{"id":13955,"date":"2007-12-12T15:48:48","date_gmt":"2007-12-12T20:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13955"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:11:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:11:12","slug":"the-ghost-of-christmas-past-by-susan-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13955","title":{"rendered":"The Ghost of Christmas Past (by Susan G)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0 <\/strong>An innocent conversation from five years before leads to devastating consequences in the present.<\/p>\n

Word Count: \u00a013,000 \u00a0Rated: \u00a0T<\/p>\n

The Ghost of Christmas Past<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, it’s going to take us forever to get this tree decorated if you keep trying to find the perfect place for each ornament,\u201d Joe Cartwright chided his oldest brother. \u201cJust hang it anywhere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an art to decorating a tree,\u201d Adam replied as he continued to study the large Ponderosa pine in front of him. \u201cThe best ornaments should be in front, and there should be a balanced look.\u201d He frowned a bit, then took a step forward to place a red ball of glass on a low branch to his right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why you two always fuss about how the tree should look,\u201d grumbled Hoss Cartwright, the middle brother of the trio. \u201cYou know Hop Sing and Pa always move the ornaments around when we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and then Adam moves them again,\u201d Joe commented with a grin. \u201cSeems like every time I look at the Christmas tree, things are in a different place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, decorating a tree is an art,\u201d Adam said in a slightly haughty tone. \u201cAnd I am the artist in the family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just get this done,\u201d suggested Hoss. Holding two glass bulbs in his hand, Hoss took a step forward and hung the ornaments on the tree branch in front of him. Adam grimaced at his brother\u2019s haphazard placement of the decorations and quickly moved one of the ornaments to a lower branch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is right,\u201d Joe said as he also hung a decorated ball on a limb. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to do to get the house ready for Christmas. It\u2019s only a week away, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s only a week away,\u201d replied Adam, giving an exaggerated sigh. \u201cYou\u2019ve been telling us how many days it is until Christmas for almost a month. You act live you\u2019re 5 years old, instead of 25.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like Christmas,\u201d said Joe defensively. \u201cIt\u2019s the best time of year, what with all the parties and decorations and stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the food,\u201d added Hoss. \u201cDon\u2019t forget the food.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd pretty girls willing to be kissed under the mistletoe?\u201d Adam said, arching his eyebrows a bit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, that\u2019s a big plus,\u201d Joe admitted as an impish grin broke out on his face. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to add to their holiday spirit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet you are,\u201d observed Adam dryly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey Hoss,\u201d said Joe suddenly, \u201cwhat did you buy for Pa this year?\u201d He moved closer to the largest Cartwright brother. \u201cC\u2019mon, you can tell me. Pa\u2019s still in town picking up the mail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At that moment, the front door opened and Ben Cartwright walked into the warmth of the Ponderosa ranch house. His tan coat was dotted with specks of liquid, indicating the light snow that had begun earlier in the day was still falling. Placing a large bundle of envelopes on the bureau by the door, Ben began removing his hat and coat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToo late, little brother,\u201d Hoss told Joe in a low voice. \u201cYou\u2019re just going to have to wait.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, boys,\u201d Ben greeted his sons cheerfully as he hung his hat and coat on the pegs by the door. \u201cIs the tree done yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d replied Joe as he walked toward his father. \u201cDid you get the mail?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I did,\u201d Ben stated with a smile. \u201cAnd yes, there are some cards and letters for you.\u201d He picked up the stack of envelopes and began rifling through them. \u201cAnd for Adam and Hoss as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The half-decorated Christmas tree was forgotten as the three Cartwright brothers moved toward their father. Ben felt like a postmaster as he pulled each envelope from the bundle and handed it to the son to whom it was addressed. The house grew quiet as Adam, Hoss and Joe began opening envelopes and reading the notes each one contained. For a moment, Ben just stood and smiled indulgently at his sons, enjoying the look of pleasure on each of their faces as they read. Then he began opening the envelopes addressed to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is odd,\u201d said Joe with a puzzled look on his face. He held up a piece of paper and showed it to his father. \u201cThis is an invitation to a Christmas party at the Austins\u2019 place in Carson City on December 23<\/span>rd<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Austins?\u201d Ben said in surprise. \u201cI thought they moved to Denver last year?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey did,\u201d Joe confirmed. \u201cAnd look at the date for the party. It\u2019s on December 23<\/span>rd<\/span> but the date is five years go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you\u2019re a mite late for that party,\u201d commented Hoss with a laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard of mail getting delayed, but five years seems ridiculous,\u201d Adam added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frowning, Joe looked at the envelope in which the invitation had been enclosed. \u201cThere\u2019s no address or stamp on the envelope. It just says \u2018Joe Cartwright\u2019 on the front. And the paper inside it is yellowed, like it\u2019s been sitting around for awhile. Someone must have stuck this old invitation in an envelope and put it in the mail basket in town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would someone do that?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea,\u201d admitted Joe, shaking his head. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s suppose to be some kind of joke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if it\u2019s a joke, it\u2019s a pretty subtle one,\u201d Adam commented.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it is,\u201d agreed Joe. He stared the invitation in his hand for another moment and then shrugged. \u201cWhatever it is, it\u2019s not worth worrying about. Let\u2019s get back and finish the tree. We\u2019ve still got lots of Christmas decorations to get up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

The Virginia City Christmas Dance was one of the holiday festivities Joe looked forward to each year. Held annually on the Saturday before Christmas, the dance was a chance for everyone in the area to get together to exchange holiday greetings and celebrate the season before traveling to visit family or hosting guests for Christmas. People had been known to trek through snowstorms and frigid temperatures to attend the Christmas Dance. This year, however, the temperature was mild for December \u2013 a little above freezing — and the attendance at the Christmas Dance was expected to be large, especially since the day of the dance was four days before Christmas this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Joe entered the old warehouse that had been converted into a dance hall for the night, he wasn\u2019t surprised to see the floor was already crowded with people. Everyone he knew had been talking about coming to the Christmas Dance, and it appeared all of them \u2013 and more \u2013 had already arrived. While the hard-working people of the West didn\u2019t have fancy dress suits and silk ball gowns to wear, everyone had donned their best clothes. Men wearing jackets and suits brushed clean were mingling with women clad in brightly colored cloth dresses. Joe knew he looked good in his dark blue suit, crisp white shirt and string tie; he had spent over an hour in front of the mirror at home to insure he looked his best.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey did a nice job of sprucing up the place,\u201d commented Adam as he stood at Joe\u2019s right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking around the old warehouse, Joe had to agree with his brother. Strings of green garland were draped along the walls, interspersed with bright red ribbons. A large green wreath hung on the back wall behind the stage which had been constructed for the musicians. Lanterns were hung everywhere, illuminating the large building with their bright glow. Two small stoves near the stage gave off enough heat to take the chill out of the room, but the crush of bodies on the floor generated more than enough warmth to keep the warehouse comfortable. To the left were long tables covered by bright red cloth on which numerous punch bowls, cookies and cakes had been placed. To the right were rows of chairs \u2013 currently empty \u2013 for people to rest between dances. Joe noted that someone had thoughtfully hung sprigs of mistletoe high on the wall, mostly in the darker corners of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like pert near everyone in the county is here,\u201d Hoss observed from Joe\u2019s left.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have much trouble finding someone to dance with tonight, Joe,\u201d Adam agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo many girls, so little time,\u201d murmured Joe in reply.<\/span><\/p>\n

