{"id":47053,"date":"2003-12-22T15:01:26","date_gmt":"2003-12-22T20:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=47053"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:08:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:08:41","slug":"a-kindness-cherished-by-eileenk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=47053","title":{"rendered":"A Kindness Cherished (by EileenK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: A story of curiosity, kindness, friendship, and compassion on Adam\u2019s part.
\nRating and Reader Alerts: G
\nWords:\u00a0 10,800<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

The Brandsters have included this story by this author in our project: Preserving Their Legacy<\/a>. To preserve the legacy of the author, we have decided to give their work a home in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library.\u00a0 The author will always be the owner of this work of fanfiction, and should they wish us to remove their story, we will.<\/p>\n

\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0 The Cartwright characters were created by David Dortort and I claim no rights or privileges to their characterization.\u00a0 All other characters are products of my imagination, and any resemblance to any person whether living or dead is coincidental.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A KINDNESS CHERISHED<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jayne Mitchell dropped her packages after she stepped out of the mercantile store and bumped into him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t watching where I was going,\u201d she said in apology as she bent down to retrieve her packages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem,\u201d she heard his deep voice answer.\u00a0 She cast a quick glance at him and when she saw how exceptionally handsome he was, it made her feel even more clumsy and she fumbled the packages all over again as she tried picking them up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I carry these somewhere for you?\u201d Adam Cartwright asked when he saw how much trouble she was having holding onto them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, oh no.\u00a0 You have much better things to do.\u00a0 No,\u201d she protested and picked up the packages, only managing to drop them again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2026let me take those,\u201d he replied and reached out and took the bulky things from her and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cWhere to?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe hotel,\u201d she answered timidly, keeping her head down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam nodded and headed for the hotel.\u00a0 Jayne kept half a step behind him as they walked.\u00a0 He turned slightly and looked at her.\u00a0 He saw a rather tall, thin woman; her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck; the round wire glasses she wore made her face seem small and pinched, and her clothes were more suitable for an older spinster lady, though to him she didn\u2019t look all that old.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can walk beside me so we can talk,\u201d Adam said to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0 her voice was quiet and shy sounding, but he noticed it sounded raspy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy talk?\u00a0 Well, talking to someone while you\u2019re walking with them helps to break the silence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one usually wants to talk to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, I\u2019m Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard people talk about the Cartwright\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He gave her a curious look.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what did the people say about the Cartwright\u2019s?\u00a0 AND you haven\u2019t told me YOUR name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She lowered her head quickly and blushed terribly and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cJayne\u2026Jayne Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Jayne Mitchell, it\u2019s nice to make your acquaintance, but you still haven\u2019t told me what people say about the Cartwright\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne stopped walking, which made Adam stop, and look at her.\u00a0 She stood with her head lowered slightly and her eyes cast down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Mr. Cartwright\u2026I don\u2019t like repeating things I hear.\u00a0 I can carry the packages the rest of the way,\u201d she replied and reached for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind carrying them, it isn\u2019t that much further.\u00a0 And you don\u2019t have to repeat what you heard.\u201d\u00a0 He made no attempt to hand her packages to her.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about what you like to talk about,\u201d he added and started walking again.\u00a0 Jayne followed but stayed two steps behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n

He stopped until she was abreast of him and he started walking again.\u00a0 \u201cNow\u2026what would you like to talk about, Miss Mitchell?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cW-well\u2026I\u2019m\u2026not\u2026I don\u2019t really know how to talk to a man, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t?\u00a0 Well, first of all my name is just Adam, not Mr. Cartwright, and it isn\u2019t all that hard talking to a man\u2026you just open your mouth and make the words come out.\u00a0 Try it.\u00a0 Go on, open your mouth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne smiled, though she didn\u2019t raise her head to look at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow that I\u2019ve gotten you to smile, how about raising your head and look at me.\u00a0 I want to see what color your eyes are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That made her lower her head even lower and she turned her head away from him as she felt a warm sensation start at the base of her neck making it\u2019s way all the way up to the top of her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

