{"id":4210,"date":"2014-04-27T16:12:07","date_gmt":"2014-04-27T20:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4210"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:13:00","slug":"the-underground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4210","title":{"rendered":"The Underground (by ViveAdam)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Ben discovers that Adam dug an underground under the house. He forbids his sons to use it without his agreement but will he be obeyed?<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a07300<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Underground\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was early morning<\/strong> when Ben casually took his coffee and went to the window that looked out into the yard, but the sight that greeted him made him gasp and take a step back.<\/p>\n

Her ! Not her again ! She was followed by her devoted butler, Montague, who was carrying a huge parcel, obviously a painting.Why was she coming back ? Didn\u2019t she get married as the journals had announced ? Whatever the reason for her return, Ben couldn\u2019t bear the idea to see her again, neither her nor her awful paintings. How could he escape ? He had to escape. But no exit. Maybe the chimney ? She was dangerously approaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam !\u201d, he barked in despair.<\/p>\n

The latter rushed downstairs, his black shirt still unbuttoned : \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Pa ?\u201d, he asked, deep worry in his voice<\/p>\n

.\u201cThe Countess, Linda Chadwick, she\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bewildered, he put his hands on Adam shoulders and shook him : \u201cHelp me Adam, I don\u2019t want to see her again. It\u2019s unbearable. Make me disappear and when she\u2019ll ask after me, you\u2019ll say I\u2019m dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was equal to the situation. He didn\u2019t lose time in arguing. He could already hear the steps in the courtyard. He caught his Pa\u2019s hand and ran across the living room to the kitchen, jostled Hop-Sing and passed his finger on the wall behind the stove. Feeling the bump he was looking for, he pressed it. The stove revolved and let appear an opening on a stair getting down.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuick, Pa, this is the entrance of an underground I dug eight years ago when you were travelling to Mexico. It leads to an opening in the middle of the copse that stands a hundred yards behind the barn. See what I mean ? Hurry up, they\u2019ve been knocking at the door for about two minutes now.<\/p>\n

Effectively, they could hear violent banging on the door and Hoss\u2019 voice shouting : \u201cEasy, easy, I\u2019m coming\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t open, Hoss, don\u2019t open, wait for me\u201d, Adam screamed. And he pushed his father on the stairs.<\/p>\n

Ben took just a while to stare at his eldest son : \u201cGet rid of her, Adam, and as soon as she\u2019ll have left, we will have a talk about this underground.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as he saw Ben disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel, Adam pressed the bump and the stove was back in its usual place.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen the door, Hoss\u201d, he shouted and hastily buttoning his shirt, he headed to the living room. Joe had rejoined his brothers and Adam was shivering at the thought they could talk before him and make a blunder.<\/p>\n

The Countess entered, furious and glared at them ready to give them a ticking off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth were you so long to answer ! Are you deaf ?\u201d, she said in a tone that proved she hadn\u2019t been all her life a Countess. \u201cWhere\u2019s Ben ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gone away\u201d, Adam replied hurriedly. \u201cHe\u2019s travelling to Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss tried to take the floor and started shyly : \u201cBut Adam\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, over his brother\u2019s shoulder, gave Joe a meaningful glance. The latter stepped forward and walked on Hoss\u2019 foot, preventing him from finishing his sentence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you saying, Adam ?\u201d, Linda Chadwick asked, stunned, \u201cyour father is on his way to Ireland ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPositive. He left a week ago. He was longing to see you again, so, he decided he would go to you since you weren\u2019t coming to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linda Chadwick grinned.\u201cSo, he wanted to see me again. What a darling ! But\u201d, she added, feeling there was something strange in this piece of news, \u201chow did he learn I had broken with my fianc\u00e9 ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam opened his mouth without talking, in a customary attitude of his. He was thinking very quickly. \u201cThe widow !\u201d he squealed suddenly, \u201cMrs Hawkins, you wrote her, don\u2019t you remember ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClementine ! She couldn\u2019t help pouring forth my secret. I will scold her. Well, Montague, if Ben is on his way to Ireland, we\u2019d better hurry and try to embark on the same ship as his, in every possible. It would be delightful to go on a cruise with him. Which harbour did he choose ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u201d, Adam answered, \u201cI think he wanted first to go back to Boston \u2013 you know we have some relatives there – and sail for Londonderry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Montague, let\u2019s go to Boston. But, Montague, what do we do with the painting ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, Milady, that it would be preferable that we should leave it here. Mr Cartwright will be glad to find it when he\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how do you know, Montague, he will come back. Who knows ? He could decide to settle in Ireland with me. No. The more I\u2019m thinking of it, the more I believe it\u2019s better to take it with us. Good bye, boys and next time, be faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

And turning back, she made a sign to Montague who deferentially opened the door and she strode away, majestically. Before leaving, Montague turned his head to Adam and just said :\u201cHow convenient, this travel !\u201d. And he left.<\/p>\n