The musicians were still assembling on the makeshift stage, so people were socializing in the middle of the large floor. Once the music started, the crowd would separate \u2013 some moving to the side to watch and wait, others hurrying on to the floor to dance with their spouses or selected partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s John Harris,\u201d said Ben, pushing himself past his sons. \u201cI need to talk to him about sharing the winter feed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll go over and sample some of them goodies at the food table,\u201d Hoss announced, and he ambled toward the left of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see Mary Ann Wilson,\u201d Adam commented. \u201cI believe I\u2019ll wish her a Merry Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As his father and brothers disappeared into the crowd, Joe moved slowly around the edges of the floor. He was making note of who was in attendance, as well as compiling a mental list of dancing partners. So absorbed was he in planning his evening that Joe didn\u2019t notice the raven-haired girl in the green dress until she lightly grabbed his arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe Cartwright!\u201d exclaimed the girl. \u201cI\u2019ve been looking everywhere for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Beth,\u201d replied Joe, smiling with genuine pleasure. Beth Matthews had been high on his list of potential dancing partners. \u201cI\u2019m glad to know you missed me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I did miss you\u2026a little,\u201d Beth admitted with a twinkle in her eye. \u201cBut that\u2019s not why I was looking for you. Someone asked me to give this to you.\u201d She handed Joe a small white envelope.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d asked Joe as he opened the envelope. He pulled out a small newspaper clipping, and frowned as he read it. Joe turned the clipping over, making sure there was nothing on the back of interest, then looked up at Beth. \u201cWho gave this to you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust some fellow,\u201d Beth answered with a shrug. \u201cI didn\u2019t know him.\u201d Suddenly, the twinkle in her eye returned. \u201cHe said he was asking me to give it to you because I was the prettiest girl here, and he knew you\u2019d be dancing with the belle of the ball.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was right about that,\u201d Joe acknowledged gallantly. \u201cYou look lovely and I can\u2019t wait to dance with you.\u201d Joe\u2019s face sobered a bit as he added, \u201cThis fellow, what did he look like?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Knitting her brows, Beth thought a minute before answering. \u201cHe was about thirty, had dark hair, a little taller than you. Nothing special about him\u2026except\u2026\u201d Beth hesitated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcept what?\u201d Joe encouraged the girl.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it was his eyes,\u201d Beth answered slowly. \u201cThey were\u2026I don\u2019t know\u2026it\u2019s kind of hard to explain. There was no spark in his eyes, no life. It was like he looked at life with no joy.\u201d The raven-haired girl shook her head. \u201cI don\u2019t know. Maybe I\u2019m just imaging things. I only spoke to him for a minute.\u201d She gave Joe a curious look. \u201cCan I ask what was in the envelope?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wedding announcement,\u201d Joe told the girl. \u201cJust a small piece announcing the marriage of Susan Pennington to William Johnson in Carson City on Christmas\u2026Christmas four years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFour years ago!\u201d exclaimed Beth. \u201cDid you forget to send a wedding present?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would have sent a present,\u201d answered Joe with a smile. \u201cBut I have no idea who these people are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know them?\u201d asked Beth skeptically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNever heard of them,\u201d Joe reiterated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth would someone send you a four-year-old wedding announcement for two people you don\u2019t know?\u201d Beth inquired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea,\u201d Joe replied. He slipped the clipping back into the envelope, and then stuck the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket. \u201cMaybe this fellow had the wrong Joe Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more than one Joe Cartwright in the world? Oh, my! I\u2019m not sure the girls of Virginia City will be able to stand the thought of that,\u201d Beth teased.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re lucky; you have the best one standing next to you,\u201d Joe said in a self-mocking tone. He heard the sound of music swelling in the background. \u201cMay I have the honor of this dance?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may,\u201d agreed Beth, taking Joe\u2019s hand. \u201cYou\u2019ll do until that other Joe Cartwright shows up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

It was almost midnight before the Christmas Dance began winding down and people started drifting toward the door. Joe was standing near the food table, refreshing himself with the last of the sweet liquid from a punch bowl. He had enjoyed himself during the evening, dancing several times with Beth Matthews and squiring a number of other girls around the floor. He had even managed to steal a kiss or two underneath the mistletoe. But the pleasure of the dance had been a bit damped for Joe by the envelope Beth had given him. He had found himself watching the men around him from time to time, trying to spot a stranger with cold eyes. Periodically, the thought of wedding notice as well as the party invitation crossed Joe\u2019s mind, and he wondered why he had been sent these old announcements.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you ready to go home?\u201d Hoss asked as he threw his arm around his brother\u2019s shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I am,\u201d Joe admitted. He drank the remainder of the punch in his glass, then set the tumbler on the table. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet you\u2019re tuckered out,\u201d Hoss said, grinning. \u201cEvery time I looked, you were out there dancing. And with a different girl each time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, I was just trying to spread the Christmas cheer,\u201d Joe told his brother solemnly. \u201cI wanted to make sure all the girls in Virginia City have some happy Christmas memories.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll have some memories,\u201d Hoss agreed. \u201cWhether they\u2019ll be happy or not depends on how them fillies liked being replaced by another gal for the next dance.\u201d He looked up and saw Ben and Adam standing near the door of the warehouse. \u201cLet\u2019s go; Pa and Adam are waiting for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As he strolled toward the entrance with Hoss, Joe\u2019s mind turned again to the envelope Beth had given him. He wondered briefly if he should tell his father and brothers about the wedding announcement, but quickly decided against it. Joe knew they wouldn\u2019t understand why someone had sent it to him any more than he did, and showing the old clipping to them would be pointless. Besides, it wasn\u2019t like the messages had a threatening tone. For some unknown reason, he was being reminded of events from Christmases in the past. Whoever was sending the notices must have thought Joe would understand why, but the fact was, he had no idea what the old announcements meant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you fellows have a good time?\u201d Ben asked with a smile as Joe and Hoss approached him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great party,\u201d Hoss answered enthusiastically. \u201cThem cakes were the best I\u2019ve ever eaten.\u201d Joe merely smiled and nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stretching his arms a bit, Adam yawned. \u201cLet\u2019s get our coats and go,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m tired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The four men headed toward a small room off to the side of the entrance. Once an office, the room had been converted into coat closet, with pegs on the wall and a number of coat racks on which people could hang their capes, heavy jackets and other outer garments. Adam walked to a rack in the far left corner and began pulling coats off, handing a tan jacket to his father and brown coat to Hoss. He stopped suddenly, though, and looked around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, you hung your coat on the same rack as ours, didn\u2019t you?\u201d asked Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I hung my coat right next to yours,\u201d Joe answered, taking a few steps toward his oldest brother. \u201cWhy? Isn\u2019t it there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see it,\u201d Adam said, as he began pushing through the garments on the rack.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt probably just fell down,\u201d suggested Ben as he came over to where Adam was standing. \u201cLook on the floor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe someone picked it up and put it someplace else,\u201d offered Hoss as he began checking the coats on the pegs to his right. \u201cIt ain\u2019t likely someone would take that old blue coat of yours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The four men searched through the garments in the room for several minutes, looking for Joe\u2019s heavy blue coat without success. \u201cIt\u2019s not here,\u201d Joe declared finally in an irritated voice. \u201cWhy would someone want to steal my coat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure no one stole your coat,\u201d said Ben in a placating tone. \u201cSomeone probably just picked it up by mistake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, mistake or not, it\u2019s gone,\u201d grumbled Joe. \u201cNow I\u2019m going to have to ride home without a coat. I\u2019ll probably freeze to death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLittle brother, you ain\u2019t going to freeze to death,\u201d Hoss advised reasonably. \u201cFor one thing, it ain\u2019t that cold tonight. And for another, a man has to ride a whole lot longer than it takes to reach the Ponderosa to get frozen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d countered Joe, sounding skeptical. \u201cWell, you just keep saying that when you have to thaw me out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, if you think you\u2019re going to freeze, you can wear my coat,\u201d offered Ben. A small smile crossed his face as he added, \u201cI guess your father is a lot tougher than you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s all right, Pa,\u201d Joe answered quickly. He squared his shoulders and assumed a martyred look. \u201cI can ride home without my coat. It doesn\u2019t matter how cold I get. I\u2019m a Cartwright, and we Cartwrights know how to endure through the worst suffering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, brother,\u201d muttered Adam, rolling his eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the least we can do is go get your horse for you,\u201d Ben said quickly, forestalling any more dramatics from his youngest son. \u201cWe\u2019ll go over to the livery stable and bring your hose back here. You just wait and stay warm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Ben walked out of the converted cloak room with Adam and Hoss, Joe took another look around, searching in vain for the missing coat. Finally, he just stood in the middle of the room and shook his head. \u201cThere are a lot of strange things going on,\u201d Joe muttered, looking perplexed.<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

