Summary:  Part nine of Sins of the Father, Sins of the Sons

Word Count:  10,000

 

 

                               Sins of the Father, Sins of the Sons

 

 

A saloon fight and the return of Tucker Beck

Flowers for Meg

Joe’s fidelity to Meg is challenged

Tensions escalate between the Cartwrights and the Fischers

 

Chapter 1

 

Virginia City

Late May 1885

“You fellas want anything else?” Yellow haired Callie Theodore smiled as she brought the tray of drinks over to the table. Her glittery dress was form fitting and low cut.

”Do we want anything else? That’s a dangerous question for such a pretty girl to pose to a bunch of men,” Will Cartwright laughed. He struck a match on the underside of the table and lit his cigar. Leaning back in his seat Will smiled at the pretty, young bar maid.

”That’s right, Callie. With all the girls being attacked in Virginia City, I hope you are being really careful,” Phil Bartlett warned. He was half teasing but also sincerely concerned for the pretty barmaid. “Another girl was attacked just last night over by the church yard. If Reverend Felcher hadn’t come along and heard her screams…” He shook his head.

“The man got away but the girl is all right thanks to Billy… I mean Reverend Felcher,” Joe added. He made a mental note to tell his wife the story. Meg had recently had become aware of the fact that her father and sisters were buried in the church cemetery and occasionally stopped by to put flowers on their graves. Joe would make sure that she didn’t go there alone until this business ended.

Meg would certainly disagree. She would give her husband a hard time and refuse to listen. If he played his cards right, Joe pondered, he could make the disagreement escalate into a full blown argument. That would be an amusing entertainment for the evening and then they could kiss and make up before bed time. Joe smiled to himself thinking of how much they both enjoyed the “kissing and making up.”

Robert O’Mara was all eyes and ears taking in the action around him. Boston never had so much excitement and he was loving every minute of his adventure.

“Oh don’t worry about me!” Callie sassed back. “They say the good die young and I’m not too good,” She winked at Robert O’Mara and slid her hand over his cheek. His blue eyes widened and his jaw dropped open at the blatant flirtation. No women in Boston acted like that, at least not to him. No woman anywhere had ever acted like that to Robert O’Mara in his eighteen years on earth. He stared as the attractive girl sashayed over to the next table and draped her arm around the neck of one of the poker players. The player pulled her face down and kissed her.

“Shut your mouth before a fly buzzes in, Robbie.” Phil slapped O’Mara’s arm. Joe and Will laughed at the big city boy’s constant amazement with life in the west.

“Don’t think this boy has much of a poker face,” Will teased. ”Eh Joe? Good thing you and I are showing him how to handle a gun and ride a fast horse. Better stay clear of the gambling tables for the time being.” He didn’t say anything about avoiding saloon gals though.

“So, you want to buy a business Robert?” Joe leaned forward on his elbows and took a long swallow from his cold beer. He and the other men chuckled at the shocked expression on young man’s pink face. Robert nodded enthusiastically and pushed his new hat back on his head. He had figured out all the details and was anxious to show the men his clever plan and the bank draft from Uncle Sean.

”I promised your parents I wouldn’t let you do anything stupid,” Phil said taking out his white linen handkerchief and polishing his glasses.

“Uncle Sean said there are three reasons a man does something stupid,” Robert responded. He counted them off on his thick fingers. “Greed, curiosity, and anger.”

Will Cartwright’s smile faded. “You left out one, son.” Joe could see a dark cloud suddenly appear on his cousin’s face and his expression grow somber. He tossed down his whiskey in one gulp.

“What?” Robert asked.

“A woman. Lot’s of men do mighty stupid things when a pretty woman is involved.”

”Did you ever, Will?” Robert loved to hear all the tales that the cowboys told and thought this might be a good one.

Will frowned and abruptly stood up from the table and walked towards the bar. “No need to discuss that.”

Robert nervously looked at Joe and Phil “Did I say something wrong?” The boy was still sorting out how to behave so he blended in with the cowboys he so admired.

Joe shook his head “No, Robbie. Don’t worry about Will. He just made some bad choices. His heart was in the right place but his wife took advantage of Will’s…”

”Stupidity?” Phil offered. “Or maybe just wishing he could believe a lie.”

Joe shrugged and watched his cousin order another whiskey at the bar and down that in one gulp. He would have to talk to Adam and Pa about Will still having such a bad time and insist he spend more time on the Ponderosa with the family and making sure he didn’t run off again. Running would never fix anything.

“I think I have it all worked out,” Robert started The blond Easterner started to pull the envelope out of his pocket with the details of his proposal when a commotion started at the table behind him.

“You stole that money Johnny Sylvester!” Rube Carey shouted.
”Why steal what a fool will just give me?” Johnny Sylvester smirked as he shoved the cash into his pocket.

Joe’s ears pricked up at the name. Sylvester had briefly worked as a hand on the Ponderosa but caused too many fights in the bunkhouse. Joe had to fire him late in February for stealing some money and a pair of boots from one of the other hands. Just as Joe was sending him on his way, Johnny made some disrespectful, suggestive comment to Joe about his pretty wife. From Sylvester’s crude remarks, Joe realized that the hand had been lurking in the shadows, spying on Meg waiting for him on the porch the previous Saturday evening. Johnny boldly challenged his boss to a fight but as disgusted as he was, Joe wouldn’t allow Sylvester to get a rise out of him. Joe just paid him the wages that were due him ordered him off the Ponderosa with a warning.

“If you ever dare come anywhere near Mrs. Cartwright there won’t be anything left of you to feed to the vultures,” Johnny seemed momentarily silenced and rode off the Ponderosa. Now, Sylvester was living in a Virginia City boarding house and working in one of the mines that Jack Fischer was expanding.

Rube Carey and a group of hard drinking hands from the Bar H were playing poker at the next table with young Johnny Sylvester and a quiet man in a brown leather coat. The stranger was the only sober one at the table having nursed one lone beer for most of the afternoon as they played.

Johnny Sylvester scooped the rest of the cash up from the battered table as Callie watched attentively. She knew well enough to take notice of a hard drinking customer who had a lot of money burning a hole in his pockets.

“You stole my money and now you are trying to steal my girl!” Rube hollered.

“I’m no body’s girl, Rube,” Callie laughed throwing back her head. “I’m everybody’s girl that wins at cards.”

The two drunken men shoved back their chairs and leaped up angrily. Carey’s chair overturned with a crash. The drunk threw a punch catching the other card player on his jaw with unexpected force. Johnny Sylvester staggered backwards, taken by surprise almost knocking husky Robert out of his chair.

“Robbie, get out of the way!” Phil grabbed the young man and pulled him out of the path of the combatants. Their beer mugs crashed to the floor as the round wood table flipped over. Beer splashed on all the poker players.

Sylvester was husky, strong and usually fast even when he was drunk. He had spent his life brawling and playing quick and dirty to survive on his own. The first lucky punch landed solidly on the side of his drunken blonde head putting him at an immediate disadvantage. Johnny felt dazed and disoriented for the moment allowing Rube Carey to get in a few more quick angry shots. Each time he staggered back from a blow he was pushed back into the fray by the throng of shouting miners who had gathered round the card players.

“Get him Johnny!” They urged. There was always friction between the miners and the ranch hands in Virginia City and now that Johnny worked for Fischer Mines, he was one of them. “Don’t let no cow hand beat you!”

Johnny shook his head to clear his vision and give Rube a quick upper cut to his nose and a roundhouse blow to his gut.

Cosmo behind the bar shouted “Hey look out!” when Rube drew his gun. The bartender didn’t have any loyalty to miners or the cattlemen but had no desire for the new bevelled bar mirror to be smashed or anyone to be killed in his place. His priorities were in that exact order. It was more difficult to replace the smashed mirror than a dead customer. He reached under the bar for his shotgun.

“All right! All right, just hold it. Don’t go shooting me.” Johnny froze and held his hands up. No card game with a drunk was worth getting shot for, not to Johnny Sylvester. He had finally hit the pay dirt he had been seeking in Virginia City.

“You think I’m cheating Sylvester? I’ll blow your damn head off!” Rube Carey hollered. He was standing a foot away from Joe who could see the infinitesimal flicker of his finger on the trigger of his Smith and Wesson.

Joe’s right shoulder hit Rube in the side at instant before the gunman pulled the trigger. The force knocked Rube Carey to the barroom floor, but didn’t prevent him from shooting. The sound almost deafened Joe as the bullet exploded from the pistol. But Joe’s shove spoiled the gunman’s aim. The bullet flew wildly through the air, ending up somewhere in the battered wall behind the bar, just barely missing Cosmo’s mirror.

One of the players jumped up from the poker table and pointed his own pistol at Rube Carey. “Now drop your gun!” He ordered. . The man pushed his brown leather jacket open and flashed a US Marshal badge that was pinned to his beer splattered tweed vest. The Marshal was about Joe’s height and build and had close-cropped brown hair and a thick moustache. He had a hard look about him and a firm, no nonsense glint in his eye. He looked vaguely familiar to Joe.

“You’re are under arrest. Now get up and walk down the street to the sheriff’s office, “ He said to the troublemaker.

Cosmo the bar tender yanked Carey to his feet and held him in his beefy grasp.

“Got to thank you for that, Friend. That was mighty quick thinking on your part,” said the Marshal.

Sylvester looked at Joe sullenly “Yeah, thanks, Cartwright.” Then he turned and walked to the other side of the saloon where Callie waited.

His shoulder hurt more than it should have from just shoving into the guy. Joe rubbed his bruised shoulder as he extended his hand to the Marshal. “Joe Cartwright, glad to help out.”

“Joe? Don’t you recognize me? Tucker Beck. Marshal Beck now.”

”Tucker!” Joe grinned recognizing his former schoolmate. “Let me walk down to the Sheriff’s office with you and this guy. Clem Foster is the sheriff now”

“I know, that is why I’m in Virginia City. I brought him a prisoner; a fellow who stole some horses a while backs from the Lazy D ranch. Got both the horse thief and the horses. The guy admitted he is guilty.”

Beck pulled Carey to his feet and shoved him out of the swinging batwing doors toward Clem’s jail.

“So, you are a Federal Marshal?” Joe asked. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Tucker who wiped the beer off his face and neck.

“ Clem Foster is finishing the paper work and I came in to get a beer and kill some time playing poker until he is done. Judge Oakhurst will do the sentencing.”