He looked over at the woman.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be embarrassed to hold your head up, Miss Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They had reached the hotel entrance and Adam held her packages out to her.\u00a0 \u201cI still want to see the color of your eyes,\u201d he said as she took the items, but kept her head and eyes lowered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I pay you, Mr. Cartwright, for carrying my packages?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact you can.\u00a0 You can pay me by looking at me and calling me Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly she raised her eyes to look at him.\u00a0 He saw her eyes were violet in color and rimmed with the longest lashes he had ever seen.\u00a0 But he had to look fast, because she lowered her eyes almost immediately after looking at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you\u2026Adam,\u201d she said quickly, then turned and hastily stepped inside the lobby, dropping a package then scooping it up again before continuing on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right before she departed, Chase Powell came out of the hotel.\u00a0 Just as Jayne reached the bottom step before continuing up to her room, Chase said, \u201cWith all the pretty girls in Virginia City, you carry packages for the ugly duckling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne stopped immediately, but didn\u2019t turn around.\u00a0 Adam looked at her standing rigid with her back to them, her head lowered.\u00a0 He looked at Chase Powell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShut up, Chase.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Adam turned back to look at Jayne, she had already disappeared up the stairs.\u00a0 He looked back at Chase.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a big mouth, Powell\u2026you know that.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned his back on the man and stepped over to the hotel desk clerk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat room is Miss Jayne Mitchell in, Mr. Forbes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Mitchell has requested that I not give out that information, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u00a0 Do you know how long she\u2019ll be in town?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been here two months, and she\u2019s paid up for three more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWhat time does she come down to dinner?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe don\u2019t.\u00a0 She eats all her meals in her room.\u00a0 She kinda stays to herself, a real recluse.\u00a0 The only times she leaves her room is Sunday morning for church, Monday morning when she goes to the mercantile and an hour on Wednesday morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder why I didn\u2019t see her in church yesterday?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, she comes in just before the minister\u2019s sermon and usually sits in the back with me and my wife, then before the closing hymn is sung, she\u2019s out the door.\u00a0 Everybody in town\u2019s been talking about how much of a recluse she is.\u00a0 I\u2019m surprised you haven\u2019t heard about her in these last two months.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve been in San Francisco, Sacramento and St. Joe on business for two months.\u00a0 Do you know where she goes on Wednesday mornings?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact I do.\u00a0 She goes to the Library.\u00a0 Ten o\u2019clock every Wednesday, and is back in the hotel by eleven with an armload of books, then she goes straight to her room and I don\u2019t see no more of her til Sunday morning at church.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Library you say\u2026every Wednesday morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust like clockwork.\u00a0 Stays to herself\u2026it ain\u2019t healthy if you ask ME.\u00a0 I tried to have a conversation with her once, but she hardly said more than yes and no.\u00a0 Strange.\u201d\u00a0 Mr. Forbes shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for the information, Mr. Forbes.\u201d\u00a0 Adam turned and left the hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Up in her room, Jayne Mitchell stood beside her window and through the lace curtain, she saw the man in black walking away from the hotel.\u00a0 She watched as he mounted his horse and rode out of her view.\u00a0 A tear escaped out of each eye and ran down each cheek, as she stepped away from the window.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Virginia Thomas, Librarian at the Virginia City Library, was busy unpacking a box of newly arrived books when the Library door opened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Mrs. Thomas,\u201d Jayne remarked as she closed the Library door behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, dear.\u00a0 It\u2019s a beautiful day out there today isn\u2019t it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s quite lovely.\u201d\u00a0 Jayne placed three thick books down on the counter in front of the Librarian.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat books would you like this week, Jayne dear?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have it, I think \u2018Paradise Lost\u2019.\u00a0 It\u2019s been some time since I\u2019ve read it.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cOne of my all-time favorites.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think mine too.\u00a0 I never tire of reading it.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of those books that gets you to thinking, but it\u2019s also one of those books that few people enjoy reading.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because they don\u2019t understand it,\u201d a deep voice sounded from across the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne whirled around and saw Adam Cartwright walking towards her.\u00a0 She whirled back around to face Mrs. Thomas and said, \u201cJust have that book delivered to me at the hotel, Mrs. Thomas.\u201d\u00a0 Jayne headed quickly for the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam reached the door a step ahead of her and looked at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d like to talk to you, Miss Mitchell, if I may.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026you would be embarrassed again if you were seen talking to me.\u201d\u00a0 She pulled the door open and left the Library in such a hurry that Adam didn\u2019t even have time to respond to her statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did she say that to you, Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the other day Chase Powell made some crude remark about her and she heard it\u2026I guess she thinks I feel the same way,\u201d Adam explained as he watched her almost running towards the hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a shame she should feel that way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Forbes told me that she comes here every Wednesday.\u00a0 I was hoping to talk to her and apologize for what happened, but it seems I only managed to scare her away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think she saw you when she came in\u2026I\u2019ve never seen her so flustered before, you must have startled her a bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe.\u00a0 If you\u2019ll get that book she wanted, I\u2019ll take it to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, would you?\u00a0 That way I won\u2019t have to close up the Library to take it myself.\u201d\u00a0 Virginia Thomas pulled \u2018Paradise Lost\u2019 off the shelf behind her and handed it to Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you happen to know her room number?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid I don\u2019t.\u00a0 Mr. Forbes could tell you.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always just left books for her at the desk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ve already asked him and he told me that she didn\u2019t want her room number given out.\u00a0 Well\u2026have a nice day, Mrs. Thomas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSame to you, Adam.\u00a0 And thanks again for delivering that book.\u201d\u00a0 Virginia Thomas smiled as Adam left the Library.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Leaning on the counter waiting his turn to talk to Mr. Forbes, Adam scanned the pages of \u2018Paradise Lost\u2019.\u00a0 He remembered as a youngster his father reading to him, one of the books being \u2018Paradise Lost\u2019.\u00a0 His father would always begin by telling him this was his mother\u2019s favorite book.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s why HE liked it so much.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam turned to the last page and read aloud the last few sentences:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world was all before them, where to choose<\/span>
\nTheir place of rest, and Providence, their guide.<\/span>
\nThey, hand in hand, with wandering step and slow,<\/span>
\nThrough Eden took their solitary way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh, what was that you said, Adam?\u201d Mr. Forbes asked him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I was just quoting John Milton\u2019s Paradise Lost.\u201d\u00a0 He closed the book and looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Thomas asked me to deliver this to Miss Jayne Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve already told you I can\u2019t give out her room number.\u00a0 If you\u2019ll just leave it with me, I\u2019ll see she gets it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d\u00a0 Reluctantly, Adam handed the book to him.\u00a0 Mr. Forbes took it and placed it in Jayne\u2019s mail slot on the wall behind him.\u00a0 Adam knew he was not going to learn Jayne\u2019s room number from Mr. Forbes so he decided on a different approach in order to talk to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I leave Miss Mitchell a note, will you deliver it to her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, at the same time I deliver the book.\u201d\u00a0 He handed Adam a sheet of paper and the ink well and pen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Folding the note, Adam handed it to Mr. Forbes, who in turn placed it in Jayne\u2019s mail slot on top of the book.\u00a0 Adam left the hotel and walked across the street to the saloon and sidled up to the bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive me a beer, Charlie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cComin\u2019 right up, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

About that time Adam heard a loud whoop of laughter erupt across the room and turned to look in that direction.\u00a0 Chase Powell and two other cowboys sat together around a table.\u00a0 Chase looked at his companions then called to Adam for him to join them.<\/span>
\nAdam picked up the glass of beer Charlie placed in front of him and meandered over to the three men.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like you fellas are havin\u2019 a good time this morning,\u201d he said while he lowered himself in the last empty chair at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Chase here, told us a funny story and we wanted you to hear it,\u201d Bill Kelly said as he snickered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, what\u2019s the story?\u201d\u00a0 Adam sipped his drink while he waited to hear the tale.<\/span><\/p>\n

The other man at the table, Craig Jackson, spoke next.\u00a0 \u201cHe told us he saw you and ole\u2019 four-eyes walking together and you were carryin\u2019 her packages.\u201d\u00a0 Craig and the other two snickered.<\/span><\/p>\n

With his glass raised to his lips, Adam just peered at them over the top of the glass, then he placed it on the table between his hands.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I guess Chase was mistaken, because I don\u2019t know anyone named ole\u2019 four-eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAw come on, Adam, you know who we mean.\u00a0 That woman who has her hair pulled back so tight it makes her face look pulled tight too,\u201d Craig said and then the three laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if you tell me the lady\u2019s name, I might know who you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlright then.\u00a0 That Jayne Mitchell,\u201d Chase responded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI carried her packages for her\u2026what about it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2026if you don\u2019t mind being made fun of and laughed at because you were seen with the ugly duckling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to call her names, Chase.\u00a0 What\u2019s she done to YOU?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019\u2026she just ain\u2019t too pretty to look at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s your opinion, so keep it to yourself.\u201d\u00a0 Adam stood and walked away, placing his half-full beer glass on the counter before leaving the saloon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase watched him leave.\u00a0 \u201cI gotta find out just what it is he SEES in that woman.\u00a0 Maybe I need to look at ole\u2019 four-eyes a bit closer.\u201d\u00a0 The three men laughed together again.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Adam stepped across the street to where his horse was tied up in front of the hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam turned to see Mr. Forbes coming out of the hotel waving something at him, then handing him an envelope.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is from Miss Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking the note, Adam thanked him and opened and read it:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDear Mr. Cartwright:<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for delivering the book<\/span>
\nto me, as for your note of invitation to<\/span>
\naccompany you to dinner, I must decline.<\/span><\/p>\n

Respectfully,<\/span>
\nJayne Mitchell\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam raised an eyebrow in curiosity, for very seldom did a woman decline his invitation to dinner.\u00a0 He folded the note, placed it in his shirt pocket, then mounted Sport and headed home.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