As he raised his head from his pillow, Joe peered toward the window with eyes still half closed with sleep. The pale light of a winter morning was visible through the glass, so Joe knew the time must be after 8 am. The sun didn\u2019t rise until almost 8 in Nevada this time of year. Normally, Joe\u2019s still being in bed so late in the morning would have been cause for loud raps on the door and shouts for him to get up. But Ben had told his sons to sleep in this morning. The dance and the late hour at which they had gotten home had made them all tired. Ben and the boys had made sure the horses had plenty of hay and water in their stalls when the animals were stabled in the barn last night, so having to wait a bit to get their morning feed wouldn\u2019t hurt the horses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throwing back the covers, Joe sat up in bed and stretched his arms, then reluctantly climbed from the soft mattress to the floor. The feel of the cool wood on his feet reminded Joe of his chilly ride home last night. As Hoss had predicted, Joe hadn\u2019t frozen to death, but the ride was still uncomfortable. He had kept his horse moving at a brisk walk the whole time, trying to shorten the time it took to reach the Ponderosa ranch house. Nevertheless, he had felt like an icicle by the time he had reached the yard in front of the house. Remembering the cold ride home, Joe once more silently cursed whoever had taken his coat.<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take Joe long to wash, shave and dress, and he emerged from the bedroom less that twenty minutes after he had awakened. As Joe started down the stairs, he wasn\u2019t surprised to see his father and brothers were already seated at the dining room table eating breakfast. Their idea of \u201csleeping in\u201d was a whole lot different than Joe\u2019s. He guessed that they had been up for an hour or more and he hoped they had finished the morning chores by now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, look who\u2019s finally out of bed,\u201d called Hoss as he saw Joe descending the stairs. \u201cWe figured you might not show up until noon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The retort Joe was going to throw back at his brother died on his lips as Joe reached the bottom of the stairs. From the corner of his eye, he saw something blue hanging on the pegs by the door which held the Cartwrights\u2019 coats and hats. Joe turned his head and stared at the coats by the door, then slowly turned to face his father and brothers. \u201cMy coat is here. Where did it come from?\u201d asked Joe in astonished voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour coat is here?\u201d repeated Ben with surprise from his seat at the end of the table. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know my coat, Pa,\u201d Joe replied with a touch of sarcasm. \u201cIt\u2019s hanging right there by the door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe heard the scraping of chairs behind him as he walked toward the front of the house where the coats were hanging. He wasn\u2019t surprised to see Ben, Adam and Hoss crowding around him as he pulled the cloth coat from the peg and looked it over. \u201cIt\u2019s mine, all right,\u201d Joe declared. He looked at his father and brothers with a puzzled expression. \u201cHow did it get here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing!\u201d Ben shouted in a loud voice. \u201cHop Sing! Will you come in here, please.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It took only a minute for the Cartwright\u2019s Chinese cook to coming padding into the room. \u201cWhat you want?\u201d asked Hop Sing in an irritated voice. \u201cHop Sing busy. Have no time for foolishness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing, do you know how Joe\u2019s coat got here?\u201d Ben asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing find coat on porch this morning,\u201d the cook answered, his irritation not abated. \u201cIt good coat. Youngest son just leave by door. Not deserve warm coat if not take care of it.\u201d Hop Sing turned his fiercest look on Joe, then sniffed and walked out of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever took the coat must have brought it back early this morning,\u201d Ben suggested after the cook had left.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut why just leave it on the porch like that?\u201d asked Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, perhaps whoever took it was embarrassed,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cThey probably didn\u2019t want to have to admit their mistake, or have to apologize.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Joe said doubtfully. As he turned to hand the coat back on the peg by the door, Joe noticed a bit of white paper sticking out of one of its pockets. When he pulled the paper out, Joe somehow wasn\u2019t surprised to see it was another envelope. He opened it quickly and looked at the contents.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s another newspaper clipping!\u201d Joe exclaimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother?\u201d asked Adam, looking a bit puzzled. \u201cYou mean you got some other clippings?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast night at the dance, Beth Matthews gave me an envelope with a clipping in it,\u201d Joe explained. \u201cShe said someone had given her the envelope to give to me. She didn\u2019t know who the man was. The clipping was an announcement of a marriage between two people I didn\u2019t know. The marriage happened on Christmas four years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this one about, little brother?\u201d Hoss inquired curiously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe looked at the slightly faded paper carefully before answering. \u201cIt\u2019s dated about a year ago.\u201d He scanned the article quickly. \u201cListen to this,\u201d he said and then read the clipping aloud:<\/span><\/p>\n

Embezzler Released from Prison<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Edwin Frye, who was convicted of embezzling almost $8,000 from the Carson City Merchants Bank, will be released from prison on Christmas day. Readers will recall Frye was sentenced to three years in prison when an audit of the bank\u2019s book uncovered Frye had stolen money over a six month period by issuing false loans and taking the money for himself. Frye, who was the assistant manager of the bank at the time of his arrest, admitted the theft and made full restitution. He has served thirty-three months of his sentence and is being released early as part of the governor\u2019s Christmas pardon for prisoners who have shown good behavior. It is not known whether Mr. Frye plans to return to Carson City after his release.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know this Edwin Frye?\u201d Ben asked his youngest son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d answered Joe, shaking his head. \u201cI never heard of him until now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Hop Sing walked back into the room, annoyance evident on his face. \u201cFamily come eat,\u201d the cook scolded the four men. \u201cFood get cold while family stand around and yak-yak. Hop Sing cook good breakfast. You eat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right,\u201d Ben agreed in a voice obviously meant to mollify the cook. He turned to his sons. \u201cHop Sing is right. Our breakfast is getting cold. We can talk about this while we\u2019re eating.\u201d He walked back toward the dining room, followed by Hoss and Adam. Joe took a moment to read the article again, then put the envelope and clipping on the bureau by the door. Shrugging a bit, he headed to the dining room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Standing near the table with his arms crossed, Hop Sing watched with a scowl on his face until all four men sat down and began filling their plates with food from the serving platters. When he was satisfied the Cartwrights were bowing to his insistence that they eat breakfast, the cook gave a quick nod and padded back to his kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis series of messages you\u2019re getting, Joe \u2013 it\u2019s all rather mysterious,\u201d said Ben after taking a sip of coffee from his cup. \u201cDo you have any idea who is sending them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d replied Joe, shaking his head. \u201cAnd I have no idea what they mean. The only connection I can see is that they are all about something at happened at Christmas over the past couple of years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho got hitched?\u201d asked Hoss between mouthfuls of eggs. \u201cI mean, in that clipping you got last night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Having read the article several times in an attempt to figure out its meaning, Joe was easily able to name the couple whose wedding had been announced. \u201cSusan Pennington married William Johnson,\u201d Joe answered his brother. \u201cI\u2019ve wracked my brain but I can\u2019t place either one of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me that this is all somehow connected with that Christmas party at the Austin\u2019s five years ago,\u201d Adam said, looking thoughtful. \u201cThe invitation to the party was the first message you got. You went to that party, didn\u2019t you, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I did,\u201d Joe confirmed. \u201cI never received a formal invitation or anything, though. I was delivering that pair of matched carriage ponies Mr. Austin bought from us as a Christmas present for his wife. Mr. Austin told me about the party that night and invited me to come. I was planning to stay in Carson City until the next morning anyway, so I decided I might as well go to the party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you meet any of these people \u2013 Susan Pennington, William Johnson or Edwin Frye \u2013 at the Austin\u2019s party?\u201d Ben asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s possible,\u201d admitted Joe, \u201cbut if I did, I don\u2019t remember them. It was a big party and I got introduced to a whole lot of people that night. I don\u2019t remember who most of them were.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid anything unusual happen at the party?\u201d Adam asked. \u201cSomething that might have made someone angry with you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, that was five years ago!\u201d replied Joe in an exasperated voice. \u201cI barely remember the party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink about it,\u201d Adam urged his brother. \u201cSomething must have happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Knitting his brows, Joe tried to remember the Austins\u2019 Christmas party. He recalled the large house on the edge of Carson City decorated both inside and out for the holidays. Inside the house, a large room had been filled with people. A single violinist provided the music, and there had been a little dancing. Mostly, though, people simply chatted with each other, exchanging news, gossip and opinions. Joe had found it to be a rather dull gathering. The mental picture of a small room \u2013 quiet, empty, dimly lit from a single fireplace \u2013 flashed across Joe\u2019s mind, but in an instant the picture vanished.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Joe finally, shaking his head. \u201cI can\u2019t remember anything unusual about the party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Adam pressed his brother. \u201cYou didn\u2019t dance with some girl whose regular beau objected? Or have an argument with someone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d repeated Joe, shaking his head again. \u201cMost of the people there were friends of Mr. and Mrs. Austin. There weren\u2019t too many people my age at the party. I only danced a couple of times, and I think most of the dances were with Mabel, the Austin\u2019s daughter.\u201d Once more, the image of a small room flickered in Joe\u2019s mind, this time with the vague shadow of someone sitting in a corner. But as before, the image disappeared as quickly as it had come. \u201cI remember talking to some people, but as I recall, it was mostly about ranching and horses. The Austins organized some games later in the evening, but I didn\u2019t join in. I watched for awhile, then kind of wandering around. There was a late supper. I ate, said my good-byes and left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to me if someone got mad at Joe at that party, they wouldn\u2019t wait five years to tell him about it,\u201d observed Hoss. \u201cAnd they\u2019d sure make it a lot plainer to Joe what they were mad about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re probably right,\u201d Adam admitted with a sigh. \u201cI just think there\u2019s some meaning behind all these messages. Someone is trying to tell Joe something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find out what this is all about in due time,\u201d said Ben. \u201cIn the meantime, there are chores to be done, so finish your breakfast. Time to get to work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s Sunday, and only a few days until Christmas,\u201d Joe complained. \u201cI thought we\u2019d be kind of loafing for the next few days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s Sunday and only a few days until Christmas,\u201d replied Ben in a stern voice. \u201cBut unfortunately the stock doesn\u2019t know that, and neither does Hop Sing\u2019s empty wood box. You can do all the loafing you want after the horses and barn are properly taken care of, the wood box is filled, and you boys have made sure the herd in the south pasture hasn\u2019t wandered off toward the North Pole.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d said Joe glumly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever,\u201d Ben continued, his face breaking into a smile. \u201cTomorrow I want you three to go to Virginia City to pick up some things Hop Sing needs as well as to get the mail and some extra cash. I wouldn\u2019t mind if you boys took your time about doing these errands in town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHot diggety!\u201d exclaimed Hoss. \u201cI think that\u2019s a great idea, Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you can count on us to take as much time as necessary in Virginia City to make sure everything is done properly,” added Adam. He tried to sound solemn but the twinkle in his eye and the smile tugging at his face belied his serious tone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it could take hours and hours,\u201d Joe agreed, trying to match his oldest brother\u2019s serious demeanor. But Joe\u2019s natural enthusiasm couldn\u2019t be contained, and his face broke into a wide grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I want you boys to be sure to be home in time for supper,\u201d cautioned Ben. \u201cI don\u2019t want Hop Sing to be upset. If you don\u2019t show up in time to eat the food he\u2019s cooked, you\u2019re liable to get cold soup and stale bread for Christmas dinner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa, we\u2019ll be there,\u201d Joe assured his father. He turned to face Adam and Hoss. \u201cI\u2019ve got dibs on picking up the mail tomorrow. I want to see if there are any more strange messages. And I want to try to find out who\u2019s sending them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck with that, Joe,\u201d said Adam dryly. \u201cWhoever is sending the messages is deliberately trying to make sure you don\u2019t see him. I\u2019m not sure you can catch a ghost.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

