{"id":48757,"date":"2024-04-18T11:07:59","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T15:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=48757"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:37:18","slug":"discernment-lessons-taught-lessons-learned-by-missjudy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=48757","title":{"rendered":"Discernment: Lessons Taught – Lessons Learned (by Missjudy)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: This prequel is set a few weeks before Adam’s departure for school.\u00a0 A simple request to pick up Little Joe from a neighbor’s home where the little boy is playing, ends up bringing Adam into a world of confusion over what’s going on with the wife of his father’s oldest friend.<\/p>\n

This is the first of 2 prequels, the first taking place in the weeks before Adam left for college, and the second story showing his return. Both take a fun, yet serious look at how the Cartwright family faces problems.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> K\u00a0 \u00a0 Word Count<\/strong>:\u00a0 26419<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Discernment: Lessons Taught \u2013 Lessons Learned<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Beginning<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The tall, tan, 17-year-old slipped through the back door to find his father working on financial ledgers at the kitchen table. His eyes darted around the room until spying a plate of cookies and pitcher of water on the cupboard, sending him there first. With a glass in one hand and a few cookies in the other, he made his way over and draped his lanky body onto the chair facing his father.<\/p>\n

When his backside finally anchored at the front edge of the seat that seemed nearly too slippery to hold him, he slung one arm slung over the back to stay put, and asked, \u201cIs L J sick? I saw you drive past on your way home from town and didn\u2019t see him in the buggy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben raised his eyes from the cream-colored page as his left cheek crinkled. \u201cWho are you asking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed. \u201cL J is what the men call Little Joe. They say he might be small, but there\u2019s nothing \u2018little\u2019 about him, so they made their own version of his name. I doubt they call him that when you\u2019re around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect they don\u2019t.\u201d Ben chuckled. \u201cBut I like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI expected he\u2019d be playing outside or at least come running when I rode in. Even the house is quiet. My conclusion was that he must have been sleeping on the buggy seat, and is in bed now, not feeling well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was already bent back over his sheet with the pencil tip hovering over a figure he suspected he\u2019d transposed when entering. \u201cHe\u2019s fine. You didn\u2019t see him because he wasn\u2019t with me. Marilou and Tom Tucker were in town, and she offered to take Little Joe home to play with her son, Timmy. I agreed to pick him up around four.\u201d Glancing up to check the wall clock, he asked. \u201cAre you finished for the day or just hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re done. We moved the big rocks to mark the pasture line in that field we\u2019ll plant tomorrow, but the rest of the stones were small enough to leave be. That ground should produce a good crop of grass, kind of like the Sower who spread seeds on fertile soil in the parable.\u201d Adam tossed the last piece of his rapidly consumed snack into his mouth. While still chewing, he mumbled, \u201cDo you want me to start something else before supper?\u201d<\/p>\n

The reprimand was instant. \u201cDon\u2019t talk with your mouth full. You\u2019re setting a bad example for your brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew he was poking a bear, yet he\u2019d worked hard since early morning, and had been nice enough to offer his further service, even if it came while chewing. He swallowed and rinsed it down with a gulp of water. \u201cBut my brothers aren\u2019t around, and I suspect you wouldn\u2019t be tempted to change your eating habits because of me.\u201d He grinned devilishly. \u201cI know you\u2019re busy, so I did it only to speed my offer of help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deadly stare sent his son\u2019s direction spoke to his unhappiness in being challenged, but it softened to a half-grin of tribute at his son finding the flaw in his logic. \u201cYou know what I meant.\u201d The look softened further with a sigh. \u201cYour manners are slipping with spending so much time with the crew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could be true, but this just seemed an expedient way to do two things at once.\u201d Adam watched his father\u2019s expression become less accepting again and quickly added, \u201cWhat should<\/em> I do next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about you fetch your brother from the Tuckers. I\u2019ll find my mistakes and get these columns to add right. When Hoss gets back from checking fences with Hugh, I\u2018ll help him with the Lessons Miss Jones sent along from town.\u201d He stopped to recall something important that had flashed through his mind. \u201cPlease don\u2019t let L J<\/em> doze off on the way home. You might enjoy a few minutes of quiet if he does, but keep him talking or we\u2019ll pay dearly tonight. And by we, I mean you, because I\u2019ll expect you to stay awake until he tires out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Pa. I\u2019ll do whatever it takes!\u201d He winked. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll let him drive while I take a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n

The promise was sincere, since allowing Joe to sleep even minutes would produce consequences for the next several days. It would take the edge off the boy\u2019s sleepiness, and come bedtime, there was no telling how long he\u2019d keep going before winding down again. That was bad enough, but it would start a chain reaction where he\u2019d be tired and grouchy come morning, which meant he\u2019d need a short nap later, prolonging the return to a normal bedtime schedule.<\/p>\n

Marie had possessed a near miraculous talent in soothing her little boy. But not even Pa had that power, so the three of them did their best to keep Joe going rather than releasing the unhappy monster that appeared when the child became overtired, yet overstimulated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tuckers live in the McNally place?\u201d<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cYou won\u2019t have to rush back, but leave early enough so you don\u2019t keep Hop Sing waiting supper. Preventing that is of equal importance to keeping your brother awake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just 3:00, so that should be easy.\u201d Draining his water glass, he ran his shirtsleeve across his mouth and grinned at his father. \u201cI know \u2026. I should politely dab my lips with a napkin, but I\u2019m gonna run upstairs and change into a clean shirt anyway.\u201d Lifting his arm again, he \u00a0sniffed and grimaced. \u201cThat spring sun was hot today, and I\u2019m a little ripe to pay a polite call on a neighbor. I\u2019ll wash up too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head as he returned to his work. At 17, Adam still exhibited sweet reminders of his \u201cyouth.\u201d \u00a0He was glad for the remnants, since this son had \u00a0been forced to grow up so fast. The fact that he could still tease and make fun of himself \u2026 and his father at times \u2026 was a testament to this boy\u2019s resiliency. He\u2019d survived the worst times while drawing the best from them.<\/p>\n

Things were soon to change on the Ponderosa, causing Ben to wake in a sweat each morning. He\u2019d made a promise two years ago that was soon to be called due. This sweet young man would be leaving for Boston. Everything in him said this shouldn\u2019t happen, but how could he deny this opportunity for Adam when he himself had left his family for the sea when even younger.<\/p>\n

His saving grace was knowing Abel Stoddard would be there to guide the boy and help with the paralyzing homesickness that was sure come. The bigger question, was who was going to help him <\/em>adjust to life without this son at his side: the one who\u2019d been an infant wrapped in Elizabeth\u2019s afghan when they\u2019d boarded a carriage to begin the journey to this destiny. The difficult years of living as nomads and then getting this ranch running at a profit, would be nothing compared to the hard five years he was about to experience with his son away.<\/p>\n

There was no way around it, though. Adam had stayed an extra year already to help after Marie\u2019s unexpected death. Any suggestion of another delay would be honored by family loyalty alone, leaving his son discouraged and eventually resentful at the loss.<\/p>\n

Friends, attempting to be encouraging, had said, \u201cYou\u2019ll still have two sons at home, Ben. You\u2019ll barely notice Adam\u2019s absence.\u201d It didn\u2019t pay to challenge such foolishness. Each of his sons was a special gift. Having two \u201cleft\u201d would never make missing \u201cthe other one\u201d any easier. All he could do now was cherish the last days of Adam being home.<\/p>\n

Ben tucked these thoughts away as he returned to his ledgers, erasing, and reentering the figure before adding the column again, hoping the sum proved correct.<\/p>\n

The Mission (Part 1)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam, now washed and attired in the nicer shirt he wore for supper each evening, brought the two-seat buggy into the Tucker homestead in what he estimated was 30-minutes. He\u2019d learned to internally judge spans of time using sunlight and pace. This left him with a sense for when he\u2019d need to start home to comply with Hop Sing\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n

