laddie thinks you the finest

e think tha

eed!" said t

" I said. "And I'll bring his le

scared t

in the dry bed, the wolves, wild

e named Wolfe live over there, and they call that crowd next us 'wildcats,' because they just went on some land and took it, and began living there without any more permissio

nothing could get me coming, because I held the letter tight in my hand, li

, and no paper, unless I use the back of one of

don't know much about the woods, do you? I cou

ou?" asked t

ome big tender leaves. Then I took the

t what you want to say. I write to the Fairies ev

h to write on the frosty side, until she was told. But pretty soon she got along so well she printed all o

you do that?

e stamp,"

ter, and I didn'

r the Fairies won'

t it go," said

gathered up the scattered leaves, and put

"or Laddie will think the

past the dry cre

ut it would be best for you to change their opinio

ere until you reach the fence and then you call and

ver being afraid

ent down the lane. Almost to the road I began wondering what I

find you. You've been

up the

I said, "and this won

have seen

you get it?

and that she was going to change father's and mother's opinions, and that I put the red flower on, but

r to breathe a whisper, I'll take