With a bundle of envelopes in his hand and a discouraged look on his face, Joe trudged down the main street of Virginia City toward the general store. Adam\u2019s prediction had proven all too accurate. After spending almost an hour asking questions of various people in town, Joe was no closer to finding who had been sending the strange messages than he had been at the breakfast table the day before.<\/span><\/p>\n

The weather was unseasonable mild \u2013 so warm, in fact, that Joe was wearing only his light green jacket \u2013 so he didn\u2019t mind traipsing all over town. What bothered Joe was that all of his questions had yielded no answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he had picked up the mail, Joe had leafed through the envelopes carefully. But the only mail addressed to him had been a few cards with familiar return addresses. Joe had opened his mail right there in the post office, just to be sure, but the envelopes contained nothing but traditional Christmas greetings from friends. He had asked Tom, the postmaster, about the envelope his father had picked up a few days before \u2013 the one with only his name on the outside \u2013 but wasn\u2019t surprised when Tom remembered neither the envelope nor who had put it in the mail basket. This time of year the postmaster was extremely busy sorting all the Christmas greetings both coming and going from Virginia City. One somewhat oddly addressed envelope wouldn\u2019t stick in the man\u2019s mind. Joe doubted he had done anything more than glance at it before placing it in the box reserved for the Cartwright\u2019s mail.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without much hope of success, Joe had spent the rest of his time questioning people about a stranger with cold eyes who might have been asking questions about him. He talked with Sheriff Roy Coffee, the clerk at the hotel, and the bartender at the Silver Dollar Saloon. No one had any recollection of a stranger asking questions about Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he neared the general store, Joe saw Hoss carrying a box from the store toward the buckboard parked in front of the building. He slowed his step a bit, as a small smile tugged at his face. There was no sense arriving at the store until he was sure Hoss had all the heavy items loaded into the wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss, however, spotted his brother coming down the street. \u201cHey, Joe!\u201d Hoss called. \u201cWhere\u2019ve you been? I thought you were just going to pick up the mail?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did pick up the mail,\u201d Joe replied, showing his largest brother the bundle of envelopes in his hand. \u201cI also spent the last hour trying to find out who\u2019s been sending me those clippings and things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAny luck?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Joe admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s like Adam said. Whoever is sending those messages has made himself invisible. No one knows anything.\u201d Joe looked around. \u201cWhere is our resident scholar anyway?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe went over to the bank to get that cash Pa wanted, and then was going down to the Wells Fargo office,\u201d answered Hoss. \u201cHe said he wanted to see if any packages came in.\u201d A wide grin spread across Hoss\u2019 face. \u201cOf course, he also probably wanted to spend some time chatting with that little gal Mary Ann who works there. I saw him dancing with her a lot the other night. He said he\u2019d meet us over at the Silver Dollar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s get the supplies loaded and then head over to the Silver Dollar for some Christmas cheer,\u201d Joe suggested as he put the envelopes into a box of supplies in the back of the buckboard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI done finished loading the supplies, as if you didn\u2019t know,\u201d retorted Hoss with a scowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou did?\u201d Joe made his face look as innocent as possible. Gee, I\u2019m sorry, Hoss. I would have helped you but I just got busy asking questions around town. I didn\u2019t realize it would take so long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019ll bet,\u201d Hoss said, his voice full of disbelief. Then he relented and smiled. \u201cC\u2019mon, I\u2019ll buy you a Christmas beer, little brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then I\u2019ll buy you one,\u201d Joe countered with a grin. \u201cAnd we\u2019ll get older brother to buy us both a beer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two brothers started walking down the street, but Joe stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned to see a boy about 10 years old running toward him, shouting his name.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Tommy, what\u2019s all the ruckus?\u201d asked Joe when the boy skidded to a stop in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome man needs to see you, Joe,\u201d replied Tommy in a rush of words. \u201cHe gave me two bits to find you for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat man?\u201d Joe asked the boy. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. He just said I had to find you right away,\u201d Tommy answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, little fellow, take a deep breath and start from the beginning,\u201d Hoss advised. \u201cYou ain\u2019t making a lot of sense here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nodding, the boy followed Hoss\u2019 instructions and took a deep breath. Then he turned to Joe. \u201cThis man stopped me on the street and asked me if I knew Joe Cartwright. When I said yes, he gave me two bits to find you and tell you he needed to see you right away. He said he\u2019d meet you at that building where they held the Christmas dance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid he say why he needed to see me?\u201d Joe asked with a puzzled expression on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tommy\u2019s face puckered as he thought hard about what the man had told him. \u201cHe said it was about something he had lost and he needed you to help him find it,\u201d replied Tommy slowly. He looked up at Joe with a confused expression on his face. \u201cAt least, I think that\u2019s what he said. Maybe it was about something you lost. I don\u2019t remember for sure. But he said it was real important that I find you and tell you to meet him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho was the fellow, button?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Tommy admitted. \u201cI ain\u2019t never seen him before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he look like?\u201d Joe asked the boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biting his lip a bit, Tommy thought a minute and then shrugged. \u201cJust some man. There wasn\u2019t anything special about him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Tommy, thanks for delivering the message,\u201d Joe said as he reached in the pocket of his jacket. \u201cHere\u2019s another two bits for your trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Grinning, Tommy snatched the quarter from Joe\u2019s hand and ran off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think that\u2019s all about?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d admitted Joe. \u201cMaybe it has something to do with my coat being missing after the dance. I didn\u2019t check the pockets after I took out that envelope. Maybe this fellow took the coat and left something in it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d he want to meet you at the warehouse, then?\u201d Hoss said, sounding doubtful. \u201cYou\u2019d think he\u2019d come looking for you himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be this fellow is looking for something he lost at the dance, and he\u2019s searching the warehouse too,\u201d Joe replied. He slapped Hoss on the back. \u201cLook, you go over to the Silver Dollar and get us some beers. I\u2019ll go down to the warehouse and find out what this is all about, and then meet you at the saloon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to go with you?\u201d Hoss asked. \u201cMaybe this is the fellow who\u2019s been sending you all those strange letters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf it is, I want to meet him and find out what this is all about,\u201d Joe said in a determined voice. Then he smiled. \u201cI can handle this, Hoss; don\u2019t worry. Go get a beer. I\u2019ll see you later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Hoss agreed a bit grudgingly. \u201cBut if it looks like trouble, you skedaddle out of there, you hear. I got a feeling that this guy ain\u2019t someone who just wants to wish you Merry Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking around cautiously, Joe entered the old warehouse. The decorations from the dance still hung on the walls, but they no longer looked festive and bright. The garland appeared wilted, and the floor with littered with the dried pine needles which had fallen from the roping. The large wreath, also looking a bit withered, had been taken down and propped against at the front of the stage. Without the bright cloths that had covered them, the long tables were merely dark pieces of wood shoved against the wall. The lanterns were no longer lit, and the only illumination was from the weak winter sunlight streaming through the small windows high on the walls. The empty floor seemed cavernous in the dim light.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello?\u201d Joe called, looking around. \u201cIs anyone here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright?\u201d The voice echoed a bit from Joe\u2019s right. Joe spun around and saw a figure emerging from the shadows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize if I startled you,\u201d said a man with dark hair. He walked up to Joe and offered his hand. \u201cThank you for coming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Joe replied, shaking the man\u2019s hand briefly. \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, perhaps an introduction is in order,\u201d stated the stranger. \u201cMy name is Edwin Frye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For a moment, Joe said nothing but rather studied the man standing in front of him. Wearing brown pants, a cream-colored shirt and string tie, Frye looked like a clerk or shopkeeper. Joe noted he wasn\u2019t wearing a gun. Frye had a long thin face, and while not ugly, no one would have called him handsome \u2013 ordinary was the word that best described his features. But it was the man\u2019s eyes that drew Joe\u2019s attention. As Beth had described, Frye\u2019s eyes seem cold and hard, showing no emotion. They seemed to suggest a man who felt nothing, who cared about nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes my name mean anything to you?\u201d Frye asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t until yesterday, when I read it in the article you sent me,\u201d admitted Joe. He cocked his head a bit. \u201cYou are the one who sent me the invitation and those clippings, aren\u2019t you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little subterfuge on my part, I admit,\u201d acknowledged Frye. \u201cI believe a man should be aware of the consequences of his actions. I thought those messages might help you understand the chain of events you set in motion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to be so mysterious about it,\u201d Joe advised. \u201cYou could have just sent me a letter or something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA letter might have been ignored, and it certainly wouldn\u2019t have had the impact,\u201d replied Frye.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, taking my coat certainly made an impact,\u201d Joe said dryly. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like a cold ride home to get someone\u2019s attention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little suffering is good for a man\u2019s soul,\u201d commented Frye. He shrugged a bit and then added, \u201cI wanted to make sure you read the clipping. You might have not seen it if I had merely slipped it into your coat pocket. I knew you\u2019d check the coat once I returned it, and would find the envelope. It was important that you realize all the consequences of what you did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Joe said frankly. \u201cNone of this means anything to me. What\u2019s this all about?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than answering, Frye looked around. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we sit down over here, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d suggested the dark-haired man, pointing to the chairs still lining the far wall. \u201cWe have a lot to talk about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Frye moved toward the chairs, Joe hesitated. There was something about the man that made him feel uneasy, yet Joe was curious about what was behind the strange messages. Finally, Joe decided there was no harm in listening to what the man had to say. He walked over to a chair near where Frye was sitting, laying his hand reassuringly on the pistol strapped to his hip as he moved forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this all about?\u201d Joe repeated. \u201cI remember going to the Christmas party at the Austins five years ago, but the newspaper clippings made no sense to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was at that party that you destroyed my life,\u201d Frye replied in an even voice. \u201cThat was the night you convinced Susan Pennington not to marry me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In an instant, the image that had been a vague memory for Joe the day before became a clear picture. He remembered now. Bored by watching the games at the party, Joe had wandered around the Austins\u2019 house. He had entered a small room \u2013 a study or library, perhaps \u2013 down the hall from the large room in which the guests were being entertained. The room had been dimly lit, with only the light from a small blaze in the fireplace providing any illumination. At first, Joe thought the room was empty, but then he heard the sound of crying. He had seen a girl sitting on a chair in the far corner of the room with her face in her hands. Joe approached her, offering help and comfort. The two had talked for awhile, and then the girl had left. Joe never saw her again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI talked with a girl at the party,\u201d Joe acknowledged. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t try to convince her of anything. She was just looking for a shoulder to cry on, and I offered her mine. I never even knew her name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not entirely true, is it,\u201d countered Frye. \u201cSusan told me she had a conversation with a young man at the Austins\u2019 party, and because of that conversation, she was convinced she could never be happy being married to me. She broke our engagement two days later, on Christmas day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I had nothing to do with that,\u201d Joe argued. \u201cShe told me she was upset because her fianc\u00e9e hadn\u2019t shown up at the party like he promised, and that she was tired of being ignored and taken for granted. I remember she said something about not being sure she was going to have the kind of life she wanted after she was married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s when you advised her not to marry me,\u201d said Frye with a touch of bitterness in his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe thought a moment before answering. \u201cI don\u2019t remember exactly what I said,\u201d he admitted. \u201cBut the gist of it was that I told her she should think long and hard about getting married if she wasn\u2019t sure she would be happy with the man. I never told her not to marry you. I just suggested she make sure she was making the right decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have something more than that,\u201d insisted Frye. \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t have broken our engagement otherwise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that was it,\u201d Joe answered, shaking his head. \u201cMaybe she talked to someone else, and he was the one that convinced her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was you,\u201d Frye said with conviction. \u201cI spoke with Mabel Austin after Susan broke our engagement. Mabel told me she saw you and Susan talking in the study that night, but didn\u2019t want to interrupt what seemed like a serious discussion. Mabel also told me that Susan left the party immediately after she came out of the study.\u201d The dark haired man abruptly stood and began pacing. \u201cWhat you said isn\u2019t as important as the consequences of your discussion with Susan,\u201d Frye emphasized in an agitated voice. \u201cAfter talking with you, Susan returned my ring and told me she couldn\u2019t marry me. I thought the only way to win her back was to become rich, to offer her a fine life. So I started taking money from the bank, but I was caught.\u201d Frye stopped and turned to face Joe, scowling as he looked at the youngest Cartwright. \u201cBecause of you, Susan broke our engagement and, within a year, married another man. Because of you, I ended up in prison.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying that all it took was a twenty minute conversation with me for Susan to decide not to marry you?\u201d commented Joe in a dry voice. \u201cAnd that all it was going to take to get her to change her mind was for you to flash some money at her? You must think this girl is pretty shallow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, she isn\u2019t,\u201d Frye replied disdainfully. \u201cSusan is beautiful, sweet, and intelligent. She would have been the perfect wife for me.\u201d The scowl returned to Frye\u2019s face as he added in a low voice, \u201cShe would have married me, but you destroyed her love for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Frye talked, more and more of the conversation from that night came back to Joe. He cocked his head a bit and studied the man standing in front of him. \u201cShe did love you,\u201d Joe said slowly. \u201cThe problem was that you didn\u2019t love her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did love her!\u201d shouted Frye angrily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you?\u201d Joe countered. \u201cYou didn\u2019t love her enough to show up at the Christmas party that night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was working,\u201d Frye explained, still sounding upset. \u201cThere were things to be done at the bank.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt ten o\u2019clock at night, and only two days before Christmas?\u201d Joe asked skeptically. \u201cShe told me about the broken dates, the times you left early or came late, the parties where she sat in the corner while you talked business with the other people there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to make a life for us,\u201d Frye insisted. \u201cI had to work hard, put in long hours, to have a successful career. The harder I worked and the more contacts I made, the more successful I would be. I wanted to give Susan a fine house and beautiful clothes. I wanted to be sure we had the money we needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe that\u2019s what you wanted,\u201d Joe said, shaking his head sadly. \u201cBut apparently, that\u2019s not what she wanted.\u201d He looked at Frye. \u201cYou know what she said to me? She said that you had another love, one that she could never compete with. She didn\u2019t think she could marry a man who had another mistress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not true!\u201d exclaimed Frye. \u201cThere was no one else. No one but Susan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut there was,\u201d Joe stated firmly. \u201cYour mistress wasn\u2019t a woman, though. Your other love was money. You loved the idea of making money, having money more than you loved Susan. That\u2019s why she couldn\u2019t marry you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re wrong,\u201d Frye declared. \u201cYou are very wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAm I?\u201d Joe shrugged and got to his feet. \u201cWell, you can believe whatever you want. I\u2019m leaving. Thanks for any interesting trip down memory lane.\u201d Joe brushed past the dark-haired man and headed for the entrance to the warehouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHold it!\u201d Frye shouted after Joe. \u201cStop!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ignoring the shouts, Joe continued toward the door until he felt a hand grab his shoulder and tug on it. Spinning around, Joe started to say something but was abruptly silenced by a fist which smashed into his jaw. Immediately, he balled his own hand and pulled it back in order to throw a counterpunch. But his thrust stopped in mid-air and Joe took a step back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess if I had lost my girl and ended up in prison, I\u2019d want to punch the man I thought caused my problems,\u201d Joe acknowledged, rubbing his jaw. \u201cYou got your one punch, Frye. Don\u2019t push it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m far from finished with you, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d Frye said in a menacing tone. \u201cYou know, a man meets an interesting variety of people in prison \u2013 rustlers eager to know where a large herd is just waiting to be taken, and thieves who would love to hear about a rich rancher who regularly transports large payrolls from the bank. Did you know that there are men who like to set fires just to watch things burn? They would be delighted to see a barn or even a house go up in flames. I\u2019ve thought about this for a long time. I\u2019m going to make you pay for what you did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re crazy, Frye,\u201d snapped Joe angrily. \u201cI had a twenty-minute conversation with a girl five years ago. She wanted some sympathy and I gave it to her. That\u2019s it. That\u2019s all there was to it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to make you pay, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d repeated Frye. \u201cOf course, I could be persuaded to leave town without causing you any harm. Perhaps if you offered me compensation for my loss in the sum of, say, $20,000.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what this is all about, isn\u2019t it,\u201d said Joe, as a look of understanding came over his face. \u201cIt\u2019s the money. This was never about your fianc\u00e9e or your going to prison. All you want is the same thing you\u2019ve always wanted \u2013 money.\u201d He cocked his head a bit and considered the man standing in front of him. \u201cWhat was the plan? Make me feel so guilty about what happened that I would pay you to ease my conscience?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might,\u201d Frye admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd since that didn\u2019t work, you\u2019re resorting to threats,\u201d declared Joe. \u201cYou must want that money awfully bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI need the money,\u201d corrected Frye. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what my life has been like since I got out of prison. The only job I could get was working as a clerk in a store, being ordered around by fat women and cranky men who treat me like dirt. I had everything \u2013 a woman who loved me, a good job, and a future. You took that away from me. It\u2019s only fair you compensate me for that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t take anything away from you, Frye,\u201d declared Joe. \u201cYou threw it away. You never loved Susan; she was just another acquisition for you. And you used her breaking your engagement as an excuse to take what you really wanted, which was the bank\u2019s money.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to stand here and debate the issue any longer,\u201d Frye said angrily. \u201cThe choice is yours. Either you pay me the $20,000 or I start contacting my friends from prison.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a third choice,\u201d said Joe, pulling his gun from his holster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you threatening to kill me?\u201d asked Frye, sounding unconcerned. \u201cShoot an unarmed man? That\u2019s murder, Mr. Cartwright. And they hang people for murder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to murder anyone,\u201d Joe replied calmly. \u201cI\u2019m simply going to escort you down to the sheriff\u2019s office. There are laws against blackmail, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBlackmail?\u201d countered Frye with a sneer. \u201cDo you see any witnesses, or have anything in writing? No? Well, then I guess it\u2019s your word against mine. And I can be very persuasive, especially when I tell my sad story about how you destroyed my life once and are trying to do it again. I know your reputation for romancing the ladies. It won\u2019t be hard to convince people that you saw Susan as just another potential conquest, and advised her to break our engagement so you could pursue her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s crazy,\u201d retorted Joe angrily. \u201cI told you that I never knew her name or saw her again after that night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s your story,\u201d Frye responded smoothly. \u201cDo you think anyone will believe it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ll find the word of a Cartwright carries a little weight in this town,\u201d Joe said confidently. \u201cThey\u2019ll believe my story, especially after I tell the sheriff how you\u2019re willing to do anything to get your hands on some money. You\u2019ve already been convicted of embezzlement. It won\u2019t be hard for the sheriff to understand how you might want to try a little blackmail. You are going back to jail, Mr. Frye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the first time since he had met Edwin Frye, Joe saw a flicker of emotion in the man\u2019s eyes. He wasn\u2019t sure what that emotion was \u2013 fear, panic, or perhaps just worry \u2013 but Joe knew Frye wasn\u2019t planning to go quietly to the sheriff\u2019s office. He tightened the grip on his gun. \u201cDon\u2019t try anything,\u201d warned Joe. \u201cAt this range, I couldn\u2019t miss. And it\u2019s not a crime to shoot someone in self-defense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever emotion had manifested itself in Frye\u2019s eyes disappeared, and the cold, dead look once more reappeared. Frye stared at Joe for a moment, and then his shoulders sagged in resignation. \u201cIt was worth the try,\u201d he muttered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Frye spun around and grabbed a chair. With incredible quickness, he swung the chair off the ground and smashed it into Joe\u2019s side, knocking the youngest Cartwright to the ground. The gun slipped from Joe\u2019s hand and skidded a few feet away from him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going back to jail,\u201d cried Frye as he made a move toward Joe\u2019s gun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Surprised and stunned more than hurt, it took Joe only a moment to realize Frye\u2019s intentions. He reached up and grabbed the man\u2019s leg, pulling him away from the gun and onto the floor. Joe scrambled to his feet just as Frye was getting up. Joe threw a fist into the other man\u2019s stomach, causing Frye to double over and stagger back a step or two. But Frye quickly straightened and charged straight at Joe, knocking him back to the floor. He jumped on top of Joe and belted the man below him with a quick jab to the face. Joe reached up and threw an uppercut which caught Frye just under the chin. Frye fell back and Joe kicked the man off of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two combatants got to their feet, both breathing hard. They watched each other warily for a moment, then Frye charged forward. This time, Joe was ready for him and sidestepped the charge, hitting Frye on the back as the man went past him. Frye fell to the floor, then rolled quickly to his left. He threw his legs at Joe\u2019s shins, causing Joe to lose his balance and fall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once more, the two men scrambled to their feet and faced each other. They began circling slowly, each man crouched and fists ready, as both waited for the other to make the next move. Frye took a step forward, and this time, it was Joe who charged. Joe\u2019s shoulder hit Frye in the chest, causing the man to tumble into the row of chairs behind him. The chairs skidded into one another, the last one hitting the wall with a resounding thump.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vibration from the impact caused a lantern to fall from the wall to the floor. The lamp\u2019s glass shattered, and the oil spilled out from the lantern onto the dry pine needles scattered on the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frye got to his feet quickly, and shoved aside the chairs in which he had become entangled. The legs of one chair scratched noisily across the wooden floor, creating a spark. Almost instantly, a small tongue of fire popped up from the oil-laden needles on the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

