Summary:\u00a0 Can the Cartwright family strength overcome the trouble brought to them by an ambitious man and his pretty daughter?
\n[Written for the 2019 PPP Tournament]<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 K+
\nWord Count:\u00a0 9532<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
TRUTH WILL OUT<\/p>\n
Ben Cartwright sat at the head of his dining table and surveyed the devastation.\u00a0 The immaculately laid out settings reduced to chaos with glasses, plates, cutlery shattered and broken.<\/p>\n
Like my family<\/em>.<\/p>\n The trouble had begun the day Judge Thomas Avery came to Virginia City, with his daughter Mary Ann.\u00a0 Ben sighed.\u00a0 Why did it always have to involve a pretty girl?<\/em><\/p>\n A man of formidable ambition.\u00a0 Judge Avery had one goal in Virginia City, to garner support for his campaign to run for Governor.\u00a0 As the owner of one of the largest ranches in the territory, the judge had been quick to seek Ben out; keen to gain his backing.<\/p>\n \u201cI want your support, Ben.\u00a0 It\u2019s time Utah had a Governor who lives and works in the territory.\u00a0 Your commendation carries weight in Washington, and I need that.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019d told him again and again.<\/p>\n In his wake came his lovely daughter, who rapidly drew the attention of his sons.\u00a0 The young lady favored Little Joe, which surprised Ben.\u00a0 A few years older than his youngest son and cultured in her style and manner, Ben assumed that Adam would be the one to attract her interest, but she\u2019d passed right over him and entranced his youngest; who\u2019d swiftly fallen for the attractions of the elegant brunette.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Joe couldn\u2019t resist rubbing his victory in Adam\u2019s face, and the first seeds of disharmony were sown.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned to him one evening and enquired.<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you plan on giving Judge Avery your backing?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben lowered his book giving Adam his full attention.\u00a0 He sensed there was more being asked here than a simple question.\u00a0 They hadn\u2019t discussed the judge and Ben was curious to know Adam\u2019s opinion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think of him?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam had been leaning back in his favorite blue chair, one leg over the arm, aimlessly strumming his guitar, but he abandoned this position and sat up.\u00a0 Laying the instrument aside, he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together.<\/p>\n Ben recognized the pose.\u00a0 Here it comes.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do we know about the man, other than what we\u2019ve been told by his acolytes?\u00a0 He came to Salt Lake a year ago, and before that, he was a judge in Austin for five years.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paused. \u00a0Ben raised an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYes?\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing wrong with that is there?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben noticed Adam\u2019s interlaced fingers tighten.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but it\u2019s not much.\u00a0 Is it enough to put a man in the Governor\u2019s office?\u00a0 And now we have Little Joe mooning over his daughter.\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t we find out more before that<\/em> goes any further?\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring the swipe at Joe, Ben asked, \u201cWhat do you suggest?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember Edward King?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKing?\u00a0 The journalist friend you met in Boston?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 He\u2019s based in Austin now and reports from there for his paper the Telegraph and Texas Register.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to write to him and ask for anything he can tell us about Avery.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben weighed up the suggestion.\u00a0 Adam had a keen sense about people and would often be the first to warn of an untrustworthy character. \u00a0Ben sometimes wondered if his eldest wasn\u2019t becoming too skeptical and guarded, but, if Adam had doubts, Ben ignored it at his peril, and to know more about Avery certainly wouldn\u2019t hurt.\u00a0 How Joe would take such a move, Ben wasn\u2019t sure.\u00a0 He decided when the time came, he would handle Joe.<\/p>\n A crooked smile crossed Ben\u2019s lips as he looked again at the ruined remnants of their dinner.\u00a0 He\u2019d certainly made a poor job of that.<\/p>\n All Ben could do was wait for Adam to get his reply and try his best to avoid the persistent judge.\u00a0 The deepening relationship between Mary Ann and Little Joe worried him, although he couldn\u2019t put his finger on why.\u00a0 Joe\u2019s conversation increasingly centered around Mary Ann and her father\u2019s plans as governor.\u00a0 His endless badgering of why Ben hadn\u2019t given him his support served two weeks later, to deepen antagonisms.<\/p>\n Espousing the virtues of the judge\u2019s case throughout supper, Ben\u2019s patience gave out.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph, I<\/em> will decide whether I want to back Judge Avery, and I<\/em> will tell you what I\u2019ve<\/em> decided when that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n This irritation passed by the over-zealous Joe, who continued to press.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t understand what\u2019s holding you back?\u00a0 He\u2019s the right man for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe, unlike some, Pa likes to consider his decisions fully.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shot Adam an angry look.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam levelled his knife at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cIt means stop bothering him about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAren\u2019t I allowed to have an opinion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, and when you\u2019re capable of making an informed one, you\u2019re free to have it.\u201d<\/p>\n The chair scraped back, and the napkin came down.\u00a0 \u201cYou think I\u2019m stupid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m saying, you make stupid decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeing Joe\u2019s fists clench, Ben stepped in.\u00a0 \u201cEnough!\u00a0 Joseph, sit down!\u00a0 We will have no more talk of this at the dining table.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe wavered on the verge of storming out, but with his father\u2019s eyes firmly on him and knowing Adam would view such a move as childishness; he sat down and continued his meal in icy silence.<\/p>\n The cooling of his relationship with his brother was in stark contrast to the heat of his feelings for Mary Ann Avery.\u00a0 A poised, intelligent and articulate young woman, Joe was dazzled by her interest in him.\u00a0 Given every encouragement, with invitations to dinners, picnics and parties that were held to gather more supporters for her father, his emotions ran rampant.\u00a0 The rest of the family could only watch as Little Joe verged on falling head over heels in love.<\/p>\n Seeing Joe disappear out the door to attend yet another event in honor of Judge Avery, Hoss kicked absently at the stone fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cJoe sure seems stuck on that gal.\u201d\u00a0 He muttered to no one in particular.<\/p>\n Engrossed in his paper, Ben queried, \u201cHmmm, what\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n Taking the bull by the horns, Hoss asked, \u201cPa, how d\u2019ya feel about Mary Ann and Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben folded his paper and sighed, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure she\u2019s a lovely young woman.\u00a0 It\u2019s just I\u2019m not convinced that \u2026 well-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s right fer him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m worried she wouldn\u2019t be happy on the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, an\u2019 another thing, it\u2019s all backwards with those two.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t so much he swept her off her feet, but she<\/em> swept him off his<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss paused.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen his brother in love before and been happy for him, but this time he couldn\u2019t shake the notion Joe was being torn away from them bit by bit.\u00a0 \u201cHe never stops goin\u2019 on about Mary Ann, and she does nothin\u2019 but talk about her pa becoming Governor.\u00a0 I reckon she plans to be right by her his side.\u201d\u00a0 Swallowing hard, he voiced his biggest fear.\u00a0 \u201cIffin he marries her, would he go live with them in Salt Lake?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked aghast.\u00a0 The thought hadn\u2019t crossed his mind.\u00a0 Would he?\u00a0 Would his youngest, the only one of his sons born on the Ponderosa, whose roots were embedded deep within it, leave and set up home elsewhere?\u00a0 Joe was almost eighteen.\u00a0 If he made that decision, there was nothing Ben could do to stop him.<\/p>\n His concerns were further heightened when the inevitable happened. \u00a0Joe approached him in that quiet, earnest way he had when he wanted to talk about something important.