Joe nodded. Beck kept his pistol in the small of Rube’s back and his hand firmly gripped the prisoner’s forearm as they walked on the wooden sidewalk. The streets were pretty empty at midday with most of the miners working their shift and the cowhands out on the range.

“Haven’t been in Virginia City in years. Not since I left. I had no call to ever be back here. And I don’t think fondly of this town.”
“Nancy Coffee is married to Clem.” Joe offered as they walked.

“Sheriff’s daughter married to the sheriff? Guess he must have inherited the job.”

Joe laughed, “I never thought of it that way. Clem is a good sheriff.”

Tucker looked around as they walked along the wooden sidewalk.
“Lots of big houses and fancy stores. Mines must be doing well here.”

“Pretty well.” Joe nodded. “Most of the ranchers had a pretty good year too.”

Virginia City had grown to almost 20,000 inhabitants and supported many businesses, both good and sordid. They had an opera house and churches, toy stores and mercantiles and opium dens and more saloons than Joe could count.

“They even have flush toilets coming for the new school house. No more out house at the Virginia City Public School,” Joe smiled thinking of the time he and Katie trapped Jack Fischer in the outhouse. It was one of the last times, Joe and Tucker had fought and eventually the two boys forged a friendly relationship, as they got older. Tucker was especially appreciative of the kindness Ben Cartwright showed his father when he was drinking and down on his luck. Ben also paid the undertaker for Mr. Beck’s funeral because his son didn’t have a cent to his name.

As they turned the corner, they were facing the hill with the new Fischer house on the top. “Big, fancy house!” Tucker exclaimed. The Fischer house was one of the largest new homes overlooking Virginia City.

“Jack Fischer’s house.” Joe told the marshal. “Your old pal, Jackie.”

“Jack?” Tucker’s eyes narrowed. He stopped walking for an instant as he eyed the ornate house.

”He inherited his job too…that and a big sack of money,” Joe laughed. “He runs Fischer Mining and is the same big bag of wind he always was growing up. Thinks he is the king of the hill and his wife is the queen.”

His wife?” Tucker’ jaw tightened. He shoved the prisoner and they continued on toward the jail.

“Yeah, Jack and Melissa Fischer, King and queen of the hill and their snooty son, Stanley John.”

“He’s sixteen years old now.” Tucker commented flatly.

Joe looked sideways at Tucker a bit amazed that he knew just how old the Fischer’s son was.” I guess,” Joe tried to figure how old the boy was in relation to Sammy. “My nephew is fourteen, so I guess Stanley John is about that age. Sam is Adam’s boy. He is married to Katie Wallace. You remember her? “

”Sure, that little Katie had a mighty hard right cross and a good swift kick that she dealt me more than once. Tucker smiled. He gave Rube a shove when the drunk tried to turn around and see the face of the man beaten by the lady publisher of the Enterprise.

“That’s my Katie-bird.” Joe laughed. “Stands that high and keeps my big brother in line.”

“You say that is the Fischer’s house up on the hill?”

Joe nodded. “It’s brand new. Adam did the design and Jack couldn’t make it elaborate enough for Melissa’s taste.”

“Flush toilets? Maybe I’ll go pay them a visit,” Tucker said as they got to the front of Clem’s office. They brought Rube Carey inside and Joe leaned up against Clem’s desk as Marshall Beck and Clem booked Rube. He absently rubbed the ache in his shoulder as he read the wanted posters tacked on the wall.

“Marshal, you sure are filling up my jail. First the horse thief and now Rube here.” Clem chuckled. “You are a one man crime patrol.”

The Virginia City sheriff took the ring of keys off the hook near his desk and Clem led Rube into the cell and slammed the iron door behind him.

“Thanks for your help again, Joe. Maybe I’ll be seeing you around. I might just stay on a few more days here in town.”

“Come out to the Ponderosa before you go, Tucker and have dinner and meet my wife Meg. Did you ever marry?

”About ten years ago. Married a girl in Phoenix but she died having a baby. Baby died too.” Tucker said with hardly a trace of emotion.” I became a marshal the next year and been doing it since.”

”My Pa would be real glad to see you doing so well, Tucker. He was mighty fond of your father.”

“Your father treated him better than most. He was one of the few who would give him work, even at the end when he was drinking more than not.” Tucker said. He gave the prisoner an angry shove through the bars as if he represented his own drunken father.

”Your father was a mighty smart man. Remember how he helped Adam rebuild that lumber mill? Adam still talks about that, how he couldn’t have got the machinery up and running with out his help. We still use that mill. And you know most of the mines still use that pump he designed.”

”He never got a penny for inventing that pump. Stanley Fischer stole the patent from him. Fischers were real good at stealing from the Becks.”

Joe pushed his hat to the back of his head. He had never really thought about the money involved in the sales of the hundreds of Beck pumps throughout the mining industry. “The Beck pumps saved lots of lives. Even saved my brother Adam. He was in a cave in a year or so ago and if it wasn’t for that pump he would have drowned by the time we got him dug out.”

”It may have saved a lot of lives but Fischer made a fortune off of it.” Tucker muttered angrily

“Come out for dinner Tuck. You can come see my family and get a good dinner too. My wife makes the best chocolate cake in the state,” Joe urged. He wanted to show off Meg and was sure his father would be pleased to see the son of his old friend.

“Won’t make any promises. But I will certainly be seeing the Fischers.” Tucker had a worn look on his face as if he had unfinished business weighing heavily on his mind.

 

Chapter 2

 

Late May 1885

The Ponderosa Ranch

Riding on Meg’s palomino, Goldie, Joe Cartwright trotted up to the work crew running the last of the fencing job near the Cherry Creek boundary of the Ponderosa. His nephew Eric sat contentedly on the saddle in front of him.

“Let’s go see how the men are doing on that last stretch, Sweetie,” he told his nephew as he jumped down and lifted the boy off the horse. Eric silently stood near his uncle watching the workers as Joe tied Goldie’s reigns to the wheel of the buckboard.

“Think Goldie is glad to get some exercise, don’t you?” Joe asked the boy. He straightened out the boy’s hat but Eric made no response. Joe was so used to Eric’s lack of conversation he paid no mind to his silence and automatically just filed in the blanks of the conversation.

Ben had observed that Eric would talk a bit more for a few weeks and seem to be improving. Then something would upset him or disrupt his routine and he would retreat into silence for days or weeks. Sometimes the child withdrew for no apparent reason and sometimes he emerged from his fog for no apparent reason either. Joe still had confidence that he would eventually return to normal. The longer the time passed, the less faith everyone but Joe had in Eric ever improving.

Joe stood beside the child watching the progress his men had made during the week. “Looks mighty fine men! Good work,” he shouted. “Tell them they did a good job, Eric,”

”Good!” Eric said softly “GOOD good good!”

Hays Newkirk looked up and waved.

Joe grinned and patted the boy on the back. “Say it again real loud Eric. Say ‘Good job, men!”

”Good job!” Eric shouted. He laughed and slid his hand into Joe’s. “Good job!”

Hays Newkirk left the crew and ambled over to his boss. “Riding Mrs. Meg’s horse?”

Joe nodded and patted the palomino on her neck. “Meg went into Virginia City with the buggy to the dress maker and such with Katie. Lady stuff. She has been working real hard and I told her to take the afternoon off. I wanted to let Cochise rest up that stone bruise on her hoof and Goldie needed the exercise.”

“Guess that’s why you got the boy with you,” Hays looked at Eric standing patiently next to his uncle. “He sure looks like Hoss and has his patience too. You would be up a tree or running after a rabbit or jumping into the creek when you were his age, Joe. You were quite a handful, you and Dean would be tearing around and not being so cooperative like your Eric.”

“Meg spends a lot of time with him and he really is doing much better.” Joe said trying to be optimistic. “You like when Aunt Meg fusses over you. Don’t you Eric?”

The little boy smiled a wisp of a smile and nodded. “Meg and Joe.” Joe patted Eric’s head affectionately.

“Know you like when Meg fusses over you too, Little Joe,” Hays laughed. “She’s a fine girl, Joseph”

“Looks like you are almost done with the fencing, Hays,” Joe told his foreman.

“We still have that section up there to finish.” Hays gestured towards Cherry Creek.

“It looks real good.” Joe nodded smiling at the fine job the men had done. “Shorty has a knack for running fence.”

“He does indeed. Shorty is glad to do this chore and not have to sit on a horse with the herd. His old bones ain’t the same as they used to be.” Hays stroked his white whiskers. “Mine neither.”

Shorty Magee had worked on the Ponderosa for almost as long as Hays Newkirk. He had been one of the hardest fighting and hardest drinking men on the ranch until he married a dark haired beauty who settled him down. They had one beautiful daughter, Trudy who was a few years older than Casey Newkirk. She grew up on the ranch but always longed to live in Virginia City in a fine house with beautiful things around her. Trudy was even more attractive than her mother and a fine cook. Having filled in for Hop Sing in the Ponderosa ranch house on numerous occasions, she found a job as a maid for the Fischers in Virginia City. Everyone on the ranch was fond of the girl and missed her being around. She seemed to have a magical soothing quality on whomever she was with from the gruffest hand to little Eric Cartwright.

“You got this fence done a full week earlier than we thought Hays,” Joe complimented.

Hays was proud of his men and took a swallow of water from the canteen Joe offered him. “I remember when your Pa and you boys put this fence line in years back.” The two men saw that Eric had started industriously filling his pockets with tiny white pebbles one at a time. The boy was out of the way of trouble.

Joe vividly remembered the hard work he had done with his brothers that summer. The Cartwrights had put the fence line in between the Ponderosa and the Circle D. Carl Duprey came by almost every day to examine that they stayed on the right side of the boundary toss out some antagonistic remark and try to stir up discord with the Cartwrights. Years later, the former Duprey property had been broken up between different ranches and the rail road right of way and not one boundary of the old Circle D remained intact. The parcel closest to the Ponderosa had been bought up by the Cartwrights about five years earlier from one of the numerous owners.
’Let me help you with that last piece,” Joe offered walking towards the men. As they stretched the slivery wire to tighten it between the posts, the wire snapped and whipped back, snagging Joe’s right shoulders as it flew. As Joe tried to extricate himself, the barbed wire cut through his blue shirt and scratched his back.

