Summary: March is the month of St. Patrick’s Day. Use the from the songs “Oh, DANNY Boy” and “ELEANOR RIGBY” for your Original Characters who will interact with one or more Cartwrights. Don’t forget to throw in a bit o’ Irish Luck or Shenanigans as well.
Rating: G, Word Count: 3588
After reading the lyrics to Eleanor Rigby, this is the scene that came to me. It will likely get expanded a bit more.
Eleanor
With his business in Carson City complete, Joe ambled into the nearest saloon for a drink, It was early to be doing so, but he was heading for home, and a cold beer sounded good before hitting the dusty road. His boots echoed in the nearly empty saloon. A cowboy sat in the far corner sipping whiskey with his boots propped on the chair beside him. He nodded as Joe headed toward the bar.
“What can I get ya?” The burly barkeeper looked up from wiping a glass.
“Just a beer will do.” Joe pulled a coin from his jacket pocket and pushed it toward the man.
After receiving his drink, Joe turned and noticed a girl in a red and black dress staring out the front window. He set down his mug and swiped his gloved hand across his mouth. The barkeeper took note of the direction of Joe’s gaze.
“Eleanor.” When there was no response to his beckoning, the barkeeper, shouted. “Eleanor! Ya gotta customer. Git over here!”
Joe swiveled around.” It’s ok. I’ve really got to get going.
The man tugged on his vest and shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Two big gulps and Joe finished his drink. Turning for the door, he jumped when he found Eleanor standing behind him. He had not heard her approach the bar.
He tipped his hat and offered her a nervous smile. ”Morning, miss. Isn’t it kind o’ early for you to be working?”
The girl just pointed toward the stairs, her expression flat. Underneath the paint on her face, Joe thought there was a pretty young woman, too young in fact to be working in a saloon.
Accustomed to men’s prying eyes, she then voiced her question. “You comin’ upstairs, or not?” Eleanor’s voice had no emotion.
Joe felt a pinch in his gut. His heart went out to this girl.
“Uh, sure — Eleanor.”
With no intention of using her as she thought, Joe pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He motioned for Eleanor to lead the way.
The upstairs was quiet except for some snoring behind the closed doors. Eleanor opened the door at the end of the hallway. She walked in without acknowledging Joe’s presence and began removing her dress.
“Wait! No!” Joe reached out to stop her hands as she pulled down the straps of her shimmery dress.
She turned to face him. The straps of her dress were hanging on the sides of her arms revealing more cleavage than had previously been showing.
“You do want to f…”
He pressed a finger to her lips and shook his head. “Please! No! I just thought maybe we could talk.” Joe gently attempted to pull up the straps. His stomach churned. Eleanor’s vacant eyes frightened him.
He stayed as long as he could, and then pressed some money into Eleanor’s palm. He traced her cheek with his finger and left the room.
Three days later, he stood with his eyes fixed on a mound of fresh dirt. Joe mindlessly twisted his hat in his hands. The minutes dragged on until Hoss nudged his brother’s arm and whispered.
“Come on, Joe. This weren’t your fault and there ain’t no helpin’ her now.”
“What?” Joe’s head came around. “Yeah, I know. Just wish I could o’ done something for her. She was –”, the tears welled in his eyes, “such a pretty little gal. Delicate — and lonely — so lonely.” Joe’s chest rose and fell. “You deserved a better life.” He paused and a sob escaped his lips. “Eleanor.”
I used both Danny Boy and Eleanor Rigby
Eleven-year-old Hoss and seventeen-year-old Adam were in Virginia City helping their friend, Eleanor Rigby, with her shopping. Hoss and Adam helped Eleanor around the house since she was old and had a hard time getting around. Her husband had passed away two years before. She had a son Daniel, who lived back east. They had been close to the Irish woman and she had treated them like family.
“Boys, my Danny Boy is coming in a couple of days!”
“When will he be here?” Hoss asked.
“In a couple of days.”
“We’d best get this place looking in good shape,” Adam said.
“It looks good already. You’ve both done such a good job with helping me with the house.”
“Well, we still want it to look good,” Adam replied.
The boys cleaned out the spare room to get it ready for Danny.
The day came when Eleanor’s son arrived in Virginia City. Adam and Hoss drove the buggy to Virginia City.