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s heart beat a little faster as Joe settled himself into the chair in front of his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, can I invite Judge Avery and Mary Ann to dinner Saturday?\u201d<\/p>\n The hand that rested on Ben\u2019s knee tightened.\u00a0 \u201cWon\u2019t he be having another one of his supporter dinners?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sat forward, the eagerness clear in his voice. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s why I want to invite him now before he gets a chance to arrange anything.\u00a0 I\u2019ve a big question to ask him, and I\u2019d like to do it here.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben forced himself to query, \u201cCan I ask what that question is?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe dropped his eyes.\u00a0 After studying the floor for a moment, he raised them.\u00a0 The fire and excitement burning there made Ben\u2019s stomach lurch.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to ask permission to court Mary Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n Before he could stop himself, Ben blurted out, \u201cTo court – you mean marriage?\u00a0 But Joe, you\u2019ve only known her a few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix weeks, Pa. \u00a0How long was it before you asked Ma to marry you?\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, he would throw that at me.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben picked up his pencil and tapped it gently on the desk.\u00a0 Joe always jumped feet first into a relationship.\u00a0 The affair with Julia Bulette and the tragedy of little Amy Bishop still loomed large in Ben\u2019s memory.\u00a0 Once his son\u2019s heart was engaged, however, there was nothing anyone could do but accept it.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re sure, then?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe leant forward in his chair.\u00a0 \u201cI love her, Pa.\u00a0 She\u2019s wonderful, everything I always wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n Unable to bear Joe\u2019s earnest look, Ben studied his pencil.\u00a0 He picked his next words with care. \u00a0\u201cHave you thought about what will happen once you\u2019re married?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHappen?\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMary Ann seems devoted to her father.\u00a0 If he becomes Governor, he\u2019ll take up residence in Salt Lake City.\u00a0 I imagine she\u2019ll want to be close to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned, considering the question.\u00a0 \u201cI guess she may want to be with him at first.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind visiting for a while, but we wouldn\u2019t stay long.\u201d<\/p>\n His answer eased Ben\u2019s worried heart.\u00a0 However, Avery was a determined man, used to getting what he wanted, and although Mary Ann was charming, she struck Ben as being cut from the same cloth.\u00a0 The fear flickered inside him that Joe might not find returning to the Ponderosa as easy as he thought if neither of them wished it.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s something the two of you may want to talk over.\u201d\u00a0 Tactfully, he added, \u201cShe\u2019s a lovely girl.\u00a0 Of course, invite them for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s sparkling smile burst into life.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ride into Virginia City now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow?\u00a0 Aren\u2019t you fixing fences with Adam and Hoss today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben folded his arms.\u00a0 Feeling on safer ground, he pinned his son with his dark eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve been rather absent lately, thanks to Mary Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s scratched his head, and a sheepish grin broke out.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Pa.\u00a0 I guess I have been shirking my load.\u00a0 I promise I\u2019ll make it up to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can start now by joining your brothers in the lower forty.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the dismay and hesitation in his son\u2019s face, he continued, \u201cYou can ride into Virginia City later.\u00a0 The judge will still be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Patience wasn\u2019t his youngest son\u2019s strongest gift, and it amused Ben to watch the quandary playing out in Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll do it later.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled. \u00a0\u201cThank you, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n If Hoss and Adam noticed their younger brother had ants in his pants all day, they never mentioned it.\u00a0 Impatient to carry out his plans, Joe was out the door within half an hour of reaching home.<\/p>\n Adam lowering himself into his favorite blue chair, asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s he so all fired up about?\u201d<\/p>\n Trying to sound casual, Ben replied, \u201cHe wants to invite Judge Avery and Mary Ann to dinner Saturday.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s keen eyes fixed on Ben\u2019s. \u00a0\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe wants to ask his permission to formally court Mary Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to ask her to marry him?\u00a0 They\u2019ve only just met.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in love.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOf course he is, with a woman he barely knows.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming to Joe\u2019s defense, Hoss told him, \u201cYou know he always falls quick.\u201d<\/p>\n He received an angry glance from his older brother. \u00a0\u201cSo, you\u2019re okay with this?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 face gave him away, and Adam snorted in triumph.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t let him do it.\u00a0 At least, not until I hear from Edward.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked lost.\u00a0 \u201cEdward?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam explained, and the lost looked turned into a scowl.\u00a0 Hoss paced in front of the fireplace and pushed his hands deep into his pants pockets.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u00a0 Sneaking around, goin\u2019 behind Lil\u2019l Joe\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf nothing comes of it, he need never know.\u00a0 But if something does, wouldn\u2019t you want him to find out before he marries the man\u2019s daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yeah, but-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s for his own good.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked at his brother\u2019s determined face and sighed,\u00a0 \u201cYou gotta bad feelin\u2019 about the judge, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething just doesn\u2019t sit right.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded.\u00a0 He had a lot of respect for Adam\u2019s judgement.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, I won\u2019t say nothin\u2019, but I still don\u2019t see how we can stop Lil\u2019l Joe askin\u2019 Mary Ann to marry him before we hear from this reporter fella?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben found two pairs of eyes on him.\u00a0 As a father, he was expected to have all the answers, but this time, he felt as hopeless as they did.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think there is anything we can do.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just hope you\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n *********<\/p>\n The day of the dinner dawned bright and sunny with Joe at his most exuberant and distracted.\u00a0 After requesting him to pass the hammer for the umpteenth time, Hoss had enough and sent him back to the house.\u00a0 There he dived into Hop Sing\u2019s hallowed ground and was promptly driven out.<\/p>\n Walking in, Ben discovered his cook brandishing a massive knife at his youngest as he shooed him from the kitchen into the main room.<\/p>\n \u201cYou go.\u00a0 Leave Hop Sing alone.\u00a0 I cook food fine.\u00a0 I no need your help!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Hop Sing-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you go now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s all this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Cartwright, you keep Number Three Son out of kitchen, or I quit and go back to China!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing, I was only tryin\u2019 to help.\u201d<\/p>\n The knife wafted under Joe\u2019s nose.\u00a0 \u201cNo want your help!\u00a0 Stay out!\u201d<\/p>\n After waiting for a beat to see that Joe obeyed, Hop Sing released a, \u201cHuh!\u201d and scuttled back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, I wish you\u2019d leave Hop Sing to get on with things.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe grinned and rubbed the back of his neck.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Pa.\u00a0 I just want tonight to be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s heart went out to him.\u00a0 Whatever his thoughts about Joe\u2019s wish to marry Mary Ann, for Joe, this was a monumental moment.