“Hold on, Boss!” Shorty carefully disengaged Joe from the wire.

The men finished tightening the fencing and Joe hammered in the last staple attaching it to the post. As he stood up straight, Joe realized he had really hurt himself. “Youch!” Joe grabbed his stung shoulder and rubbed the wound.

“Hitch up that shirt and let me take a look, son.” Hays directed. Joe pulled off his work gloves rested his hip against the buckboard as the foreman examined him. It wasn’t the first time the Ponderosa foreman patched Joe up.

” Just bit a little flesh Joe. Looks like a cat scratched you up. Tore your shirt up too. Be sure you clean it up when you get back up at the house.” Hays said.

“Yes sir,” Joe nodded. He buttoned his shirt back up and tucked it back into his dirty trousers. The men finished with the last few fence posts as Hays and Joe watched from the back of the buckboard.

“So, Hays, tell me what did you do to make your wife happy. “ He needed the advise from and older more experienced man.

Hays raised his eyebrows. He was taken aback by the question from Joe. “Joseph! Been married more than thirty five years, closer to forty. No one asked me stuff like that before. Not even my own children. Not my three girls or Dean or Casey. Not Molly’s or Mercy’s or Mary’s husbands neither, son.”

“Really Hays. What do you do?” Joe asked sincerely.

”Why Joe Cartwright! What do I do?” He pushed his hat back and looked Joe Cartwright straight in the eyes. “You’re not teasing me Joseph? You’re not playin’ some sort of joke on me, Son?” Hays had been the foreman on the Ponderosa for more years than Joe had been alive and prided himself on being a gentleman.

”No, Hays really.” Joe looked at Hays right in his familiar lake blue eyes.

”No, jokin’ Joe?” He was blushing at the kind of question Joe might be asking a man about his marital relationship. He had married his wife when he was sixteen years old and she was fifteen and had never known another woman nor she another man.

”No sir. Hays. Don’t mean you any disrespect. Really.” Joe stammered. He suddenly realized what an embarrassing position he was putting the soft-spoken, shy Hays Newkirk into. “I don’t mean it like that. You know how I love Rebecca. She took care of me like family when I was growing up. And I certainly respect the both of you but I just need your advice, Hays. About husbandly things. Not about, you know.” Joe winked. He knew that was one area he needed no advice.

“About being a caring husband?” Hays realized what the younger man was hemming and hawing about. Joe had no real memories of living with both his parents and had little close hand experience in observing the day to day of making a good marriage work.

“That’s what I mean. About making Meg know how much I really care about her.”

Hays smiled “Bring your Missus some flowers. My Rebecca always likes that, Little Joe. She has the flowers to remind her how much I care for her. Flowers. Lot’s and lots of flowers.”

”Flowers?” Joe raised his eyebrows. With out really thinking, he rubbed the stinging scratches on his shoulder and looked around the pasture. There were a few scraggly wild flowers here and there. “Where can I get lots of flowers?”

“Make sure you clean those scratches out real good when you get back to the house.” Hays reminded him.

Joe nodded. “You were talking about flowers.”

“Bring your Meg some flowers. A whole lot of flowers. A pretty lady like Mrs. Meg would be real cheered by some flowers.” Hays started putting the tools back in the buckboard. Joe put his gloves back on and grabbed one end of the reel of wire and Hays the other and the swung the heavy spool into the wagon.

“Where can I get a whole lot of flowers now?” Joe asked setting his hat on the back of his head.

”Got a place all full of pretty sweet smelling purple flowers over on the old Circle D. They are all in bloom now. Think they was the lilac bushes Emma Duprey planted years back and set so much store by. They are all spread around the old foundation hole and some are as big as trees. Where the house burned down, the ashes made the bushes grow real well. It’s kind of sheltered from the worst of the wind too by the trees and the ridge over there. They are all abloom now and smell really pretty when you ride up.”

”Meg would like that,” Joe agreed as Shorty and Casey came over to take a drink.

“So, Little Joe, go over and get her a big bouquet or two,” Hays was happy to help the young newly wed couple to get a bit of romance.

“I still have to go into town to pick up the mail.” Joe realized it was getting late.

“I’ll help out. I can do it, Joe. Want me to ride into town? “ Casey walked over to Eric and gave him some water in a tin cup from the buckboard.

“I’ll help!” Eric repeated Casey’s offer. All the men turned and looked at the chubby blond child. They were all pleasantly surprised at him joining the discussion.

“You help Joe with them lilacs,” Hays said lifting the boy onto the back of the buckboard.

”Take Goldie,” Joe offered. “If you pick up that mail it would be a big help.”
”I’ll help!” Eric laughed from the back of the buckboard.

“I’d really appreciate it. Stop over and check on Trudy too.” Shorty added. “Tell her that her Pa misses her.”

”You tell her we all miss her and she should get word to us if she needs anything, no matter what,” Joe added. Joe didn’t trust the Fischers to do right by the girl and he wanted Jack to be on the alert that none of the Fischers shouldn’t pull any shenanigans with Trudy Magee.

 

Chapter 3

 

An hour later, the flower laden buckboard was headed back to the Ponderosa. Eric sat happily between Hays and his uncle on the high seat. All three were muddy but pleased with the results of their efforts.

“I helped!” Eric shouted as the flower filled buckboard went back to the Ponderosa. Every time the horse whinnied or the wagon hit a bump or the mood hit him, Eric smiled widely and yelled joyfully, “I helped!”

Each time he spoke the two men laughed at his enthusiasm. This just encouraged him to repeat it again. “Joe, I helped! Hays, I helped!” He bragged happily.

“Indeed you did, boy!” Hays nodded snapping the reigns on the tired horse. Joe had insisted that the boy was talking more but this was the first time Hays had seen it for himself.

The back of the wagon was filled with fragrant purple and white flowers. The men had even dug up a few of the smaller bushes and wrapped the roots in some wet tarps.

”I’m going to plant those bushes right near the house for Aunt Meg, Eric. You can help me water them every night after dinner.” Joe smiled at the little boy. Eric nodded and pulled some crushed, bedraggled blooms out of his pocket and thrust them in his uncle’s face.

“Smell!” Eric ordered as they approached the house.

“Mmmmm!” Joe laughed. “Aunt Meg will be real happy and give us both a big kiss. She will say how much she likes all those lilacs.”

”I helped!” Eric repeated. Joe nodded. This was the most talkative Eric had been the whole week. Then he held the blossoms to Hays who sniffed dramatically and laughed at the boy’s good cheer. “You sure did help, Sonny Boy!”

They all worked nonstop unloading the flowers and Joe filled every vase, jar, pitcher and container in the house with the purple and white blooms. They even put the bare root bushes into the horse trough to hold until Joe could put them into the ground. He hurried to finish the show before his wife arrived home with Eric trailing him like a happy shadow.

Hays laughed at Joe’s enthusiasm. “If this don’t beat all Little Joe! Wait until Rebecca hears what you did!”
Joe thrust a huge bouquet into his arms. “Give her these, from Eric and me,”

Before Hays could answer, they heard a huge splash. Leaning over the trough to smell the lilacs, Eric had tumbled in. Joe rushed over and fished the laughing, dripping boy out of the water.

Eric held up a fist full of wet lilacs. “Smell Joe!”

“I’ll tend to the horses and then I’m going’ home for supper. You better clean up the both of you before Mrs. Meg gets back,” Hays laughed looking at the two sopping wet Cartwrights.

“I helped!” Eric laughed wrapping his arms around Joe and hugging him tightly. Joe quickly carried the dripping child inside and ran up the stairs to the room he shared with Meg. He had already stripped off Eric’s muddy clothes and wiped the worst mud off him at the washstand when Joe realized he needed a fresh set of clothes for the child. “I’ll be right back!” Joe called as he walked down the hall to his nephew’s room.

“Joe! Joe!” Eric called. He was standing all alone, cleaner but naked and wanted to find where his Uncle went. He certainly didn’t want to get his hair washed and decided that perhaps he could finish cleaning himself up on his own. Then he could avoid any shouting between Meg and Benpa. He would be a big help just like the hands putting up the fence, just like he helped Uncle Joe with the flowers.

Eric ran down the hall and into the first doorway, his grandfather’s bedroom.

“Joe? I helped!” He called. He spied the brush on his grandfather’s dresser and decided he should brush his own hair while it was wet, just like Aunt Meg did when he took a bath. Meg would gently brush his yellow hair so there would be no knots in it when it dried. On Ben’s dresser was the green glass bottle of bay rum that smelled so nice. Eric stood on tiptoes and reached for the bottle. He carefully took the top off and smelled it. It smelled so nice. Just like his grandfather smelled. He lifted the bottle and poured some over his head just as his uncle walked briskly down the hall carrying the clean clothes.

“Eric Cartwright! What the heck are you doing? Joe rushed into the room and yanked the bottle from the boy’s hands. The cologne splashed up in the air and doused Joe’s neck and chest.

“Eric! Quit this foolishness!” He shoved the stopper back into the Bay rum and returned it and the hairbrush to the marble top of his father’s bureau.

Joe scooped up the naked child and carried him squirming down the hallway to his room and dressed him as quickly as he could. “Smell, Joe! Smell!”

”Hustle your bustle, boy! Aunt Meg will be home any minute.”
”Joe! I can help! Smell!” Eric put his face up to his uncle’s nose just as Joe had told him to smell the lilacs earlier.

Joe sniffed loudly and dramaticly, ”Mmmmmm, Bay Rum. We smell like we just came from the barber in Virginia City. Two handsome Cartwright men ready for a night on the town. Maybe we should take Aunt Meg dancing.” He pulled Eric’s clean shirt over his head and lifted the boy up by his suspenders and faced him towards the window. Joe smoothed down Eric’s damp hair and said, “Now let me put on a fresh shirt. Tell me if you see Meg coming. And don’t move! You are on watch, Eric. ”

Joe shucked his own wet, filthy clothes off. He took a quick look in the dresser mirror at his scratched up shoulder. With the washrag, Joe quickly washed up, cleaned out the wound at his washstand and put on his own fresh clothes. It was only at that point he realized they both reeked of aftershave and flowers.

“Boy we sure smell like a fancy sporting house here. Lilacs and bay rum cologne. All you need is one of Levi Victor’s cigars jammed in your mouth and a piano player and we would be complete.” He whistled the infamous obscene mermaid song as he happily buttoned up his clean shirt.