It was Adam\u2019s turn to make a sign to his brothers to avoid questions as long as they could be heard. The young man went to the window that looked out into the yard and the sight that greeted him made him sigh with relief : she was climbing into her buggy with her butler and they were driving away.Immediately, he went to the kitchen, followed by his intrigued brothers. He activated the mechanism and cried out :\u201cPa, Pa, you can come, she left, you\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, Joe and Hop-Sing were staring wide-eyed at the sight of their father or boss coming out from a tunnel they never knew about. Once again, Adam pressed the bump to hide the underground\u2019s door behind the stove and Ben asked Hop-Sing to make some fresh coffee. \u201cWe need to talk, young man\u201d, he said to Adam who felt awkward.<\/p>\n

Before anything else, he wanted to know how they had managed to get rid of the intruder and laughed heartily when he learnt Adam had sent the Countess to Boston, first and then, to Londonderry.<\/p>\n

But they all were burning to know about the underground. \u201cNow boy, tell me the reason why you dug an underground without my knowing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Pa, I thought it could be convenient in an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike this morning ?\u201d\u201cLike this morning, yes, or anything else, Indians, outlaws\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally ? In that case, can you explain why you were the only one to know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t help blushing. \u201cWell Pa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Pa, well Pa\u2026\u201d Ben emphasized his voice. \u201cThe truth is that you wanted a way to come back home discreetly after midnight, am I right ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam lowered his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re right, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t think that, in so doing, you were endangering us ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam lifted his head : \u201cI didn\u2019t endanger anybody\u201d, he said, proudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, son, I assume you didn\u2019t dig the tunnel alone, you needed help.\u201d\u201cYes, I asked some men to give me a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMen you thought trustworthy, I suppose. But you should know that, in such matters, nobody\u2019s trustworthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head. \u201cI trusted no one. They helped me to dig but I made the opening mechanism by myself. Nobody, except me, knows how to open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody knew\u201d Joe couldn\u2019t help interrupted, smiling mischievously.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Joe\u201d, Ben groaned, \u201cI\u2019m not in a mood for joking. Then, coming back to Adam : \u201cBut on the other end, these hands, they know the exit. Ill-intentioned people could wait for us at the exit if they think we use the underground.<\/p>\n

\u201dOnce again, Adam shook his head. \u201cNobody knows the exit. When we dug the tunnel, I had drawn another layout. After dismissing the workers, I dug another piece of tunnel leading to the present exit and I closed the original one.”<\/p>\n

\u201dAnd grinning at his father, he declared, obviously very pleased with himself : \u201cYou see, no danger and an emergency exit for the whole family !\u201d<\/p>\n

As usual with Adam, Ben was torn between the irritation generated by his son\u2019s habit of having an answer for everything and the admiration for his brilliant brain.Obviously, this underground had helped him out of an awkward position and it might save them from greater perils than one of Linda Chadwick\u2019s intrusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u201d he finally said, \u201clet\u2019s keep the underground but from now on, the control will be mine, understood ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure Pa\u201d, Hoss said, obedient.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you say, Pa\u201d, Adam retorted, knowing that, as the designer of the mechanism, he would do what he wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Pa\u201d, Joe said, who was already thinking of eluding his father\u2019s watchfulness and use this unexpected way for receiving his conquests.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop-Sing don\u2019t agree !\u201d a voice screamed behind them. \u201cHop-Sing not want his stove turn all the time. Tunnel in kitchen, kitchen Hop-Sing\u2019s field. Nobody use tunnel or Hop-Sing knock the head with big pan. Understood ?\u201d<\/p>\n

And keeping his head nodding gently, he left the room, repeating : \u201cUnderstood ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody dared contradict him.This evening, Adam shut himself away in his room and began studying the layout for another entrance that would be out of the quick-tempered cook\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n

Around one a.m., a crooked smile on his lips, he tidied up his drawings, he had found the idea.<\/p>\n

While undressing, he thought about the realisation of his plan : this wasn\u2019t good enough to draw up trajectories, once that done, he would have to dig and secretly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo doubt\u201d, he said to himself, \u201cI need an accomplice and I can\u2019t think of anybody else than Joe. Hoss can\u2019t keep a secret from Pa. I\u2019ll have a word with him about it no later than to-morrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he fell sound asleep, which proved that remorse wasn\u2019t tormenting his conscience.<\/p>\n

It was easy for him to arrange a quiet talk with his youngest brother. He cleverly steered the conversation with his father onto the necessity of having Joe\u2019s help to speed up the mortising of John Mackay mine\u2019s beams. In the sawmill\u2019s hubbub, while they were bustling side by side, Adam said in a hushed voice :<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, how do you consider Pa\u2019s attitude regarding the underground ?\u201d<\/p>\n