\u00a0 Placing a hand on his shoulder, he told him, \u201cI know.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n This advice didn\u2019t suppress Joe\u2019s nervous energy, and it wasn\u2019t long before Ben suggested he go for a ride until it was time to wash and change.<\/p>\n Arriving back before his younger brother, Hoss hung his hat on an empty rack and asked.\u00a0 \u201cAdam not back yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben checked the clock.\u00a0 Adam had gone into Virginia City to talk to their lawyer about a contract and pick up the mail.\u00a0 \u201cI expect he\u2019ll be back any minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Lil\u2019l Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI \u2026 erm \u2026 sent him off for a ride earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss grinned.\u00a0 \u201cGettin\u2019 on your nerves too, huh?\u00a0 He was driving me plumb crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed, \u201cHe\u2019s so jumpy I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll make it through dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n The two men were still laughing when Joe came breezing through the door.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, erm, nothing Joseph.\u00a0 Did you have a good ride?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes darted suspiciously between the two men wondering at their odd behavior, then shrugged and replied, \u201cSure.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna go get washed up.\u201d\u00a0 As he got to the half landing, he turned and asked anxiously, \u201cYou two are changing, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss roared with laughter.\u00a0 Keeping a straight face, Ben waved him quiet and replied, \u201cOf course we are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s gotten into him<\/em>?\u201d Joe asked, who didn\u2019t wait for an answer but turned and ran up the rest of the stairs.\u00a0 Leaving his father and brother to their amusement.<\/p>\n Hoss had just gone up when he heard his older brother\u2019s bedroom door slam and figured he\u2019d arrived back from Virginia City.\u00a0 Once ready, he sauntered down to Joe\u2019s room, situated at the back of the house, and peeked through the door.<\/p>\n He wrinkled his nose and spluttered, \u201cWhew!\u00a0 You put on any more of that fancy pomade, and we\u2019re gonna hav\u2019ta open every window in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u00a0 Is it too much?\u00a0 Quick, help me wash it off!\u201d<\/p>\n Taking pity on his brother, Hoss nudged him with his shoulder. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019s only joshin\u2019 ya.\u201d<\/p>\n Releasing a breath, Joe gasped, \u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe reached for his string tie.\u00a0 Seeing his shaking hands, Hoss tutted and taking it from him began to tie it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve gotta calm down boy, or you\u2019re gonna bust.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019 heart melted when Joe looked up at him.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen his little brother sad, angry and frightened but never downright terrified.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right, jest you see.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe plopped down onto his bed and dropped his head between his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never wanted anything to go as well as I do tonight.\u00a0 The Judge and Mary Ann are used to fine things.\u00a0 They\u2019re … sophisticated, yeah, that\u2019s it, that\u2019s the word Adam would use.\u201d\u00a0 Eyes filled with desperation were lifted to Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s if he thinks I\u2019m not good enough for her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAww, he won\u2019t do that.\u00a0 You and Adam are the finest matrimonial catches in the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey! What about you?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t you a catch?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss blushed. \u201cNah, I ain\u2019t good lookin\u2019 like you an\u2019 Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked his brother right in the eye as he told him, \u201cYou\u2019ve got something worth a lot more.\u00a0 A good heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss \u201cAww\u2019d\u201d, chuckled and to Joe\u2019s annoyance ruffled his hair, so he had to brush it neat again.<\/p>\n Laughing, the brothers headed to the stairs.\u00a0 At the top, Joe stopped and caught his breath.\u00a0 From there, he saw the dining table laid out ready.\u00a0 A polished candelabra set in the center winked in the light reflected from its candles, flanked on either side by flowers arranged in low standing vases.\u00a0 The crystal glasses sparkled and the cutlery that Hop Sing spent hours polishing shone like jewels.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at that,\u201d Joe breathed.<\/p>\n Hoss glanced from his brother\u2019s face to his father, and they both shared a private smile at Joe\u2019s delight.<\/p>\n \u201cI must go and thank Hop Sing.\u00a0 Hey, where\u2019s Adam?\u00a0 They\u2019ll be here any minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll fetch him,\u201d Hoss told the retreating form.<\/p>\n Hoss stuck his head around Adam\u2019s door.\u00a0 \u201cYou ready?\u00a0 They\u2019ll be here-\u201d\u00a0 He broke off seeing his brother seated at his desk still in the clothes he\u2019d worn that morning.\u00a0 In front of him were spread a pile of newspaper cuttings.\u00a0 He turned as Hoss entered, showing his brother a haggard, drawn countenance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s goin\u2019 on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s worse than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is?\u00a0 You better hurry Adam, they\u2019re gonna be here any moment and you ain\u2019t even dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going down to dinner.\u00a0 I can\u2019t sit making polite conversation with that man.\u201d<\/p>\n A frown descended on Hoss\u2019 face.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t believe Adam would be that selfish.\u00a0 \u201cNow jest a minute.\u00a0 Our younger brother\u2019s down there \u2018bout as excited as any man can be.\u00a0 Whatever\u2019s in those papers \u2013 well, it\u2019ll hav\u2019ta wait. \u00a0Tonight\u2019s fer Lil\u2019l Joe.\u00a0 You gotta do this fer him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss towered over his older brother.\u00a0 Adam could be mighty stubborn, and he was prepared for a fight.\u00a0 He\u2019d drag Adam downstairs if necessary because there was no way he was letting Little Joe down.\u00a0 Fortunately, it didn\u2019t come to that.<\/p>\n Adam nodded, \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get changed.\u201d<\/p>\n As Adam was finishing, he heard the buggy with their guests drive up.\u00a0 He left his room to head downstairs, but not before he picked up one of the newspaper clippings and slipped it into the inside pocket of his dress jacket.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n The evening began like a marvellous dream for Joe.\u00a0 Mary Ann looked stunning.\u00a0 Her dress of white silk was elegantly woven with a pattern of full-blown roses in blue, the plain white bodice and sleeves were finished with broad bands of blue embossed velvet around her d\u00e9colletage.\u00a0 Her hair, she wore up, dressed with lappets of blue and gold ribbon.\u00a0 She took Joe\u2019s breath away.<\/p>\n The dinner started well.\u00a0 Hop Sing had excelled himself with the food, Judge Avery and Mary Ann were lavish with their compliments, and if Adam was unusually quiet, Joe didn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n At the head of the table, sat Ben, on Ben\u2019s right was Judge Avery and then Joe, who sat in between her father and Mary Ann.\u00a0 Opposite were Hoss and then Adam.\u00a0 At the last moment, Adam had foregone his usual seat, next to Ben, and sat facing Mary Ann.<\/p>\n Over the main course, Judge Avery deftly turned the conversation to his Governorship and Ben\u2019s endorsement.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time we put a stop to these patronage appointees from Washington. \u00a0We need a Governor who lives in the territory and has invested here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s rich voice drawled, \u201cWould you call someone who\u2019s lived in Utah for just a year invested?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe bristled at the challenge in the question. \u00a0Avery laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my case, yes.\u00a0 A man like myself who\u2019s chosen to move to this fine territory.\u00a0 To put down roots and look to its future.\u00a0 A man-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry to interrupt your speech Judge, but just why did you leave Texas?\u201d<\/p>\n His smile lost its warmth at the interruption.\u00a0 \u201cI told you, I wanted to help create a future for Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally, so it had nothing to do with the Martinez family?\u201d<\/p>\n Getting anxious, Joe broke in.\u00a0 \u201cAdam? \u201d<\/p>\n Flicking his eyes briefly at his brother, Adam snapped, \u201cJudge Avery wants to be a politician Joe.\u00a0 He needs to get used to answering questions.\u201d\u00a0 From his jacket pocket, Adam pulled out the newspaper clipping he\u2019d slipped there.