“Meg! “ Eric shrieked at the window as he saw his aunt ride up to the house. “Meg is here!”

Joe smiled widely and swung the boy up in the air. “Let’s go and see Auntie’s face when she sees our surprise.”

“Surprise Meg!” Eric whooped with glee as Joe carried him down the stairs on his shoulders. “Surprise! I smell! I helped and I smell!”

Chapter 4

 

“Did you see that Marshal Beck was in town again? Hadn’t been here for years and all of a sudden he has been around four or five times in the last few months.” Nelda said as she sat on the settee in Kate’s parlor. The women were meeting to set up the Annual Church Fundraiser. Kate had offered to host the gathering in her home.

“He did grow up here. I suppose now that he is assigned to Carson City he would need to be in Virginia City every once in a while,” Kate Cartwright said as she poured the tea. “He did have some prisoner that he had to pick up from Clem last week but he stayed on a few more days. “ Nancy added passing the plate of cookies.

“Those flowers are lovely, quite lovely, Kate. “Melissa Fischer said as she sipped her tea. There was a huge bouquet of white and purple lilacs on the console behind the settee. The fragrance filled the room

“Meg brought them to me them from the Ponderosa. Tell everyone what Joe did, Meg!” Kate smiled at the remarkably extravagant gesture Joe had made. “It was so romantic.”

“My husband brought them for me. A whole wagon full!” Meg smiled.

“Even our nephew, Eric helped,” Kate smiled proudly. “Cream or lemon Mrs. Butler?”

”Joe filled the whole entire house with them. There were armloads and armloads all over the place when I came back from town. He filled every vase and pitcher and bucket in the place.” Meg bragged. “Even the soup tureen on the dining room table and the horse trough was filled with beautiful purple lilacs. It was so pretty. Joe lined them all the way up the stair case and down the upstairs hallway all the way to our bedroom!”

”Meg brought some here for us.” Kate brought the vase up to Nelda’s nose to smell the wonderful fragrance. “Lilacs!”

”Joe dug up some of the bushes and planted them right in the front of the house so that they would bloom there next spring. He is so sweet. Joe shows Eric how to water them every night after dinner,” Meg smiled proudly.

“At least that child is good for something,” Melissa sneered.

“My husband brings me flowers when he has something he needs to apologize for,” Nelda said sourly.

“He does?” Dora asked sipping her tea.

‘When he thinks he is going to get caught with ..How do I say it? An indiscretion. “ She looked back down at her needle work.

“Maybe that is why your dear husband brought you flowers. Maybe Joe has something nasty to hide.” Melissa smiled. She hoped it was true. And if it wasn’t true she hoped that Meg Cartwright would think it was. There was great sport in stirring up problems.

”An indiscretion?” Meg didn’t quite follow what Nelda was implying but Kate and Nancy immediately did. Mr. Olds was a rover and was as notorious in the territory second only to the late Stanley Fischer. Adam had once said if there was a Virginia City Tomcatting prize the blue ribbon would have gone to Stanley Fischer and the runner up would be Ira Olds.

“Maybe he is feeling very guilty to bring a houseful of flowers. A whole houseful? He must feel very guilty.” Mrs. Old added.
”Extremely guilty,” Melissa eyed Meg.

“Or maybe Joe just loves his wife,” Nancy commented. She stabbed her needle into her embroidery but wished she was stabbing it into Melissa Fischer’s eye. “Did you ever consider that?”

“I am sure Meg has absolutely nothing to worry about,” Kate sprang to Joe’s defense and put her arm protectively around Meg’s waist.

“Goodness knows Joe Cartwright always had a wandering eye. He must have sparked every girl west of the Mississippi.”

“And east of California!”

“Including Mexico!” Melissa added with a smirk. “Didn’t Joe once run off to Mexico one time?”

”Joe Cartwright? Mexico? Not Joe. You must be thinking of Tucker Beck or that Carl Reagan that used to pal with him and Jack. Or the Bonners,” Nancy shook her head. She was beginning to follow what Melissa was doing. “Or Jack Fischer.”

“But Joe Cartwright chased every pretty girl there was around,” Melissa smiled smugly.

“That was long ago,” Nancy shook her head. “Now he is a happily married man.”

“My goodness, there are so many ladies that boy chased after still living right here in town. Women who chased after him and only came to Virginia City recently. Didn’t that Jennifer Biel and Joe once go around together? And that young woman from Boston. Her husband works for you Kate. I wonder if that is coincidental?” Mrs. Butler said eyeing Meg. “ Sounds strange to me them coming all the way here.”

”And very convenient,” added Melissa thinking of some of her own relationships with a newly rediscovered lover. “Old friends can just drop by and visit anyone they want with little notice from anyone.”

“Joe is very happily married man,” Kate repeated firmly. Meg didn’t know what to make of all the comments swirling about her like an angry swarm of hornets.

“That many flowers sounds strange, like a funeral…” Melissa got her dig in. “Or something to hide.”

“Joe Cartwright may be married but he is still Joe Cartwright” Nelda added as if Mrs. Joseph Cartwright’s bride was not sitting right next to her. “Can’t keep down a rogue. My husband would douse himself with cologne so I couldn’t smell the other woman’s perfume on him when he came near me. But I always knew when Ira came to dinner stinking of bay rum what he had been doing that afternoon at the sporting house.” The other women laughed. “Ira would claim to be hard at work but wander over to be with one of those awful dishonorable women.”

“Kate shouldn’t we start the meeting?” Nancy asked loudly.

“Yes, ladies. Let’s start the meeting!” Kate stood up and pulled out the list of tasks that had to be done for the fundraiser.

“Bay rum?” Meg remembered how Joe had smelled the day of the flowers. “Bay Rum?” she whispered.

Kate looked at her and wondered why Meg had paled at the mention of bay rum.

“And more than once, he came home all scratched up from those disrespectful cat house women.’ Nelda added. “Lord knows what all they were doing.”

“Scratched up?” Meg remembered Joe’s back. Her stomach spun and her heart pounded.

“Joe Cartwright is a very happily married man, “ Nancy repeated. She held up the embroidery she was doing. “Kate do you think Elizabeth will like this pinafore?” She attempted to change the subject as she could see Kate getting angrier and angrier.

“That is just what I was going to say, Joe is a Cartwright and I am quite sure my sister in law is married to a very fine man.” Kate shouted as she stared at Nelda and Melissa. She fought back the urge to throw all of them out of her home. “My husband and his entire family are very honorable, fine men. The entire Cartwright family. All of them!”

Kate stood up and put both her hands on her hips. She fought back the urge to pour the contents of the silver teapot over Melissa’s head.

Nelda looked awkwardly at Dora. Neither had expected such an immediate and aggressive defense of Joe Cartwright when they made their snide remarks.

“They are lovely flowers I am sure. “ Nancy added. “I wish Clem were so romantic but you all know my Clem. He thinks a new iron skillet is a romantic gift.” Nancy tried to make a joke. She could see how upset Meg was with the remarks that had been made about Joe and how he felt about her. “Once he bought a flowered chamber pot… maybe I should have Joe give him some tips.”
Meg nodded silently. Her eyes had suddenly lost their happy sparkle.
Melissa was quite satisfied with the seeds of doubt she had sown against Joe Cartwright.

If attention was on the Cartwrights, it would be off Melissa and her other activities. She may have been a captive in her marriage and elaborate house but even prisoners were allowed visitors. If Jack Fischer knew he had a rival, he would kill her. That danger made her dalliances all the more tantalizing. Melissa smiled to herself.

 

Chapter 5

 

The Territorial Enterprise

May 28, 1885

Woman Found Murdered in Alley

The body of Callie Theodore was found early Sunday morning in the field adjacent to the church graveyard. Miss Theodore was employed in the Rusty Bucket Saloon.

“We have no suspects at this time in this case but hope to find the man as soon as we can,” said Sheriff Clem Foster.

“Too bad our Virginia City Sheriff is so incompetent and the women of Virginia City must fear for their safety!” stated Prosecutor Dillon Dennison. “The voters should remember this at election time!”

 

Chapter 6

 

Eric started to wail and cling on to his uncle desperately. “Just let Doc Martin look at you, Sweetie,” Joe tried to untangle his nephew’s arms from his neck. “The doctor has to look at your throat and listen to your heart.”
”Noooooo!” The little boy wailed in fear. He tried to get away from Joe and bolt from Doctor’s examining room. Joe wrapped his arms around Eric and kept him penned in the small room.

“Do you think I should hold him down?” Joe hated the idea but would do what needed to be done. Eric had been unusually quiet since Meg had said she was leaving to visit her mother and stepfather. Meg had been afraid Eric was sick. Joe had promised to take him by the doctor’s office after he left her at the stage depot.

“Joe why don’t you let me examine you while Eric watches? Maybe he would let me examine him next.” Doc Martin suggested. He hadn’t given Joe a good once over since he had been so sick the spring before when he got married.
”Sounds like a good idea,” Joe nodded. “Eric, you watch this. Doc is gonna check me out.” He let go of the little boy. Eric rushed into the corner cowering between the bookcase and the desk. He flattened himself in the space as if he was trying to make himself invisible and stared at the white marble bust of Hippocrates.

Joe watched the child out of the corner of his eyes.

” Don’t say anything to him, Joseph. Let him calm down,” Doc whispered. “Meg get off all right?”

Joe nodded. “Stage just left. Fred or her brother will meet her on the other end. She really misses her family but would never admit to it.”

Eric stood still and nervously watched as Doc Martin looked into Joe’s throat and eyes and ears and his Uncle made silly exaggerated faces.

Doc Martin ignored the little boy, hoping he would inch over. “Its almost like letting a frightened chipmunk approach and let the animal eat our of your hand, “ Paul said softly to Joe. The doctor making believe he was looking at Joe but watching Eric out of the corner of his eyes. “Do you think he hears all right?”

”When he is sleeping up in Hoss’ old room, he hears when I rattle the coffee pot in the kitchen and comes running down for breakfast. He usually eats real well, except this last week. That is why Meg thought he might be sick. Guess he hears ok,” Joe answered. “He sure likes to hear Meg or Adam sing to him too.”

Paul Martin remembered how well the little boy had sung on his own before he became mute. “Take off your shirt, Joe,” Paul Martin directed. “How long has the boy been ailing?”