“Oh, Danny Boy! Oh, it’s so good to see you,” Eleanor said as her son climbed out of the stagecoach.
“Ma, how are you?” Danny asked hugging his mother.
“Danny, I’d like you to meet two young men who’ve been very helpful to me. This is Adam and Hoss Cartwright. Boys, this is my son, Danny.”
“Danny, it’s good to meet you,” Adam said.
“Nice to meet you too. Thank you both for taking care of Mother.”
“It’s been our pleasure,” Hoss said.
They climbed in the buggy and headed to the Rigby home.
“So has my mother charmed the locals with her Irish stories?”
Hoss laughed.
“Yes. She got our youngest brother months ago. She told him that there were leprechauns around and if he found one he’d get three wishes. He was all over the Ponderosa and her land and didn’t find one. He still looks for them.”
Everyone laughed. Eleanor became serious.
“I heard the Banshee the other night.”
Danny looked at her.
“Mother, you’re being silly. She’s just a legend.”
“She’s not. She took your father.”
“Mother, we’ll talk about this when we get home.” Danny said.
A knock came at the door two days later. Adam opened the door and saw Danny.
“Danny, come in.”
“Thanks. I have some bad news.”
“What is it?”
“My mother passed away.”
“I’m sorry. Hoss will be sad.”
“I knew you were both close to her. I thank you for taking care of her and the house. I have something for you both
she made.”
He handed Adam a sampler that read “May your day be touched with a bit of Irish luck, Brightened by a song in
your heart, And warmed by smiles from the people you love.”
Hoss walked downstairs and saw Danny and Adam.
“Hi, Danny.”
“Hoss, Danny just told me Ms. Rigby died,” Adam said sadly handing him the sampler.
Tears filled Hoss’ eyes as he read it.
“Danny, I’m sorry. I loved your ma. She was a special woman. She was like a grandma to me.”
“That she was. She thought of you both as grandsons. I never married and had kids. I’m glad she had you both.”
“We’ll miss her shenanigans.” Adam laughed.
“So will I. Well, I’d best be going and plan the funeral. I hope your family will come,” Danny said and let.
Two days later, they buried Eleanor Rigby. Hoss held onto Adam trying not to cry but silent tears slid down his cheeks.
“We have good memories of her, Hoss,” Adam whispered.
Hoss looked at his older brother and smiled knowing they would always remember that Irish woman.
Oh, Danny Boy
The crowd in the pub on Saturday night was relaxed. For the first time in untold months, many men had enough money to buy a few pints without feeling guilty that they were depriving their families of necessities. The regular employment provided by the American who had arrived with a construction project and an unusual willingness to hire local labor at a fair wage had been a welcome surprise and a boon to the whole area. Although he was there to do a project for the hated English overlords, he was also helping them to take some of their money. With a grin, he had told them it was a two-edged sword and defied them to come up with a reason to say no. The English would get their buildings and the Irish workers wouldn’t sabotage them. They’d show them the Irish could do great work. However, he had warned them to save money too as the project would end and then they would have to find a way to continue the prosperity without the additional infusion of funds. Now that time had come.
“Adam, it be time ye learned some good Irish songs. Ye sing well, lad, but enough of those American songs and Frenchie melodies ye learned in yer travels.”
The night had gone by quickly with singing and good cheer. That is, it did until the last song that they sang of a young man who had gone to sea, and when he came home, his father had died. The son said goodbye to a grave. That hit Adam hard. He hadn’t ever truly believed such a thing could happen to him, but after so many years gone from home and actually losing contact because he had moved about so much, he knew it could be true. After spending quite a few years in Australia before sailing for South America, he ended up in Ireland after becoming reacquainted with several members of the English aristocracy who knew of his talents and guessed he wouldn’t mind living among the Irish for a year. Most English architects and engineers balked at that idea. Adam had accepted the commission easily because he was intrigued by the possibility of learning about a new land.
Throwing himself into the work, Adam had found time to write one letter to his family but had not heard back from them with no way of knowing if they had gotten his letter. He worried how his lack of correspondence might have affected his relationship with his family. That night in the pub, he decided what he had to do.
“Danny boy, you have been a good friend. You have taught me a lot, but there’s something I need to do. I’m going to go home when this project is completed.”
“What of Grainne? She won’t leave her father. He needs her.”