He heard the shouts and squeals of the two unseen boys as he tied up to the rail at the front of the house. Even with \u201cnoise\u201d from the boys, Adam noted the difference from when the McNallys had lived here. They\u2019d been a family of \u201cindeterminate\u201d number, as people in town described the plethora of offspring, without meaning it to be derogatory. There\u2019d been a new baby nearly every year, leaving the exact number of McNallys a little nebulous. \u00a0They\u2019d been grateful for their large family, but the number of mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, and children to tend, eventually turned their thoughts back to their original\u00a0 home where relatives could lend a hand and a steady job could provide a better income than farming.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d stepped inside this house just once during the McNally occupancy to deliver boxes of food and baby things Marie had sent over. He smiled, recalling that the doorway was about as far as he could <\/em>get, since the small house had been full to the rafters with bunkbeds and mattress stacked up next to those. It was clean in its own way, but \u201cmessy\u201d from the overcrowding.<\/p>\n

Before he\u2019d left to make the delivery that day, Marie had reminded him not to judge the conditions of any struggling person or family, and instead recognize that they were doing the best they could. He\u2019d always admired Marie\u2019s heart for those treated or judged harshly, and had always assumed she had faced unkind, undeserved, and unwanted verdicts before meeting Ben Cartwright, to make her so aware of how humiliating it was.<\/p>\n

As he looked around, he noticed that the place itself hadn\u2019t changed much. There\u2019d been a large garden plot in the side yard, and it was still there, the expanse carpeted by spring weeds in full bloom, ensuring a fine crop of them for years to come.<\/p>\n

He called hello, and receiving no answer, he headed to the porch and knocked. When this also produced no response, he cracked the door just enough to restate his greeting in case someone inside hadn\u2019t heard him arrive. The interior was dim, indicating the curtains were pulled. He could tell the many McNally beds were gone, and possibly replaced with a few pieces of furniture. Quickly closing the door to make sure his attempts to make his presence known didn\u2019t turn into snooping, he jumped at hearing a voice off to his left.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all outside,\u201d the lady of the house said as she rounded the corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve come to retrieve Little Joe.\u201d He left the porch to meet Marilou Tucker, extending his hand in greeting. \u201cYou\u2019re probably ready for that by now. He\u2019s an active kid who never stops moving or talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTimmy is alone so much that he\u2019s become very quiet. Hearing those two laugh and chatter has been nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Joe give you any trouble? He\u2019s not intentionally disobedient, but he does have a mind of his own, and will spend a lot of time convincing you that you\u2019re wrong if he doesn\u2019t agree with you.\u201d His brotherly description made him laugh. \u201cOr at least that\u2019s been my experience. But his spirit is honest and he owns up to his mistakes. Most people are won over by his enthusiasm and find him most likeable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIncluding you?\u201d she teased while stepping closer, still holding his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially me. Joe makes all of us feel protective of that innocent wonder he has.\u201d He smiled as he slipped his hand free and took his first good look at Mrs. Tucker. The Tuckers had moved here several months ago during a busy time for the ranch. Additionally, they\u2019d arrived shortly after Marie\u2019s passing, when his father hadn\u2019t been in shape to participate fully in an old friendship, even someone Adam sensed had been a very close acquaintance in the past.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Tucker was nice looking, and a little younger than Mr. Tucker, who was Pa\u2019s age. Tom Tucker and Ben Cartwright had sailed on Abel Stoddard\u2019s ship from the time they were both in their mid-teens, and had remained long-distant friends even after their paths had diverged.<\/p>\n

What he also noticed, was this woman seemed physically bold. She stood close, looking directly into his eyes rather than stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest: the normal position assumed by a married woman speaking to man she didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Adam, Joe\u2019s oldest brother, by the way. Pa sends his regrets at not coming, and he extends his thanks for a quiet afternoon to catch up on bookwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stepped closer again, leaving little space between them. \u201cI know who you are, although you haven\u2019t been at any of the get-togethers. Don\u2019t you like parties?\u201d<\/p>\n

He could feel his cheeks blooming pink with her nearness and the flirtatious inflection. \u201cI like parties well enough, Mrs. Tucker. But I work on our crew and spring is a busy time.\u201d He sighed, and then grinned. \u201cI don\u2019t mind missing those parties sometimes since I usually get charged with keeping the younger kids busy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d she said with a gentle chuckle. \u201cPlease call me Marilou. Mrs. Tucker makes me feel old, and I\u2019m just a year or two older than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam did a quick mental calculation. He\u2019d already decided Mrs. Tucker was \u201cyounger\u201d than Mr. Tucker, however, her son was the same age as Little Joe, making him around six. The only way her claim of being near his current age could be true, was if she\u2019d had Timmy in her early teens. Marie had instructed him to never question a woman\u2019s stated age no matter how improbable, and he honored her memory by staying silent.<\/p>\n

While he held his tongue about her age, he had to address the name. \u201cPa wouldn\u2019t approve of me being on a first name basis with the wife of his friend. He\u2019d see it as disrespectful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about this,\u201d she suggested with a head tilt Adam thought leaned even more towards flirting. \u201cHow about we have a secret. You call me Marilou when we\u2019re together, but Mrs. Tucker around your pa and Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n

The left side of Adam\u2019s mouth rose in a modified grimace. \u201cKeeping secrets from my father never goes well. He sees that sort of secret as the lie it would really be.\u201d He watched an annoyed frown pass briefly over the woman\u2019s face. \u201cI will mention to Pa that you\u2019d prefer I use your first name and abide by his decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marilou looked directly into his eyes with one hand now resting on his chest. \u201cYou\u2019re old enough to work as a ranch hand,\u201d she said as she moved her hand to his face and trailed her fingers down his cheek. \u201cYou\u2019re old enough to shave and take responsibility for your brothers, but you have to check with your father before using my first name? What sort of tyrant is he?\u201d she asked, as that same hand came to rest on his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a tyrant, Ma\u2019am. Just a man I respect as the head of our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re a man too, aren\u2019t you? Maybe it\u2019s time you tell him what you\u2019re thinking instead of asking for his blessing on your thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a close family, Mrs. Tucker.\u201d Adam took a step back to widen the gap and make her remove her hand. \u00a0\u201cThe way we operate, with Pa as the captain of our ship, has kept us going through some very rough weather. He has my respect because he deserves it, and his rules provide order in what could otherwise prove a chaotic life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression changed immediately as she laughed and stepped closer again, now using both hands to grasp his muscled arms. \u201cI was just teasing. But \u2026 you are an exceptionally handsome man<\/em>, and it\u2019s hard to think of you still under your father\u2019s thumb.\u201d Noticing the darkening blush in Adam\u2019s cheeks, she added. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter? Don\u2019t people tell you how good-looking you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d he said, followed by a nervous laugh. \u201cBut it\u2019s usually a grandmother, who says it while pinching my cheek.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comeback made them both laugh and released some of the odd tension Adam was feeling.<\/p>\n

The release didn\u2019t last long as Marilou moved her hands along his arms, causing the hair to tingle where his sleeves were rolled up. \u201cWell, I\u2019m not anyone\u2019s grandma, and I know a handsome man when I see one. There aren\u2019t a lot of men your age around here, which leaves me wondering whether there\u2019s a woman in your life? Someone you\u2019re currently courting or soon to ask for her hand in marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another step back distanced him from her as his body began to react in ways that might cause great embarrassment if allowed to continue. \u201cNope. I\u2019m leaving for Boston to attend college as soon as a professor I\u2019ve been studying with, gets back to accompany me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart and handsome,\u201d she cooed. \u201cThat\u2019s an intriguing combination.\u201d Marilou again closed the gap between them. \u201cDoes that mean you\u2019ve never kissed a woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eye grew large as he felt heat growing in places he knew he had, but always kept in check so as not to \u201cthink\u201d with the wrong part of his anatomy: a condition his father always cautioned against.<\/p>\n