That night at dinner, Adam pushed his food around on his plate more than picking it up and eating it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething on your mind, Adam?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jerked out of his deep concentration with Ben\u2019s calling his name the second time, Adam looked up from his plate.\u00a0 \u201cSorry, Pa.\u00a0 What was it you said?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou seem very preoccupied, I asked if something was bothering you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly bothering me.\u00a0 I\u2019m just thinking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Joe groaned and rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWhen older brother\u2019s thinking, that means there\u2019s more work for me and you,\u201d he added, pointing to himself and his brother Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss only nodded in agreement, because he was enjoying his dinner too much to stop and answer audibly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019m thinking has nothing to do with you two OR work.\u00a0 I met a woman in town today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That statement spurred Joe\u2019s interest and he gave Adam his undivided attention.\u00a0 \u201cA woman?\u00a0 What woman?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA woman\u2026everybody in town, according to Mr. Forbes\u2026has been talking about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou must mean Jayne Mitchell.\u00a0 And Mr. Forbes is right, somebody has comments about her every place you go in town,\u201d Joe responded.\u00a0 \u201cEspecially some of the fellas.\u00a0 They say\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI HEARD what some of them are saying about her.\u00a0 But what I want to know is why they\u2019re treating her the way they are\u2026calling her names like ole\u2019 four-eyes and ugly duckling.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t deserve to be talked about like that.\u00a0 Mr. Forbes says she stays mostly to herself\u2026I wonder why she feels she has to, and I plan to find out why.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t thet bein\u2019 a-mite nosey, Adam?\u201d Hoss interjected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam shrugged his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cSo I\u2019m nosey.\u00a0 There\u2019s something about Jayne Mitchell that intrigues me.\u00a0 I could almost swear I\u2019ve seen her before\u2026or someone who looks like her, and I want to know more about her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019re interested in her,\u201d Joe remarked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that, at least not like you mean.\u00a0 I just think with all the laughter about her behind her back, she needs a friend\u2026A friend who DOESN\u2019T laugh at her.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think people should be shunned or made fun of because of the way they look.\u00a0 Women are more sensitive about their looks than men are\u2026some women more than most.\u00a0 That\u2019s all I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard that talk about her too, though I\u2019ve never seen her,\u201d Ben interjected.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI seen her once-st or twice-st in the mercantile.\u00a0 When she talked she sounded like she had a raw throat \u2018ere somp\u2019n,\u201d Hoss offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably because the time or two I\u2019VE seen her she was wearing the highest and tightest collared dress I\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0 It probably chokes her and she has to talk that way.\u201d\u00a0 Joe started to laugh, but when he looked over at Adam and saw that look in his eyes that told Joe he better not laugh, Joe didn\u2019t laugh.\u00a0 Instead, he quickly turned his attention to his food and stuffed his mouth full of potatoes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam kept his eagle-eye stare on his youngest brother.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone\u2019s really insecure when they have to make fun of someone\u2019s looks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s countenance softened and his eyes twinkled merrily.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I figure if someone enjoys reading Paradise Lost, they have SOME degree of intelligence and you have to go some to find an intelligent person in this part of the country,\u201d Adam said, still looking at Joe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss guffawed, and Ben chuckled, but Joe just kept stuffing his mouth.\u00a0 He felt he would be more likely to live by choking to death, than by having to be pierced asunder by his eldest brother\u2019s eyes, or chopped down to a stump by his eldest brother\u2019s words.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Adam waited as long as he could outside the church for Jayne Mitchell to show up.\u00a0 He had already waited through two congregational songs and was listening to the choir as they ended their song.\u00a0 He slipped quickly inside, but saw Jayne hurrying towards the church, however, there would be no time to speak to her now, so he found his place beside his family and sat down just as the minister stepped up to the pulpit.\u00a0 He glanced back at the door and saw Jayne slip quickly in and seated before the minister began.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne timed her departure from the church just as the minister said his parting words and before he closed his Bible.\u00a0 After closing the Book, Adam knew the parting congregational was about to be announced, and he remembered what Mr. Forbes said about Jayne leaving before the song, he glanced back and saw that she was no longer there.\u00a0 Still wanting to talk to her to apologize, he stood and walked quickly to the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne was several yards away from the church when she heard the organist play the introduction to the closing hymn.\u00a0 Keeping up her quick pace, she jumped when Chase Powell stepped out from behind a tree, blocking her path.\u00a0 Side-stepping him quickly, she picked up her walking speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam stepped outside the same time Chase stepped out in front of Jayne.\u00a0\u00a0 He made his way towards them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase caught up to her and walked beside her.\u00a0 \u201cHey four-eyes, let me get a better look at you,\u201d he taunted her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo away and leave me alone!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll I wanna do is get a better look at you to see what Adam Cartwright sees in you,\u201d Chase said and reached out, grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kneeing him where it would hurt most, Chase doubled over in pain.\u00a0 \u201cI TOLD you to leave me alone!\u201d she exclaimed, her voice quite raspy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam walked up at that very moment and smiled, saying, \u201cYou handle yourself pretty good, Miss Mitchell.\u201d\u00a0 He bent down then straightened up again.\u00a0 \u201cBut you dropped your glass\u2026\u201d he said as he turned to her, only to find that she had already disappeared.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026es,\u201d he finished.\u00a0 Watching Chase limpingaway most humbly, Adam folded the wire glasses and put them in his pocket and walked back to the church to ride home with his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now he had TWO reasons to talk to Jayne\u2026to apologize and to return her glasses to her .\u00a0 His curiosity had just about reached its limit about this most unusual, quick departing woman, and he was determined to talk to her again if it was the last thing he ever did.<\/span><\/p>\n

******<\/span>
\nMonday morning bright and early, Adam saddled his horse and rode to Virginia City.\u00a0 He wanted to be there when the mercantile doors opened so he wouldn\u2019t miss Jayne Mitchell\u2019s weekly visit to the store.\u00a0 Just as soon as Leona Thompkins unlocked the door, he stepped inside and began browsing around.\u00a0 After thirty minutes of watching him wandering from rack to rack and aisle to aisle, Mrs. Thompkins walked up beside him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help you find something, Adam?\u00a0 You\u2019ve been searching for something, maybe I can help you find it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, actually, I\u2019m waiting for someone and I didn\u2019t want to miss seeing them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know they\u2019ll come in here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe always does on Monday mornings\u2026I\u2019m told.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou must mean Miss Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Thompkins smiled widely and it seemed as though her eyes disappeared as her pudgy cheeks became more pudgy from smiling.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a sweet girl, but I feel sorta sad for her too,\u201d she said as her smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cEspecially the way folks talk about her like they do.\u00a0 If they had to go through what she went through, they wouldn\u2019t be so quick to say those things they do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat she went through?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, poor girl.\u00a0 One day I just up and asked her if she wanted my home remedy for her sore throat, and she told me she didn\u2019t HAVE a sore throat, she talked that way because\u2026oh excuse me, Adam, I got a customer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Thompkins waddled her stout frame over to the counter to wait on Martha Stuart.\u00a0 Her two girls, ages six and seven, looked over at Adam.\u00a0 When he smiled and waved at them, they giggled and hid their faces in their mother\u2019s skirts, which made Adam grin.\u00a0 He chose two peppermint candy sticks and crouched down and held them out to the girls.\u00a0 The children tugged on their mother\u2019s skirt and when she looked down at them, they pointed at Adam.\u00a0 Mrs. Stuart turned around, smiled and nodded.\u00a0 The two little girls took the candy and with two very quick \u2018thank you\u2019s\u2019 they compared their candy sticks then began licking and sucking on the candy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam stood up and resumed his wandering up and down each aisle until Mrs. Stuart had concluded her shopping and left.\u00a0 He then went to stand in front of the counter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were about to tell me the reason Jayne Mitchell talks the way she does.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The storekeeper busied herself with her merchandise while she talked.\u00a0 \u201cThe poor girl\u2026she said it happened when she was in Sacramento three years ago, she was\u2026excuse me, Adam, I have another customer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leona Thompkins waddled away from him again to wait on Mary Ann Roberts.\u00a0 When Adam saw\u00a0 her, he slipped quickly down another aisle, but not without her seeing him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust fill that order, Mrs. Thompkins, I have some more shopping I\u2019d like to do,\u201d Mary Ann said while she kept her eyes glued on Adam, then made her way over to where he stood with his back to her, trying to be inconspicuous.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Her voice was soft and velvety when she spoke his name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though not wanting to, he turned around and faced her.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Mary Ann.\u00a0 When did you get back in town?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m flattered that you noticed I had been away.\u201d\u00a0 She tilted her head and brushed a lock of her auburn hair away from her heavily painted up face.\u00a0 Her green eyes looked him up and down and she stepped closer to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still just as handsome as ever.\u00a0 Still unmarried I hope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He stepped back and focused his eyes on the door,\u00a0 not allowing his attention to linger on the amount of skin her low neckline revealed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t answer me, Adam, so I take it you\u2019re still single.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad.\u00a0 I thought about you all the time I was in San Francisco.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI bet you did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t forget you, Adam.\u00a0 Not after everything we meant to each other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is what?\u201d he asked, but kept his attention on the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