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Martinez and his family, you\u2019ve heard of them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMartinez?\u00a0 No, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m familiar with that name.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam waved the clipping in front of him.\u00a0 Mesmerized, Judge Avery\u2019s eyes moved with it as it flapped back and forth.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not?\u00a0 Yet it was a big case for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben frowned at his eldest and wondered what was in that piece he was wielding like a weapon. \u00a0He could see Adam was mad, the brittle edge to his voice betrayed the emotion he was struggling to check, he hadn\u2019t seen him like this since Joe was almost beaten to death by John Reagan.<\/p>\n Ben was right.\u00a0 Adam was angry.\u00a0 The package he\u2019d received from his friend appalled him.\u00a0 The man sitting before him was a fraud and more.\u00a0 Taking them for fools by trying to hoodwink them with his deceptive front.\u00a0 Worse than that was their calculated use of Joe. \u00a0For that, Adam\u2019s fury burned white-hot because Joe was still just a kid.\u00a0 A kid they were using to win over their father.\u00a0 Why else would Mary Ann single him out, except to use his inexperience against him?\u00a0 Joe was tough, but when it came to his heart, he was vulnerable.<\/p>\n Adam continued his pursuit.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t remember Mr. Martinez, perhaps you\u2019ll remember the other name in the case.\u00a0 You did rule in his favor \u2013 Lawson.\u201d<\/p>\n Avery bowed his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cAh yes, I remember now.\u00a0 A rather sad, difficult case.\u201d\u00a0 Turning to Ben, he explained, \u201cMr. Lawson had laid claim to land around El Paso, and Senor \u2026 Martinez, did you say? \u00a0Yes, Senor Martinez asserted rights to it.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I had to rule against him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Martinez had farmed that land for over sixty years.\u00a0 Who had more right to it than they did?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is true, but this was a complicated legal matter.\u00a0 Their claim was made under Mexican rule.\u00a0 Mr. Lawson\u2019s claim had been legally registered under American law.\u00a0 I had no choice but to rule in Lawson\u2019s favor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo protected their property rights.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge\u2019s smile turned indulgent. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re mistaken.\u00a0 Parts of that treaty were not upheld by the Senate, and it does not give any guarantee of property rights.\u00a0 I defended the rights of an American Citizen, whose claim was properly filed under US law.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you understand, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Ben could answer, Adam jumped in.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure anyone can understand how it\u2019s right to take away land that\u2019s belonged to a family for three generations, and there have been cases where the Hidalgo Treaty was<\/em> upheld.\u201d<\/p>\n His dismay growing, Joe turned to Mary Ann as she put her hand on his shoulder and whispered, \u201cMust we talk about this?\u201d<\/p>\n Immediately, he responded to her wish.\u00a0 \u201cNo, of course not.\u00a0 Look, Adam, let\u2019s drop this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is too important to stop talking about just because Miss Avery doesn\u2019t care for the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, what is so important?\u00a0 What is that anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA clipping from an article a reporter friend of mine wrote and sent me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would he do that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI asked him for information on Judge Avery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u00a0 You went behind my back?\u201d<\/p>\n Trying to stem the brewing storm, Ben told him, \u201cJoseph, I asked Adam to write.\u00a0 Judge Avery is asking a great deal.\u00a0 To assist a man to become governor is a great responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe both know you wouldn\u2019t\u2019ve thought of that, Pa if it wasn\u2019t for Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t deny it was my idea.\u00a0 I believed we should find out more.\u00a0 You would too if you weren\u2019t so blind.\u00a0 Wake up, Joe.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you see she\u2019s not interested in you?\u00a0 They\u2019re just using you to get at Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe erupted straight at Adam.\u00a0 Glasses fell as the table lurched.\u00a0 Pushing back, Adam just avoided his brother\u2019s grasping fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u00a0 Sit down!\u00a0 This is no way to behave in front of guests.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe remained standing, glaring at his brother.<\/p>\n Adam got up and threw down his napkin.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse me. \u00a0I\u2019ll retire to my room.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe came around the end of the table as Adam walked passed. \u00a0Abruptly, he halted at Joe\u2019s next word.<\/p>\n \u201cApologize.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stopped.\u00a0 Drawing himself up, he turned slowly back to face his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m telling the truth.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s time you stopped letting yourself be blinded by a pretty face.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes flashed.\u00a0 \u201cThe truth?\u00a0 The truth is you\u2019re jealous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t push me, Little Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t have looked any more dangerous if he\u2019d been wearing a gun.\u00a0 Joe didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 Fury stoked his words.\u00a0 \u201cAs you once told me, Brother<\/em>.\u00a0 Any time you\u2019re ready, you can forget all about us being kin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u00a0 That\u2019s enough!\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring their father, the two brothers locked eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m right, aren\u2019t I?\u00a0 You are jealous.\u00a0 You never liked that Mary Ann wasn\u2019t interested in you.\u00a0 You can\u2019t stand the fact that she prefers me over-\u201d<\/p>\n Usually a man of reason, Adam heard his brother\u2019s words and let the red mist descend.\u00a0 Charging Joe, he lifted him bodily and slammed him down onto the table behind.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s roar was drowned out by the crash of his youngest hitting the tabletop, sending the beautifully laid tableware flying.\u00a0 Joe responded by kicking and thrashing.\u00a0 The sound of smashing crystal and china filled the room.<\/p>\n Ben flew out of his chair and ran around the table, yelling at Hoss to grab Adam.\u00a0 Hoss pulled Adam off, and Ben caught Joe, who tried to dive at his oldest brother.\u00a0 Ben could feel the tautness of Joe\u2019s muscles as he bucked and strained against him.<\/p>\n \u201cStop this both of you!\u00a0 I will not have fighting in the house!\u201d<\/p>\n Pulling himself together, Adam glared at Hoss who released him.\u00a0 Adam told the room tersely, \u201cExcuse me.\u201d\u00a0 With a twitch of his jacket, he went up to his room.<\/p>\n Once Adam was out of sight, Ben let Joe go.<\/p>\n Mortified, Joe turned to the Avery\u2019s. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Can I at least escort you home?\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann smiled.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, Little Joe, that will be very thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n While Joe fetched their guests\u2019 coats, Hoss, who wanted to be anywhere else but standing awkwardly in the room with them, disappeared to saddle Cochise for his brother.<\/p>\n Ben saw his guests to their buggy and apologized again for the disruption.<\/p>\n His jaw tight and shoulders rigid, Joe told him, \u201cI\u2019m going to stay in Virginia City tonight.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get a room at The International.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben heard the anger in his son\u2019s voice.\u00a0 Knowing how important this night was to him, he couldn\u2019t blame him.\u00a0 \u201cAll right, Son.\u00a0 I\u2019ll speak to you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n After watching them ride away, Ben walked back into the house and sat down at the table and surveyed the chaos before him.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Ben sighed and reached down to pick up a piece of broken plate.\u00a0 At least Hop Sing had used the plates Ben had bought for special occasions and not the set for everyday use.\u00a0 Those had been picked out by Joe\u2019s mother.\u00a0 To have them broken would\u2019ve been a terrible loss.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll help you clear that up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked up and smiled at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, I\u2019m sure something can be salvaged.