On his guard, since he didn\u2019t see Adam\u2019s point, Joe answered :<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat exactly do you want to know ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you find he was unfair ? All right, I dug this tunnel without telling him but it helped him out to escape the Countess. Understand me : if I kept it secret, I did it because an underground has to be secret. If everybody knows about, it becomes a way for people to get inside at any hour of the day or the night. It\u2019s a godsend for undesirable people of all kinds, thieves, nuisances\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. See what you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I consider that the present underground is now practically unusable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think you\u2019re going too far. You\u2019re not thinking of closing it, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not, Pa would be the first to be angry since, in my opinion, although he will not admit it, he intends to defy Hop-Sing\u2019s interdicts and use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe was now suspecting that Adam had a good reason for elaborating on the subject. There was a mystery about it. He certainly had something at the back of his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Adam, what\u2019s your point ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to open a new exit that would be unknown to anybody except you and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well ! And why do you let me into the secret ? Doesn\u2019t look like you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed with exasperation. Getting older, Joe had become much more difficult to circumvent. It was now impossible to have him believe that the moon is made of green cheese. He decided to burn his boats.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I will not beat about the bush, I need an accomplice. Last time, Pa was in Mexico, you were at school and I had sent Hoss to keep the cattle in the mountain. As for the mechanism in the kitchen, I made it, night after night, while Hop-Sing was sleeping and the hole in the wall was done during a Sunday he was out to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his friends, in Virginia City. But this time, I\u2019ll have to work with everybody being on the spot. I need you to be on the watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delighted at the thought of having the opportunity to use an underground unknown to anybody else than Adam (nothing\u2019s perfect) Joe answered : \u201cDone ! I\u2019m the man you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s idea was to create a new entrance and a new exit, while keeping the original tunnel so that they would have only a few yards to dig. Behind the barn, there was a tool shed and nobody would find strange to see one of them get into it. The new piece of the tunnel would run into it. In the passageway that was the underground\u2019s body, he would open an exit hidden by a curtain of the same colour as the stone. His father, in the dark, would notice nothing but Joe and himself would know that, by counting five steps after the third landmark marking out the tunnel (a precaution Adam had taken from the beginning), they would find, on their right, the new passage.<\/p>\n

For the other exit, it would be found inside the house, in the guest room, next to the kitchen. It would open into the wardrobe that was usually empty when the room was unoccupied. Adam had done odd jobs on it to be sure it could open by pushing or pulling, from both sides : he didn\u2019t want to find himself pinched just because somebody would have locked it.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s collaboration consisted of organising any kind of activities on Saturday evenings and on Sundays, in order to leave the field open to Adam for working. They shared the task of scattering the soil that Adam, in a first stage, was stocking in the tool shed.<\/p>\n

However, they needed two long months before they reach their goal, Ben being, as usual, very generous with the work he was giving to his sons, especially the eldest.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, one evening, Adam whispered in Joe\u2019s ear : \u201cGo to bed early but don\u2019t undress, we\u2019re inaugurating the new underground to night\u201d.<\/p>\n

During supper, they both pretended to be exhausted, multiplying yawns, sighs and declarations about their intention to go to bed as soon as possible. Hoss tried to propose a checkers game they turned down dryly. Seeing that, Ben stated that, for once, it wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea to go upstairs early. Nevertheless, the patriarch staid behind, half an hour after his sons had left, to control some accounts. At last, he headed to his bedroom, the sound of his steps in the corridor being impatiently waited behind two doors.<\/p>\n

Mistrusting Joe\u2019s impatience, Adam had decided that he would give the signal for leaving. He forced himself to wait again half an hour to give enough time to Ben to clean up and hit the hay, praying that he wouldn\u2019t read in his bed. Al last, with an airy tread, he went out and tapped softly at Joe\u2019s door.<\/p>\n

This one had dressed with his Sunday suit, which couldn\u2019t fail to surprise Adam who asked why but Joe replied that their partnership didn\u2019t imply that he would inform his brother of his projects once out of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

Emerging out of the tool shed, both brothers went silently to the barn to saddle their horses ; one made his way towards the lake, the other towards the town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCareful with the time you come back\u201d, warned Adam, \u201cit would be stupid to be caught just because you\u2019re unable to watch a clock !\u201d<\/p>\n

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

A few weeks later, one morning, Hoss brought the mail to his father with a look slightly mocking : upon the pile of the usual commercial letters, he had laid, in a conspicuous position, a long ivory-coloured envelope which a musk scent issued from and on which a certainly womanly hand had written Ben\u2019s name with brown ink. When fetching their own mail, each of the boys threw an intent and interrogative look at the mysterious missive but Ben was careful not to open it in front of them. After sending them to work, he took out a paper knife and opened the letter. Looking directly at the signature, he exclaimed : \u201cAdah ! By Jove, what does she want ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Ben,<\/p>\n

I have been hesitating for long before deciding to write you but I take my courage in both hands and I jump.Ben, before anything else, I must apologize. I behaved awfully the last time I came to Virginia City : I accepted your attentions, I let you go as far as asking me to marry you, all that to run away as a schoolgirl playing truant, with this brutish lout Johnny. What can we do, this man cast a spell on me from my earliest youth and I couldn\u2019t manage to free myself from him .<\/p>\n