She walked up and stood very close to him.\u00a0 Her perfume wafted up to his nostrils and he felt like he was being put under her spell.\u00a0 His eyes left the door and met hers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou liked me, Adam, I know you did.\u201d\u00a0 Mary Ann stood dangerously close to him.\u00a0 He made his eyes leave hers and he stepped away from her again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I did, but when I found out about you and Jim Peters, I knew I wouldn\u2019t be asking you out anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made a mistake, Adam.\u00a0 Are you going to hold that affair against me for the rest of my life?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I know there\u2019ve been others, Mary Ann.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made mistakes, Adam\u2026but I-I\u2019ve changed.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you forgive me and take me back?\u00a0 That\u2019s why I came back to Virginia City to see if there was a chance of that happening.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI forgive you, of course, as for us getting back together\u2026I\u2019m afraid not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cBut I love you, Adam\u2026I\u2019ve always loved you, even from grade school\u2026don\u2019t you know that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a different concept of love than I do, Mary Ann.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced up at that moment and saw Jayne Mitchell leaving the mercantile with an armload of packages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me\u2026I have an appointment to keep.\u201d\u00a0 He walked away from her quickly and headed for the door.\u00a0 Mary Ann watched from the window as he caught up with Jayne a few feet down the street from the mercantile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Miss Mitchell, we meet again.\u00a0 May I carry your packages?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayne stopped and looked at him.\u00a0 \u201cMr. Cartwright\u2026I don\u2019t know why it is you show up and plague me every time I come out in public, so why don\u2019t you just go ahead right now with all your teasing and derogatory comments.\u00a0 That way you\u2019ll have it all out of the way and maybe you\u2019ll stop bothering me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam stood looking at her with steady eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026go ahead!\u00a0 Call me\u2026four-eyes\u2026ugly duckling\u2026homely.\u00a0 I believe those are the phrases all the men use!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He continued to look at her with steady eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI want to apologize to you for the names Chase Powell called you the first day we met, and to return your glasses that you dropped Sunday.\u201d\u00a0 He took out her glasses from his pocket and placed them carefully on her face.\u00a0 He held her gaze for a second or two longer then touched his hat brim.\u00a0 \u201cGood day, Miss Mitchell,\u201d he added and turned to walk away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cM-Mr. Cartwright,\u201d she said quickly and he turned around.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026don\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0 So many men have been unkind to me, I thought\u2026please forgive me.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0 With that, she walked away quickly.\u00a0 Adam caught up with her and snagged her arm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Mr. Cartwright\u2026I\u2019m so embarrassed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEmbarrassed to be seen with me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She jerked her head up and looked at him with wide eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNo, oh no, it isn\u2019t that, it\u2019s that I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m so ashamed of what I said to you.\u00a0 All the other men have been rude and unkind, I just thought\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would be the same way?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She flushed terribly and nodded and lowered her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