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetching a bucket and broom from the kitchen, the cleanup began.\u00a0 After a while, Hoss said, \u201cThat information Adam received from his reporter friend.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t good.\u00a0 I can understand why he were so upset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss swallowed, hearing the disapproval in his father\u2019s tone.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, can\u2019t really blame him for losing his temper like that.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing the look Ben gave him, he rushed on.\u00a0 \u201cNot that he ain\u2019t real sorry he made a scene, coz he is Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n Other than giving his middle son a withering look, Ben carried on picking up the debris.\u00a0 He recognized this tactic.\u00a0 One son smoothing the water for the other.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t fooling him.\u00a0 He wondered how soon it would be before Adam appeared.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I wanted to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n Straightening up, Ben caught the, \u2018I\u2019ve-done-my-best\u2019 <\/em>look that passed between the two.\u00a0 No, they weren\u2019t fooling him.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, could you give Adam and me a moment alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I\u2019ll take this mess out an\u2019 get rid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben went to his chair and sat down and waited for Adam to do the same.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what came over me.\u00a0 When I read what Edward had sent me\u2026 \u00a0it\u2019s terrible, but that\u2019s no excuse.<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s eyes rested on the packet in Adam\u2019s hands.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n Handed the package, Ben began to sift through the clippings.\u00a0 Adam watched his father, trying to read every frown and twitch.\u00a0 When he got to the last article, Adam found his task easier, there was no mistaking the grim look on Ben’s face.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was the one you mentioned, about the Martinez family?\u201d\u00a0 Adam gave Ben a nod in response.\u00a0 Ben closed the package.\u00a0 \u201cHow reliable is your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery, he\u2019s a passionate man who\u2019s keen to expose corruption, and unlike our friend, Clemens, he believes in only publishing the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben grunted.\u00a0 The memory of the \u2018Ponderosa Wild Man\u2019 still horribly fresh in his mind, his opinion of reporters was not high, but he trusted Adam.<\/p>\n Adam pointed to the clippings.\u00a0 \u201cLittle Joe needs to see these.\u00a0 He has to know before this thing with Mary Ann goes any further.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be back in the morning, you can show him then.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s eyes dropped to his hands. \u00a0\u201cActually, I thought I might take a trip up to the high pasture.\u00a0 The line shack up there needs some work.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been putting it off.\u00a0 Now would be a good time to do it.\u00a0 Give Little Joe the chance to cool down.\u00a0 I\u2019m guessing I\u2019m the last person he wants to see right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s upset.\u00a0 Those things he said about you two forgetting you\u2019re brothers.\u00a0 I know you\u2019d never say that to him\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Ben trailed off, seeing Adam\u2019s rueful expression. \u00a0\u201cAdam, you didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was that day Joe was to bring the thousand head down to the bottomland, and we had that fight in the house.\u00a0 He\u2019d been sassing and bucking me for days, and when I came in and found him wasting time playing with that \u00e9p\u00e9e \u2013 well, I just had enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, to tell him to forget you\u2019re kin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Pa, I know!\u00a0 I lost my temper and said the worst thing I could think of.\u00a0 I\u2019m not proud of it.\u201d\u00a0 Adam leapt up and went to stand behind his chair.\u00a0 Leaning against the back, he added, \u201cAnyway, things have been strained between us since that business with Frederick Kyle and now Mary Ann.\u00a0 Maybe, more was churned up than I realized.\u00a0 Guess Little Joe\u2019s just returning the favor.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s eyes dropped to the last newspaper clipping.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll take this hard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what about Avery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll get no endorsement from me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, I think we need to-\u201d<\/p>\n Adam was interrupted by a yelp of, \u201cHop Sing!\u201d from his middle brother.\u00a0 Coming around the corner from the kitchen, a frantic Hoss trailed a determined Hop Sing, bag in hand, heading for the door.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, don\u2019t leave!\u201d<\/p>\n Exchanging dismayed looks Adam and Ben rushed over.<\/p>\n \u201cHop Sing, what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI leave.\u00a0 Go back China.\u00a0 I no stay.\u00a0 I make lovely table.\u00a0 Cook lovely food and this what happen.\u00a0 All this mess and no one eat dessert!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss, standing in front of the little man, pleaded, \u201cI\u2019ll eat your dessert Hop Sing.\u00a0 I\u2019ll eat it right now.\u00a0 Just don\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe all will, and don\u2019t worry about the mess.\u00a0 It\u2019s my fault, and I\u2019ll clear it up.\u00a0 I\u2019m very sorry it happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding in agreement, Ben begged, \u201cPlease stay.\u00a0 What would we do without you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sings dark eyes darted to each man.\u00a0 Stabbing at their chests with his finger, he snapped, \u201cDessert wait till tomorrow.\u00a0 You clean up mess tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n Turning, he marched back to his room, leaving the three men to heave a collective sigh of relief.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Little Joe walked through the door just as Ben came down the stairs for breakfast.\u00a0 This came as a considerable surprise, usually, his youngest was the last up, he must\u2019ve got up very early to arrive back at this hour.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re back early,\u201d he greeted.<\/p>\n Joe gave him a black look. \u00a0\u201cIs Adam about?\u201d<\/p>\n Choosing to ignore Joe\u2019s just shy of belligerent tone, Ben told him, \u201cNo, he\u2019s still in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, coz I don\u2019t wanna see him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, just a minute- \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa.\u00a0 He embarrassed the judge and hurt Mary Ann\u2019s feelings.\u00a0 He ruined everything.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t talk to the judge after what happened.\u00a0 I don\u2019t wanna see Adam, and I\u2019m gonna move into town until I\u2019ve sorted this out with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Ben could say a word, Joe darted up the stairs.\u00a0 He was back down in less than ten minutes.\u00a0 Changed out of the dress suit he\u2019d still been wearing, he had his saddlebags slung over one shoulder.<\/p>\n Ben clenched his jaw.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t about to let Joe leave without talking to him.\u00a0 \u201cBefore you go, you need to see what this is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not interested!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t raise your voice to me.\u201d<\/p>\n The green eyes dropped before his father\u2019s censorious dark ones.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome over here and sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n This wasn\u2019t a request, and Joe meekly followed, lowering himself down in the chair by his father\u2019s desk.\u00a0 Ben took out the packet and dropped it in front of his son.\u00a0 Leaving him to it, he returned to the dining table to pour himself some coffee.<\/p>\n Despite his insistence otherwise, Joe desperately wanted to see the clipping. \u00a0But dread tightened his gut. \u00a0Steeling himself, he reached forward.<\/p>\n Taking a cup of coffee over to Joe, Ben set it down in front of him before returning to the table to drink his.\u00a0 He could hear Hop Sing clattering about in the kitchen preparing breakfast but let these familiar sounds drift into the background as he kept his eyes on his youngest and wondered what was going through his mind.<\/p>\n When Joe had finished, he pushed the packet away, his eyes blank as he continued to stare at the papers.\u00a0 With a jerk, he rose from the chair.\u00a0 Hooking his thumbs into the back of his trousers, he wandered to the fireplace.\u00a0 What he’d read revolted him.\u00a0 The principles he\u2019d been raised with were in direct opposition to the actions of the man who was the father of the woman he loved.\u00a0 Mary Ann, God, what would she do when she found out?<\/em>\u00a0 A feeling of cold panic washed over him.