But to-day, it\u2019s over: he abandoned me as a coward and went away with a blonde youth, a brainless girl who will eat the little money he has and that he will not dare beat as he used to do with me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m disgusted. By everything. By Johnny, by my travelling life, by men who don\u2019t respect my honour. Ben, I wish only one thing, now, take refuge into my Daddy-lover\u2019s arms, you, who continuously were kind to me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m staying incognito at Virginia City, since I\u2019m afraid many people around there have bad memories of me. The Main Hotel\u2019s managers, with the mess Johnny made there, your two younger sons who don\u2019t appreciate me, your eldest son who appreciates me too much and holds it against himself for that, because of you<\/p>\n

I\u2019m longing to see you, but quietly, in a place where I would be able to open my heart to you without us being disturbed.The one who hopes she is forgiven,<\/p>\n

Adah<\/p>\n

P.-S. I\u2019m living at the Widow Hawkins, under the pseudonym of Mrs. Hade<\/p>\n

Ben laid down the letter, not knowing what to think. From one part, Adah had made a fool of him and it was far too easy for her to ring at a door she had banged just because the rotten board she used to hang on had let her out. From another part, it was flattering to see such an attractive woman who certainly wasn\u2019t short of suitors, turning to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on\u201d, he thought, \u201cI don\u2019t take a big risk at meeting her, she\u2019s not going to rape me. The main thing is to find a place for this meeting. But of course : Adam\u2019s tunnel ! I must be able to let her inside by the end of the afternoon, on Hop-Sing\u2019s day-off and then, from the kitchen to the guest-room, I\u2019ll deal with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And a crooked smile on his lips, he took out a sheet of writing paper and started an answer.<\/p>\n

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

Joe had used and abused the underground to go, at twilight, at young Careen Willard\u2019s home. She was a youth that was living in a hamlet, at three miles from the ranch, on Virginia City road. Very naives, Careen\u2019s parents used to send her to bed at eight o\u2019clock and couldn\u2019t imagine that somebody would visit their daughter while they were sipping their herb tea.Joe used to head to the back of the house, move the scale left by Mr Willard spreading on the lawn and climb to his sweetheart\u2019s window to murmur sweet nothings to her. But for several weeks, Joe had been wandering how, on earth, Romeo had managed to kiss Juliet. He had made several unfruitful attempts and the bolder had finished in a spectacular fall, the noise of which had led out father Willard, holding his gun threateningly. Joe had found safety in his skills for creeping and had crouched under the hedge, holding his breath while Careen was hastily blowing her candle out to make her father believe she was asleep.<\/p>\n

After this incident, Joe decided to find another meeting point. It was possible for the girl to slip out on washing day, just before five, when her mother was energetically slapping the linen with her beetle, at the hamlet\u2019s washing-place, her father still being working in the fields. Betraying the promise to keep secrecy he had made to Adam, he disclosed for Careen\u2019s benefit, the second underground\u2019s entrance. He gave her precise instructions : she had to reach the guest room and wait patiently for him to join her by the same way.<\/p>\n

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

Adam was loading the supplies in the carriage when he saw his adopted sister, Mariette, approach.<\/p>\n

Adam had always had a soft spot for this young lady his father had finalised the bringing up after she had become an orphan and he had fought not to let his secret amorous inclination for her prevail over the brotherly feelings he was showing in broad daylight. So doing, he had proved to be right, since she had married Jason Blane who, apparently, had fulfilled her expectations.<\/p>\n

Even knowing what Mariette was owing to the Cartwrights and what himself was owing to Adam who had saved his life, Jason didn\u2019t like to entertain them or, more exactly Adam, his instinct warning him about the ambiguous relationship between his wife and his pseudo-brother. So, without having consulted each other, Adam and Mariette used to see each other alone together, generally on Mariette\u2019s initiative when she felt the need of pouring out her feelings, asking an advice or complaining about her husband.<\/p>\n

This last reason was apparently Mariette\u2019s motivation for trying to have a talk with Adam. She showed red eyes and Adam was dying to hug her tight against his chest in order to console her but he could hardly think of it while both grocer and smith\u2019s wives were heading to the store in front of which Adam\u2019s carriage was parked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI must absolutely talk to you, Adam\u201d, Mariette moaned, \u201cbut not here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way, I don\u2019t want to meet the whole family. Your father would ask a lot of untimely questions, Joe and Hoss would want to fight against Jason. No, no, not at your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed yes, at my home but getting there by a secret way I am revealing to you. Come on, this afternoon, around five, tie your mare naturally and get directly into the tool shed. Open the cupboard\u2026\u201d And he indicated her the procedure to reach, unknown from everyone, Ponderosa guest room.<\/p>\n