He recalled private talks where this topic had been quietly, but sternly addressed. \u201cYou have goals for your future, son. One day, you will know the full joy these feelings bring, but it\u2019s not something you dabble in. The consequence can be life altering.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Adam knew exactly what that consequence was, as he had already witnessed two couples even younger than him, forced into marriage when momentary decisions left them with a debt to be paid in lifelong commitments.<\/p>\n

He’d just come to get his brother, and surely hadn\u2019t expected any conversation like \u201cthis\u201d with a stranger. Her actions seemed deliberate. But why! Was she expecting he\u2019d react naively so she could have a good laugh at his expense, or was she hoping for some strange liaison while two youngsters were playing in the back yard.<\/p>\n

What he did know, was that nothing about \u201cthis\u201d felt right, so he stepped away while asking, \u201cIs Mr. Tucker around? Pa asked me to say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll come in from the field at dusk,\u201d she replied in the irritated tone from earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll miss him since Joe and I should get going.\u201d Hearing Joe\u2019s loud laugh from behind the house, he added, \u201cSounds like those two are having a good time,\u201d before walking in the direction of their voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, Adam.\u201d She caught his arm. \u201cLet them play while you enjoy a cool drink on the porch with me. I don\u2019t get callers out here, so having someone my age stop by makes me feel a bit playful. I\u2019m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.\u201d She laughed. \u201cPerhaps you\u2019ll understand me better if you hear about my situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her situation,<\/em> he thought. Why would she want to divulge her \u201csituation\u201d to a stranger, especially one in their teens. What he did know was how much Little Joe liked being around other kids: an infrequent opportunity based on distance and the unending work on farms and ranches. A few more minutes wouldn\u2019t hurt, and that\u2019s what he finally told his hostess.<\/p>\n

His decision was welcomed with a bright smile. \u201cCome in and help me carry things to the porch,\u201d she said as she walked ahead to the front of the house and up the steps to the door. Stopping before opening it, she said, \u201cPlease excuse the mess inside. With the boys here, I haven\u2019t had time to tidy the house today.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Adam\u2019s eyes adjusted to the filtered light of the interior, he had to keep from laughing at her apology about not tidying up \u201ctoday.\u201d In fact, the conditions inside<\/em> matched what he\u2019d observed as he\u2019d glanced around while talking outside.<\/em> The garden, when seen closer, hadn\u2019t even been turned over yet, while most folks were already harvesting early crops like spinach, lettuce and green onions. He\u2019d spotted wash lines beyond the garden drooping under the weight of dirty gray sheets and towels, along with board-stiff clothing. The state of the laundry indicated it hadn\u2019t been washed or rinsed properly and had hung long enough to bake solid over the last few warm days. He\u2019d even shivered to think how uncomfortable it would be to don a pair of those pants, and had given a quick thanks for Hop Sing\u2019s efforts to keep them comfortable.<\/p>\n

The huge garbage pile in the distance needed to be burned, and as he\u2019d walked back to the porch, he\u2019d nearly tripped over a spade and shovel hiding in the long grass. Their rusting edges implied they\u2019d been used and abandoned in the elements for some time. And worst of all had been the smell of chicken coops and pig pens wafting towards them on the westerly breeze. Cleaning the coops and pens was the worst job on the Ponderosa, but it was done frequently to prevent this condition. He began to wonder whether the \u201csituation\u201d she had mentioned was simply that she was far behind in normal chores.<\/p>\n

Marilou pushed the kitchen curtain aside for more light, allowing the interior mess to become more visible. \u00a0The furniture he\u2019d seen from the door earlier, was draped with clothing in need of folding or washing, but their condition gave no clear indication which was the case. The sideboard held teetering stacks of dirty dishes and pots. And his boots made a ripping sound as they stuck to the dirty floor when he walked. Gooey egg yolk and bacon grease covered the piled plates on the table that were currently hosting a picnic for a family of flies.<\/p>\n

Adam had been to homes where housekeeping was lax, but he\u2019d never seen anything like this where there was adequate income and just three inhabitants. Recalling Marie\u2019s warning not to judge, he did still allow a moment of astonishment.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been raised by a single father whose insistence on organization had kept their homes from ever becoming like this. This was true now, but had held true in their boarding house rooms and their prairie schooner. Ship life had imbued his father with the importance of properly stowing everything. And with \u201ceverything\u201d so hard to come by out here, they were careful with their possessions. Each Cartwright was responsible for keeping their own things orderly from the time they were able, and for taking on chores that benefited everyone. What he knew to be true, was that an orderly life took less time than having to find time to do the kind of cleaning needed here. An ordered, clean home and life had another benefit in that it was comforting to the mind and spirit. Who could think straight amid such chaos.<\/p>\n

A further disconcerting quality in this house was the odor from fouling food and pans of dirty water. This all pointed to a lack of regular effort rather than a mess created by a one-time change of schedule, leaving him to wonder whether she was oblivious to the actual conditions.<\/p>\n

His pondering ceased as she pulled a water pitcher from behind a stack of dirty dishes and ran a filthy dishrag around the interior before filling it from the kitchen pump: a luxury most farm homes didn\u2019t have. She handed him the pitcher, and found two \u201cclean\u201d glasses on a shelf above the sink that she also passed to him, before rummaging on the table, finally pulling out a plate of \u201ccake\u201d from the mess he\u2019d just seen covered with flies.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get acquainted while you enjoy a treat,\u201d she said, holding the door open for him.<\/p>\n

As they were settling into chairs at the outdoor table, the two boys came running around the front of the house with Little Joe sliding to a stop at seeing his brother.<\/p>\n

His wide smile turned to a pout. \u201cI s\u2019pose I gotta go home,\u201d he stated without disguising his disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon,\u201d Adam answered. \u201cI\u2019m going to talk with Mrs. Tucker a few minutes. Finish your game and help Timmy clean up the things you played with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied with a short reprieve, the boys ran off again, their squealing voices flowing behind them like streamers.<\/p>\n

Marilou filled the glasses with water, pushing one towards Adam. \u201cYou must need this. The dust out here just chokes me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m outside all the time and have gotten used to it.\u201d Remembering the unsanitary condition of the pitcher, Adam pretended to sip and returned the glass to the table, while raising his hand in refusal of cake, truthfully claiming he\u2019d had something before leaving home.<\/p>\n

