Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-03
little sister Theodore, but just can't stand


this any longer"
That night Laurie's pretty little mother
wondered what made her big boy SO az
fectionate. He came and sat at her knee
on a small stool while she was sewing.
He even didn't seem to mind when she
smoothed his hair. And he talked to her
lovingly about the things he was so,ng
to do for her when he was a man. lou
and dear old dad won't have to DO
stroke of work, for I'll support you Uoth,
he said Then, without even being re-
minded, he kissed her good night.
The next morning, although she caller
and called, he did not come down 10
breakfast. At last she went up to MS
room. He did not answer when she
knocked, so she went in. His ped ndo
not been slept in, and the room was
strangely deserted. On his study table
was a little note, with mother written
in lead pencil on the outside. She read
it hastily.
Dear mother-Every one plaques me
so about having a girls name that l am
going away to a new place, where Shall
call myself John, and I will earn my own
will come back and take you and dad and
Theodore to live with me. Don't worry.
I will be good I shall miss you. Kiss
Theodore for me. Your loving son;
If Laurie could have seen his mothers
face when she read the note he would
never have run away. She and fatner
were nearly, wild. They advertised for
over the country.
When Laurie crept out of his home
that night there was a queer quaklns
feeling in his heart. He did not dare
look behind him at the little house, for
fear he should want to go back lie
| walked three miles through the dark
and snow to the railroad station IN the
! next town, and there, when no one was
looking, he crept into an empty islSht
car bound for Canada. In the morning
he crept out of the car and found him
self In a little lonely frozen-up town
that he had never heard of in ILL mis-
life. Here he fell in with maa who
could not speak English, but who was on
big lumber wagon. Laurie asked him
in sign language to give him a ride 10
the village, which he expected to lay d
mile out from the station They rode to-
gether through the woods, seeming to go
farther and farther from civilization. ana
finally they rode into a lumber camp.
Here the big Canadian in charge demand
ed Laurie's story. Laurie had never told
lie in his life so he told him the whole
story.
little" said the lumberman when Laurie
had finished. THE only trouble IS you
can't write to your ma, for there's no
mail going from here for week. ~
give you work enough to do. hard
work, and I'll make a man out of you.
Any boy who is afraid of his own name
ought to be made to buckle down to
hard work and plain living. Hes no
business among civilized people. LII le
had not thought of it in that light but
day after day, as he roughed it in the
lumber camp, cooking the meals, wash
ing the dishes, cleaning the shanty and
keeping the fires going, as well as chop
ping wood when there was nothing else
to do, he began to think the man was
right.
He was called John; that was the only
comfort but nights on his hard bunk,
when he trying to get to sleep, he
would have given the world to hear his
mother call him Laurie" He was be-
ginning to think he would even love to
hear the boys shout, Hi, Miss Laura
after him.
When the week was up the wagon was
ready to go back to the settlement.
We'll, John" said the rough old lum-
herman. Want to stay all winter with
us?''
MY name is Laurie, sir" said the boy.
"And I'm going home, if l have to walk
every step of the way"
Well" replied the old man, 'Tve just
this to say The only way to have a name
that you're proud of is to be hero with
the name that's given you, and tncn all
the women will be naming their sons