\u00a0 What could he do?\u00a0 Did he even have the right to reveal her father\u2019s transgressions to her?<\/p>\n Ben sat down in the overstuffed red chair next to Joe.\u00a0 He could see the muscles in his son\u2019s cheek and jaw working.<\/p>\n Ben heard the strain in Joe\u2019s husky words, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t change anything.\u00a0 I love Mary Ann.\u00a0 Even if all that is true\u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam assures me his friend is a good reporter and only interested in printing the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s head snapped \u2018round to face Ben.\u00a0 His eyes burned bright from the emotion welling through him.\u00a0 \u201cI love her,<\/em> not her father.\u00a0 She probably doesn\u2019t know anything about this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible, but he is<\/em> her father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what?\u00a0 I don\u2019t care.\u00a0 I love her, and I mean to marry her.\u201d<\/p>\n Rushing to the desk, Joe snatched up the offending article and with fingers that shook folded it and stuffed it into the inside pocket of his jacket.<\/p>\n Ben got up.\u00a0 He watched Joe buckle on his gun belt.\u00a0 The unhappiness in his son\u2019s face tore at his heart.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to talk to them.\u00a0 But, even if it\u2019s true, I can\u2019t discard Mary Ann because of her father.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to marry her.\u201d<\/p>\n On these last desperate words, Joe dashed out the door.\u00a0 Moments later, Ben heard the pounding of hooves taking his son away from him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s determined, then?\u201d<\/p>\n Startled, Ben turned.\u00a0 His eldest stood at the top of the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cYou heard?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Did he take the newspaper clipping?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s going to show it to the judge.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips as he took his seat at the table.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather he hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 I was going to take it to Dan and see if he would investigate and publish his own story.\u00a0 The more who know about this, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf it helps to keep Avery out of the Governor\u2019s office, then I agree.\u00a0 Does seeing Dan mean you\u2019ve changed your mind about going?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cut a look up to his father. \u00a0\u201cNo.\u00a0 I\u2019m making the right decision to go up to the line shack.\u00a0 I can\u2019t stay around here and watch Little Joe throw his life away on that girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that fair?\u00a0 After all, he\u2019ll be marrying Mary Ann, not her father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh c\u2019mon, Pa.\u00a0 Those two are thick as thieves and haven\u2019t you told me often enough that taking a wife is more than taking a woman, you\u2019ve got to consider her family. \u00a0If Joe marries her, he\u2019ll never get away from them and being around those two- it\u2019ll destroy him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben fought the heaviness in his own heart, as he replied, \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re giving Little Joe enough credit.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paused.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe not.\u00a0 I hope not.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Tumultuous thoughts battered Joe on his ride into Virginia City.\u00a0 He imagined one scenario after another to justify the judge\u2019s actions only to pick them apart.\u00a0\u00a0 Never had the ride appeared so long, or so short.<\/p>\n Tying Cochise up at the rail outside of the Palace Hotel, Joe went in.\u00a0 When he reached the judge\u2019s suite, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves.\u00a0 Then he knocked and knocked again.\u00a0 The door was opened by Judge Avery\u2019s forbidding servant, who peered down his long nose, disapproval all over his face.<\/p>\n \u201cIs the judge in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe judge is at breakfast, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe pushed his way in.\u00a0 \u201cI need to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n At the table by the window sat the father and daughter enjoying breakfast.\u00a0 Joe could see they were still in their dressing gowns.\u00a0 Awkwardly, he yanked off his hat as the inappropriateness of barging in struck home.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, what brings you here so early?\u00a0\u00a0 I thought we were to meet later?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to speak to your father.\u201d<\/p>\n Dismissing his manservant, Judge Avery invited Joe to sit down.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like a cup of coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, thank you, Sir.\u201d\u00a0 Joe fumbled in his jacket and brought out the clipping.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve come about this.\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann\u2019s eyebrows rose.\u00a0 \u201cReally, this again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important.\u00a0 Could we speak privately, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no secrets from my daughter,\u201d the judge told him as he took the clipping and began to read.\u00a0 When he finished, he dismissed, \u201cI explained this last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut in the article, it says\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Joe\u2019s eyes flickered to Mary Ann, wishing with all his heart she wasn\u2019t here.\u00a0 To inflict the horrible details on her was the last thing he wanted. \u00a0\u201cThe whole family was killed when that man, Lawson went to evict them.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge tapped the piece of paper on the table.\u00a0 \u201cThey were served with a legal warrant of eviction.\u00a0 They chose to ignore it and took arms against Lawson and his men.”<\/p>\n “But the article says their house was burned down.\u00a0 There were women and children in the house.\u201d\u00a0 Joe broke off and looked down at his white knuckled hands, clutching his hat.\u00a0 \u201cSir, it says you refused to allow charges to be brought against Lawson and his men for the killings.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge tossed the paper onto the table and snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOf course not.\u00a0 I told you.\u00a0 Senor Martinez ignored the eviction notice and threatened the men who served it, and I wasn\u2019t about to take an American into court for removing Mexican squatters from his land?\u00a0 There were no charges to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n The real nature of the judge crystalized before Joe.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like it. \u00a0His chest tightened in anguish for Mary Ann, and how she must be feeling, learning her father was capable of this.\u00a0 \u201cI see.\u00a0 Could I speak privately to Mary Ann, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Glancing at his daughter, she gave a slight nod.\u00a0 \u201cCertainly, I\u2019ll be in my room.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned to Mary Ann and took her soft white hands in his.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry you had to hear that.\u00a0 It must be a shock.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe killings \u2026 the children?\u00a0 To know your father did nothing?\u00a0 Worse than that, to find out that he prevented the men responsible being brought to justice?\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann got up and walked into the middle of the room.\u00a0 \u201cFather just explained the circumstances to you.\u00a0 What was he supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n Fretful, he followed her.\u00a0 She obviously didn\u2019t understand what she\u2019d just heard.\u00a0 \u201cMary Ann, the children were only ten and seven.\u00a0 How could their deaths not be a crime?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe saw the baffled look on her face.\u00a0 A cold fear bloomed in his gut.<\/p>\n Taking a seat on the sofa, Mary Ann invited him to join her.<\/p>\n Smiling, she asked, \u201cI understand that you had some trouble only recently with a land claim?\u201d<\/p>\n Taken aback by this change of subject, Joe replied, \u201cYes, a woman claimed to be an heiress to an old Spanish land grant.\u00a0 It turned out to be false.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow fortunate, but it must\u2019ve been a distressing time for your father, for you all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, under the claim, we could\u2019ve lost half the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe found his hand grasped as she fervently told him, \u201cImagine the difference, if your father had a friend, such as mine, judging the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stiffened.\u00a0 The cold feeling grew.\u00a0 \u201cIs that what your father is, a friend?\u00a0 To people like this Lawson, and who else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFather supports those friends who support him.\u00a0 Mr. Lawson was an American; naturally, Father would uphold him over Mexicans.