Joe unbuttoned his shirt and Eric inched out of the corner. Both men ignored him. “Since Meg started packing up to go visit her family, I guess. A few days.”

“What’s this?” Paul Martin poked at some marks on Joe’s right shoulder. Joe flinched.

”My shoulder?” Joe attempted to joke. “I got scratched up with some fence wire,”

Paul’s expression became serious “How is that bad shoulder and your hand doing, son? Put your hands out?” Paul Martin looked him in the eye.

Joe put both hands in front of him and Paul grabbed them both. “Squeeze my hand Joe.”

”What’s wrong?” Joe got alarmed. He knew his right shoulder had been aching him more than usual but he pushed it out of his mind. He had too many other things to deal with and he was working too hard to think about his aches and pains.

“This hurts you?” Paul poked him again. Once on his right shoulder, then on the left. The left didn’t feel like much but when Paul hit the right side, the side that Joe had injured years earlier, a sharp pain flashed down Joe’s arm. He winced despite willing himself to show no alarm. Paul frowned.

“You look like you are hurting that old injured shoulder again, Joe. If you keep this up you are going to wind up back where you were a few years ago. Either you are going to be walking around hurting all the time or you are going to not be able to use that hand again. Or wind up back in Boston.”

”No!” Joe protested loudly and stared at the doctor. Eric jumped back into his corner.

”Well, son, if you don’t want to be seeing that doctor in Boston again, what was his name?”

”Doctor Meyer,” Joe frowned rubbing the back of his hand on his chin. “I think he moved out to San Francisco.”

“Boston or San Francisco. Wherever. If you don’t want any more trouble, you better keep better track of what you are doing. You aren’t breaking any horses and getting tossed again?”

Joe swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head. There was nothing he wanted to do more but he knew that bronco riding was never going to be something he ever did again As much as he missed it, nothing in the world scared him more the thought of being incapacitated again. He had too many responsibilities and too much to enjoy with Meg to be hurting or loosing the use of his right arm or worse yet having surgery in Boston. There was no way Joe could allow that to happen.

Joe swallowed and shook his head. “No, sir.” He said softly.

“Let me check that boy.” Eric had inched out of the corner again and was standing right next to the Doctor.

He swung Eric on to his uncle’s lap and gave him an examination.

“His throat looks fine. You say he wasn’t eating? How long did you say?”
”A few days. Just about when Meg started getting ready to go.” Joe and Paul looked at each other and both had the same thought.
”Doc, do you think he was just upset by her leaving?” Joe shook his head.

“Just what I was thinking. Eric, want to hear your own heart?” The doctor gently put the earpieces of the stethoscope in Eric’s ears and pressed the other end on the boy’s chest. Both Paul and Joe laughed out loud at the astonished expression on the boy’s face. “Boom bomm bomm “ He said jovially.

“Like you said, he seems to hear just fine,” Doc Martin was pleased. He had worried that the little boy had become deaf at some point and that was why he was talking so little.

Martin nodded as Joe put Eric’s shirt back on him. “You said he talks a few more words?”

”He does Doc. At home, not here. He talks to me more all the time.” Joe insisted optimistically. Paul Martin had serious doubts that there would ever be much more improvement in the little boy but he would wait to share that observation with the Cartwrights. Joe was still hopeful and he had enough bad news this afternoon about his shoulder.

”You just watch that shoulder and take it easy with all that heavy work you have been doing. Put some heat on it if it bothers you. Let it heal up a bit.” Joe nodded silently. He couldn’t argue this time. He knew what would happen if he didn’t listen.

“boom Bomm bommm” Eric smiled as he put the end of the stethoscope on his uncle’s chest.

 

Chapter 7

 

June 1885

Virginia City

“I really hope Meg is having a nice visit with her family,” Kate said as the rest of the Cartwrights sat down. She was holding Jessica Eleanor sleeping soundly in her arms. Elizabeth sat between Kate and Adam. Eric squeezed in next to her.

“I sure hope so too. She has been missing them something awful the last few months but you know my wife. She would never admit to it.” Joe said as his hazel eyes searched the crowd for his nephew.

“That was pretty clever of you to set it up that way,” Adam complimented his brother.

“Meg was very homesick,” Ben agreed as he smoothed Eric’s cowlick down.

Joe had written to his mother-in –law to wire that the Thackery’s desperately needed Meg to come and help out with some sort of fictional crisis. Then Joe bought her stage tickets and helped her pack and sent her on her way. His wife left immediately, as always feeling more comfortable to do a favor for others than admit to Joe how homesick she was for her mother and the rest of the family. Joe had also told her to check out the horses her father might have that would be suitable for working cattle.

Joe smiled. “I hated to lie to her but Meg would never go other wise. As much as I said we could manage for a while she was gone, Meg was stubborn about going. She was worried that Eric was coming down with something so I told her I would take him by Doc Martin.” He lifted his chin subtly pointing at Eric who sat silently as always.” This way, she thought she was helping her mom and Fred. They will have a nice visit. It is too busy on the Ponderosa for me to be gone that long, not until fall round up is all done and that would be too long for her to be so homesick for her family.”
Adam and Kate nodded in agreement. They had all noticed how quiet and preoccupied Meg had been for quite a while. Joe’s idea was just what she needed to perk her up.

Sitting in between her father and Eric, Elizabeth chattered away to Eric. She loved having an audience and cared not the least that he never answered. She was the queen, the princess, the ruler of the world and her cousin Eric was her loyal peasant.

“When does Brother sing, Papa?” Elizabeth asked. She was wearing her favorite new dress, a crisp white dotted Swiss dress trimmed with red ribbons. She wore matching ribbons in her dark hair and as always, had not a speck on her. Some how she had even managed to keep her shining patent leather shoes sparkling and dust free.

Kate was amazed that this feminine charmer was her child. Growing up, Kate was always running with Little Joe and the other boys in the schoolyard, her braids flying and her stockings crumbled. She had scabs on her knees and elbow until she was almost fourteen. Kate paid no heed to matching perky hair bows and was never able to avoid mud stains and scraped elbows from climbing trees.

Katie even bribed Little Joe to ride Cochise. In exchange he received cookies and homework papers and hints on which girls were interested in him. She galloped wildly across the range until her parents found out and they punished her for riding in such an unsafe and unladylike manner. Kate once confided to Joe that her mother was probably more angry at her unladylike behavior than her possibly getting injured.

”Sam and the older children will be on first,” Adam said looking at the founder’s day program sheet. Elizabeth slid her hand into her father’s hand. Some how she managed to climb onto his lap in one smooth motion before Adam even noticed. She was truly Daddy’s little girl. She even was glad Jessica was born as the baby kept Kate busy and Elizabeth had Adam’s full attention more often. And soon Elizabeth would have another loyal follower to rule. As small as Jessica Eleanor was, she smiled and clapped her tiny hands every time she saw Elizabeth.

Sam and a dozen of the older children in Virginia City had been practicing some patriotic songs for weeks. Adam had patiently helped Sam learned the guitar accompaniment. He practiced with his father almost every evening after dinner. The entire Cartwright family anxiously awaited the musical performance at the Founder’s Day celebration.

Clutching his guitar, Sam loped down the aisle to greet his family. “I’m glad you all got seats together. It is really getting crowded.” He shook hands with his grandfather and reached across him to shake hands with his Uncle Joe.

“Don’t forget to start slow, and don’t rush, Sam.” Adam reminded the boy.

“And play the chorus twice at the end, Pa. I won’t forget,” Sam nodded to his father.

“You are going to do just fine, Sam,” Kate added. “Too bad Meg isn’t here. She would love to hear you play.” Joe nodded in agreement.

‘I will clap for you so you won’t miss Auntie Meg ,” Elizabeth told her brother. “Eric and I will both clap very loud,”

“Wait Sam, you have a big spot on your shirt, son.” Ben Cartwright pulled his grandson to the side. “What did you lean on, son?” The boy had a red punch stain on the back of his shirt in the shape of a hand print.
”Looks like someone shot you, “ Joe laughed loudly. He stood up from his seat, tugging on the back of Sam’s crisp white shirt. It was clear that Sam was never going to be quite as tall his stepfather, Adam, but the boy was almost as tall as Joe and had his mother’s coloring.

Sam looked over his shoulder and gasped. He had taken pains to look just right for his musical performance. Now he found out that his new shirt was a mess. He had his ideas of who had spoiled his clothes. It was probably Clemmie Foster who had backslapped him upon his arrival at the town picnic. Both boys were rivals for the attention of lovely Mary Fran Lassiter.

“Is there time for me to run on home and get my shirt changed?” The boy looked panicked.

Ben pulled out his pocket watch to check the time and shook his head.

“No, Sammy, don’t even try. Joseph, take off your jacket and give it to him.”
Joe stood up and peeled off his navy blue suit coat and handed it to his father. Ben held it up and his grandson slid into it. His grandfather adjusted the boy’s tie and collar. “Now that is just fine,” Ben smiled proudly at the boy’s transformation.

“Don’t do anything in my jacket that I wouldn’t do, Doc,” Joe teased. He winked at Sam and the boy blushed. His mother and father had told him some stories about his handsome uncle’s outrageous girl chasing at Sam’s age.

Once Joe had even attempted to take the daughter of Chief Winnemucca to a dance at a mine camp and almost caused an Indian attack when the braves came after her. Fortunately Ben and Adam cooled the hot tempers and the Indian girl went home with her father. Sam couldn’t believe how wild things were when his parents were young and how built up Virginia City had become.

“You look just fine, “ Ben straightened his grandson’s lapel. “Now go make us proud, Doc.”

Sam ran down the aisle to the cluster of youngsters who were gathered around the makeshift platform that was forming the stage. The Cartwrights could see a pretty girl with long light hair step forward and kiss Sam on his cheek. She handed him a pink piece of paper that he nervously jammed into the jacket pocket.

“I told that boy to watch what he did in my jacket,” Joe winked at Kate who shifted sleeping Jessica Eleanor to her shoulder, and playfully slapped his arm. Joe gently poked her back with one finger.

“Hey! Hey, don’t let me be caught in the middle of your foolishness!” Adam laughed. “You two act like you are nine years old. Don’t embarrass me in public.”

“Eight year olds, Adam.” Joe snapped bag. “Can we embarrass you in private? You cranky old man, that’s what happens when you marry a child bride.”