With her hostess duties completed, she asked, \u201cPeople say the Cartwrights were here before there was even a town. Is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you know as town<\/em>, was a small trading post when we arrived, run by a couple who dealt with the Paiute, Washoe, and early trappers working the rivers and mountain streams to the west and north. We trapped on the land Pa had purchased, living in a tiny cabin uphill near streams during winter pelt seasons, and in a lean-to during the summer located where our house is now. We\u2019d plant a garden for winter vegetable there and set out areas to be pastures, until Pa saved enough to add more acres and buy our first cattle. The Cass family arrived a few years after us; bought the trading post, and with supply trains making it to this area from the across the Sierras, he turned it into a general store. That served as an anchor for others who decided to stay put instead of crossing over to California. With enough people to support new businesses, we got a boarding house, a blacksmith, and a seamstress, to take root as what might become a town one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you been here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere \u2026. 10 years, but we left Boston when I was a few months old. My parents had decided to homestead out here, and my mother made Pa promise to do as they\u2019d planned no matter what. She died soon after I was born and Pa upheld his promise. It took the two of us five years to get to St. Joe, Missouri, with Pa working along the way while saving up and letting me grow a little before trekking across the plains. At our last stop before Missouri, Pa met Hoss\u2019 mother. They married, but she died during the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying your father arrived here alone with two small children and built the Ponderosa?\u201d Her lips pulled to a pucker. \u201cHe must have married again. Didn\u2019t Little Joe\u2019s mother pass around the time we arrived?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was Marie. They met when Pa went to New Orleans to sell pelts at top prices to use for our cattle business.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how old were you and Hoss when you got here?<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nearly seven, and Hoss around eighteen months.\u201d Adam shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing what Pa accomplished in ten years. I helped too. At first by watching Hoss and keeping up the cabin so he could trap as much as possible, and then more responsibility as I was able. After a few years, Pa could finally a couple trappers to hire on as hands, and he had a real house built while he was in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her lower lip dropped. \u201cSo \u2026 you\u2019re 17? Maybe you seem older because you\u2019ve had so much responsibility put on your shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think of it that way. I would have done anything to help Pa. It was always our<\/em> place, not just his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mentioned going back to Boston soon. There must be something powerful drawing you there. Something to make you leave the home you claim to feel so connected to. What is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the unclean living conditions and her strange behavior when he arrived, this conversation was nice. She\u2019d even asked something no one else bothered with when he\u2019d first told others he was going. He began to relax, thinking that she had been teasing him earlier to gage his reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate you asking why I\u2019d want to leave. Most times I hear that I\u2019m crazy to want this. They say I\u2019ll be rich one day so why not stay put; get married, and forget the school nonsense. They don\u2019t care why I want to go, and they judge me wrong to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo \u2026 what\u2019s the answer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood universities are part of it. Living as we have; I never attended school, as in a building with other students and a teacher. Pa made sure I learned the basics from the time I could talk. There were teachers in the wagon train, and a lady here helped me complete all my primary courses. Marie was well-educated, and helped me through secondary school books. Everyone says I\u2019m smart, even though they think it\u2019s a worthless attribute for someone who will make their living ranching. But I\u2019d like to know if I can keep up with those who\u2019ve had a formal education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a challenge then. But aren\u2019t there universities closer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to do this from the first time I heard about the respected schools back East. And my grandfather still lives in Boston, so I can get to know him while I\u2019m there.\u201d He chuckled to himself. \u201cI\u2019ll come home afterwards, and it might be a really short trip if I don\u2019t qualify for admission to any <\/em>university.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father supports this decision?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always listened to my ideas and supports them when they are reasonable. He may be getting more wary and worried as the time comes to leave, but he\u2019ll honor his promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow wonderful to have a someone who regards you enough to listen rather than dismiss everything you say because they \u2018know better,\u2019 or believe that having a dream will come to no good.\u201d<\/p>\n

A shout from the back yard reminded Adam that he had limited time before he had to leave. \u201cEnough about me. You mentioned your situation<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marilou sighed deeply. \u201cI was the oldest child like you, but in a big family, so I was expected to help care for everything when I was barely able to take care of myself. My family kept growing, and I felt trapped because they needed more and more help. I\u2019d hoped to get away just enough to go to school in town, but Ma said no because she needed my help more than I needed school. At least she had Papa teach me to read and do figures because she never learned those things. Papa had gone to school and he managed to have a little learning time each morning with those of us old enough to catch on.<\/p>\n

\u201cReading came easy, and I learned arithmetic so good, he had me help him do figuring for the farm on top of all the other chores. I asked to work at a store in Lancaster when I got to my teens, thinking the younger kids could help Ma, and I could earn a little money with my reading and arithmetic, since the farm never made ends meet. But Mama accused me of wanting to meet the men in town and run off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Mrs. Turner\u2019s story sounded very much like most farm-family situations, Adam could accept there was frustration at being kept from trying new things. And yet, parents make hard decisions that kids can\u2019t understand. He had just told this woman that he\u2019d never been able to attend school either, and this opportunity to return to Boston, came at the end of a 17-year journey in which he\u2019d been doing pretty much the same thing she had just mentioned. He shook his head to clear his thoughts as she began speaking again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did business with the Tucker family, and Tim, Tom\u2019s younger brother, got sweet on me. He promised to make my life more exciting if I\u2019d marry him, and I admit I believed he\u2019d take me away. Tom was away at sea by then, so I didn\u2019t know him.\u201d She thought a moment. \u201cDo you know that Tom is not Timmy\u2019s father?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa mentioned that you and Tom\u2019s brother were married, but he died shortly before Tim was born. If I recall, Tom left the Merchant Marine to come home and help, and he eventually asked you to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForced me to marry him is more like it. He said he\u2019d take Timmy away if I didn\u2019t. Tom is a jealous man who watches my every move. He resents me having friends my age, and he brought me out here so I\u2019m far away from everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting used to all this quiet does take time,\u201d Adam agreed. The turn her story just took, seemed as off-kilter as her earlier actions, yet he had no evidence of it being a lie. It was improbable that a man as \u201ccontrolling\u201d as she described Tom Tucker, would allow these living conditions to go unresolved.<\/p>\n

Attempting to turn the conversation away from complaints about her husband, he offered, \u201cThere are young married women here with kids Timmy\u2019s age. Pa could introduce you, and you\u2019d have fun getting to know them.<\/p>\n

Her tone turned sullen. \u201cFun? I don\u2019t know what fun is! I married Tim because he promised we\u2019d sell his farm and move to a city. But after we married, he said the farm wouldn\u2019t give us enough cash to move, so we had to stay put until he could make the place worth more. He never got it to that point, so it felt like I escaped one prison and ended up in another. He left me with nothing when he died and I had to accept Tom\u2019s demands. I have never been allowed to make my own decisions or find joy in life!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam noticed her complexion becoming beet red as her voice rose in octave and volume during this explanation. He wasn\u2019t sure what to say. Life didn\u2019t usually go as you demanded, and the one sure thing, was that any success came with hard work and constant effort. In his experience, there was no law guaranteeing anyone a \u201cfun or joyful life\u201d either. Fun was something you chose to find no matter what might be happening, and joy came from living well in any circumstance. His father was a stickler about getting the work done, but he encouraged them to find something good and joyful in every hard thing they did.<\/p>\n

Further, keeping up with daily chores like housework, gardening, and maintaining the animal pens and garbage, meant his family found time for things they enjoyed more, like a day of fishing; a picnic and swimming, or exploring their land. Even during their years of travel, his father had brought fun into long days on the road. They\u2019d played word and spotting games, or Pa had read or told stories while driving the wagon. As he\u2019d gotten older, he\u2019d taken over reading. And since he had always loved learning things, his father had included him in every chance to see how things were done.<\/p>\n

Another thought struck him. \u201cHaving Timmy must bring a lot of fun to your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marilou shrugged. \u201cHe\u2019s a good boy. But sometimes \u2026.\u201d Her voice drifted off.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes?\u201d he asked, even while suspecting he shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I wish I had just run away from home instead of believing Tim would treat me better. I would have made friends and done whatever I pleased. I want Timmy\u2019s life to be better than mine \u2026. It\u2019s why I invited Little Joe today.\u201d She quieted again and looked past him as though seeing some far-away place. \u201cBut sometimes I envy that Timmy gets to be a kid, while I never did. Sometimes \u2026 I resent that I can\u2019t run away now because of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was left speechless by this admission. He\u2019d witnessed others take on huge responsibility during life\u2019s unexpected turns without resentment, especially when it came to children. Pa was one of them. Didn\u2019t Marilou Tucker see that? And even if his pa had ever <\/em>thought his life would be easier without his sons, he would have sought trusted counsel from a pastor or close friend, not blurted it out to a kid he was meeting for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I\u2019m an awful person,\u201d she whimpered.\u201d But now you know the truth and can be on my side. I feel younger just talking to you.\u201d She rose; moved behind him, and whispered in his ear. \u201cPlease be my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam felt his fresh shirt dampening again when she leaned in for a hug and peck on his cheek, he shot upwards and took the two porch steps in one leap. \u201cIt\u2019s time we get moving.\u201d He nearly ran to the back yard, where he told Joe to say goodbye and thank the Tuckers for the nice afternoon while tugging him towards the buggy.<\/p>\n

Marilou Tucker stood on the porch as Adam tossed Little Joe onto the seat and climbed in after him. \u00a0\u201cTimmy and I both made a good friend today,\u201d she shouted as he pulled the team back enough to turn them towards home.<\/p>\n