A roar of anger escaped from Frye\u2019s lips as he charged at Joe again. Joe tried to sidestep the man as he had done before, but Frye altered direction at the last minute so that his body slammed directly into Joe\u2019s. Both men crashed to the floor, and their arms began flailing as each tried to pound their fists into the other. Joe pushed Frye to the right, and the man slid off of him. But Frye grabbed Joe\u2019s arm and pulled his opponent toward him. Joe flipped himself over the man on the floor, landing on his back next to Frye. He quickly got to his feet and joined his hands together. As Frye began to rise from the floor, Joe threw his entwined hands into the man\u2019s stomach, then jerked them upwards to hammer Frye just under the chin. Frye\u2019s head snapped back and his body went limp. He collapsed to the ground in a heap and laid still.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing hard and coughing a bit, Joe stood over the fallen man for a moment, making sure his opponent was down for good. Suddenly, Joe realized the air around him was becoming thick with smoke, and he heard an ominous crackle behind him. He whirled around and his eyes opened wide with both fear and astonishment as he saw the fire burning behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The dried-out pine needles scattered on the floor gave the fire the fuel it needed to spread quickly. With almost morbid fascination, Joe watched as the flames raced along the wall toward the back of the building and then turned toward the makeshift stage that had been erected. The fire paused long enough to set the wreath leaning against the stage ablaze, and then continued its sprint around the edge of the floor. The fiery wreath ignited the wooden stage and soon flames were shooting from the platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning quickly, Joe ran to where Frye laid on the floor. He grabbed the front of Frye\u2019s shirt and pulled the man to his feet, shaking him and shouting as he did so. \u201cFrye! Frye!\u201d yelled Joe. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get out of here! The building is on fire!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving his head from side to side, Frye looked at Joe with glazed eyes. Then, Frye\u2019s eyes suddenly cleared. Without warning, he jerked his arm upward, hammering the side of Joe\u2019s head with his fist. Joe wasn\u2019t expecting the blow, and the punch seemed to rattle his brain. He released his hold on Frye\u2019s shirt and crumpled to the floor, hitting the hard wood with his head as he landed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stunned by both the blow and the fall, Joe laid unmoving on the floor. He heard a roaring in his ears and sparks of light exploded in front of his eyes. His arms and legs felt heavy, useless. A small part of Joe\u2019s brain was urging him to move, but the rest of his body refused to obey. Joe knew he was on the floor and wondered dully how he had gotten there. For several moments, he simply laid still and watched the black smoke that was beginning to curl and thicken above him.<\/span><\/p>\n