\u201d\u00a0 The feeling in his stomach began to press, making him feel sick.\u00a0 Desperately he clung to the vision he\u2019d created for the woman before him, but reality cut it down.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate about the children, but surely you understand Father\u2019s position?\u201d<\/p>\n Unable to bear her touch, Joe removed his hand and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t.\u00a0 Pa taught us that everyone deserves to be treated the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann raised an eyebrow, the warmth in her voice vanished like his dreams. \u00a0\u201cI took you for many things Little Joe, but not na\u00efve.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf believing the law should be upheld for all, I\u2019ll gladly be na\u00efve.\u00a0 If that\u2019s how your father thinks, I don\u2019t want him as Governor, and neither will my pa.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at her beautiful face.\u00a0 From the beginning, she\u2019d made him giddy, breathless; as if he couldn\u2019t get enough air.\u00a0 Her beauty bathed him in sunshine so bright he\u2019d seen nothing else.\u00a0 Now the sun had gone in, and he wondered how he\u2019d ever found her attractive.\u00a0 \u201cGoodbye, Mary Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n Mary Ann called after him.\u00a0 \u201cMy father could be a good friend to the Cartwright\u2019s, but he\u2019d make a powerful enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n Halted in the doorway, Joe grew rigid at her words. \u00a0Without a backward glance, he left the room.<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Licking his lips in anticipation for the cold beer he was about to enjoy, Hoss entered the Bucket of Blood.<\/p>\n With Adam gone to the line shack and Joe in Virginia City with his girl, it had been left to Hoss to come in after lunch and collect the supplies.\u00a0 The saloon was lively; filled with miners, just come off shift, cowboys and all the other myriad of drifters that a boomtown attracts.\u00a0 Leaning back against the bar, Hoss relaxed, letting his eyes wander around the room.\u00a0 Then he spotted the lone figure at the back.<\/p>\n The enjoyment of his beer turned sour in his mouth as he recognized his younger brother.\u00a0 His stomach dropped to his boots. \u00a0The line of empty beer glasses told Hoss a lot.\u00a0 That Joe had moved onto whiskey told him it was big trouble.<\/p>\n Hoss eased himself into the chair beside Joe.\u00a0 \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Even befuddled from the drink, Hoss could see the pain in his brother\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cShe knew H \u2026 Hoss.\u00a0 She knew an\u2019 \u2026 an\u2019 she didn\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe poured himself another whiskey, unaware he slopped most onto the table.<\/p>\n Hoss got up and patted Joe\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon Lil\u2019l Brother, I think we oughta get you home.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged the hand away sharply.\u00a0 \u201cLeave me be.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t goin\u2019 nowhere coz I ain\u2019t \u2026 finished my drink.\u201d\u00a0 Picking up his whiskey, he tried to pour another.\u00a0 When nothing came out, he held it too his face, squinting to see the contents.\u00a0 \u201cI need \u2026 another bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 mouth set in a grim line and he took firm hold of Joe around his chest.\u00a0 \u201cOh no, you don\u2019t.\u00a0 You\u2019re comin\u2019 home right now.\u201d<\/p>\n His brother\u2019s shouting and feeble struggles were no match for Hoss.\u00a0 Picking Joe up, he flung him over his shoulder and carried him out of the saloon.\u00a0 Having figured by now that Joe was in no condition to ride his horse, he dumped him into the back of the buckboard.\u00a0 Joe lay there and moaned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Cochise?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDagnabbit Lil\u2019l Joe.\u00a0 Where\u2019s your horse?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Cochise.\u00a0 I \u2026 I tied him in front of the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss looked around at the hitching post outside The International.\u00a0 Seeing nothing, he squinted as he looked down the far end of the street to The Palace and spotted the distinctive black and white of Cochise.\u00a0 Climbing in the buckboard, he geed up the horses and trundled down to collect him.<\/p>\n The ride home was silent punctuated only by groans and moans from his passenger.\u00a0 After about an hour clattering about in the back, Joe went very quiet.\u00a0 Hoss prepared himself.\u00a0 Sure enough, he heard the plaintive plea to stop.\u00a0 He hauled the team to a halt and helped Joe out so he could complete the inevitable.\u00a0 When Joe had finished, Hoss handed him a canteen.<\/p>\n \u201cFeeling better?\u201d<\/p>\n His pathetic looks and pale and clammy skin didn\u2019t bode well, but Joe took the canteen gratefully and, after swilling out his mouth, took a drink.\u00a0 \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou up to riding upfront?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe ran a shaky hand over his eyes. \u00a0\u201cGuess so.\u201d<\/p>\n Riding up front was one thing, getting up there was another.\u00a0 After pushing his brother up and getting a boot in his face for his trouble, Hoss shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBoy, Pa sure ain\u2019t gonna be happy when he sees you.\u201d<\/p>\n His head now in his hands, Joe made a sound like a whimper.\u00a0 Hoss gave him a disgusted look and got the team moving again.<\/p>\n To Hoss\u2019 surprise, his father said very little when they arrived home.\u00a0 Other than asking Little Joe if he needed anything, he let Hoss take him upstairs and put him to bed.<\/p>\n When Hoss came back down, his pa was waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI dunno.\u00a0 All he told me was, \u2018She knew\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben grunted.\u00a0 \u201cHow much did he have to drink?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss pursed his lips, he wasn\u2019t keen on the role of tattle-tale.\u00a0 \u201cAww, a few beers and a bottle of whiskey.\u00a0 Although he spilled most of that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess everything is off between them?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe looked plumb miserable when I found him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben drew in a loud breath.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s young, he\u2019ll get over it.\u00a0 Certainly, easier than he would if he\u2019d married the girl.\u00a0 We can be thankful for that at least.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s appearance at supper was not pretty.\u00a0 They could see he\u2019d attempted to wash up; however, he looked green around the gills and from the way he winced at the slightest movement, had a headache.<\/p>\n Ben didn\u2019t approve of running away from troubles using alcohol, but Joe had been in love.\u00a0 He\u2019d spent weeks putting Mary Ann on a pedestal and whatever truth he\u2019d discovered must\u2019ve been hard.\u00a0 Still, he wasn\u2019t going to go that easy on him.<\/p>\n Moving the dish of fried chicken in front of him, he commented heartily, \u201cGlad to see you\u2019re looking better.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe flinched at the volume of his father\u2019s voice and visibly blanched at the chicken, which he quickly passed to Hoss.<\/p>\n Grinning, Hoss teased.\u00a0 \u201cAin\u2019t you hungry Lil\u2019l Brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Swallowing hard, Joe shook his head.\u00a0 With an unsteady hand, he poured himself some water. \u00a0As he took a sip, Hoss tore apart a piece of chicken.<\/p>\n \u201cChicken\u2019s real<\/em> good.\u00a0 You sure you don\u2019t want some?\u201d<\/p>\n Seeing the nauseous look that swept Joe\u2019s face, Ben took pity on him.\u00a0 \u201cI think it best if you go back to bed.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have Hop Sing bring you up some soup or something else easy on your stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n The grateful smile he got in return, as Joe mumbled, \u201cThanks, Pa,\u201d warmed Ben\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n At breakfast, Joe appeared better, but still quiet and depressed.\u00a0 On being told that Adam had gone up to the line shack, he played with his eggs for a moment before asking, \u201cHe went because of me, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe thought it best to give you two some space, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be back in a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded but stopped eating and soon laid down his napkin and asked to be excused.<\/p>\n Watching him go Hoss\u2019 clear blue eyes darkened.\u00a0 He thumped down his napkin in frustration.\u00a0 \u201cI jest wish he\u2019d talk to us.\u00a0 Why does he always have to churn things around inside like that?\u00a0 Dadburned \u2018ornery cuss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but it\u2019s his way, and you know he always talks in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe worked like a fiend all morning.\u00a0 Sweating out the last of his hangover and, Hoss reckoned, whatever other demons were haunting him.