He used one finger to tilt her chin up.\u00a0 \u201cWell I\u2019m NOT, and I\u2019ll forgive you if you let me carry these for you, and if you join me for a cup of coffee in the hotel dining room.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She gave him a shy smile and it seemed to brighten her whole countenance.\u00a0 He thought now she had a rather pleasant face.\u00a0 Then her face lost it\u2019s brightness and she turned her eyes away from him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI only go out in public when I have to, Mr. Cartwright, so I must decline your invitation for coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you owe me, Miss Mitchell.\u00a0 That was part of the deal if I forgave you\u2026joining me for coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo buts.\u00a0 Coffee in the hotel dining room, then I\u2019ll go home and I won\u2019t\u2026plague\u2026you anymore.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled slightly and his eyes twinkled in amusement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to accuse you of annoying me, but\u2026I\u2019ll accept.\u00a0 But ONLY if we can find a secluded table.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeal.\u201d\u00a0 Adam took her packages from her and they made their way to the hotel dining room.\u00a0 From the dining room manager, Adam requested a table away from everyone, and they were seated at a table for two in the farthest corner of the dining room.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the waitress brought their coffee and left, Jayne cupped her hands around her cup and stared down into the dark liquid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you not drink coffee, Miss Mitchell?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do, and it\u2019s Jayne, but I\u2019m puzzled about something, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about?\u00a0 And it\u2019s just Adam, not Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m puzzled about YOU.\u00a0 You seem to be genuinely friendly, but I wonder why.\u00a0 Is it part of a joke or did someone dare you to be friendly to me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s neither a joke nor a dare, I just felt like you needed a friend and I\u2019m just being friendly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure it isn\u2019t curiosity?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026maybe that too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell at least you\u2019re not lying.\u00a0 I can usually tell when someone is lying to me.\u201d\u00a0 Jayne raised her eyes and looked into his.\u00a0 \u201cTell me what you\u2019re curious about and I\u2019ll try to answer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose the thing that piques my curiosity the most is, you remind me of someone.\u00a0 I feel as if I\u2019ve seen you some place before, but I just can\u2019t place where, or at the very least you look very much like her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond three years ago, have you ever been to the Sacramento Opera House, Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 Many times.\u00a0 Why do you ask?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause that\u2019s where you probably saw me.\u00a0 You see, my name is not Jayne Mitchell, it\u2019s Kellie Clarkson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKellie Clarkson, the opera singer?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKellie Clarkson, FORMER opera singer.\u00a0 You\u2019ve been too kind to ask about why my voice sounds like it does, nor have you laughed at me because of it, so I\u2019m going to tell you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell me if you don\u2019t want to, Kellie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI DO want to.\u00a0 Three years ago, I had just finished my appearance in \u201cNabucco\u201d and went to my dressing room to change for my next appearance, when I was met by Letitia Sterling and a man whom I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLetitia Sterling\u2026world renowned opera singer?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was only my understudy at that time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe man pushed me inside my dressing room and put a knife to my throat and told me if I didn\u2019t resign from the opera so Letitia could take my place, he would make me very sorry.\u00a0 I refused, and then he forced me to drink something.\u00a0 I thought it was poison and I would die, but it wasn\u2019t poison.\u00a0 Whatever it was, burned and scarred my throat and vocal chords so badly that I was never able to sing again.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t been able to utter a note since that day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI heard that Kellie Clarkson dropped out of sight.\u00a0 Is that when and why you did?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember thinking at the time what a tragedy it was to lose such a great opera singer.\u00a0 There hasn\u2019t been anyone to equal the clarity of your voice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s gone forever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing that can be done?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been to surgeons both here and in England and they all tell me the same thing\u2026the damage is irreparable.\u00a0 I\u2019ll sound like this for the rest of my life\u2026an ugly croaking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI gather Miss Sterling and her\u2026friend\u2026weren\u2019t prosecuted for what they did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 No one would believe she could have done anything like that.\u00a0 No one believed my story about her, and when I described the man to the authorities, they searched for him, but no one with his description was ever found. There was no evidence, because the man did his job on me, then left with the container of whatever he forced me to drink.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie took her glasses off her face and put them in her bag.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t need these to see at all.\u00a0 I just wear them and fix myself like this to keep people away from me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you want to keep people away from you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause when I start talking, they\u2019re repulsed by the sound of my croaky voice and they laugh and sneer at me, so I figured if I made myself as ugly as I sound, no one would bother me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to make yourself ugly, Kellie.\u00a0 If I remember correctly, you were very pretty and statuesque the last time I saw and heard you perform.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was unable to eat solid foods for a long time\u2026until my throat healed, so I lost a lot of weight.\u00a0 I never bothered to make myself look like I did before, because the memories were too painful.\u00a0 I thought if I looked different and changed my name, I could be a different person and it wouldn\u2019t hurt so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut it hasn\u2019t helped.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I hate everything I used to love\u2026pretty clothes\u2026music\u2026singing.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even want to hear it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs that why you always arrive at church late and leave early?\u00a0 So you don\u2019t have to listen to the music and singing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think if you face and accept the fact you\u2019ll never sing again, that you\u2019d be able to enjoy music and hearing people sing again?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI HAVE faced and accepted that fact, Adam.\u00a0 No one knows better than ME that I\u2019ll never sing again.\u201d\u00a0 Her words were sharply spoken.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you?\u00a0 It seems to me that if you\u2019ve REALLY faced and accepted it, it wouldn\u2019t bother you to hear music and singing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie looked at him with steady, unblinking eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you wanted to be my friend.\u201d\u00a0 She stood to her feet and gathered up her packages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam held her arm.\u00a0 \u201cI AM your friend.\u00a0 Sometimes friends tell us things we don\u2019t really want to hear, but SHOULD hear.\u00a0 That\u2019s a kindness that should be cherished, Kellie\u2026a friend who is honest and just doesn\u2019t say things to agree with us.\u00a0 I AM your friend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell now\u2026what have we got here.\u201d\u00a0 It was Chase Powell.\u00a0 The look in his eyes matched the smirk on his face.\u00a0 \u201cFancy meetin\u2019 you two here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie didn\u2019t answer, but sidestepped him in order to go around him, but he stepped in front of her, preventing her from leaving.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo need to rush off, Miss Homely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s enough, Chase,\u201d Adam said, stepping between them.\u00a0 \u201cLet her go on about her business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase threw him a challenging stare.\u00a0 \u201cAre you gonna make me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I have to.\u201d\u00a0 Adam touched Kellie\u2019s arm lightly and nudged her forward.\u00a0 \u201cGo on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She made a move to step away, but Chase grabbed her arm.\u00a0 She looked up at him and said, \u201cI guess I didn\u2019t make myself clear the last time you tried to stop me.\u00a0 Do you need a repeat performance?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam quirked a smile when he remembered how Chase slithered away like a whipped puppy that Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t dare do that again\u2026would you\u2026homely?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie tilted her chin up at him.\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if she won\u2019t, I will,\u201d Adam put in, then stepped closer to Chase.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I believe you owe the lady an apology for calling her names.\u201d\u00a0 His eyes were piercingly dark as he stared into Chase\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cApologize?\u00a0 Not on your life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cApologize to the lady.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase\u2019s answer was a fist in Adam\u2019s face.\u00a0 He stumbled back and fell against the table behind him, breaking the centerpiece and glassware, and knocking over a chair.\u00a0 He quickly recovered, jumping to his feet and throwing a punch of his own to Chase\u2019s stomach, then his chin, knocking him to the floor.\u00a0 Adam pulled Chase up by his shirt collar and stood him in front of Kellie.\u00a0 A large crowd had gathered around and the hotel manager looked on nervously.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have been a lot simpler if you\u2019d just apologized to the lady.\u00a0 NOW you also have damages to pay.\u00a0 Now tell her you\u2019re sorry for calling her names.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Chase balked, Adam shook him by the collar.\u00a0 \u201cI said tell her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase looked at her, then through clenched teeth he uttered an acceptable apology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow\u2026that wasn\u2019t so hard, was it Chase.\u00a0 And if you\u2019ll just pay the manager for all these broken things, we can all be on our merry way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase jerked some bills out of his pocket and thrust them towards the manager, then jerked out of Adam\u2019s grasp and stormed out of the dining room and the hotel altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie placed her packages on the floor and took up the water pitcher on the nearby serving table, wetted a napkin and handed it to Adam, after he righted the chair.\u00a0 He pressed the linen to his bleeding lip and looked at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u00a0 I should be the one asking YOU that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBesides a loose tooth or two and a swollen lip, yeah, I\u2019m okay.\u201d\u00a0 She saw him grin at her despite the cloth being over his mouth.\u00a0 His eyes told her he was smiling at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you\u2026for defending me.\u00a0 I\u2019d almost forgotten what it was like to have\u00a0 a man take up for me like you did.\u00a0 You think he\u2019ll give you any trouble?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChase?\u00a0 No, I think he\u2019s learned his lesson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWas it worth a split lip defending me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lady is always worth a little discomfort,\u201d he replied, daubing at his lip for the tenth time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lady like me?\u00a0 Men only see me as an unattractive, homely lady with a voice like\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMen see you the way you want them to see you, Kellie.\u00a0 No wonder they stare at you and laugh\u2026look how you\u2019re dressed.\u00a0 If you wouldn\u2019t wear clothes a fifty-year old woman would wear and that are two sizes too big, they wouldn\u2019t stare at you.\u00a0 And your hair\u2026I remember it was beautiful as it lay in waves over your shoulders.\u00a0 You can be pretty again if you work at it.\u00a0 Don\u2019t use your voice as an excuse to make yourself unattractive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She bent down and retrieved her packages and straightened up again.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for your criticism and disapproval, MR. CARTWRIGHT!\u201d\u00a0 Kellie whirled around and before Adam could stop her, she fled from the dining room in tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell now you\u2019ve done it, Adam Cartwright.\u00a0 Open mouth, stick big foot in\u2026boot and all,\u201d he said out loud to himself.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be lucky now if she\u2019ll even give you the time of day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam took out a sufficient amount of\u00a0 bills from his wallet, plus a little extra, to pay for their coffee, and laid them on the table.