At last, the part of his brain that was urging Joe to move got a response. He blinked twice and tilted his head until it was almost resting on his shoulder. Expending what felt like an extraordinary amount of effort, Joe pushed himself up from the floor. He winced and gritted his teeth as head throbbed, but Joe continued to push against the floor until he was in a sitting position.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe sat for a moment with his head hanging forwarded as he waited for the pain inside his skull to abate. When the throbbing finally eased, Joe raised his head slowly and looked around.<\/span><\/p>\n

The flames that had been licking the walls had found new fuel in the wooden tables and the row of chairs on either side of Joe. He could feel the heat as the fire burned its way from the perimeter of the building toward its center. Dark smoke swirled around him and Joe coughed as the smoke found its way into his mouth and nose. He could see nothing but flames and smoke all around him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrye!\u201d Joe called loudly. \u201cFrye! Where are you?\u201d He coughed the smoke out of his lungs and tried again. \u201cFrye! Answer me! We have to get out of here!\u201d Joe listened hard but heard nothing except the crackle of burning wood. Frye either couldn\u2019t answer or had left, abandoning Joe to whatever fate the fire had for him. Joe knew it was too late to worry about Frye. He had to concentrate on saving himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dazed and disoriented, Joe peered through the smoke, trying to figure out which way he was facing. He knew he had only one chance to find the front of the building and the doorway that led to safety. If he moved in the wrong direction, he wouldn\u2019t have time to correct his mistake. Joe could see a sea of flames to his left, but wasn\u2019t sure what was fueling the fire. If it was the stage, then the entrance was to his right. But if the chairs were fueling the blaze to his left, then the pathway to safety was in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning his body, Joe began crawling to toward the flames, hoping he could tell what was burning and which way to go in order to escape. He stopped and reached out his hand, but felt nothing, then began crawling forward again. Once more he stopped and reached forward but his outstretched hand felt only heat and air. He was beginning to think he was facing the stage, but Joe knew it was worth his life to be sure. Forcing himself to continue toward the flames, Joe crawled a few more feet before stopping. Yet again, he stretched his arm forward and this time his hand bumped into something hard. He touched the smoke-obscured object, moving his hand around until he felt the thin, rounded leg of a chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

A small smile of satisfaction broke out on Joe\u2019s face as he backed away from the flames. The row of chairs was in front of him, which meant the entrance to the warehouse was now to his right. Joe crawled rapidly backward until he was a good distance from the fire, then turned his body to the right. For a moment, Joe considered getting to his feet and trying to run out of the burning building. But he knew the smoke would be thinner closer to the floor and he could breathe what little air was left in the warehouse. Besides, his head was still throbbing and he felt a bit dizzy. Joe decided he was better off using four limbs to balance himself than just two.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe heard a loud crash behind him as some piece of burning material fell to the floor. He didn\u2019t bother to look to see what it was. He could feel the heat of the flames intensifying and see the smoke thickening. Joe knew he had no time to lose. He began crawling forward, praying that the entrance to the warehouse wasn\u2019t too far away.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he moved on all fours across the floor, Joe came across pieces of debris, some smoldering and others bright with flames. Joe pushed these aside, even though the fragments singed his hands. He didn\u2019t want to crawl around the burning pieces and take a chance on getting disoriented again. He knew his only hope was to keep moving in as straight a line as possible toward the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

The smoke near the floor was getting thicker and Joe began to cough. His head was spinning, and the roaring had resumed in his ears. His arms and legs began to tremble as his strength started to ebb away. Joe wasn\u2019t sure if the fire or the blow to head \u2013 or both \u2013 were the cause of his difficulties, but he knew it didn\u2019t matter. He had to keep moving forward; he had to continue crawling and pushing himself toward the front of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

After crawling for what seemed a mile, Joe\u2019s right arm gave way and he fell forward. He tried to push himself up again, but his arm felt as if it was made out of putty. Joe reached out with his left arm, trying to pull himself across the floor with that one limb, but his left arm didn\u2019t seem to work properly either. The thick smoke enveloped him and the heat from the flames seemed closer than ever. His thinking confused by the fumes from the smoke, Joe decided it wouldn\u2019t hurt to rest for a minute before continuing toward the door. He laid his head on the floor and closed his eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then, without warning, Joe felt a pair of hands taking a firm grasp on his left upper arm, followed by a second pair of hands grasping his right arm. He felt himself being dragged for a short distance and then pulled to his feet. His right arm was flung across a neck and shoulders, and then the action was repeated with his left arm. Joe felt two arms \u2013 one from the right and one from the left \u2013 wrapping themselves around his body. He was propelled forward, being pushed and dragged at the same time. In less than a minute, Joe felt a rush of cool, fresh air against his face. He breathed in deeply, sucking the clean air into his lungs, as he continued to be pulled forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he lifted his head to look around, Joe heard a familiar voice in his ear. \u201cDoggone it, little brother, I thought I done told you to stay out of trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**********<\/span><\/p>\n