“I have a father too.”
——-
Months later, Ben walked from the house when he heard a carriage arrive and nearly fainted when he saw his eldest son climb down from the seat. Although he had gotten a letter telling him of his son’s decision to return, he had found it hard to believe especially as Adam had said he still had some business to conclude.
“Pa, this is Grainne, and this is . . .”
Before he could finish, the older man with him stepped from the carriage. “I kin speak for me-self. I’m Grainne’s da, and the stubborn girl dragged me from me warm home, she did, ta follow this arrogant lad. Come to America with us, she said.”
Ellie
The bustling town of Denver, Colorado made Adam long for home. Despite all the people and sources of entertainment, he realized he was restless and lonely. One more day of negotiations and he’d be headed home, back to the quiet life on the Ponderosa. Returning to his hotel Adam paused as passengers disembarked from a recently arrived stagecoach and filled the sidewalk in front of him. A lovely lady stepped down. The auburn curls, green eyes, and lilting Irish brogue made Adam stop in his tracks as she spoke to the stage driver. Stepping back to hide in an alcove, he scrutinized her, suddenly taken back to another time – six years earlier.
He’d become stranded in Dublin when an illness caused him to miss his ship to Liverpool. With nothing to do for a few days as he waited for the next ship to arrive, he kept company with the locals at a pub near his boarding house. A barmaid there befriended him, and he soon realized she was several years younger than himself but so full of life he didn’t care.
Ellie, as he called her, brought sunshine into his lonely life with her warm smiles, spirited songs, and tales of Irish lore. They spent the days strolling along the river banks and the evenings singing in the pub. The nights were filled with love.
After a few months, Adam decided to return home having been away for several years. He was torn and didn’t want to leave Ellie. He asked her to marry him and to travel with him but she couldn’t bring herself to leave her home. Sadly they parted, although their hearts begged otherwise.
The painful memories of that departure made Adam shiver. Drifting back to the present, he followed her to the same hotel where he was staying. A peak at the registry told him what he already knew. Her name was written in a familiar, delicate script – Eleanor Rigby. Upstairs, he quietly knocked on her door, his heart threatening to leap from his chest with each tap. His breath caught when her sweet face appeared in the doorway.
“Hello Ellie.”
A hand flew to her rosy lips, as her green eyes grew wide and misty.
“Adam? It canna be!”
“Ellie, I’m sorry….”
His words shocked her. She studied his handsome face, locking onto his tawny eyes which shined with love and hope.
“Adam. I was wrong…..”
That was all it took. Adam’s face lit up, and Ellie, her green eyes smiling, opened her door wider to let him enter. For the rest of the day and into the night two hearts reunited and their love was rekindled.
******
In Virginia City, Ben Cartwright strolled up to the stage coach after it pulled to a stop. He caught the swinging door as his eldest son stepped down. Their hands connected in a firm handshake.
“Adam, welcome home,” Ben released his son’s hand, “albeit a month late.”
Adam caught the admonition that was given along with a glint of humor in his father’s eyes. “Thanks Pa. And thanks for not complaining about my delay.”
Adam turned to assist a woman from the coach.
“Pa, may I present, Missus Eleanor Rigby Cartwright, my wife. Ellie, this is my father.”
A Friend in Need.
Ben put his coffee cup down, he could tell that his boys were fuming.
“Ok, what’s happened now?” he asked.
Joe spoke up first. “It’s that Eleanor Rigby Pa. she’s gone too far this time.”
“Why what’s she done?”
Joe came over and sat at the table. Ben began pouring him a cup of coffee.
“You remember last week she was complaining about dogs barking in town, well this week she is on about the amount of dirt left by horses. Pa she went as far as to go to Sheriff Coffee about our horses. The woman has just lost all reason.”
Ben nodded but didn’t speak. After a moment he got up from the table. Joe could guess where he was going.
“Pa you don’t have to go see her. For heaven sake, Sheriff Coffee didn’t take it seriously.”
“Tell Hop Sing I won’t be back for supper.”
~o~
It was a long ride to Virginia City but Ben could see that he was right to make the trip. A few onlookers chuckled away as they watched her. She was outside her shop with a spade in hand trying to scrape dirt up from the street.
“I see we have nothing better to do today,” Ben smiled over at them.