Ben laughed and scooped Eric onto his lap. “See Eric Uncle Joe and Aunt Kate are picking on Uncle Adam again.”

“That must be the lovely Mary Fran,” Kate surmised watching her son and the crowd of performers on the stage.

“Ahh, the lovely Mary Fran,” Joe chuckled. “The lovely and beautiful Mary Fran. That boy has very good taste.”

 

Chapter 8

 

“Just answer one question, dear. Why would you, a rich young man want to marry the maid. ? Melissa asked bluntly as she sat down on the ruby velvet armchair opposite Stanley John. “Trudy Magee is the maid. A servant is not someone you should be marrying.”

“Have you been with her? That problem can be dealt with very easily.” Jack knew from his own experiences how easily his money could make pregnant women disappear along with their unwanted bastards. And if his money didn’t work he had other ways of disposing of petty annoyances like unreasonable women.

Stanley squirmed awkwardly at the inquisition. His parents embarrassed him to his very soul. Living back east in boarding school had been an island of tranquility from the constant bullying of his father. He had forgotten how miserable it was to live under the same roof with the bickering and the sniping that went on between his parents. He also didn’t miss when his father would raise his hand in anger to his mother.

“I love her. I love Trudy Magee and she loves me,” Stanley said simply. “We want to get married. There is no other reason.” Both Melissa and Jack laughed at their son. “What does that have to do with anything? You are sixteen years old. You can not marry without our approval.”
”I know that. I just want to become engaged and marry her in a year or two, Father.”

“You are not marrying the maid, the daughter of a broken down ranch hand on the Ponderosa,” Melissa responded. “That is unacceptable.”

“ You will marry a girl that I select for you, someone who is appropriate. Someone who is suitable for the son of one of the richest men in Nevada.” Jack added. “Someone from an appropriate back ground, who can serve you well,”

“Someone who can bring some financial assets into the union not the ability to mop floors and make peach cobbler.”

“I love her,” Stanley countered softly. He did not want to anger his father.” I love Trudy and she loves me.”

“Do you think we love each other Stanley John? Do you think your parents or even your grandparents loved each other? That is not a consideration in a marriage. “ Melissa stood up and pushed apart the garnet velvet drapes. She looked out of the window towards the panoramic view of Virginia City at the foot of the hill. For a minute she thought of what might have been had she married who she loved, not Jack Fischer. Her father and Jack’s father, Stanley had made the entire decision and the young couple did what they were told. Her father made the arrangements and she was quickly married. Stanley John was born shortly there after.

“You will do what I tell you to do or I will cut you off, Stanley. Do you understand? Not one red cent.” Jack stood up and pounded his fist into his open hand threateningly. Melissa flinched automatically at the sound.
Stanley nodded. “I understand. Not one red cent.” He looked past his father and stared at the scroll work pattern in the red flocked wall paper.

”Do what you want with this girl, this Trudy, have as much fun you desire with her late at night. Sneak up and down the back stair case all you want but you are not marrying.” Jack only gave his son the same advise his father had given him about Sylvie, the saloon girl and many of the other women he had enjoyed and discarded.

”You are my only son, Stanley. Fischer Mining and everything I have, all the investments, the rights to the Beck Pump, the railroad interests will all be yours when the time comes. You will be a very rich man, some day. If you want to be a judge or the mayor or even the governor, I can make that happen too. I am a very powerful man in this state.”

Melissa stood silently looking out of the window towards town. She could see a familiar handsome figure riding down the main street and tie up his horse in front of the Silver Dollar and walk inside as if he owned the place.

“Did I make myself clear, boy?” Jack bellowed. His voice rattled the crystals on the chandelier.

“Yes, sir. Not a penny. “ Stanley John passively repeated the threat hoping not to provoke his father. Young Fischer loved Trudy with all his heart but the lifetime fear of his father’s wrath was very strong and very real. Jack Fischer was a force to be reckoned with and his son knew it first hand. He had no desire to increase his father’s wrath or have it directed towards Trudy. The older man was bigger, broader and heavier than Stanley John and there was no way the young man wanted to get into a physical confrontation with his enraged father. Jack Fischer was still a force to be reckoned with.

The boy also did not want to fear for his mother’s well being if Jack was stirred up. Jack would dispel his rage by beating up on anyone within reach. The son hated to think that his angry father would take out his fury on his mother once again. Stanley knew his father’s temper would have only one target if he were away at boarding school. Stanley John Fischer loved his mother very much and hated the thought of his father continually mistreating her. Some day, Stanley John vowed he would stand up to anyone who hurt his mother but this was not the day.

The young man never imagined that he would fall in love with the maid. Trudy was the most wonderful person he had ever met. She was clever and beautiful and treated him like he was the bravest and most handsome and most brilliant grown man in the world. She made Stanley realize how cruel his father was and how nasty Stanley John would become at times. “You act real mean just like your father.” She pointed out.

Stanley was shocked. He hated that part of his father and he never realized he was becoming just like him. Trudy Magee had shown him that bullying and picking on people was cruel, not a game for amusement. Young Fischer even went to church with Trudy and listened with a renewed interest in Reverend Felcher’s brief inspirational sermons.

The boy knew the decision had been made for him and he had no other alternatives than to do what needed to be done. He would tell Trudy that evening. There was no reason to delay now. They had talked seriously about their options the last evening they were together. Stanley John was prepared to face the inevitable.

There was a reason that Philip Bartlett eventually would call him the “White Sheep of the Fischer Family.”

 

Chapter 9

 

July 1885

Virginia City

“Joe was riding Goldie the day I was in town. I saw the horse tied up by the Fischer house.”

”Didn’t Joe have Eric that day? Maybe he took him visiting.”

”The Fischers? Joe wouldn’t bring Eric to visit them.” Meg shook her head. She had started believing all the gossip Mrs. Olds and Mrs. Butler had planted in her head.

”Maybe he would bring Eric to see the puppies. Joe isn’t fond of the Fischers, but Eric loves puppies and Joe might just have done that for Eric. “ Adam suggested. “Brutus and Brunhilda had six pups and Elizabeth is begging me for one.” Kate looked at her husband and prayed that Elizabeth would not win out but she knew Adam was no match when their daughter asked for something.

”I bet they were visiting Trudy Magee. Shorty’s daughter works for the Fischers now. You know how fond Eric is of Trudy.” Nancy suggested. “And how Joe worries that she doesn’t have any trouble with Jack.” She hoped she was right.

”I think Joe had said something about all of us keeping track of Trudy and making sure Jack knows he can’t misbehave with her.” Kate added. “You know the stories about those Fischer men and the house servants.”
Meg nodded. She still wasn’t convinced. ”It is just that he was so anxious for me to go back to Placerville to visit my family. Joe kept saying I should stay away for as long as I wanted.”

“We all knew how home sick you were. Joe said you wouldn’t go see your family even when he insisted,” Adam explained. He couldn’t quite understand why Meg was so upset about his brother.

“That’s right. He and your mother contrived that whole thing so you would go. Not just Little Joe. Both of them, Meg. ” Katie chuckled. “You are more stubborn than I am.”

”And that is pretty stubborn, Meg,” Adam smiled affectionately at his brown hair wife.

“It is not just that. Do you think, he could be…” Meg stammered thinking that Joe had even tricked her into leaving town. “That Joe could be..”

“Who could be what?” Kate looked at her sister-in law. Kate Cartwright was oblivious over what Meg was trying to say.

“ Stanley. Stanley John Fischer, Melissa’s son. Stanley. His hair, the way he walks. He doesn’t look much like Jack”

Adam walked back into the room with the bottle of wine he had brought up from the cellar. “Lucky Stanley, I sure wouldn’t want to look like Jack if he were my father,” he joked as he opened the bottle of wine.

“Hush Adam, “ Nancy scolded. “You are interrupting Meg.”

Adam looked at Meg’s indigo eyes. Adam suspected that there was much more going on than Meg missing her family and getting used to being his younger brother’s new bride living on the Ponderosa.

”I know Joe had been …that Joe was once. The women said…” Meg was at a loss for words. As awkward as it was she had to know. Joe had been acting so strangely the last few months and Meg had to know the truth.

Kate handed Adam the crystal wine glasses and suddenly realized how upset Meg was about her fight with Little Joe. They weren’t playing one of their silly fighting to make up games. “Meg, what are you trying to say?”

“Joe seems so distant.”

”Meg, he’s been so busy with the ranch, you know that,” Kate started. She had sworn to Joe not to say any thing about his visit to Doc Martin. Joe made her promise not to say anything about his shoulder to anyone. And Kate had agreed as long as he promised to let up on how hard he was working. “If you ruin your shoulder again, it won’t be fixed like last time. You need to let up being so crazy.”

“Joe loves you, Meg. He just is worn out from working so hard and catching things up.”

“That’s not it, not exactly. I know Joe was once. Was once involved with Melissa Fischer.” Meg stammered.

Nancy raised her eyebrows and Kate knew exactly what her best friend was thinking. Every young man in Virginia City was involved with Melissa in those days. Maybe even since those days.

”Long ago, Meg. Very long ago,” Kate smiled. “Why Joe was just a kid when the two of them went out.”

Meg took a deep breath “Could Stanley John be Joe’s son? Is my husband the father of Melissa’s son?” Tears welled up in her blue eyes. Kate stood up and slid her arms around Meg and held her as she started to sob.

Adam’s jaw dropped. He had never thought of that. He remembered how Joe chased after every pretty girl in Virginia City and how often he and Hoss had to yank their hot-blooded little brother out of trouble on numerous occasions. Most of the times were somehow related to pretty girls and sneaking out late at night.

“Why would she marry Jack if Joe…” Adam started. Kate glared at him over Meg’s shoulder.

“ Don’t even think about it!” Kate cut her husband off. Nancy started counting back on her fingers and shook her head.

“Adam, Joe wasn’t seeing Melissa for more than a year when she married Jack. More like two years. He was seeing..” She started saying “Amy Duprey” but realized that reminding Meg of her dead sister wouldn’t be too helpful at the moment. “Little Joe was seeing some other girl then. “

”Remember when Joe got hurt when you were building that mill, Adam?” Nancy added.