\u00a0 He left the hotel feeling like he had just lost a friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upstairs in her hotel room, Kellie Clarkson wept bitterly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Adam was quiet at dinner that night, avoiding all conversation.\u00a0 Without finishing his meal, he left the table and stepped outside.\u00a0 He stopped at the edge of the veranda and leaned one shoulder against the porch column, and peered out into the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben walked up beside him and looked up.\u00a0 \u201cBeautiful night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a long silence between them before Ben spoke.\u00a0 \u201cWhy so quiet at dinner?\u00a0 Does it have anything to do with that altercation between you and Chase Barrett earlier today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked over at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know about it.\u00a0 Mr. Cagle from the hotel told me about it when I saw him in the bank this afternoon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam turned to look back out into the inky darkness.\u00a0 \u201cHas there ever been a man in the history of time who ever understood a woman?\u201d\u00a0 Adam asked out of the blue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben chuckled and replied, \u201cNow what brought about THAT question?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOhhh, just wondering.\u201d\u00a0 Adam sat down on the veranda step and leaned his upper body forward.\u00a0 \u201cDid you understand my mother, Inger or Marie?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben joined him on the step.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Adam, just when I thought I had, they\u2019d do or say something, then I knew I never really understood them at all.\u00a0 That\u2019s what makes a woman so intriguing to a man\u2026just when you think you know them\u2026they change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose if women weren\u2019t like they are, we, as men, wouldn\u2019t be attracted to them.\u00a0 But why this conversation\u2026you interested in someone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes and no.\u00a0 Yes, because I want to help her if I can, and no, not romantically.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho is this woman?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe woman in town who calls herself Jayne Mitchell?\u00a0 Her real name is Kellie Clarkson, the opera singer who disappeared three years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face showed surprise.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not serious?!\u00a0 I remember reading about that.\u00a0 Are you sure she\u2019s Kellie Clarkson, the opera singer?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s her.\u00a0 I knew when I saw her for the first time in Virginia City I had seen her someplace before, and when she told me her real name, I knew she was the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes her voice sound as rough and raspy as people say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, unfortunately.\u00a0 She told me what happened to cause it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben could only shake his head after Adam told him of Kellie\u2019s misfortune.\u00a0 \u201cAnd they never caught the man?\u201d asked Ben afterwards.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what she said.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPerforming must have been her life\u2026her livelihood\u2026how does she provide for herself\u00a0 now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 She never got around to telling me.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid I ended our conversation sooner than I wanted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe just kept saying how unattractive she was and I couldn\u2019t stand to hear her run herself down any longer.\u00a0 Especially since I know what she used to look like.\u00a0 She was a very pretty woman.\u00a0 I was finally able to get her to call me Adam instead of Mr. Cartwright, but by the end of our conversation, she was calling me Mr. Cartwright again.\u00a0 She sort of spit it out instead of saying it\u2026like it was a bad taste in her mouth.\u00a0 Then she just stormed off before I could apologize.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWere you sorry for what you said to her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot for what I said, but I guess the WAY I said it upset her.\u00a0 She wanted me to be honest with her, and when I was, it upset her.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid I wasn\u2019t very diplomatic in the way I told her.\u00a0\u00a0 I guess I\u2019ll never understand women.\u00a0 Like Hoss says, \u2018Wimmin\u2019s\u00a0 just too confusin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam grinned and Ben chuckled then Adam grew quiet again.\u00a0 \u201cIs it just Kellie that\u2019s bothering you, Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 Mary Ann\u2019s back.\u00a0 I saw her in the mercantile this morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did THAT go?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe wants me to take her back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told her no.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know how much you liked Mary Ann Roberts, Adam, and I know how much it hurt you when you found out about her and Jim Peters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose I liked Mary Ann more than I\u2019ve ever liked any woman, and she is definitely a woman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she is, but Mary Ann uses her looks to entice men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 And Kellie uses HER looks to REPEL men, but they\u2019re both a woman.\u00a0 Figure THAT out.\u201d\u00a0 Adam wagged his head back and forth in wonder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s really no way TO figure out a woman, Adam.\u00a0 We just have to accept them as they are.\u00a0 That\u2019s what gives them their mystique\u2026us men not being able to figure them out.\u201d\u00a0 Ben patted Adam on the shoulder and stood up.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019m tired, I think I\u2019ll call it a night.\u00a0 Goodnight son.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, goodnight, Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam continued to sit staring into the darkness for several minutes after Ben went to the house.\u00a0 After feeling mentally drained he too, went into the house and up to bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Letting the calf go about his way and laying the branding iron aside, Adam removed his hat and drew his sleeve across his sweaty forehead.\u00a0 Noticing an approaching rider, he stood up from his work.\u00a0 Hoss was helping with the branding and stood up also.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWonder whut Billy\u2019s doin\u2019 out here?\u201d Hoss asked as he, too, wiped his sweaty brow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re just about to find out.\u00a0 Hello Billy.\u00a0 What brings you all the way out here so early in the morning?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billy Dockins, hotel messenger boy, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThe lady asked me to give you this, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An eyebrow raised in curiosity as he took it.\u00a0 \u201cLady?\u00a0 What lady?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe said for me not to tell you, I\u2019m just supposed to give you that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, thanks, Billy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billy nodded then turned his horse back towards town.\u00a0 Adam stood looking at the envelope, making no attempt to open it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t ya gonna op\u2019n it, Adam, an\u2019 see who it\u2019s from?\u201d Hoss gave his brother an anxious and curious look and a big grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I\u2019m going to open it\u2026in private.\u201d\u00a0 He placed his hat on his head and stuffed the envelope inside his shirt.\u00a0 \u201cBut right now, we\u2019re going to finish the branding before the day gets even hotter, so bring on the next calf.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He crouched down and picked up the branding iron and laid it on the bed of hot coals.\u00a0 He pressed his other hand over the place where the letter lay inside his shirt.\u00a0 He considered himself to be a patient man, but with every passing minute, he grew more impatient, impatient to find out what lady had written him a note.\u00a0 So with his patience running low and with Hoss not back yet with another calf, he whipped out the envelope and broke the seal.\u00a0 He read the note quickly, then read it again, slowly this time:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDear Adam, if it is convenient for you,<\/span>
\nI would consider it an honor to have<\/span>
\nDinner with you tonight.\u00a0 I have already<\/span>
\nReserved the private dining room at the<\/span>
\nHotel for eight o\u2019clock tonight.\u00a0 I look<\/span>
\nForward to seeing you then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He raised his eyebrows again and a slight smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cNo name\u2026An invitation to dinner\u2026A PRIVATE dinner.\u00a0 Very mysterious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He stuffed the note and envelope back inside his shirt just as Hoss rode up with another calf draped over his saddle in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you grinnin\u2019 \u2018bout?\u201d Hoss asked his brother when he noticed his expression.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh nothing, Hoss, nothing,\u201d he replied, but all the while he was imagining the interesting evening that awaited him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The calf bawled and pulled him out of his imagination and he stooped down, picked up the branding iron, and continued on with his work for the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Standing in front of his mirror, Adam worked at tying his string tie, humming all the while.\u00a0 Joe happened by the open door and he stopped when he saw his brother preparing for an evening out.\u00a0 He cracked a smile and leaned against the door frame.\u00a0 \u201cMm MM!\u00a0 Must be SOME lady for you to get all dressed up like that.\u00a0 Who is she?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean you don\u2019t know.\u00a0 You\u2019re dressed fit to kill and you don\u2019t know who you\u2019re going out with?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re teasing.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 Because you don\u2019t want me to know her name.\u201d\u00a0 Joe stepped quickly away from the door and over to Adam.\u00a0 \u201cIt better not be that cute little Beth Adams.\u00a0 I\u2019M gonna ask her to the church picnic Sunday.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Finishing his tie and slipping his arms in his black dress jacket, Adam smiled in amusement at his youngest brother\u2019s curiosity.\u00a0 He headed for his door with Joe right behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt better not be Beth you\u2019re goin\u2019 out with tonight, Adam.\u00a0 And you better not ask her to the picnic.\u201d\u00a0 Joe kept talking while Adam kept walking until they had reached the front door.\u00a0 Adam picked up his hat, placed it carefully on his head and with another mischievous grin at his young brother, he exited the house, humming a merry tune.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoggone him!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Joe?\u201d Ben asked as he looked up from his newspaper, from his chair beside the fireplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh it\u2019s Adam.\u00a0 He has a date tonight and he won\u2019t tell me who he has a date with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben chuckled at him.\u00a0 \u201cWell, son, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s any of your business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not, but it sure is aggravating when he won\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 All he does is grin at me like some Chinese cat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss broke out with a hearty laugh, Ben chuckled and Joe raked his fingers through his hair and dropped down hard on the settee, with a scowling look on his face.\u00a0 He plopped his feet hard on top of the low table in front of him, for added emphasis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Upon entering the hotel dining room, Adam\u2019s eyes scanned over the people inside.\u00a0 He knew most of the women but since they were with someone else, he knew it wasn\u2019t any of them who had sent him the note.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ralph Cagle, hotel manager, walked up beside him.\u00a0 \u201cGood evening, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have a dinner reservation for eight o\u2019clock in the private dining room.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the lady told me you would be expected.\u00a0 Follow me please.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh, Mr. Cagle\u2026just who IS the lady?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe asked me to not tell you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFigures.\u00a0 This better not be somebody\u2019s idea of a joke,\u201d he muttered while they walked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reaching the private dining room, Mr. Cagle opened the door and allowed Adam to enter.\u00a0 \u201cCan I get you anything while you wait?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no thank you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Cagle nodded then left, closing the door behind him.\u00a0 Adam placed his hat on a chair seat and sat down in another chair to wait for his mysterious date to appear.\u00a0 After several minutes of waiting, he stood and glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was ten minutes after the hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow if that isn\u2019t just like a woman.\u00a0 She says a certain time and she\u2019s late.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I haven\u2019t kept you waiting too long, Adam,\u201d he heard a voice behind him say.\u00a0 He turned around quickly and was shocked when he saw her.<\/span><\/p>\n