The onlookers immediately dispersed. No farmer wants to be called out for loitering with nothing to do. It’s a bad reflection on his homestead.
The lady herself looked up from her work.
“Oh I see you’ve come to say something, well let me tell you I told Sheriff coffee all about your boys, yes I did. It’s not the first time their horses have defecated on our streets. I’ve been watching.”
She bawled this out defensively and began backing away as Ben approached.
Ben stopped in his approach and looked around “You know you’re right. This town is a disgrace. The standards are just not the same, nobody cares anymore.”
She couldn’t look him in the eye, she suddenly felt ashamed. Her hair was a mess, her dress was all dust. To Ben she was as pretty as she always was. Gently he took the spade from her.
“He was a fool to leave,” Ben told her gently.
“Five years ago today,” she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes.
“I know.”
Ben took her hand. “Why don’t we go in the house and have some coffee.”
She gave a shaky nod of her head. He took his jacket off, wrapped it around her shoulders and began leading her back into her shop.
“Do you still sell that pumpkin pie you used to make?” he asked.
“I made a whole batch this afternoon, I reckon it may even still be warm. You could have it with cream.”
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
They talked long into the night. She cried some but they were good tears, honest tears for a love lost; tears that had to be shed so that she could move on. In the morning she cooked him up some breakfast. Ben gave her a warm hug and went on his way. Eleanor Rigby bid him goodbye with a lighter heart than she had felt in a long time. Sometimes all it takes is the words of a good friend.
Danny
As the ranch house came into view, Adam and Hoss paused their horses. They recognized Doc Martin’s horse and buggy next to the porch. Hoss glanced at Adam, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Hoss silently berated Paul’s timing. After his ordeal in the desert with that monster Kane, today Adam had finally begun to talk about it. Now, he feared his older brother would retreat into himself and brood. He knew Adam hated to show weakness in front of anyone, especially those outside the family. With a shake of his head, Adam led Sport the rest of the way home as Hoss and Chubb followed.
After caring for their horses, the two brothers walked into the house and were greeted by their father. Joe stood next to their company.
“Good to have you home early. Paul brought a visitor.”
Paul made the introductions. “This is Dr. Daniel O’Brien. Danny, these are Ben’s oldest sons.”
Hoss stepped forward immediately, introduced himself and shook the doctor’s hand.
Adam had a small crooked smile. Before he said anything, Danny extended his hand and spoke. “Ah, ‘tis good ta see you again, my friend.”
The two clasped hands, and to the surprise of the others in the room, Adam pulled Danny into a bear hug. “You’ve grown up!”
“You know each other?” Paul asked.
“We do. Adam saved my life in Boston.”
“Don’t exaggerate.”
“I’m not, and you know it.”
“Sounds like a good story. Would be even better ifn Hop Sing has some coffee.”
On cue, Hop Sing appeared with coffee and cookies. After everyone was served, they settled down to hear the story.
“I was orphaned when I was eleven and on the streets of Boston for the next year. Until the boy I ran around with picked the pocket of the wrong man. Even though I didn’t know what he was doing, the man chased us both. Because I was smaller, he caught up with me and broke the only thing I had left of my parents, my fiddle. I would play to earn a few pennies on the street. I got away from him, only to run smack into Adam.
“He believed me when I said I didn’t do anything except be in the company of the wrong boy. To make a long story short, he got me off the streets and into a private school. I worked weekends at Captain Stoddard’s shop. And eventually went to medical school. Since the war, I’ve been working with former prisoners of war, helping them readjust to freedom. We’re just beginning to learn about how terrible it was for them.
“When my superior received Paul’s request for aid with someone who had survived a similar ordeal, I asked to come. I hope to help that man, but I also wanted to talk to you, Adam. One of the survivors I’m working with is only 16. He joined two years ago to support his mother and spent the last nine months of the war in the hellhole called Carterson. He’s amazing with horses, training them by talking softly with them. He gentles them without breaking their spirits. I’d hoped you might know someone who’d be willing to hire him. He needs to work, and there’s none near his hometown.”
After many discussions, they arranged for the boy to come to the Ponderosa and work with Adam. He nurtured the boy’s talent, and together they both healed.
Through the years Danny and Adam corresponded and visited frequently. Adam and the boy, Heath, continued as friends after Heath Thomson became Heath Barkley.
