Laurence: The Champion

By Lois W. Marlatt

Laurence: the Champion, is the first in a trilogy following the life of a young boy as he grows to manhood during the Great Depression in rural Ontario. Laurence is 12 years old, lives in a haunted house and is bothered by the resident ghost. At school he faces a crabby teacher and a school bully. A sister who sometimes tattles on him must also be endured. But life isn’t all bad for Laurence. He experiences his first crush on a girl named Betty from his class. Good friends, a blood brother named Kenny, an Ojibwa named Running Bear, and Laurence’s dog named Spot share his many exciting adventures in this first book of the series. Laurence saves his friend, enters a boxing match, stops a fire and takes on the school bully.
Follow Laurence’s adventures in "Laurence: The Trapper" and "Laurence: The Worker" as he turns 13 and 14 years old.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books for Pleasure
• Release date: Oct 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781553491057

Book preview

LAURENCE:

THE CHAMPION

Written By Lois W. Marlatt

Illustrated By Joan Howatson

Copyright Lois W. Marlatt 2000

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-555349-105-7

Published by Books for Pleasure at Smashwords

CHAPTER 1

IN TROUBLE AGAIN

Laurence, come up here.

Laurence looked up. His teacher, Miss McTavish, had a voice that boomed like thunder rolling across the hills when she was cross.

He struggled out of his seat.

As he walked toward the front of the classroom, Laurence wondered how he could be in trouble. The new school year has barely begun.

He glanced at Miss McTavish. She always reminded him of the scarecrow in Mr. Allen's cornfield because she covered her thin body with black, shapeless dresses, and wisps of grey hair stuck out at odd angles when she wore her hat. She even smelled musty, like the hay that hung from openings in the scarecrow's body. The scarecrow wore gloves. Miss McTavish's fingers were bare. This made it easier for them to seize an ear lobe and give it a twist.

Did you block the door of the girls' outhouse during recess so it couldn't be opened? Miss McTavish asked. Poor Lucy was trapped in there.

She glared at Laurence over her spectacles. Her eyeglasses always slid down to perch on the end of her nose, no matter how often she pushed them back into place.

No, ma'am, Laurence replied.

Don't lie to me, Laurence. Someone saw you do it.

In a one-room country schoolhouse, everyone knew which pupil lied to get others into trouble.

The students looked at Jimmy, the school bully, and the biggest boy in the classroom. He was the only fellow who slicked his hair down, and wore braces instead of a belt to hold up his pants. He also had some nasty habits. If he wasn't picking at pimples that dotted his face, he was picking his nose.

I wasn't near the outhouse, Laurence protested. What a dumb thing to do, especially to Lucy.

Lucy was the teacher's pet and the biggest cry-baby in all of the eight grades.

Don't sass me, Laurence.

Miss McTavish opened her bottom desk drawer on the left hand side. The strap seemed to jump into her hand.

Classmates glared at Jimmy, but if he was guilty he did not show it. He sat there looking as saintly as an angel. The only thing missing was the halo.

Hold out your hands, Laurence.

Miss McTavish raised the strap. Down it came across Laurence's palms with a crack.

The sound wasn't particularly loud, but the students were being very quiet. It made some of them jump. Laurence wasn't watching the strap, or the teacher. He had been strapped too many times to really care. His eyes were fixed on Betty, a new girl in the classroom. Her father had bought the old Moore farm during the summer, and no one knew much about the family. Laurence thought she was pretty for she had fair skin, big green eyes, hair the colour of ripe pumpkins, and freckles across her nose and cheeks. Now those green eyes were filled with tears that overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. Laurence, amazed by the sight of a girl crying because he was being punished, accidentally drew back his hands just as the strap was descending.

Crack! The strap missed his hands, but came down on the upper part of Miss McTavish's right leg.

It must have hurt, for her eyes misted over. Then her face got red, and her eyes started to bulge until it looked like they might pop out of her head. She made Laurence hold out his hands again; only this time she brought the strap down across his wrists. He jumped because it really hurt.

As she sent Laurence back to his seat, every student held their breath. No one knew what Miss McTavish might decide to do. It wasn't their fault they saw what happened. No one had laughed. Even Jimmy stopped smiling as he sat with legs stretched out on either side of his desk, and with his eyes downcast.

Tonight you will write out each word on this week's new spelling list ten times, Miss McTavish commanded.

Their teacher was back in control, but she was cross. Usually they only had to write each of the new words five times. The students worked quietly. You did not upset an already cranky teacher. The bell rang. It was a relief to escape outside with textbooks, and scribblers to complete their homework.

How was school today, Laurence? his mother asked when he arrived home. She always asked the same question. As usual, Laurence replied, Okay.

He glanced quickly at his sister, Peggy. She had followed him into the house.

Will she tattle on me? He thought. She might, or she might not. Who knows what a sister will do? If my parents find out I got the strap at school, it will mean a trip to the woodshed tonight. I'll get a switching by Father for disgracing the family.

Laurence was the first to admit Peggy could be nice when she wanted to be. At other times she was a big pest. She might be blond and blue eyed as he was, but she was a girl, a year and a half older, and an inch taller. Those facts made her pretty bossy, and by times she acted like she was his mother.

Laurence waited. When Peggy didn't say anything, he began to breathe easier. Next year would be better for Peggy would be in high school, and not able to tattle about everything he did.

Peggy, help me set the table, Mother ordered. Laurence, we need more wood brought in.

The children attended to their chores. When Laurence finished, he walked down to the creek with his dog. The animal was named, Spot, because he was all white, except for the one black patch on his hind end.

To the family, Spot was only a dog. To Laurence, Spot was a good friend, and someone he could talk to. He believed Spot even understood what was being said. Any dog that had the sense to come down and sit in the creek on the hottest of days had to be intelligent. Sometimes only his head showed above the water. Instead of being proud when Spot solved the problem of staying cool on his own, Mother worried he might track water into the house, and Peggy was afraid he might jump up on her.

Spot, Laurence began, I got the strap again at school today, and I didn't do anything wrong. He paused to throw a small stick into the water and watch it float downstream. The new girl in our class was crying while Miss McTavish was strapping me. Do you think she likes me? I think she's pretty.

Spot sat and watched Laurence as he was talking. When the boy finished, the dog thumped his tail against the ground as if he understood what had been said.

Laurence dropped down beside the dog and scratched behind the animal's ears. I'd look for salamanders, but it's getting close to supper time and I'm hungry. Wonder what we'll have tonight. Laurence stood up. Come on, Spot. I'll race you home.

After supper Mother washed the dishes and Peggy dried them. Laurence and his father sawed, split, and piled wood in the shed at the back of the house. It was an endless job, for the family depended on the fire in the wood stove to cook their meals, heat water, and to warm the rooms in the wintertime. Every evening Laurence filled the wood box in the house, making sure the kindling was placed on top. Mother, being the first one up, started the fire every morning.

When the final chores had been attended to, Mother and Father sat in the living room. Mother always had some mending, or knitting to do while Father rested.

Peggy and Laurence stayed at the kitchen table to work on their homework by the glow of a coal oil lamp. It shed light on the table, but left the corners of the room in shadow.

Peggy made sure they were