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

Hop-Sing was angry with himself. He had meticulously prepared a gift for venerable Hang-Chou-Li whose ninetieth birthday was about to be celebrated and he had forgotten it in his room.<\/p>\n

So, he had turned round and gone back and was hurrying as fast as his short legs allowed him. He had just enough time to get back, pick up his present and go away. He couldn\u2019t afford to get nabbed by one of the house\u2019s inhabitant, he had definitely to avoid being delayed. All of a sudden, he hit his forehead, with a joyful smile : the tunnel, the tunnel Older son had dug. That was the right way. He would come in and come out, nobody would know.<\/p>\n

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

Ben came to the widow Hawkins and asked for Mrs Hade. This one appeared, her face hidden behind a veil. Ben had her quickly climb into the carriage he had hired in town and, taking the coach driver\u2019s seat, drove to his property without adding a word. At the junction leading, from one side to the house, from the other side, to the lake, he took the lake\u2019s direction but only for a few yards. Then he stopped the horses, went down and guided the team a little out of the road. Afterwards, he helped down Adah and said :<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, dear, but you\u2019ll have to walk a little : this is the price for discretion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t apologize, Ben, the weather is mild, it will be a pleasant walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she took her partner\u2019s arm to be guided. On their way, Ben told her about the underground and explained how he intended to use it :<\/p>\n

\u201cIt comes out in the kitchen. I\u2019ll go forward to clear the way. You\u2019ll count as far as fifty and you\u2019ll follow me. I\u2019ll call you when I\u2019ll be sure nobody\u2019s staying in the area. We\u2019ll just have to head to the next room where we\u2019ll be quiet. Nobody gets there except when we have guests for the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben, at this moment, went out of the path and got into a copse, at his companion\u2019s amazement. She thought he had to relieve a nature need but he made a sign for her to follow him. Drawing back her skirts around her legs as tight as she could, she slipped between two trees. She saw Ben lean down and lift a grassy paving stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Adam\u2019s idea. He built a kind of a very flat jardini\u00e8re, planted grass in and laid in upon the secret passage\u2019s entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, getting used to the shadowy light, Adah could distinguish a gaping hole and something looking like the beginning of stairs. She stepped back, not being sure she wanted to be engulfed into this darkness. Ben guessed it and put her at ease :<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute. Adam put four gas lamps down the stairs. I go down and I come back with one, no, two lamps. Don\u2019t be scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duly provided with her lantern, Adah felt secure and stepped inside the underground. They went their way in single and suddenly Ben stopped :<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019ll go forward and scout around. Count quietly until fifty and then, go forward and climb upstairs, I will wait for you. If the door is closed, it will mean that there is something unexpected, so knock discreetly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adah tried to repress the panic she was being overwhelmed with. It was stupid, she had nothing to be afraid of. She closed her eyes and counted as far as fifty. Then, she re-opened her eyes and almost screamed with fear, finding her in full darkness. Her lantern had turned off. To her great relief she caught a glimpse of a slight light, a few yards further. Surely it was Ben. She hurried up towards the light that, hardly seen, had disappeared. Probably, Ben had turned somewhere. She was exploring the wall with her fingers to guide herself when she felt a drape. She moved it apart, cursing Ben and her foot stroke what seemed to be a stair. Step by step, she began her ascent. A ray of light was appearing forward, not far from her. At the end of fifteen stairs, she touched what seemed to be a wooden door. She tapped discreetly at it. No answer. She tapped again. Still nothing. She was tired of that. Never mind for the discretion, she wasn\u2019t going to hang around forever in this cellar. She pushed the door and found herself inside a wardrobe the sides of which, fortunately, opened easily. She came out in a bedroom elegantly furnished with a large bed covered with an ivory bedspread embellished with almond green braids. At the back, there was a round table where Ben had laid two glasses and a decanter filled with a garnet-coloured liquid. No doubt, this was the place where she was expected but Ben was conspicuous by his absence. She took her gloves and hat off and sat down in a comfortable armchair.<\/p>\n

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

Careen had bravely gone into the tool shed. At this time, Cartwright\u2019s men were still at work and the place was deserted. She saw, on a shelf, the gas lamps. Joe had advised her to take one and enlighten it before opening the cupboard at the back and stepping inside. She went downstairs, not scared at all, her seventeen years driving her to regard this adventure as very storybook, and she followed the narrow corridor as far as the stone coloured curtain Joe had mentioned. Before venturing further in the passage, she wormed her head through the opening and stepped back suddenly. Somebody had just passed, she had heard and almost felt him. She waited for a few seconds and then, getting bolder, she held her arm and the lantern out and enlightened the way. Her heart jumped into her chest, it was a masculine figure. No doubt, it was Joe. She dared not run in the twilight to catch him but she hastened her steps.<\/p>\n