Pulling his horse to a rather abrupt stop, Ben Cartwright jumped out of the saddle and hurried toward the door of the brick building in which Dr. Martin\u2019s office was housed. The man who had ridden out to the Ponderosa from Virginia City to advise Ben to come to town right away had offered him little in the way of hard facts. He had only known that the warehouse in which the Christmas Dance had been held had somehow caught on fire, and Joe had been trapped inside. Adam and Hoss had pulled their brother from the burning building only minutes before it had begun to collapse. The last thing the man had seen was Adam and Hoss carrying Joe toward the doctor\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fear and anxiety Ben felt was evident on his face as he pushed open the door and walked into the doctor\u2019s office. In the waiting room, Ben hesitated, looking around for someone from whom he could demand information. Then the door to the examining room in front of him opened, and Dr. Paul Martin emerged.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to be just fine, Ben,\u201d declared Dr. Martin with a smile before Ben could ask the question. \u201cYou Cartwrights are a tough lot. It takes more than a little fire to slow one of you down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s body sagged a bit as he let out a sigh of relief. \u201cHow bad is he hurt?\u201d he asked, his voice trembling a bit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing major,\u201d the doctor answered. \u201cHe\u2019s got a knot on his head and a nice collection of bruises. He also swallowed some smoke and burned his hands a bit. But there\u2019s nothing wrong with him that a little rest won\u2019t cure. I promise Joe will be sitting at the table for Christmas dinner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank goodness,\u201d said Ben in a soft voice. \u201cCan I see him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d replied Dr. Martin. He moved aside and motioned Ben toward the room behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking rapidly, Ben entered the examining room and saw his three sons. Adam was sprawled in a chair, and Hoss leaned against the edge of the examining table. Their relaxed poses confirmed to Ben that Joe was all right. Nevertheless, he walked straight toward his youngest son. He gave Joe a quick hug and then stepped back to examine the young man himself. Sitting on the edge of the examining table with his feet dangling a few inches above the floor, Joe waited patiently as his father looked him over.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the doctor hadn\u2019t told him so, Ben wouldn\u2019t have believed that Joe had escaped from the fire with only minor injuries. Joe\u2019s pants were streaked with soot and smoke, as was the front of his shirt \u2013 the part of the shirt not protected by stained green jacket which lay in a heap on the floor by the table. A large white bandage circled Joe\u2019s head, holding in place a small square white cloth positioned toward the back and left of his skull. Even though Joe\u2019s face had been cleaned, Ben could see the dark bruises on his son\u2019s chin and cheekbone. White bandages were wrapped around the palms of Joe\u2019s hands. Ben pursed his lips a bit as his eyes raked over Joe from head to toe. \u201cHow are you feeling, son?\u201d he asked in a quiet voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Joe told his father, giving him a reassuring smile. \u201cI\u2019ve got a bit of a headache and some aches and pains, that\u2019s all.\u201d His face grew somber. \u201cThings would have been a lot worse if Adam and Hoss hadn\u2019t pulled me out of there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we figured something was up when you didn\u2019t show up to drink your beer,\u201d observed Adam from the chair. \u201cIt\u2019s not like you to pass up a chance to guzzle beer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were already heading toward the warehouse when we spotted the smoke,\u201d Hoss added. \u201cIt didn\u2019t take much to put two and two together and figure out you were in trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I appreciate what you did,\u201d Joe said earnestly. \u201cIt\u2019s not many men who have brothers who will rush into a burning building to save him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t have to rush all that far,\u201d Adam replied. \u201cYou were only a couple of feet from the door when we found you. You almost made it out of there without our help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost,\u201d Joe repeated. He shook his head a bit. \u201cI\u2019m not sure I would have made it those last few feet to the door if you two hadn\u2019t shown up.\u201d Suddenly, an impish grin appeared on Joe\u2019s face. \u201cI lost my hat and gun in that fire. You can add those things to the presents you\u2019re going to give me on Christmas morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t he a caution, Adam?\u201d Hoss declared with a grin. \u201cFirst we save his hide, and now he wants us to buy him more presents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can argue about Christmas presents later,\u201d said Ben, sounding a bit exasperated. \u201cRight now, I want to know what happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After taking a deep breath, Joe related the story of his extraordinary meeting with Edwin Frye to his father. It was a story Joe had told twice already, once to his brothers and a second time to Sheriff Roy Coffee. Joe fervently hoped this was the last time he was going to have to tell it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to Frye?\u201d asked Ben after Joe had finished.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Joe admitted. \u201cHe just disappeared. I think he got out of the warehouse but I don\u2019t know that for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he didn\u2019t, we\u2019ll never know,\u201d commented Adam. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing left of that building but ashes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he did get out, do you think he\u2019ll come back to cause trouble?\u201d Ben asked with a worried expression. \u201cI don\u2019t like the idea of having to look over my shoulder for him all the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the only one who would have to look over his shoulder,\u201d Joe pointed out. \u201cAs near as I can tell, I\u2019m the only person who ever actually saw Edwin Frye, or at least knows who he is. He\u2019s one of those people you just don\u2019t notice unless someone points him out to you. Adam called him a ghost, and that\u2019s kind of what he was. He would appear for a few minutes and then fade into the background again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRoy Coffee is going to keep any eye out for Frye, based on the description Joe gave him,\u201d added Adam. \u201cBut his feeling is that if Frye didn\u2019t die in that fire, he\u2019s long gone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut will he come back?\u201d persisted Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so, Pa,\u201d Joe answered, shaking his head. \u201cAll he really wanted was money and he knows now we won\u2019t give it to him. If he\u2019s still alive, Frye is heading for some place where he can get the only thing he cares about \u2013 money.\u201d Joe cocked his head a bit and then continued. \u201cYou know, I\u2019m not even sure Frye knew what he wanted the money for. It was having the money that was important to him, not what it could buy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sort of sad, ain\u2019t it,\u201d commented Hoss. \u201cHe\u2019s kind of like the fellow in the story Mr. Dickens wrote. You know, the one about the old miser who didn\u2019t like Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Scrooge?\u201d Ben replied. \u201cI suppose in a way he is. Except Scrooge didn\u2019t go around threatening people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Joe began coughing, and he winced as his body shook from the effort to clear his lungs. Ben put his hand on Joe\u2019s back and asked gently, \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re all right, son?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, Pa,\u201d Joe reassured his father. \u201cJust clearing out the last of the smoke.\u201d Then he gave Ben a sly look. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to be up to doing any work for awhile.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can manage for a few days without you,\u201d Ben agreed with a laugh. He turned to Hoss. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go get the buckboard and bring it up here. It\u2019s time we got this one home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d said Joe brightly, \u201ctalking about that Dickens story just reminded me of something. Remember the little boy in the story? The one whose father used to carry him on his shoulder because he couldn\u2019t walk?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean Tiny Tim?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think we\u2019re going to carry you out of here on our shoulders, you\u2019re crazy,\u201d retorted Adam. \u201cFor one thing, your name is Little Joe, not Tiny Tim. And Hoss and I have carried you around enough for one day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I was thinking of,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cIt was what the little boy said.\u201d He looked around the room at his father and brothers. \u201cMerry Christmas, Pa. Merry Christmas, Adam, Hoss. And God bless us everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****End*****<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0 An innocent conversation from five years before leads to devastating consequences in the present.<\/p>\n

Word Count: \u00a013,000 \u00a0Rated: \u00a0T<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10338,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drama","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1232,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48063,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=48063","url_meta":{"origin":13955,"position":0},"title":"Pictures of Angels (by AH83)","author":"BZTrailRiders","date":"December 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: While sorting through Christmas decorations, Ben finds two cherished mementos of a Christmas long ago.\u00a0 Rating: K, Word Count: 917","rel":"","context":"In "Ben Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Ben Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1004"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preserving Their Legacy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5519,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5519","url_meta":{"origin":13955,"position":1},"title":"The Christmas Surprise (by deansgirl)","author":"deansgirl","date":"December 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0The first Chrismas after Marie died was going to be a sad one.\u00a0 Can Adam and Hoss make the season bright after all? 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