Escape to the Ponderosa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feeling sticky in a few different ways, Adam raised his arms, hoping to dry his sweaty shirt in the breeze. His quick exit felt nearly like he\u2019d made an escape to get home again. But thoughts about his own experience were set aside in favor of getting Little Joe talking.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you have a good time?\u201d he began. Joe\u2019s \u00a0simple nod prompted another question. \u201cWhat did you two do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes widened along with his smile as he slipped under the reins and onto his brother\u2019s lap. \u201cTimmy\u2019s pa made him a toy farm! Next time you gotta look, Adam. It\u2019s got a barn, a cabin, and all kinds of animals, fences, water troughs, and wagons. And everything works like real!\u201d The boy ended as he ran out of breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t stop now, Joe,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t just play with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t think so. What else?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe continued talking, describing each activity. Adam kept him talking by saying, \u201cOh,\u201d and \u201cThat sounds like fun,\u201d and \u201cUn huh,\u201d at intervals. The horse knew his way and kept his pace while the older brother half-listened, and half recalled all that Timmy\u2019s mother had revealed.<\/p>\n

What had started strangely, took a nice turn to normal on the porch. She\u2019d listened to what he\u2019d said and asked insightful question. Yet when she\u2019d described her \u201csituation,\u201d he had difficulty understanding how it differed from most others, deciding finally that what was different was her response. There was something that had wounded her, and was still hurting her more than having to help with chores.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been uncomfortable with the state of the Tucker place, and had become even more so when she\u2019d talked about Mr. Tucker\u2019s treatment of her. Nothing he\u2019d observed about Pa\u2019s old friend had indicated he was a harsh man. It was the opposite. Tom Tucker seemed a good, honest, and upright man, much like his own father.<\/p>\n

Tipping the scales further in Tom\u2019s favor was that there was no gossip in town about him mistreating his wife. Next to a party, gossip was the highest form of entertainment in their small community. Even the ranch hands shared the latest \u201cnews\u201d heard at the saloon at their campfires. The absence of gossip in this case, would seem to indicate an absence of cause.<\/p>\n

None of this guaranteed it wasn\u2019t happening, yet he couldn\u2019t ask Pa, \u201cAre you aware your friend Tom isn\u2019t who you think he is?\u201d His father didn\u2019t listen to gossip. More correctly, Ben Cartwright heard gossip, but advocated for there being two sides in the story.<\/p>\n

Feeling a tug on his shirt, Adam realized Little Joe had quieted and was staring up at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you even listening?\u201d the youngster said accusingly. \u201cYou ain\u2019t said a word in some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, squirt,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI was thinking about meeting Mrs. Tucker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYa mean Marilou?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you call her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said to call her Marilou cuz she didn\u2019t wanna feel like an old lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d Adam pursed his lips. \u201cJust call her Mrs. Tucker, Joe. It\u2019s the respectful way to address the mother of a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart boy!\u201d he replied with admiration while giving the boy a sturdy hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you make the horse go faster?\u201d Joe asked. \u201cI\u2019m really hungry. Maybe Hop Sing will have supper a little early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Mrs. Tucker give you and Timmy something to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of. She brought out cake that had things on top that didn\u2019t look so good.\u201d<\/p>\n

A loud laugh. \u201cWhat sorts of things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were small and black \u2026 like mouse poop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it was seeds,\u201d Adam replied even as he imagined flies he\u2019d seen on the cake she\u2019d offered him, and suspected his little brother had the right element, but the wrong supply agent. \u201cYou didn\u2019t tell her what you thought did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked wounded. \u201cPa always says to say nothing if you can\u2019t be nice. I said I wasn\u2019t hungry, and that was true, cuz Pa bought Timmy and me jelly beans from Cass\u2019 store. But boy, am I now!\u201d<\/p>\n

The older brother noticed that his stomach was growling too, and encouraged the large horse to a faster trot.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

While eating the supper Hop Sing had hurriedly served after hearing Little Joe\u2019s rumbling midsection, Ben asked the boy about his day, and received the same enthusiastic details he\u2019d given Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you like Timmy,\u201d Ben concluded. Joe nodded while taking a swallow of milk. \u201cDid you two play nicely so Timmy\u2019s mother could get her chores done?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Timmy\u2019s ma does much chores ever, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s answer came very close to making Adam blow his own swig of milk out his nose.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eye widened as he looked towards Adam and then back to the boy. \u201cWhat do you mean, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTimmy\u2019s pa got the farm stuff out for us to play with, and then went inside. We heard his ma and pa arguin\u2019 pretty loud about how she\u2019d let the place go so bad, it wasn\u2019t fit for company. She said if he wasn\u2019t happy, he should clean the house himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n

His father\u2019s words hadn\u2019t been issued in anger, yet the little boy took offense. \u201cI wasn\u2019t doing what you said, Pa! We was just outside the door, so we couldn\u2019t not hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand your dilemma. How about If that ever happens again, you just walk farther away,\u201d Ben soothed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa. After Mr. Tucker left for the field, Timmy\u2019s mom came outside and talked to a guy fixin\u2019 siding on the barn until Adam showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Hoss and Joe tucked in and quickly asleep after their busy days, Ben was finally able to ask his eldest what he\u2019d seen at the Tuckers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Tucker was out working, so I never saw or spoke to him,\u201d he began. \u201cBut I doubt that\u2019s what you\u2019re asking about. I did see Steve Winkelman walking towards his buckboard when Joe and I were leaving, so that might be who Mrs. Tucker was with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSteve does carpentry work now that his son can handle the farm. Tom\u2019s good with wood, but it makes sense to get help with repairs.\u201d Ben grinned. \u201cDo you agree with Little Joe about Mrs. Tucker not doing much around the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can confirm that Marilou is \u2026 ah \u2026 well behind with her chores.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s behind?\u201d Ben asked with a warning tone.<\/p>\n

Adam laughed under his breath. \u201cI told Mrs. Tucker that would be your reaction to her suggestion I call her that. She said she was only a year or two older than me and being called Mrs. Tucker made her feel old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s cheek rose slightly. \u201cShe implied she\u2019s barely twenty?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cShe also said she\u2019s lonely because there aren\u2019t many people her age<\/em> out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The raised cheek solidified. \u201cI know you\u2019re too smart to have questioned that, but I also know that If Little Joe noticed things undone, then the situation was very obvious to you. I assume you also were not impressed with any refreshment she offered?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s shiver and sour look made Ben add, \u201cPerhaps it was simply a busy day. We\u2019ll leave it at that since she was kind enough to offer the play arrangement.\u201d His father chuckled softly. \u201cI was thankful to have a quiet afternoon to fix the figures I\u2019d messed up trying to work with Little Joe\u2019s constant interruptions yesterday.___<\/p>\n

Adam lay in bed after prayers, hunkered under a quilt Inger had given him when she\u2019d joined their family, and thought about Marilou Tucker again. He\u2019d seen women in the wagon caravan who were unhappy with their lot in life. But his direct experience was entirely different. Inger and Marie possessed different personalities and talents, yet both were happy and nearly serene in the way they approached life. He missed them both with a deep ache any time his memories turned towards them.<\/p>\n

Taking it down to the studs of what happened today, the disturbing part was the way she flipped between being forward and nearly seductive one minute; a thoughtful listener the next; claiming a miserable life from childhood on, and becoming childishly petulant in between.<\/p>\n

He’d spent a day with Pa and Mr. Tucker while showing the newcomer around the territory shortly after he\u2019d arrived. It had been pleasant with the two men telling stories about their time at sea. They\u2019d even warned him about his grandfather\u2019s wicked sense of humor, with numerous examples.<\/p>\n

Also casting doubt on Tom Tucker\u2019s ogre-like personality, was that Timmy had been along that day and clearly adored his uncle-become-father. Seeing them was like watching Pa with Little Joe, and remembering his own need for proximity to his father when he was that age.<\/p>\n

He drifted to sleep, secure that with leaving soon for Boston, he would never have to hear about the Tucker\u2019s marital problems again.<\/p>\n