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

Hop-Sing was jogging along the tube. He mechanically noticed, while taking his lamp, that two were missing but he had no time for going deeper in the mystery. The very honourable Hang-Chou-Li was far too venerable to make him wait for the blessings and wishes due on his birthday\u2019s occasion. He was following his way, brandishing his lantern in front of him, without looking either at his right or his left. At one moment he felt as a breathing noise and the sound of rustling silk but thought he was perceiving his own noises.<\/p>\n

Reaching the stairs, he was surprised to see light. Somebody had preceded him in the underground. That\u2019s why the missing lamps. He groaned. Yet, he had told the boys clearly that he didn\u2019t want to see them follow this way. \u201cSurely one more antic of Mistah Joe !\u201d he thought. He was hesitating about what he would do when a hand touched lightly his silky Chinese tunic and he heard his boss\u2019 voice saying kindly : \u201cBut come on, dear friend, don\u2019t be afraid !\u201d<\/p>\n

He reacted as if he had been bitten by a scorpion : \u00ab Mistah Ca\u2019tlight not touch Hop-Sing\u2019s silk tunic. Mistah Ca\u2019tlight not call Hop-Sing dear friend\u2026 Mistah Ca\u2019tlight\u2026 \u00bb<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hearing this voice he wasn\u2019t expecting, Ben also jumped back : \u201cBy Jove Hop-Sing, what are you doing there ! I wasn\u2019t speaking to you, I was expecting a lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing the noise of a jogging step, Hop-Sing turned back : \u201cLittle lady coming.\u201d And he moved aside to let Careen appear, a little out of breath for having run upstairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeek-a-boo, here I am !\u201d she called out without coming at the broad daylight. But her smile disappeared at the sight of the Cartwright\u2019s patriarch who didn\u2019t understand how the magnificent Adah could have been metamorphosed into Careen Willard, his neighbours\u2019 daughter. Moving the girl aside in a hardly polite gesture, he leant over the stairs to see if his guest was coming. How, on earth, could she have lost her way ?<\/p>\n

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

Holding Mariette\u2019s hand, Adam stepped into the tool shed and took two lamps on the shelf. He noticed one was missing and thought Joe had recently preceded them. He didn\u2019t care, Joe, he was sure, wouldn\u2019t stay in the guest room and would dash towards his room as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let go of me, Mariette, it will not be long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Adam, it\u2019s so fun ! Did this underground exist at the time I was having holidays at your home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, although it was a bit modified recently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why didn\u2019t you tell us about it, we would have had a good time, your brothers you and I\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, because I didn\u2019t build it for my brothers and\u2026 sister to have fun. Second because if I had wanted to confide to someone, I would certainly not choose an innocent maid. And third, because you must not share such a secret with anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, why do you share it with me to-day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCircumstances that aren\u2019t your business forced me to reveal my secret. But shut up, we arrive safe and sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Adah was getting seriously bored and impatient when she saw a boot discreetly pushing the wardrobe\u2019s door. How had Ben managed to come here since he had preceded her ? While she was wondering, she saw a head, topped with a silver circled black hat appear : \u201cAdam Cartwright !\u201d, she exclaimed.<\/p>\n

The hailed man stopped his movement and stood still, his body half imprisoned in the wardrobe :<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Jove, Adah Mencken ! What are you doing here ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my question. When will you lose this disastrous habit of interfering perpetually between your father and me ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I swear you I wasn\u2019t expecting\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally ! Then how do you explain your presence in this room ? And first, walk out of this wardrobe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Subjugated, Adam obeyed without realising that, doing so, he was letting free way to Mariette. The latter, still on the stairs, hadn\u2019t heard anything. When she saw this red-haired beauty, properly dressed in a royal blue dress, appear, Adah shouted : \u201cOh, my God, a romantic date ! You should be ashamed of yourself, Adam Cartwright ! I can\u2019t believe it : you were so strait-laced about my relationship with your father and now you, you\u2019re dating girls under your old man\u2019s roof ! And moreover, getting there by an underground !\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wanted to reply but Mariette intervened :<\/p>\n

\u201cMove back, Adam and let me go past, I want to tell this stuck-up a few plain\u201d. Then, planting herself in front of the actress, she declared :<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have you know, Madam, that I\u2019m not a girl but an honourably married woman and you are requested to withdraw your insinuations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adah sniggered : \u201cAll the same, those respectable women. They despise us, they take us in a high and mighty way but they act exactly as we do, no more, no less. Does she kiss as well as I do, Adam ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam held back the hand Mariette was raising in order to give Adah a much deserved slap.<\/p>\n

\u201cModerate your language, Mrs Mencken, Mariette is my adopted sister and she\u2019s established among us. My father would certainly not appreciate your insults to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of that father of yours, where is he ? I\u2019m tired to wait for him. Ah, fancy that, I\u2019m hearing a noise. Must be him, it\u2019s not a moment too soon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Troubled, Adam turned back to the wardrobe : \u201cIs that you, Pa ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s me, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Hoss jogged into the courtyard . Work had been hard and he wasn\u2019t sorry to call it a day. He led Chubb to the barn and noticed that Buck was the only one to be in its box. \u201cWell, my bros ain\u2019t home. All right, since it\u2019s Hop-Sing\u2019 day off, Pa will certainly have made tea and sandwiches. Fine, I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then, he did something very extraordinary : he entered by the front door !<\/p>\n

