Summary:  The Cartwrights plan a visit to the Virginia City Fair.

Rating: G, Word Count: 1491

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The Fair

Virginia City was playing host to a fair with different activities and the Cartwright children were excited to go when their grandfather told them they’d be attending.

“We’ve never been to a fair before. What do they do there?” Mary asked.

“They have different booths to try and win prizes, women bring in preserves, quilts and other things to be judged and get a blue ribbon if they win, and there will be a hot air balloon!” Ben answered.

“A hot air balloon! I’ve never seen or been on one. Uncle Joe, will you go with me?” Jimmy asked excitedly.

Joe looked around at his father and brothers who were trying to smother their grins.

“No, Jim, I don’t think I will.” Joe laughed nervously.
“Why not?”

Joe heard snickers across the table.

“Rock-a-bye Joey way up high in the sky,” Hoss sang which made Adam and Ben burst out laughing.

Emma, Jimmy and Mary looked at them in confusion. Seeing their faces, Hoss explained the story about Joe falling asleep in the basket of the hot air balloon and Hoss letting the rope go and Joe yelling at his brother to let him down.
Mary, Emma and Jimmy laughed at the story.

“All right, Uncle Joe, you don’t have to go with me. At least just watch me,” Jimmy said.

“I will,” Joe promised.

Emma and Mary started talking about what they wanted to take while the men talked about the bulls that would be there.

The Cartwrights rolled into Virginia City two days later. After Ben parked the wagon, Jimmy hopped down from the wagon and jumped up and down in excitement. Joe got out and Jimmy grabbed his hand and they took off.

“There’s Anna!” Mary exclaimed seeing her friend.

Hoss helped her down from the wagon.

“Before you take off, Mary, you need to take your quilt to the quilting booth,” Emma said.

Hoss handed Mary her quilt.

“Good luck. I’m sure you’ll win,” Hoss said.

“Thanks, Uncle Hoss.”

Emma got her jar of preserves and the mother and daughter were off. Hoss, Adam and Ben went to look at the bulls.
Mary filled out the forms and handed in her quilt. She had been working on her quilt for a few months. Emma had helped her with it. It wasn’t big or heavy for winter but something light for summer. It was a patchwork quilt from different pieces of fabric Emma had given her. Mary enjoyed making it. After leaving the booth, she left to find Anna. She found Anna and her family by the food booth.

“Hello, Anna,” Mary said.

Anna turned around and smiled seeing her friend.

“Hello, Mary. It’s good to see you.”
Anna hugged Mary.

Annaliese, or Anna as she went by, and her family had moved to Virginia City from New York. Her parents had emigrated from Germany five years before. Mr. Schmidt wanted to see the west and decided to move his family to Virginia City. Mary had met Anna when she had moved in and went to school. They had become fast friends.

“Mama, may we go to the hot air balloon?” Anna asked.

“Yes, you may but be careful,” Mrs. Schmidt said.

Anna grabbed Mary’s hand and they ran to the hot air balloon.

They found Jimmy and Joe there waiting to get on.

“Hello, Mary and Anna. Are you going to ride with me?” Jimmy asked.

“Sure,” Mary said.

It was finally their turn and the three kids got on while Joe watched.

“Oh my it’s beautiful up here!” Mary said breathlessly.

“What if you could go all over the place like this? You could see so many places,” Anna said.

“This is how birds see everything,” Jimmy replied.

They were pointing out places and talking about how big it was until they were pulled down by a rope a few minutes later.

“Uncle Joe, it was amazing up there!” Jimmy said excitedly.

“I know it is. I’m glad you got to go up and see everything,” Joe said patting the boy’s shoulder.

“Let’s go find something to eat,” Jimmy said.

Joe laughed.

“All right. Would you ladies care to join us?”

“No thanks. We’re going to see what else is going on,” Mary said and the two girls ran off.

Hours later, the Cartwrights gathered together for the announcement of the winners of the preserves and the quilts.
They named the third and second place winners for the quilts and everyone waited in anticipation for the first-place winner.

“The winner for the quilts is Mary Cartwright!” the announcer said.

The Cartwrights cheered for Mary. She looked surprised and then excited. She shyly went up to get her blue ribbon and quilt. She came back down to her family where they shared hugs and congratulations. The next one up was Emma and her preserves. She also won the blue ribbon and was also given hugs and congratulations.

There were games going on and Jimmy participated and won when he caught the greased pig. He jumped up and down in excitement. Mary and Anna walked around the town after watching Jimmy and heard many of the older women talking about how the quilting and preserves contests were rigged because the two winners happened to be Cartwrights.

“Though I don’t know why Mary should be considered a Cartwright since she is adopted. Maybe they felt bad for her because she was adopted,” A woman said.

Mary looked over and saw the woman was Helen Mangum. Mary had known almost everyone in town and from what she had heard from her parents, Mrs. Mangum had spread lies about them before and after their marriage. The words stung though Mary knew it wasn’t true about the contest. She held the tears in as she and Anna walked to see Anna’s family.

“Anna, we have to go now. Mary, congratulations on winning. Tell your mother congratulations also,” Mrs. Schmidt said.

“Thank you, Mrs. Schmidt, I’ll pass the message along to my mother,” Mary replied.

Anna gave Mary a hug and left with her family.

Mary walked slowly to the wagon where her family would be. She let the tears fall down her face as she thought of Mrs. Mangum’s words. Though she had heard it from many people about her and Jimmy being adopted and not true Cartwrights the words still hurt. As she neared the wagon she wiped the tears away hoping nobody could tell she had been crying.

The family was in the wagon but Adam. He was leaning against the wagon waiting for her so he could help her in.

“What’s wrong, Mary?” Adam asked seeing Mary’s tear stained face.

“Nothing,” she replied.

“Will you tell us about it later?”

Mary nodded. Adam lifted her in the wagon, then jumped in and they went home.

Later that evening, Mary found her father and mother sitting on the porch looking up at the stars and holding hands.

“Ma? Pa?” Mary asked quietly.

They turned and looked at her.

“What’s wrong? You should be asleep,” Emma asked gently.

“It’s about today. I want to tell you about it,” Mary said.

“Come sit on my lap,” Adam said patting his lap.

Though Mary was too old to sit on her father’s lap, it was still comforting to be curled into her father. She felt safe and protected. Mary told them what she had overheard Helen say. After she was done she saw her mother’s lips tighten. Adam’s arms tightened around her as if to protect her from the words that had been said.

“Mary, you know that’s not true,” Emma said taking her daughter’s hand.

“I know, Ma, but it hurt. Especially since Anna was there.”

“I’m sure Anna will not think anything less of you,” Emma replied.

“Anna knows about my being adopted. I told her all about it. She had asked me about it when one of the kids asked why she wanted to be friends with an orphan. Anna said she didn’t care.”

“You’ve got a good friend. You don’t pay any mind to Mrs. Mangum. She is just the town gossip and will talk to anyone who will listen. The townspeople think you and Jimmy are good kids. And I agree with them,” Emma said.

“May I stay here for a while?” Mary asked.

“Of course,” Emma said.

She looked at Adam and he smiled at her. He kissed the top of Mary’s head and began rocking in the chair and sang a lullaby. Mary fell asleep and they continued rocking on the porch then Adam put Mary in her bed and tucked her in. Emma stood by Adam and wrapped an arm around him. He put an arm around her as they stood looking over her.

“I’m sure proud of her. She has the Cartwright spirit,” Emma whispered.

“That she does,” Adam whispered back.

They turned and went to bed.

 

 

Note from the Brandsters, this story was originally posted on the Bonanza TrailRiders website.  Brand is happy to offer this story a new home.