Adam nodded. He couldn’t believe how the two women suddenly were chronically his kid brother’s past romantic life with such detail and such ease. “Joe was working with me and Hoss on some construction and took a bad spill and was pretty seriously hurt. He had to stay in bed for a few weeks that summer. He had a some cracked ribs and a chunk gouged out of his thigh.” He explained to Meg.

She realized where that scar on her husband’s thigh came from.
”That was when Joe stopped seeing Melissa, that summer. She wasn’t going to wait for Joe to get back on his feet. She started seeing Tucker Beck and Jack.

” And probably half the young fellows in Virginia City.” Adam added cynically. “Carson City too. Reno and …”

Kate interrupted his list of towns that housed Melissa Fischer’s past admirers.

“But not Joe. Not then or after,” Kate said decisively. “Never again, Meg.” When Kate had moved to San Francisco, best friend Nancy wrote all the details of the Virginia City gossip to her. Katie still had the letters in the trunk in the attic. She and Nancy had laughed over them just before Jessica was born when the two friends found the letters while looking for Elizabeth’s cradle in the attic.

“Then what is this? “ Meg reached into her pocket and brought out a thin sheet of pink paper. Even without knowing what it was, Adam could see it was written in a decidedly feminine hand.

“I found this note in Joe’s jacket pocket,” Meg said.

Adam picked up the note and read it “ I still love you. We must meet again. I love how you kiss. MF” He was at a loss for words. MF? Could Joe be seeing Melissa Fischer? It was clearly a love note.

Kate stood up and took the paper from her husband’s hand. “You said this was in Joe’s jacket? Which jacket?”
”What difference does it make what jacket?” Adam was furious. How could his brother behave like that to his wife? How could Joe be seeing another woman?

“Which jacket Meg?” Kate said calmly. She smiled just a bit. “His green corduroy work jacket?”

Adam and Nancy looked at Katie. Both were thinking how could Kate be smiling at Joe Cartwright cheating on his wife? They were barely married a year and he was seeing another woman. Maybe Meg’s fears were true.

“The jacket of his good suit, his blue wedding suit.” Meg sniffed. Adam handed her his handkerchief. She was so embarrassed to be crying in front of everyone.

“Adam, what suit did Joe wear to the Founder’s Day concert?”
”I don’t know,” Adam looked at Kate quizzically. Why would the jacket matter if Joe was cheating on his wife? “The blue wedding suit. Joe wore his good blue suit. I remember because he had to give Sam his …”
”Jacket,” Kate finished for her husband. “He gave Sam his jacket when he went on stage. His shirt was a mess and Joe lent Sam his coat.”

“Clemmie got punch all over him.” Nancy explained. She immediately knew what Kate was proving.

”MF? “ Kate took the note from Adam’s hand.

“Melissa Fischer?” Meg continued to cry. Tears ran down her cheeks.

“Mary Fran!” both Nancy and Kate said simultaneously. “The lovely and beautiful Mary Fran,” they laughed. Adam still had no idea what was going on but he was growing more furious at his brother’s behavior by the minute. He couldn’t wait to ride out to the ranch to give Joe a piece of his mind. Ben would have to wait his turn on this one. How could Joe be so despicable to Meg?

“Stay here!” Kate ordered. She gathered her skirts and ran up the stairs. In a minute, Kate returned with a schoolbook from Sam’s orderly desk. “Look!” she opened the mathematics book and pulled out a pink piece of notepaper with the same feminine writing. “Dearest Sam, I love you. Meet me after school again. I love how you kiss. Mary Fran.’

She handed the paper to Meg who held both notes side by side. “Mary Fran?”
”The lovely and beautiful Mary Fran,” Kate smiled repeating Joe’s nickname for the pretty blond girl.

“The lovely and beautiful Mary Fran,” Nancy agreed. She explained how both Sam and Clemmie Foster had been chasing after the pretty girl. Fortunately, before they came to serious blows, the two boys discovered she was playing one fellow off the other just to make her real beau, George or Grover somebody or other, jealous.

Adam shook his head, embarrassed that he thought ill of his brother’s fidelity. He was also surprised that Kate knew all the details of Sam’s romance and he knew nothing about it. Another kissing Cartwright? Adam was a bit proud of his son’s romantic talents and embarrassed that he had doubted his brother. “Kate how do you know all this and I know nothing about it at all?”

Nancy smiled and shrugged. “You married a very smart woman, Adam.”

“And Elizabeth is an excellent spy.” Kate added.

 

Chapter 10

 

August 1885

Virginia City

“But you always liked me Joe,” Melissa smiled coyly at him. She leaned into Cartwright and pulled his face down and kissed him hard on the lips.

He had come to the Fischer house to go over some papers with Jack. There was a delay in the cutting of some of the timber Jack had ordered and Joe needed to update him. When he arrived at the Fischer house Melissa invited him into the parlor and immediately started aggressively flirting with him.

Joe Cartwright had spent most of the hot morning racing around Virginia City accomplishing absolutely nothing. The machine parts he was expecting for the mill hadn’t arrived at the freight depot and some deeds for a land sale that needed to be reviewed by Levi Victor hadn’t been sent from Carson City .The bank had incorrectly prepared the amount of cash for the Ponderosa payroll and he had to come back tomorrow or kill the afternoon waiting around for the correction.

When he went to see Jack Fischer at his office to discuss some contracts, Johnny Sylvester who was loitering around with some other miners eating lunch said that the boss had gone home for lunch.

Joe was annoyed but he needed to get the papers signed and the men finished cutting timber before the weather changed and winter storms threatened.

Joe got back on his horse and rode to the other side of Virginia City and up the hill to the Fischer house. When he arrived there, Melissa invited him in and told him she hadn’t seen Jack since breakfast.

Joe pulled away from her shocked at what the woman was doing. “Melissa” He pushed her back with both hands. “What are you doing? I love my wife.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t come to visit me. We used to be very close, Joe.”
”Long ago, a lifetime ago, Melissa. I was just a kid.” Joe stepped back so fast his jacket brushed against the console table and knocked over the ornate silver framed portrait of Stanley John Fischer. He turned around to straighten it up. The dogs started wildly barking in down the hall in the back parlor where Melissa had closed them when Joe came into the house.

Melissa took a step closer to him. She put her hand on Joe’s hand. “We can be much closer again. If we are careful about it, Joe.” She tried to step nearer to him and he nervously took a step back. He had only come into the house to talk business with Jack and now he was facing an aggressive amorous woman.

”I don’t believe this,” Joe turned red and stared at her. He was married to a woman he loved with all his heart and couldn’t imagine ever breaking his marriage vows.

Melissa Fischer took Joe’s comment as a question regarding the way the arrangement could be made rather than Joe rejecting participation in an affair with her or any other woman.

“No one will ever need to know. People do this all the time you know.” She thought of the relationships she had over time with other men. She could manage them all if Joe was interested. She had before and she could again.

“No one will ever need to know because there won’t be nothing to know” Joe shook his head in disbelief and disgust.

“Joe, we can have an arrangement. A secret, private arrangement.” She held tightly to his hand and stared unblinkingly into his eyes. “It has been done before.” Married men were the best candidates for her attentions as they also wouldn’t risk getting caught nor decide to fall in love with her and complicate her life with Jack. She had too many luxuries and a fine house to ever leave Jack. More importantly, Jack would never let her go.

Joe jerked his hand from hers as if he had touched the flames of hell. He side stepped her and grabbed his hat from the table.” I don’t know what you think of Jack, or what the two of you do or don’t do… I told you long ago that no man has the right to ever hit his wife and you didn’t need to stay here. Melissa, but I love my wife. I love Meg and only Meg. And she loves me. I always knew you Fishers were …were…” Joe stammered. He wanted to let loose with a litany of vile language but he still couldn’t believe that he had another man’s wife climbing all over him. He couldn’t get out of the house fast enough to suit him. “You Fishers are reprehensible!”

“I can make you very happy, Joe. Or I can make you very sorry for the rest of your life,” She stared at him threateningly.

”Go to hell,” Joe growled. Joe couldn’t believe he was using such strong language to a woman.

He spun on his heels and strode down the wide two-story hall to the front door. He jammed on his hat as he threw open the ornate door and slammed it furiously behind him. The door crashed shut so hard that one pane of the frosted beveled glass cracked.

Joe vaulted on the back of Cochise and galloped up down the hill to Virginia City.

He would stop by his brother’s office and give him a piece of his mind. If Adam wanted Jack Fischer to sign those contracts he better just send someone else to do it because it would be a cold day in hell before Joe ever had anything to do with any of the Fischers.

 

Chapter 11

 

Adam Cartwright felt he was facing the hangman’s noose as the pendulum clock in the outer office struck three p.m. “Then the devil’s clock struck midnight.” Adam thought grimly.

All that Adam held dear could be destroyed if he miscalculated. He had to make the impossible choice between doing what was right and moral and doing what would be practical and sensible. If he was only thinking for himself, the choice would be easy. It was not that simple however.

The papers he was reviewing spelled out a despicable proposal that would make the difference of the continued survival of Stoddard and Bruce, The Enterprise and as well as the Ponderosa. If he made the wrong decision in this, it would mean the destruction of more than two generations of hard work. The well being of too many of Adam’s family and friends depended on the choices he would make that very day.

Adam had told his clerk not to allow any interruptions or disturbances until he finished the distasteful task at hand. Adam looked up, rubbing his tired eyes. His head was pounding and his back ached from too many hours sitting at his desk as he faced the inevitable and made the most difficult and distasteful decision he had ever made in his life.

He had spent most of the day working out the wording of the letter to his partner Dennis O’Mara in Boston and a second set of letters to all the attorneys and businesses involved. Then he reexamined Jack Fischer’s proposal and double-checking the numbers he was using. Sighing and shaking his head, Adam put the papers in a folder and set them aside. Fischer had them all by the throat and Adam could find no way out. Fingering the piece of paper he looked over the list of things Fischer wanted him to do for the hundredth time.

Standing up for the first time in hours, his stomach grumbled from hunger and churned from aggravation. Rubbing the kinks out of his back, Adam made his way to the window and looked out on Virginia City. He could see the office of the Enterprise across the narrow alley way and high on the hill over looking the town; Adam could see the elaborate Fischer house looming over Virginia City. A few minutes later, he sat wearily in his chair behind his desk.