She looked stunning in a gown of shimmering lavender silk.\u00a0 Her hair was shiny and lay across her shoulders in waves.\u00a0 Her cheeks were naturally flushed and her lavender eyes sparkled.\u00a0 Her smile, warm and friendly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKellie?\u00a0 I never expected my mysterious letter writer to be YOU.\u201d\u00a0 He walked over to her and took her hands in his.\u00a0 \u201cYou look beautiful.\u00a0 I knew somewhere beneath all that drudgery was the pretty Kellie Clarkson I remembered.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI DO feel pretty.\u00a0 With a little weight here and there I\u2019ll look just like I used to look.\u00a0 Thank you, Adam, for helping me want to feel like a woman again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With her high-heeled dress shoes on, she was only about an inch shorter than Adam, so she didn\u2019t have to lean up when she kissed his cheek lightly.\u00a0 When she drew back from him, she looked deep into his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a very kind and compassionate man, Adam Cartwright, and I\u2019m glad we\u2019re friends.\u00a0 You were right when you said an honest friend is a kindness to be cherished.\u00a0 I DO, Adam, I cherish your friendship AND the kindness you\u2019ve shown me when everyone else showed me unkindness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the last time we saw each other I thought\u00a0 you\u2019d never want to speak to me again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t, but in the last two weeks since then, I\u2019ve been thinking about everything you said.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had people pity me for so long, it just became a way of life with me and so I expected it from everyone.\u00a0 You were right, Adam, I was using the loss of my singing voice to stop my being productive and enjoying life to its fullest.\u00a0 I shall treasure your friendship wherever I go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo?\u00a0 So this is a farewell dinner?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 I\u2019m leaving in the morning.\u00a0 I\u2019m going back to Sacramento.\u00a0 I\u2019m going back to the opera to see if I can be useful in some way other than a singer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s many aspects of the opera that could use your expertise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so, Adam.\u00a0 I want to feel useful again.\u00a0 Thanks to you, I believe I CAN be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam placed an arm around her shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my girl.\u00a0 But would you do something for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWill you wait until Monday to leave?\u00a0 I\u2019d like to escort you to the church picnic on Sunday.\u00a0 That is if you wouldn\u2019t be embarrassed to be seen out in public with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie tilted her head back and laughed out loud.\u00a0 Though it wasn\u2019t a pleasant laugh to hear, Adam was pleased with the fact that she felt she COULD laugh now and not be embarrassed about it.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d love to go to the picnic with you, and I promise I\u2019ll do my best to not be embarrassed to be seen with you,\u201d she teased.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u00a0 Now how about that dinner you promised me, I\u2019m starved.\u201d\u00a0 He led her to the table and seated her, then sat down opposite her.\u00a0 They laughed and talked and enjoyed each other\u2019s company until well into the night.\u00a0 When Adam left her off at her room, they heard the lobby clock striking midnight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, do me a favor?\u00a0 Come by for me Sunday and take me to church, I want to be there when the first note is sung.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be happy to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie smiled and stepped into her room and turned around to look at him.\u00a0 He smiled at her and chucked her under the chin, then left.\u00a0 She watched until he was out of sight before she closed her door.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Mary Ann Roberts was there when Adam walked into the church with Kellie Clarkson holding onto his arm.\u00a0 Mary Ann grew instantly jealous and made her way over to them.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Adam.\u00a0 Who\u2019s your friend?\u201d Mary Ann\u2019s eyes looked Kellie up and down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Kellie Clarkson.\u00a0 Kellie\u2026Mary Ann Roberts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie held out her hand to Mary Ann and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you do, Miss Roberts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary Ann didn\u2019t take Kellie\u2019s hand and when she heard her speak, Mary Ann immediately broke out into\u00a0 a laugh.\u00a0 Adam immediately escorted Kellie away from Mary Ann, but Kellie stopped him.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Adam.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been running away from people\u2019s laughs, but no more.\u201d\u00a0 She walked back to Mary Ann and stood in front of her, with Adam right beside her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I made you laugh, Miss Roberts.\u00a0 Laughter is good for one\u2019s soul, it can also be a good way to meet new friends.\u00a0 Would you like to sit with Adam and me during church and then join us for the picnic afterwards?\u00a0 That is if you don\u2019t mind, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam groaned inside himself, hoping and praying Mary Ann would decline.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think Adam would just as soon not have my company.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Not wanting to, but being a gentleman, he extended the invitation to her.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to join us if you like, Mary Ann.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She smiled slightly, then shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I think three would be a crowd.\u00a0 But thank you for the invitation just the same.\u201d\u00a0 She turned and walked away.\u00a0 Adam felt greatly relieved that she refused, but Kellie wagged her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel sorry for her.\u00a0 She\u2019s very unhappy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s led a hard, rough life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know her well?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know her well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOhhh.\u00a0 Former lady friend I take it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d he simply replied.\u00a0 He glanced back at Mary Ann and saw that she was sitting alone.\u00a0 He led Kellie over to where his father and brothers were sitting and introduced them.\u00a0 Joe was with Beth Adams.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the song leader announced the page of the first congregational, Kellie opened the book.\u00a0 Though she could no longer sing, she listened to all the voices around her.\u00a0 She paid particular attention to Adam\u2019s as he switched back and forth from singing the melody to singing baritone.\u00a0 She heard the clarity of his voice.\u00a0 She closed her eyes and smiled as she listened.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked over at her and knew she was enjoying music and singing again, and was glad he had had a part in helping her to achieve that.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