\u201cPa!\u201d he called out heading to the kitchen. Passing by the guest room\u2019s door, he heard an incredible racket. He opened the door and stood stunned at seeing the numerous company that was bickering in the room. Besides his brothers, there were Mariette and an elegant lady he remembered having met before but couldn\u2019t put a name on her face. Just as he recovered memory, the kitchen\u2019s door opened roughly and his father went out, pulling by her sleeves the young Careen Willard. His jaw dropped, his eyes running from this strange couple to the no less strange quartet in the room, the quartet in question becoming more and more noisy and agitated<\/p>\n

.\u201cRelease me, Adam\u201d a high-pitched voice was screaming, \u201ceither this person apologize or I\u2019ll prove her that after playing theatre for years, I\u2019m really in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Miss Mencken, calm down, please, please !\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelease me, Joe, there\u2019s no question of respect, I\u2019ll teach her a lesson, she called me what I can\u2019t repeat\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMariette, Mariette, I beg you. She\u2019s an old friend of Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld ! What do you imagine, little jerk, I was invited here, this evening, by your father. Besides, I wonder where he can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was catching only snatches of conversation but he had recognized through the general hubbub, at least two feminine resonances. Releasing Careen, he hit Hoss\u2019s shoulder, this one standing in his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Hoss, move back.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he ploughed his way to the guest room : \u201cAdah, Mariette, what are you doing here and which way did you go ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adah\u2019s eardrum was the first to pick up the patriarch\u2019s voice : \u201cAt last, here you are, you ! How dare you ask which way did I go ? By your much vaunted underground where you led me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I didn\u2019t see you come out of it. I was waiting for you in the kitchen. I first saw Hop-Sing emerge from it and then, this little girl\u201d, he said, pointing out the young Willard who had found refuge in Hoss\u2019s tender embrace.<\/p>\n

\u00ab Careen ! \u00bb Joe shouted, “where were you ? And what are you doing in my brother\u2019s arms ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut where were you, yourself, Joe, and what are you doing with this blue dressed young lady ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight on, about discretion !\u201d Mariette hissed at Adam\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Godsake, Joe, don\u2019t complicate things, they are muddled up enough\u201d, Ben ordered. \u201cfrom now, I\u2019m the one asking questions and you are answering me. Hoss, where do you come from ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom nowhere, Pa, I just went back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich way did you go ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I went by the door, which way did you want me to go ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSame way as the others. Adah, dear, could you tell me how you reached this room while I was waiting for you in the kitchen ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goodness, I won\u2019t forget that in a hurry ! You told me to follow the tunnel and you would wait for me at the exit, you didn\u2019t tell me to go to the kitchen. How do I know where the kitchen is ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you follow the tunnel, it comes out into the kitchen, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re off your head ! It comes out into this room, that tunnel of yours, inside this wardrobe which both your sons and this silly goose emerged from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you won\u2019t start that again. The silly goose is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe hastily put his palm against Mariette\u2019s mouth to prevent her from going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut let go of her, Joe!\u201d, Careen exclaimed carelessly, \u201cdid you have a date with her or me ?\u201d<\/p>\n

All of a sudden, Mariette\u2019s nerves gave out and she burst in tears. \u201cBoo-hoo, I wasn\u2019t dating anybody, boo-hoo, I just wanted to discuss something with Adam, boo-hoo, quietly, boo-hoo and I come across a hothead that insults me and now, this one\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben threw himself in front of her : \u201cOh, please, please, darling, stop crying. It\u2019s not your fault. You\u2019ve nothing to do with all this mess. But on the other hand\u201d, he said, changing his tone, \u201cthere\u2019s somebody who has something to do with it and keeps silent but will not get out of it so easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was trying to fade away into the wall. One moment, he considered the idea of flying away through the underground but he rejected it, knowing perfectly that it was just putting off the evil day. His father went forward and seized his left ear : \u201cCome on Master genius architect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch, Pa, you\u2019re hurting me !\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s on purpose ! Now, I\u2019m waiting for our explanations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I thought that, the other day, ouch, this tunnel had been very useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I admit that, so what ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab Ow ! Stop pulling, please. As Hop-Sing had declared that he was opposed to the exit in the kitchen\u2019s guardian, I thought it was better to open another exit and I chose the guest room, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all ? But you\u2019ve got an absolute nerve, Adam\u201d, Ben said after having freed his eldest son\u2019s crimson ear, \u201cYou were very careful not to warn me, but, on the other hand, you let your young brother into the secret\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentally, Adam prayed Heaven that Joe would not be affected by a frankness crisis and reveal the secret entry in the tool shed but his wish was only half granted. Joe didn\u2019t speak but Careen rushed towards Ben, joining her hands :<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t think we were doing wrong, Mr Cartwright, we just wanted to see one another far from my father\u2019s watch. That\u2019s why Joe had given me an appointment in the tool shed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tool shed\u201d, Ben asked, surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the underground\u2019s entrance, you know\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, this time ?\u201d<\/p>\n

