Laddie: A True Blue Story. Stratton-Porter Gene

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      "I'm going to kill three," said Sally. "I'm going to be sure we have enough, but don't you tell until their heads are off."

      While she was working on them mother came out and asked how many she had, so Sally said three. Mother counted us and said that wasn't enough; there would have to be four at least.

      After she was gone Sally looked at me and said: "Well, for land's sake!"

      It was so funny she had to laugh, and by the time I caught the fourth one, and began helping pick them, she was over being provoked and we had lots of fun.

      The minute I saw Peter Dover he made me think of something. I rode his horse to the barn with Leon leading it. There we saw Laddie.

      "Guess what!" I cried.

      "Never could!" laughed Laddie, giving Peter Dover's horse a slap as it passed him on the way to a stall.

      "Four chickens, ham, biscuit, and cake!" I announced.

      "Is it a barbecue?" asked Laddie.

      "No, the extra one is for the baby," said Leon. "Squally little runt, I call it."

      "It's a nice baby!" said Laddie.

      "What do you know about it?" demanded Leon.

      "Well, considering that I started with you, and have brought up two others since, I am schooled in all there is to know," said Laddie.

      "Guess what else!" I cried.

      "More?" said Laddie. "Out with it! Don't kill me with suspense."

      "Father is going to town Saturday to meet the new teacher and she will stay at our house as usual."

      Leon yelled and fell back in a manger, while Laddie held harness oil to his nose.

      "More!" cried Leon, grabbing the bottle.

      "Are you sure?" asked Laddie of me earnestly.

      "It's decided. Mother said so," I told him.

      "Name of a black cat, why?" demanded Laddie.

      "Mother said we were most convenient for the teacher."

      "Aren't there enough of us?" asked Leon, straightening up sniffing harness oil as if his life depended on it.

      "Any unprejudiced person would probably say so to look in," said Laddie.

      "I'll bet she'll be sixty and a cat," said Leon. "Won't I have fun with her?"

      "Maybe so, maybe not!" said Laddie. "You can't always tell, for sure. Remember your Alamo! You were going to have fun with the teacher last year, but she had it with you."

      Leon threw the oil bottle at him. Laddie caught it and set it on the shelf.

      "I don't understand," said Leon.

      "I do," said Laddie dryly. "THIS is one reason." He hit Peter Dover's horse another slap.

      "Maybe yes," said Leon.

      "Shelley to music school, two."

      "Yes," said Leon. "Peter Dovers are the greatest expense, and Peter won't happen but once. Shelley will have at least two years in school before it is her turn, and you come next, anyway."

      "Shut up!" cried Laddie.

      "Thanky! Your orders shall be obeyed gladly."

      He laid down the pitchfork, went outside, closed the door, and latched it. Laddie called to him, but he ran to the house. When Laddie and I finished our work, and his, and wanted to go, we had to climb the stairs and leave through the front door on the embankment.

      "The monkey!" said Laddie, but he didn't get mad; he just laughed.

      The minute I stepped into the house and saw the parlour door closed, I thought of that "something" again. I walked past it, but couldn't hear anything. Of course mother wanted to know; and she would be very thankful to me if I could tell her. I went out the front door, and thought deeply on the situation. The windows were wide open, but I was far below them and I could only hear a sort of murmur. Why can't people speak up loud and plain, anyway? Of course they would sit on the big haircloth sofa. Didn't Leon call it the "sparking bench"? The hemlock tree would be best. I climbed quieter than a cat, for they break bark and make an awful scratching with their claws sometimes; my bare feet were soundless. Up and up I went, slowly, for it was dreadfully rough. They were not on the sofa. I could see plainly through the needles. Then I saw the spruce would have been better, for they were standing in front of the parlour door and Peter had one hand on the knob. His other arm was around my sister Sally. Breathlessly I leaned as far as I could, and watched.

      "Father said he'd give me the money to buy a half interest, and furnish a house nicely, if you said 'yes,' Sally," said Peter.

      Sally leaned back all pinksome and blushful, and while she laughed at him she

      "Carelessly tossed off a curl

       That played on her delicate brow."

      exactly like Mary Dow in McGuffey's Third.

      "Well, what did I SAY?" she asked.

      "Come to think of it, you didn't say anything."

      Sally's face was all afire with dancing lights, and she laughed the gayest little laugh.

      "Are you so very sure of that, Peter?" she said.

      "I'm not sure of anything," said Peter, "except that I am so happy I could fly."

      "Try it, fool!" I said to myself, deep in my throat.

      Sally laughed again, and Peter took his other hand from the door and put that arm around Sally too, and he drew her to him and kissed her, the longest, hardest kiss I ever saw. I let go and rolled, tumbled, slid, and scratched down the hemlock tree, dropped from the last branch to the ground, and scampered around the house. I reached the dining-room door when every one was gathering for supper.

      "Mother!" I cried. "Mother! Yes! They're engaged! He's kissing her, mother! Yes, Lucy, they're engaged!"

      I rushed in to tell all of them what they would be glad to know, and if there didn't stand Peter and Sally! How they ever got through that door, and across the sitting-room before me, I don't understand. Sally made a dive at me, and I was so astonished I forgot to run, so she caught me. She started for the wood house with me, and mother followed. Sally turned at the door and she was the whitest of anything you ever saw.

      "This is my affair," she said. "I'll attend to this young lady."

      "Very well," said mother, and as I live she turned and left me to my sad fate, as it says in a story book we have. I wish when people are going to punish me, they'd take a switch and strike respectably, like mother does. This thing of having some one get all over me, and not having an idea where I'm going to be hit, is the worst punishment that I ever had. I'd been down the hill and up the hemlock that day, anyway. I'd always been told Sally didn't want me. She PROVED it right then. Finally she quit, because she was too tired to strike again, so I crept among the shavings on the work bench and went to sleep. I THOUGHT they would like to know, and that I was going to please them.

      Anyway, they found out, for by the time Sally got back Peter had told them about the store, and the furnished house, and asked father for Sally right before all of them, which father said was pretty brave; but Peter knew it was all right or he couldn't have come like he'd been doing.

      After that, you couldn't hear anything at our house but wedding. Sally's share of linen and bedding was all finished long ago. Father took her to Fort Wayne on the cars to buy her wedding, travelling, and working dresses, and her hat, cloak, and linen, like you have when you marry.

      It was strange that Sally didn't want mother to go, but she said the trip would tire her too much. Mother said it was because Sally could coax more dresses from father. Anyway, mother told him to set a limit and stick to it. She said she knew he hadn't done it as she got the first glimpse of Sally's face when they came back, but the child looked so beautiful and happy she hadn't the heart to spoil her pleasure.