\u00a0 He was ready to talk by the time they\u2019d finished lunch.<\/p>\n Once he told them what had happened with the Avery\u2019s, Joe added, \u201cI told them you wouldn\u2019t support him, Pa.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, I had no right to speak for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did the right thing.\u00a0 Nothing would make me endorse that man for Governor now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do people like that get to be judges anyhow?\u00a0 That\u2019s what I don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 It jest ain\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo Hoss, it isn\u2019t, and it\u2019s up to us to keep men like Avery out of office.\u201d\u00a0 Ben\u2019s eyes never wavered from the top of Joe\u2019s ducked head.\u00a0 What he\u2019d told them about Mary Ann had been brief.\u00a0 Ben could only guess at the pain he\u2019d felt and the depth of the wound she\u2019d inflicted.\u00a0 Gently, he added, \u201cI\u2019m sorry about Mary Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite getting the meeting with Mary Ann off his chest, Joe\u2019s mood didn\u2019t lift.\u00a0 Ben and Hoss exchanged shrewd looks.\u00a0 There could be only one thing he was brooding over – Adam.<\/p>\n After an afternoon of working with a downhearted brother, Hoss nudged him with his shoulder and demanded, \u201cWhy don\u2019tcha go up to the line shack and speak to him?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe watched Hoss straddle the fence and take a long swig from his canteen.\u00a0 Sometimes, he didn\u2019t know whether to be irritated or pleased that his family read him so easily.\u00a0 Kicking the ground with the toe of his boot, he grumped, \u201cI dunno Hoss.\u00a0 He was right an\u2019 I was wrong.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be blaming me for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLil\u2019l Joe, you know Older Brother better \u2018n that.\u00a0 The only thing he\u2019ll be doin\u2019 sittin\u2019 up there is thinkin\u2019 up ways to blame hisself.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe hopped up next to him.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess that Yankee granite head would be doing that.\u201d \u00a0Joe sighed.\u00a0 Adam might be bossy, obstinate and argumentative, but he always had his back.<\/p>\n With infinite patience, Hoss eyed his brother and waited.\u00a0 Younger Brother always got there in the end.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess I\u2019ve been kinda dumb, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly kinda,\u201d snickered Hoss, giving Joe a shove that sent him flying backwards with a yelp.<\/p>\n Joe was still thinking about what to do after supper when Ben joined him on the porch.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss tells me you\u2019re going up to see Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought about it, but I dunno.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s stopping you, Son? \u00a0Pride?\u00a0 I know it\u2019s hard for a man to admit he made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sat down on the edge of the porch, where his father joined him.\u00a0 Bowing his head, he thought back to his last meeting with Mary Ann.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen she said those things to me, it was like looking at another woman.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I really saw her until then.\u00a0 From the moment she arrived, I created this illusion around her.\u201d\u00a0 He broke off.\u00a0 Every time he thought of his behavior with Mary Ann, his stomach tied itself in knots.\u00a0 After a moment, he admitted, \u201cI\u2019ve been a fool, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe, but no more than many men before you, and probably many after you.\u00a0 The question is, are you gonna let it come between you and your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took a breath and made up his mind.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll ride out tomorrow if that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n His father\u2019s reassuring arm slipped around his shoulder, drawing him close to the man he looked up to most.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n Adam paused in his chopping when he spotted the rider approaching.\u00a0 Lifting his hat to shield his eyes from the sun, he made out the black and white of the horse coming his way.\u00a0 Joe<\/em>.<\/p>\n A brief smile crossed his face.\u00a0 When his brother\u2019s horse reached the shack, he didn\u2019t stop working. \u00a0Joe didn\u2019t call a greeting, and neither did he.\u00a0 After a couple of minutes, his brother appeared at the other end of the tree trunk he was stripping.\u00a0 Joe had removed his hat and jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves.\u00a0 Axe in hand, he began chopping away the branches.<\/p>\n Silently they worked together.\u00a0 The only sound the thud of axes striking wood.\u00a0 After about half an hour, Adam stopped, removed his kerchief from his pocket and wiped his brow.\u00a0 Walking over to where he\u2019d left his canteen, he picked it up and took a drink, then offered it to Joe.\u00a0 Taking a long gulp, Joe handed it back.\u00a0 Now was the time for talk.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t mean any of those things I said to you.\u00a0 I know you weren\u2019t jealous of Mary Ann.\u00a0 I said it to be mean an\u2019 I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I talked to the judge.\u00a0 You were right about him.\u201d \u00a0Joe hesitated, \u201cand Mary Ann, she knew all about it too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be, you were right.\u00a0 I guess I was blinded by a pretty face.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gazed at his younger brother.\u00a0 The kid had grit.\u00a0 Although Adam knew he\u2019d been right in revealing Mary Ann\u2019s true nature to Joe, it had been brutal.\u00a0 Adam was proud of his youngest brother for handling it so well.\u00a0 He reached over and tousled his Joe\u2019s hair.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a mighty pretty face.\u00a0 Just a pity there was nothing behind it.\u201d\u00a0 Adam sat down on the trunk.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I owe you an apology too.\u201d<\/p>\n Joining his brother on the felled tree, Joe waited.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t often Adam talked about apologizing.<\/p>\n \u201cI never should\u2019ve said that to you about forgetting we\u2019re kin.\u00a0 I lost my temper that day and said the worst thing I could think off.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, as the oldest I should know better.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe exhaled, the wind knocked out of him.\u00a0 The realization of how those words had stuck like a thorn, painful and irritating to the touch, hadn\u2019t hit him until he\u2019d hurled them back at his brother.\u00a0 He\u2019d regretted it.\u00a0 Not immediately, of course, his anger at Adam\u2019s behavior during that disastrous dinner had prevented that – but in the end.\u00a0 Now, here was Adam admitting he was wrong, something that didn\u2019t come easy to him.\u00a0 A younger Joe might\u2019ve rubbed his nose in the apology, but he\u2019d grown up some.\u00a0 \u201cForget it, even older brothers can lose their temper.\u201c \u00a0He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cHoss would say we\u2019re just a couple of \u2018ornery bighorn rams buttin\u2019 heads.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed and slapped Joe on the shoulder. \u00a0\u201cI guess he\u2019s right.\u00a0 Let\u2019s put that energy to good use and get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n With an air of excitement, Adam walked in the door and handed Ben a copy of the Territorial Enterprise.\u00a0 \u201cTake a look.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfolding it, Ben eyebrows rose as he read.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJudge Thomas Avery has withdrawn his candidacy for Governor of Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHot diggity, ya mean it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSays here, he\u2019s withdrawn for personal reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, his resignation\u2019s nothing to do with the stories every paper in the territory\u2019s been running about him?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben chuckled at his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cSeems not.\u201c<\/p>\n Adam handed around glasses of brandy.\u00a0 \u201cI think this calls for a toast.\u201d\u00a0 Everyone held up their glass, waiting expectantly.\u00a0 \u201cTruth, will out.\u201d<\/p>\n Clinking glasses, they each drank.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author\u2019s note:<\/strong><\/p>\n The real Governor of Utah from April 12, 1858 to May 17, 1861, was Alfred Cumming (who replaced Brigham Young).\u00a0 Appointed by President James Buchanan, he was, as far as I\u2019m aware, a fine upstanding citizen and a good Governor.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Written for the 2019 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament<\/p>\n The suits were:\u00a0 Location of story (clubs); object desired or coveted (diamonds); person to be avoided (hearts); calamity (spades)<\/p>\n The words dealt were:<\/p>\n Adam <\/p>\n
\nRuined Dinner
\nNewspaper Clipping
\nJudge
\nJoker (Free pass)<\/p>\n