“I don’t give a damn if you are busy Mr. Big Shot Adam Cartwright!” Joe bellowed as he flung open the office door. ”You want to do business with Fisher then you take care of it yourself. Joe flung the papers across his brothers desk.” He stared furiously at Adam sitting in his leather desk chair behind his desk as the papers fluttered in five different directions.

John Perry, the office clerk ran into the room at Joe’s heels. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cartwright! I told your brother that you were not seeing visitors. That you had requested no intrusions…But he pushed his way in anyway.”
Adam stood up and walked around his desk and grabbed Joe’s elbow. “That is all right Perry. I know you tried. I’ll take care of things now. Joe sit down.” Adam gestured to the chair next to his desk as the clerk went back into the outer office.

Joe stood. He was too furious at what had just occurred with Melissa Fischer to sit down and be still.

“Sit down, Joseph.” Adam ordered. “Now. Sit down right now, Joe.” Adam had dreaded having to discuss the situation with his brother but now would be as good a time as any to tell Joe about their horrible predicament. At least Joe would finally know the awful news. The wire to Dennis O’Mara was already sent and that would leave only Kate and his father left to tell. Adam wasn’t sure who he dreaded talking to the most.

Joe frowned and finally sat in the chair next to his brother’s desk. ‘You really aren’t being fair to me you know Adam.’ He slammed his hand flat on the side of Adam’s desk rattling the silver ink well and everything on the cluttered surface.

“What’s going on?” Adam looked at his brother.

”Like I said for a long long time, Adam. I don’t want anything to do with any of the Fischers. None of them.”

Adam looked at him. “Joe, we have to do business with Fischer Mines. I can’t understand why you are making such a chore out of this.” Adam sifted through the stack of papers in front of him and attempted to find the letter from the railroad to show his brother. “Why can’t you just go along with all this for once? Don’t give me a hard time, Joe,” Adam pleaded. “Not now. Please.”

“Don’t give you a hard time ? Why don’t you just mind your own damn business Adam?’ Joe pounded his fist on the edge of the desk again. This time a stack of ledgers fell onto the floor with a crash. Neither man made any move towards picking up the mess. “We have plenty of customers for Ponderosa timber and I don’t want any part of Jack or any of the Fischers!” There was no way he was going to have Melissa pawing at him and trying to make trouble with Meg. No lumber sale for any amount of money was worth his peace of mind or the love of his wife. And no one was ever going to say the cruel things the Fischers had said about Eric if Joe Cartwright had a breath left in him.

‘Ah, but this is my business,’ replied his brother. ‘Anything that involves the Ponderosa affects all of us, and I think that includes your attitude towards Fischer. What’s going on that you just can’t go along?” Adam raised his voice and stared at his brother.

Joe glared back silently. He didn’t even know how to say what had just occurred at the Fischer house. How had he got himself into such a predicament? Adam could never understand. And then he might say something to Meg. If Meg doubted him before, she would skin him alive now if she got wind of any of this. Meg would take it all the wrong way and get upset and miserably twisted up and get too upset. Joe had to make sure Meg never got wind of this whole thing.

When Joe didn’t answer he continued questioning him. ‘Why can’t you just let it be, Joe?’ Adam sighed. “Just let it be.”

Joseph shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He stood up and walked over to the window across from Adam’s desk. Joe pushed aside the drapes and looked out. He could see the front of the Enterprise office from in here. He never realized that Adam could see everyone going and coming in and out of the newspaper from his desk if the curtains were open.

‘Look Joe I know how you feel, really I do.”

”You don’t,” Joe growled. “Not one bit, Adam. You don’t know as much as you think you do.” He stood with his back to his brother, staring out the window trying to calm himself down but Joe was finding that task nearly impossible.

“But sometimes you just have to put your own feelings aside for the good of people you love. Sometimes you just have to do things you wouldn’t normally do. For the family, Joe.” He reached out and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Joe pulled away and turned to face the taller man.

Joe looked at him in disbelief. “Adam? I thought Eric is part of your family. And my wife? And me? All of a sudden Jack Fischer is more important than your own family? We need to sell timber to the son of a bitch who almost got you killed in a mine cave in? Who is your brother, Adam? Jack or me? And who is your nephew? Eric or snot nose Stanley John Fischer?” Joe spit out. “ And what about what they are doing to Meg with their gossip?

Adam drew in his breath as if Joe had punched him in the gut. “Read this letter, Joe. We don’t have any choice. Not you, not Pa. The Ponderosa and Stoddard and Bruce. All of us. Katie too.”

Adam handed Joe the letters from Fischer, the railroads and when he finished reading all of them twice, Adam handed his brother the letters from Dennis O’Mara and the attorneys in Boston and San Francisco.

Joe shook his head in disbelief as he read all the letters through. He put the paper down on Adam’s desk.

”Can they really do this? Can they really do what they threaten? I have over two thousand head of cattle that I will round up in less than a month. Are you saying I won’t be able to get railcars? Or I may have to pay triple?” Joe could never have imagined this situation in his worst nightmare.

“Not triple, quadruple. Look at the numbers again. They want to charge the Ponderosa a fee that is four times the regular rates, Joe.” Adam’s shoulders sagged. Fischer had enough invested in the rail roads to force the rates to go whatever way he wanted.

“Can they really do it?”

Adam nodded grimly. “That and worse. They want to question the deeds from the Cherry Creek sections. Fischer’s men are questioning all the right of way deeds that were tampered with when Flanagan was governor.”

”But that whole section was recorded right. That is Ponderosa land legitimately. Pa owned that even before I was born. They have no claims…”

”They know that. Fischer knows the railroads don’t have a claim on any land that is part of the Ponderosa. But if they want to tie it up in the courts they can for years.”

”For years?” Joe looked at Adam. “How can they do this? They have no right!”

“They know that, Joe. We all know that. They can tie it up in the courts for years. We all will be ruined fighting this for years and never resolving it. Stoddard and Bruce…Dennis and Me… you… the Ponderosa might go under. Pa could loose everything he worked his whole life for, Joe. Pa will be ruined. All of us.”

Joe sucked in his breath and looked out of the window. “Pa will be ruined? Guess Jack has us caught between that famous rock and the hard place, big brother. Suppose I got no choice.” He chewed on his lip. The incident with Melissa propositioning him seem like absolutely nothing now.

”All of us, Joe, we have no choice.” Adam put his hand on his brother’s shoulder and pulled him around to face him. “We can’t let this happen to Pa, Joe. Not just over selling Fischer some lumber.”

“You sure? Get Levi Victor to look at all this. He’s a good lawyer.”

”He did already months ago. Joe, I didn’t even want to tell you… you have so much on your shoulders already. I had our attorneys working on this for weeks. Not just Levi. All of the Stoddard and Bruce legal staff. For months, Joe.”

“For months?” Joe was shocked. “This has been going on for months? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Adam had no good answer for that. He had thought he could easily straighten things out and no one would have to worry but him. He was dead wrong.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Joe shouted. “Stop acting like” Know –It- All Adam Cartwright” all the time! Do you think I am a stupid kid?”

”I’m sorry. I was wrong, Joe. I just thought..”

”You just thought? You didn’t think Adam. Or maybe you think too damn much!” Joe was right and Adam knew it. It was just one more round of the same old fight they had for years between the big brother and the little brother. Adam was still trying to take care of everyone but this time not succeeding.

“We have no choice.” Adam shook his head. Joe could see that his brother was done in and Adam had clearly tried every option before he gave up. Adam would never give up without trying everything he could. “The bottom line is we will lose everything. And Pa will lose the Ponderosa.”

Joe nodded.” The Ponderosa? Can’t let this happen to Pa. Not now.” Joe knew that it was selfish to let his own feelings about Adam taking control and Melissa’s flirtation get in the way. Joe just couldn’t help it. The more he thought about it though, Joe resolved to try harder to hide his own feelings about Fischer and do whatever needed to be done. Adam needed his support on this. They couldn’t let Pa loose the Ponderosa. It would kill him.

Joe took a deep breath. “What do we need to do?” he asked softly.

“All they want is that we sell them timber.” Adam answered.

”That’s all? Then we sell them the timber…we give them the damn timber for free if that is what it takes.” It was ridiculously like when Jack would hold him down on the schoolyard and poke at him and rub his face in the dust until he said “Uncle”. To Jack Fischer beating the Cartwrights and winning was more important that what the fight was or what the prize was.

”They have us over a barrel Joe…” Adam shook his head. He was worn out and disgusted. He never gave in to threats or crooks or black mail his entire life. Now he was. He turned and looked out of the window at the Enterprise office. “They threatened the Enterprise too. They won’t ship the newsprint…Jack said he would even force the advertisers to pull out. He said he would start his own newspaper and give free advertising and give the paper out free.”

“The Enterprise will fold!” Joe was shocked. Kate’s Aunt Mim and Uncle Foster had founded the Enterprise before he was born. Foster got killed protecting the paper’s right to expose the truth in the Cherry Creek Land scandals. “What did Kate ever do to him?” Joe couldn’t believe what Adam was saying.

“She’s a Cartwright. I have to tell her tonight when I go home. I wanted to talk to you and Pa first before I said anything to my wife. You are the first, Joe.” Adam rubbed his forehead with an ink stained hand.

Joe could only recall seeing his brother Adam so upset once before in his life and that was when Hoss was killed.

“Give it to him,” Joe whispered in a shaking voice. He stood behind Adam and rested his hand on Adam’s shoulder. His brother had tried to protect his family and do it all by himself, to logically figure it all out and had totally failed. Adam who had tried to always be honest and upright and in control had to put aside a life time of ethics and give in to a bully. Fischer had won. The Cartwrights had to say “Uncle”.

“Give it to him,” Joe repeated louder, his hand still resting on his brother’s weary shoulder.

Adam wasn’t sure what his brother meant. Did he want Adam to punch out Jack Fischer as Joe had in the past? Did Joe want him to fight in the courts and take a stand? “ What did you say, Joe? What do you want to do?”

“I said, we’ll give them the damn lumber, Adam.” Joe squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “We’ll give them what ever they want. Just tell them to leave Kate and your children and Meg and Eric alone. And Pa. Especially Pa. They better leave Pa and the Ponderosa out of this whole thing. He better leave them all alone. I’ll give Fischer whatever he wants. What ever he wants.”

Adam nodded fighting back his tears.

“Adam, we’ll make it through this.” Joe put a consoling arm around his exhausted brother.” You did the best you could.”

“Thanks, Joe,”