The Mission (Part 2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hope to stay away from anything Tucker-related, ended two days later when he arrived home from seeding the pasture they\u2019d prepared, to find the buggy hooked up and his father hurrying out to greet him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarilou Tucker stopped this morning,\u201d he explained as he drew near. \u201cShe volunteered to take Joe for the day. I had so much to plan for next month it seemed a godsend.\u201d He grinned up at Adam atop his horse. This time, I had Hop Sing pack a lunch for all of them in thanks for her offer, but also so Joe wouldn\u2019t starve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you heading over to get him?\u201d Adam asked, hoping he\u2019d have an hour of study time before dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was, but your return is fortuitous. If you\u2019ll do that, I can finish the schedule.\u201d Noting his son\u2019s dusty shirt and dirty face, he cringed. \u201cYou won\u2019t have time to freshen up, but just grab the picnic basket and Joe when you get there, thank the lady, and leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

He parked the buggy out front and walked straight to the back, hoping to find Joe, see the toy farm, and get moving as his father had suggested. But as he approached the final turn to his destination, Marilou Tucker caught up to him and insisted he wait a few minutes before disturbing the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to get home,\u201d he offered with some force. \u201cI still have barn chores before supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dJust a minute or two, Adam,\u201d she insisted in the irritated tone she\u2019d used last time. \u201cI\u2019m not asking you to stay for tea and crumpets. I just need to pack up the lunch basket. We can talk while I do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine, but I\u2019ll let Joe know I\u2019m here. If I don\u2019t give him a warning, I find extricating him from play can become a war of wills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExtricating him,\u201d she repeated and laughed softly. \u201cYou have a way with words, Adam. How does that work when you\u2019re with a young lady? Do they like your fancy talk or think you\u2019re making fun of them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taken aback, he blushed to crimson. \u201cI don\u2019t use \u2018fancy\u2019 language. I read a lot, which allows me to have a broad vocabulary. It\u2019s not a way to put on airs, but if you\u2019d prefer a simpler word, then it\u2019s hard for me to pry him loose from his play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must think I\u2019m dumb because I don\u2019t have good grammar or a broad <\/em>vocabulary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI only judge people for how they treat others,\u201d he replied. Shifting his feet, he added, \u201cWhere\u2019s the basket?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo see your brother, then meet me inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\u201cThat really is something!\u201d Adam told the boys as he finally got his first look at the large farm set. Taking a closer look at a few pieces, he marveled at the workmanship, but finally advised, \u201cWe have to leave in a few minutes today. How about you give Timmy a hand putting this away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need to do that,\u201d Timmy told him. \u201cPa\u2019ll do it when he gets back.\u201d<\/p>\n

A quick look around the yard proved that not much had changed since his last visit. There seemed \u201cnew\u201d laundry hanging on the line, but it was as dry and hard as the previous items. A hoe was sunk in the ground at the edge of the garden, but only a square foot of weeds was chopped down.<\/p>\n

\u201cCartwrights clean up what they mess up,\u201d Adam said teasingly, while meaning every word. \u201cLittle Joe enjoyed playing with it, so it\u2019s his responsibility to help stow it.\u201d He leveled an all-business look on Joe that he\u2019d learned from their father.<\/p>\n

Knowing exactly what it meant, Joe said, \u201cSure, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

He knocked before entering the house and found Marilou at the table staring down at the remains of the lunch Hop Sing had sent along. \u00a0A quick sweep of the interior, showed that conditions seemed better in some ways, but only until looking a little harder. The stack of unwashed dishes on the sideboard was smaller and the table held only the mess from lunch. But the rest of the place retained its disorder, and there was no sign of any true cleaning having been performed. Adam had considered the state of this house many times since being here, deciding that some people were able to turn a blind eye to mess and dirt. The conditions made him want to grab a bucket with lye soap and start scrubbing, but instead he concentrated on his reason for coming inside.<\/p>\n

What happened next shocked him into believing there was far more than a blind eye<\/em> at play here.<\/p>\n

The lunch plates still held biscuit crumbs stuck on with honey, chicken bones, and the gooey evidence of Hop Sing\u2019s potato salad. The dishes and silverware seemed familiar, and he finally recognized them as the old sets Marie had put aside for picnics. He allowed a small grin, knowing that when Pa had asked Hop Sing to send \u201clunch\u201d he\u2019d had him send everything they\u2019d need, not just food.<\/p>\n

The grin turned to a gape, when instead of placing these items into a dishpan for a quick wash, she simply knocked the loose morsels into a slop pail, and stacked the dirty items into the basket.<\/p>\n

She looked up in time to catch his wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I don\u2019t have time to wash these, but you said you were in a hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n

His attempt to not judge fell short as he considered that they\u2019d eaten a few hours ago, and since the boys didn\u2019t need constant supervision, she\u2019d had plenty of time to at least rinse things before packing them. For the moment, it was only his extemporaneous speaking skill that saved him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was only marveling at how much food two small boys could consume.\u201d He added a hearty chuckle, hoping it sounded believable. \u201cI hope you\u2019ve kept any leftovers to use for supper.\u201d He assumed Hop Sing had sent enough food for an army, which was confirmed when a subtle glance towards the leaning towers of dirty dishes let him see a mound of chicken, biscuits, and cookies on plates atop the stacks.<\/p>\n

With the basket filled, she mopped up the dirty table with the checkered cloth that must have covered the feast for travel, and tossed that inside with the rest of the mess, finally shoving it across to him. A deep frown and catch in her voice prefaced her next statement. \u201cYou must find my housekeeping disgusting.\u201d Raising her hand, she waved aside his attempt to deny it. \u201cOutside, you told me that you only judge those who treat people badly. Well, I was forced to do all the cleaning and cooking as a child, and that continued after marrying Tim and Tom too. I just can\u2019t make myself do it anymore! Maybe it\u2019s how I rebel against all that has happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was uncomfortable again. Her earlier confessions of what had been expected of her didn\u2019t differ from most kids who were given responsibility early. \u201cI\u2019m sorry things were so hard for you,\u201d he told her with some sympathy, \u201cMaybe instead of thinking about the past when doing this now, think of it as this being your<\/em> place that you keep straightened for your own peace of mind and for your family.\u201d<\/p>\n

He immediately noted her growing frown and tried to clarify. \u201cI cared for our horses from little on. It was a chore that felt burdensome sometimes. But when I finally got my own horse, I didn\u2019t mind anymore because it benefitted my horse as much as the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time, her<\/em> mouth hung open before she spoke. \u201cWhy would I see this as my house? I\u2019m forced to live here just as I was at my parents; then at the Tucker farm, and at the other places we\u2019ve lived! What I want<\/em> is my chance to feel young; to choose where I <\/em>want to live; find something fun to do, and be free of working my fingers to the bone!\u201d she said through narrowed lips. \u201cBut that won\u2019t ever happen and I\u2019m stuck in this hell called my life. If you want to judge someone for how they treat people, start with Tom Tucker. He married me to get a housekeeper and he doesn\u2019t expect me to want anything other than cooking and cleaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

As last time, the words coming from her mouth did not match what he clearly saw surrounding him. Little Joe had heard Mr. Tucker\u2019s criticism of his wife\u2019s domestic abilities. But was he being harsh or truthful. Did he have a reasonable expectation of coming home to an orderly house and nourishing meal after a day laboring for his family. This place wasn\u2019t so large that household chores would take great effort if kept up.<\/p>\n