And pinching Adam\u2019s right ear : \u201cI\u2019m waiting\u201d, he said.\u201cI thought the tool shed would be closer than the copse, it\u2019s a short cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA short cut, that\u2019s it. What is becoming a short cut is the distance between my boot and your behind. At the moment, I have to escort Adah back home, Joe has to take back Careen and you, Mariette but you won\u2019t get off lightly when I get hold of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was right\u201d, Adam mumbled, while, at his great relief, his father was releasing his ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you say ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better. Hoss, go and get the carriage that is parked not far from the copse, I\u2019m taking Adah to town and I wouldn\u2019t forgive me if she had to go back into this rotten tunnel that you will block up, Adam. You take back Mariette and immediately afterwards, you\u2019ll start working at it. You can say a tearful goodbye to your underground\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this time ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, at this time. And you will go on during your rest time as far as the four exit are filled in. Understood ? I will control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa\u201d, Adam said, humiliated to be treated as a child in front of the three women.<\/p>\n

Joe stepped forward : \u201cPa, I\u2019ll help Adam, I was his accomplice, it\u2019s fair for me to be punished as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ab No question, he\u2019ll work alone and I want his eyes to nearly pop off his head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned his head towards his brother with a broad smile : Thank you for your offer, Joe, I appreciate.\u201d\u00ab Normal \u00bb Joe replied, \u00ab for once, you trusted me. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Adah caught Ben\u2019s arm : \u00ab You\u2019re unfair, Ben, you were so satisfied to have this underground and if you give a thought to it, it\u2019s a very smart work. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, please, Adah, do not interfere. Come on, your state coach is ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adah hung on his arm, wondering if she hadn\u2019t been wrong choosing the father instead of the son. \u201cHe\u2019s very resourceful, this youth\u201d, she said to herself. But it was too late to realize that.<\/p>\n

They had only just leaved when the two young girls rushed to Adam :<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor poppet !\u201d Mariette whispered, caressing his cheek.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor Adam\u201d, Careen went one better, laying a slight kiss on his hand.<\/p>\n

Adam nodded and smiled : \u201cWhen all said and done, one can find an advantage at being given a telling-off. Now, darlings, we have to take you back home, or Pa Willard and Jason will give you a roasting. Not forgiving that, as for me, I\u2019m not yet in my bed\u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n

Everybody, including Hop-Sing had been asleep for long when Adam decided that he had worked enough this night. But if his father could have heard him think while he was blowing his candle, he would have kicked himself for having chosen too hastily the rebel\u2019s punishment :<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, it will not be too hard : the exit, in the kitchen, I block it up, there\u2019s no getting round in. But since Pa wants my eyes popping off my head, as he says, the more it will last, the more satisfied he will be. So, I have plenty of time to build a sliding false wall in the guest room. The same in the tool shed : Pa doesn\u2019t even know where\u2019s the entrance. I dig a false opening, I block it up, he\u2019ll be completely hoodwinked. In the copse, on the other hand, it\u2019s more difficult to fool him. That\u2019s done, I save two exits and, this time, nobody but me will know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, he laid down, extremely self-satisfied.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

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

Summary: \u00a0Ben discovers that Adam dug an underground under the house. He forbids his sons to use it without his agreement but will he be obeyed? \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a07300<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":3478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1184,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63043,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=63043","url_meta":{"origin":4210,"position":0},"title":"Life’s Hazards (by JoanS.)","author":"JoanS","date":"June 11, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Marie is worried about the dangers out west. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a05,710\u00a0 words","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5440,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5440","url_meta":{"origin":4210,"position":1},"title":"A Rose For Marie (by deansgirl)","author":"deansgirl","date":"May 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Adam finally learns to accept Marie as his mother.\u00a0 A special Mother's Day story, the companion story to Forever Ben Cartwright Rated:\u00a0K+ (2,850 words) Ben and Marie Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Marie.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46876,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46876","url_meta":{"origin":4210,"position":2},"title":"To Face the Past – Part III (by Lau)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"December 21, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Story Summary:\u00a0 The last part of the story.\u00a0 Adam and Molly have to deal with what they discover. Rating:\u00a0 PG Words:\u00a0 23,680 Part of the To Face the Past Series, links included within.","rel":"","context":"In "Adam Cartwright"","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14991,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14991","url_meta":{"origin":4210,"position":3},"title":"Second Chances (by Starlite)","author":"starlite","date":"September 14, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0Ben brings Marie to the Ponderosa, and causes a rift between him and his young son. Will Adam ever forgive him? 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