After church, everyone gathered on the church lawn to share their meal.\u00a0 Kellie found a place right in the middle of the yard, instead of a secluded spot, to spread out the ground cloth.\u00a0 She sat down on it and waited for Adam to return with their plates of food.\u00a0 While she waited, Chase Powell walked up to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am, I couldn\u2019t help noticing you.\u00a0 I saw you come in the church with Adam Cartwright, but I don\u2019t believe I saw you before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Mr. Powell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The moment she spoke to him, he knew who she was.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOle four-eyes\u2026ugly duckling\u2026Miss Homely?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am\u2026I mean, no ma\u2019am.\u00a0 I mean\u2026you don\u2019t look the same.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t recognize you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Mr. Powell, I no longer want to look the way I did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou look real pretty, and I\u2019m sorry for all the names I called you and for making fun of you before.\u00a0 You\u2019re none of those things.\u00a0 I hope we can be friends, Miss Mitchell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie smiled up at him.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Mr. Powell, for being enough of a gentleman to apologize.\u00a0 I accept your apology, and yes, we can be friends, but my real name is Kellie Clarkson, not Jayne Mitchell.\u00a0 I only used that name because I was trying to run away from being who I really am.\u00a0 But no more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase Powell smiled at her.\u00a0 \u201cKellie\u2019s a real pretty name.\u00a0 Just like you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs he bothering you?\u201d Adam asked as he walked up on them with his hands full of plates of food and drinks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, on the contrary, Mr. Powell and I just became friends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d\u00a0 Adam raised an eyebrow and handed Kellie her plate of food and one of the drinks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and I was just about to ask him to join us, if you don\u2019t mind that is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure!\u00a0 I\u2019d be glad to!\u00a0 I\u2019ll get some food and be right back,\u201d Chase said then left quickly before Adam could respond.\u00a0 He laughed then sat down beside Kellie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re enjoying yourself aren\u2019t you?\u201d he asked her as he saw the happy expression on her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, very much.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t allowed myself much happiness these past three years, and thanks to you, there\u2019ll be many more days of happiness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t do so much?!\u00a0 You brought me out of that shell of bitterness and showed me I was hurting only myself.\u00a0 You helped restore my self-esteem, made me want to feel like a woman again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou were always a woman, Kellie.\u00a0 If it hadn\u2019t been me, someone else would have helped you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She eyed him curiously.\u00a0 \u201cAre you ALWAYS so humble?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam scratched the back of his head and grinned at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m hardly the one to ask that, but if you were to ask my brothers, they\u2019d probably use a much different word I can\u2019t repeat in the company of a lady.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kellie laughed at his remark then looked up and saw Mary Ann driving away alone in her buggy.\u00a0 \u201cTell me about Miss Roberts.\u00a0 She\u2019s very beautiful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she is.\u00a0 VERY beautiful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWere you in love with her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam was glad that Chase walked up at that moment so he wouldn\u2019t have to answer Kellie\u2019s question.\u00a0 He was glad, because he didn\u2019t know if he could have answered it honestly, now that he was asked outright.\u00a0 He admitted to himself that when he and Mary Ann WERE seeing each other, he did have strong feelings for her.\u00a0 But were they feelings of love?\u00a0 She had hurt him when she became involved with Jim Peters, the town womanizer.\u00a0 Then when she left town two months later, and Adam knew why, it seemed to make the hurt insurmountable.\u00a0 After seeing her again after all the time that elapsed, his feelings for her surfaced for a split second then he dismissed them.\u00a0 He wished she hadn\u2019t come back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you hungry, Adam?\u201d\u00a0 Kellie\u2019s voice broke in on his thoughts of Mary Ann and he looked at her.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t you hungry?\u00a0 You haven\u2019t touched your food.\u00a0 Chase and I have been talking a blue streak, I guess we\u2019ve ignored you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s alright.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t hungry before, but I am now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me tell you about the time that I\u2026\u201d Chase\u2019s voice trailed off into oblivion while Adam ate and thought some more about Mary Ann Roberts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Kellie looked up and down the street as she stood by the stagecoach.\u00a0 She gave out a breath of happy relief and smiled when she saw Adam approaching on his horse.\u00a0 He dismounted and walked up beside her.\u00a0 \u201cI was hoping you\u2019d come to see me off.\u201d\u00a0 Kellie beamed him a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was afraid I\u2019d already missed you.\u00a0 I had more work to get done than I previously thought, I came straight from the range so you\u2019ll have to pardon my appearance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re forgiven.\u00a0 Next time you come to Sacramento, be sure and stop in the opera house and see me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t exactly know what I\u2019ll be doing, but even if it\u2019s just mending costumes, I\u2019ll be content.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll make a point of it.\u00a0 Have a safe trip.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCould I write to you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be upset if you didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the driver called for the passengers to load up, Kellie turned and Adam helped her into the coach.\u00a0 \u201cGoodbye, Adam.\u00a0 And thank you for helping me find my life again and for extending to me a cherished kindness\u2026that of friendship.\u00a0 I\u2019ll treasure it always.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye, Kellie.\u00a0 If you ever need anything, all you have to do is let me know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam closed the door on the coach and stepped back.\u00a0 Kellie leaned out the window to talk to him.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone needs at least one friend, Adam.\u00a0 Even someone like Miss Roberts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He just looked at her and watched until the stage disappeared around the last row of buildings at the edge of town.\u00a0 He stood there for a minute or two longer thinking about what Kellie said, then mounted his horse and rode slowly down the street.\u00a0 As he headed out of town he saw Mary Ann Roberts walking slowly down the walk in front of the saloon, dressed in her brightly colored saloon attire.\u00a0 She stopped and looked up at him.\u00a0 He thought she looked like she had aged ten years and she looked very sad.\u00a0 He felt compassion for her because of the kind of life she led, though she had chosen it willingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He touched the brim of his hat in greeting to her as he rode past.\u00a0 She turned and went into the saloon.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he rode home, he thought long and hard about what Kellie said to him and about Mary Ann Roberts. Would she misconstrue his intentions if he dared to attempt to befriend her again?\u00a0 He would think on it long and hard, but right now he had a corral full of horses waiting to be broken, so he heeled Sport forward at a faster pace towards home.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE END<\/span>
\nAuthor: Eileen K<\/span><\/p>\n

Note: Quotes are taken from the book \u201cParadise Lost\u201d by John Milton.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 This is not the story I had so much trouble with, I\u2019m still working on that one.\u00a0 This story is just one I had tucked away and decided to post.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary: A story of curiosity, kindness, friendship, and compassion on Adam\u2019s part.
\nRating and Reader Alerts: G
\nWords:\u00a0 10,800<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12436,"featured_media":41001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1005,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":450,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46841,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46841","url_meta":{"origin":47053,"position":0},"title":"The First Day of Spring (by Adamfan16)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"December 6, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0This is an expanded Bonanza Bit I did this spring, to the title prompt. 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This is a different sort of story because it is written in rhyme. I find I can express\u2026","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\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joe-copy-7.jpg?fit=594%2C592&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45159,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=45159","url_meta":{"origin":47053,"position":2},"title":"Someone Watching (by VRON)","author":"Preserving Their Legacy Author","date":"March 25, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: A brief and fanciful 'what if'. 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It was a piece of advice that I\u2019d nearly forgotten.\" A missing scene from the episode The Courtship. 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