Personally, he would never be able to live this way, and it made him wonder if he would also demand a division of labor be observed within the household. It would surely chafe and disappoint him if an able person refused to pitch in, claiming they didn\u2019t care enough to do so. Pa and Tom were the same age, and Adam was noticing that while his father didn\u2019t seem old, his stamina now waned after a long day. It was probably the same way Tom felt each evening. So \u2026 was Tom Tucker an abusive husband or a hard-working, exhausted man who\u2019d given up trying to be understanding?<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Ben Cartwright wouldn\u2019t abide anyone mistreating their wife. The truth was here, but muddled by Marilou\u2019s interpretation of her life. Again, Adam felt he was being told marital secrets he had no business hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA traveling preacher comes around every few months. It\u2019s been a while, so he\u2019s probably due. You could talk to him about this,\u201d he suggested to divert the conversation to a suitable counselor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were different, Adam,\u201d she hissed. \u201cI thought we were friends. I\u2019m beginning to think you\u2019re just like everyone else who can\u2019t see that the trouble is not that I don\u2019t clean well enough, but that no one listens to me, and I\u2019ve been forced to do what I have never wanted from my life!\u201d She moved towards him as her voice turned childlike. \u201cPlease don\u2019t hate me, Adam. I don\u2019t have any friends and Tom is horribly jealous of any person I do talk to. I wander around this place like a ghost and the only time I\u2019ve felt alive since we moved in was when you came to get your brother and we talked.\u201d She looked down, wringing her hands. \u201cI need you to be my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her short rant and plea for this strange \u201cfriendship\u201d was making his clothing feel tight and itchy, although maybe it was more his skin feeling that way. It was time to go, but he made one more suggestion. \u00a0\u201cYour husband admires my father. Why don\u2019t I ask Pa to talk with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stepped back and stomped her foot. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare! Those two would only lie about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His response was immediate and sharp. \u201cMy father doesn\u2019t lie.\u201d He didn\u2019t care how upset she was, he would not let this statement go unchallenged. \u201cBut he\u2019s been through a lot too and could bring insight. Since it upsets you, I\u2019ll stay out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you as a friend, and that\u2019s all. I didn\u2019t ask you to fix me, just listen to me,\u201d she whimpered. \u201cWe are still friends?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a cue from Little Joe\u2019s earlier response when he knew it was time to go, he responded, \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Ben noticed Adam\u2019s distance during supper, just like the last time he\u2019d been at the Tucker home. The eldest joined in table conversations, but then his eyes would drift to his plate as though highly absorbed with the mashed potatoes he moved around, but never ate.<\/p>\n

With the house silent after Hoss and Joe were tucked in for the night, Ben finally asked, \u201cIs something bothering you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged before asking, \u201cIs it possible for people to change greatly during spans of absence, and not see it? Might we ignore things that bother us rather than risk ending a friendship?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone in particular you\u2019re referencing?\u201d Ben asked while suspecting the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow well did you know Mr. Tucker in Boston, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe faced life and death together on Abel\u2019s ship. Our hammocks hung next to each other, we worked the same watch, and had things in common like growing up on farms, having parents who\u2019d allowed us to join the merchant fleet when the sea called us, and having brothers who remained home and took over when our fathers passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled softly as he returned to the ship in his mind. \u201cThe two of us worked hard to be favored by your grandfather. And since we wanted more than swabbing decks and manning sails, we worked hard and were careful to keep shore leave foolery to a minimum. It was a good time of life when Tom and I grew to be decent men.\u201d He watched his son\u2019s face closely for tells of what was bothering him about this old friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you feel he\u2019s that same man?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do. If you have seen otherwise, then I should hear about it. However \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Pa. If I\u2019ve only heard things, that doesn\u2019t make them factual.\u201d After a deep breath, he continued, \u201cDid you ever witness him get jealous and be mean about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

A knowing smile made a brief appearance. \u201cTom and I were both smitten by a beautiful young woman who happened to be Captain Stoddard\u2019s daughter. We each spent time with Elizabeth, but when your mother chose me to court her, Tom stepped back and wished us the best. We continued sailing together until your mother and I married and I started the store. He was my best friend through those years, and we\u2019ve remained as close as we could.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam loved hearing stories about his parents, and hoped Captain Stoddard would be easily convinced to share more of them. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine my mother having suitors other than you.\u201d Adam shook off the odd feelings from the most recent visit to the Tucker house, and turned the conversation to his having seen the farm set. \u201cIt is perfectly to scale,\u201d he concluded after a description.<\/p>\n

\u201cTom\u2019s favorite pastime on ship was whittling, but then he carved ships.\u201d Ben yawned. \u201cSince both you and Joe have mentioned it, I\u2019ll have stop and see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you been there since you helped them move in?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I\u2019d helped get them planted there, I thought it best to give them time to take root.\u00a0 \u00a0I often see them in town, but they\u2019ve never extended an invitation to stop by.\u201d Ben chuckled softly and grimaced while shivering, like he\u2019d eaten something sour. \u201cAfter hearing Joe\u2019s description of the house and seeing the condition of the basket she sent back to Hop Sing, I\u2019m pretty sure there\u2019s no invitation coming either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPay an unannounced call soon, Pa. Maybe you\u2019ll get a better feel for what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

He eyed his son, realizing he\u2019d just been issued an advisory. While nodding his intention to follow through, he pulled out his pocket watch. Another unbidden yawn accompanied his surprise at the hour. \u201cAccording to scripture, tomorrow will have its own problems to deal with, and it won\u2019t care whether we\u2019re ready or not.*\u00a0<\/strong> I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s best we meet it fresh and ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Marilou Tucker\u2019s odd behavior faded again as Adam worked all day, and spent evenings studying the college-level materials left for him by the botanist professor he\u2019d found studying wildflowers in the fields of the Ponderosa. Their partnership had arisen in one of those inexplicably blessed and nearly anointed moments where man and boy had met, leaving the Harvard educator impressed by an eager pupil holding incredible potential. With Ben and Marie\u2019s approval, along with the offer of room and board whenever he was near enough to provide in-person instruction, Professor Metz had laid out a course of study and provided text books to prepare Adam for his shot at entry to a Boston university.<\/p>\n

Adam had studied all of it, yet there was no way to know if he\u2019d mastered it enough to pass the qualifying exams. The responsibility to represent himself well in his endeavor kept Adam\u2019s nose in his texts when he might have equally wanted to enjoy less studious pursuits during his last days home.<\/p>\n

His busy schedule made him confident the \u201cfriendship\u201d with Mrs. Tucker was over.<\/p>\n

That hope wavered when he saw Timmy sitting on the corral fence with Hoss and Little Joe when he rode into the yard after a day branding spring calves.<\/p>\n

He waved to the three boys while heading inside without stopping. As had become the norm lately, his father was at the table surrounded by stacks of paper and ledgers. He tried to keep his tone neutral. \u201cDid Mrs. Tucker drop Timmy off for you to watch today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s pencil paused above the paper. \u201cTom and Marilou were in town this morning. And since Hoss was home to keep the boys busy, it seemed a good time to make a reciprocal offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs someone coming for Timmy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled up at his son. \u201cI said I\u2019d bring him home, but Mrs. Tucker took me aside and asked whether I could send you. Seems she enjoys the conversations when you stop by.\u201d He watched his son\u2019s cheeks tint to a rosy glow atop his golden tan. \u201cIs there something going on between you two?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s saucer-sized eyes pulled back into their normal shape as he realized his father was teasing him. \u201cShe thinks we\u2019re good friends,\u201d he admitted, before adding a little jab of his own. \u201cI told you she considers herself too young to enjoy you old people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOld people \u2026.\u201d Ben laughed before becoming serious. \u201cHas she told you that she has no friends?\u201d Adam\u2019s nod prompted his father to continue. \u201cFrom your previous questions about Tom, I\u2019m guessing she\u2019s implied that he doesn\u2019t allow her to make friendships. Yet just today, I saw her dismiss an overture made by Patsy Stillman. Patsy must be in her mid-twenties; she\u2019s married; she lives a ways out of town like Marilou, and has a young son. She asked about Timmy, and tried to start a conversation about gardening. But Marilou walked away from her and came to ask me to send you with Timmy. She complains to you about having no friends, but only puts effort into one with a teenaged boy.\u201d He shook his head and bit his lip. \u201cHard to figure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s pencil tapped on the table as he did when in serious thought. \u201cI should take Timmy home and finish this later. But if you go, I\u2019ll be free to do something with the three of you tomorrow, like fishing or maybe camp overnight at the lake.\u201d He noted the brief frown on his son\u2019s \u00a0face indicating he didn\u2019t like the suggestion, while not wanting to be disrespectful. \u201cTake Joe along. We\u2019ll tell him you\u2019re trying to beat your best roundtrip time, so you can\u2019t stop except to drop Timmy off. Don\u2019t even get off the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Marilou heard the Cartwright buckboard rumbling in the distance, and stepped outside to await its arrival. Shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun, she could make out three people on the seat: two small figures, and a driver. At this distance it might be anyone, including a ranch hand, making her wait until verifying it was the Cartwright she wanted before beginning to bounce on the balls of her feet in excitement.<\/p>\n

