The Project Gutenberg EBook of Laddie, by Gene Stratton Porter

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Title: Laddie

Author: Gene Stratton Porter

Release Date: April 3, 2008 [EBook #286]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LADDIE ***

LADDIE

A TRUE BLUE STORY

by

GENE STRATTON PORTER

To

LEANDER ELLIOT STRATTON

"The Way to Be Happy Is to Be Good"

Contents

CHAPTER

I. Little Sister
II. Our Angel Boy
III. Mr. Pryor's Door
IV. The Last Day in Eden
V. The First Day of School
VI. The Wedding Gown
VII. When Sally Married Peter
VIII. The Shropshire and the Crusader
IX. "Even So"
X. Laddie Takes the Plunge
XI. Keeping Christmas Our Way
XII. The Horn of the Hunter
XIII. The Garden of the Lord
XIV. The Crest of Eastbrooke
XV. Laddie, the Princess, and the Pie
XVI. The Homing Pigeon
XVII. In Faith Believing
XVIII. The Pryor Mystery

LADDIE

CHARACTERS

LADDIE, Who Loved and Asked No Questions.
THE PRINCESS, From the House of Mystery.
LEON, Our Angel Child.
LITTLE SISTER, Who Tells What Happened.
MR. and MRS. STANTON, Who Faced Life Shoulder to Shoulder.
SALLY and PETER, Who Married Each Other.
ELIZABETH, SHELLEY, MAY and Other Stanton Children.
MR. and MRS. PRYOR, Father and Mother of the Princess.
ROBERT PAGET, a Chicago Lawyer.
MRS. FRESHETT, Who Offered Her Life for Her Friend.
CANDACE, the Cook.
MISS AMELIA, the School Mistress.
Interested Relatives, Friends, and Neighbours.

CHAPTER I

Little Sister

"And could another child-world be my share,
I'd be a Little Sister there."

"Have I got a Little Sister anywhere in this house?" inquired Laddie at
the door, in his most coaxing voice.

"Yes sir," I answered, dropping the trousers I was making for Hezekiah,
my pet bluejay, and running as fast as I could. There was no telling
what minute May might take it into her head that she was a little
sister and reach him first. Maybe he wanted me to do something for
him, and I loved to wait on Laddie.

"Ask mother if you may go with me a while."

"Moth