She waved as the vehicle entered the yard, but waited for the dust to settle before walking over.<\/p>\n

Timmy and Joe jumped from the buckboard, heading to the back yard. \u201cDon\u2019t go anywhere, Joe!\u201d Adam hollered after him. \u201cYou know Pa is timing us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to use the outhouse,\u201d the youngster called back. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he finally looked toward Mrs. Tucker, he realized she was wearing a fancy dress that bared her shoulders and a good deal of cleavage. There were ruffles on the bodice and a cinched waistline atop a voluminous skirt meant to twirl while dancing. It was an outfit for a special occasion, not for chores or making supper. Additionally, she\u2019d used something to pink her cheeks and had left her hair flowing from two clips in a style worn by young girls.<\/p>\n

The attire put him at battle alert. It was unlikely the Tuckers were headed for a fancy party on a weekday, leaving the probable explanation that she\u2019d dressed to impress him after asking his father to provide a particular chauffeur.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you could bring Timmy home, Adam.\u201d She tilted her head coyly. \u201cI got dressed up just in case. Do you think I look pretty?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d he responded. \u201cBut you shouldn\u2019t have gone to such trouble. We\u2019ll leave as soon as Joe gets back.\u201d\u00a0 His uneasiness over this strange situation made him start babbling.\u00a0 \u201cLot\u2019s going on at the Ponderosa these days, and I still need to put in some study time before bed or I won\u2019t be ready for Boston.\u201d He thought his rebuttal would bring a bad reaction, but her smile remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a wonderful idea, Adam.\u201d Her eyes were now wide and beaming as she gazed up at him. \u201cI\u2019m going to offer to watch little Joe more often.\u201d Her smile grew impossibly large. \u201cI\u2019ll fetch him in the morning, but you can pick him up, giving us a reason to see each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t possible,\u201d Adam replied, fumbling for a way to end this crazy plan before it went further. \u201cPa already has set plans for Little Joe\u2019s care as things get busier, and my being home in time to come for him has been a fluke. I\u2019m usually not back until suppertime \u2026 and \u2026 I\u2019ll leave for Boston soon, so don\u2019t count on me being transportation. Your offer should be made for the benefit of the boys alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he thought she\u2019d immediately rescind the suggestion, she said, \u201cYou\u2019d only need to get here a couple of times so we can plan the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wanted to ask what future she was referencing, but decided it would only dig deeper into a hole he could barely see out of now. \u201cTalk to Mr. Tucker and Pa about this if you\u2019re serious, but again, don\u2019t include me in the planning.\u201d Not giving her time to respond, he hollered for Joe to get back. The boy came running while still pulling up his suspenders, and crawled onto the buckboard with the ease of an extremely agile kid. He waved to Timmy as Adam turned the wagon and left at such a fast pace, he suspected the party dress was now covered in a layer of gray dust.<\/p>\n

The trip home was accompanied by a running dialogue from the six-year-old about the fun he\u2019d had with Timmy and Hoss, while Adam sunk into deep thought. There was no need to wonder any longer about whether there was something terribly wrong at the Tucker house. It was a certainty, and he knew he\u2019d have to mention her offer to his father. First, in case she did go ahead with it, and secondly so he could rebuff her folly of expecting him to retrieve Joe for the planned rendezvous she had in mind.<\/p>\n

Triangle\u00a0 -The Other Side of the Story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam had told his father about Marilou Tucker\u2019s \u201csuggestion\u201d last evening. He\u2019d watched as one eyebrow had made a slow rise on the man\u2019s forehead as he\u2019d listened, pulling the same side of his lips upwards into a grimace. Pa had expressed gratitude for the warning, and quickly dismissed it as being a logistical3<\/sup> nightmare even if she was sincere about it, along with the thought that the boys would soon see each other regularly when they began attending class with Abigail Jones as he and Tom had spoken about doing.<\/p>\n

Ben had finally determined the unlikelihood of the offer being extended without Adam\u2019s involvement, deciding to say nothing unless Tom spoke of it.<\/p>\n

Adam began to wonder if Mr. Tucker had done just that when the next afternoon, he saw their neighbor riding away from the ranch as he returned home from checking the emerging grass he\u2019d sown earlier in the \u201cfertile field.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Mr. Tucker make his wife\u2019s offer?\u201d he asked when he found his father in the house surrounded by paperwork again. While there were always financial ledgers needing updating, bids to write up, and a slew of records to keep, Adam had never experienced the overseeing of it to this degree before. His private conclusion was that Pa was getting a head start on the plans and schedules to be prepared for the coming exodus of his son with Professor Metz. Adam\u2019s role on the ranch would be missed, and until his father could hire additional hands, he\u2019d be taking his son\u2019s place with the crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke, but not about that,\u201d Ben responded as he slid a chair from the table with his foot, and nodded towards it. \u201cHave a seat, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noting the edge in his father\u2019s tone raised the hair on his neck, he attempted a smile while asking, \u201cDid I do something wrong, Pa? I get the feeling I\u2019m in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

The edge softened, and the stern set of Ben\u2019s face pulled into to a weak smile. \u201cNo, son. What Tom and I \u00a0discussed is we both think it best you stay away from his wife until you leave. I thought Tom had come about the offer, but he was unaware of it. He knows that the boys get along well, and will only ask Little Joe over if he is able to remain at the house during the visit and provide the transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stood abruptly. He hadn\u2019t planned to go back to the Tuckers for his own reasons, yet this order made him wonder if there was truth in Marilou\u2019s claims about her husband\u2019s jealousy. \u201cI haven\u2019t done anything wrong over there, Pa. Mrs. Tucker and I talked \u2026 and really just one time. There\u2019s no reason to suspect anything else or to order<\/em> me<\/em> to stay away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down, Adam,\u201d Ben commanded without raising his voice. \u201cNo one is ordering you to do anything. Tom believes it\u2019s best, and I agree.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes were shooting daggers towards his father as he lost control on the reigns of his tongue. \u201cMarilou said her husband gets jealous. She told me he forced her to marry him and criticizes her relentlessly. It has taken away her will to do most anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The volume remained controlled, but the tone indicated Ben\u2019s rising frustration. \u201cYou need to consider carefully what you say next,\u201d he warned. \u201cYou\u2019ve heard one side of this story and are drawing conclusions from a request made to protect you. The truth may be far different than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s you who doesn\u2019t know the truth, Pa. Maybe Mr. Tucker has changed.\u201d Seeing his father\u2019s cheeks begin to stretch taught like leather over a drum, he backed down and pulled his tongue to a stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not discuss the problems between the Tuckers. I fully believe Tom is the same man I\u2019ve always known. His<\/em> concerns for<\/em> you are valid and the solution is for you to honor my ask. Last evening you gave me the impression you didn\u2019t wat to return there anyway, based on your own uneasiness over the direction this \u2026 friendship \u2026 was taking. You might be a teenager, but \u00a0you\u2019ll need to make this decision with the mindset of an adult. Choose wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n

____<\/p>\n

The conversation with his father laid heavy in Adam\u2019s heart, because as he\u2019d told Mrs. Tucker, Ben Cartwright didn\u2019t lie. He also didn\u2019t make unreasonable judgments about others, so something was laying heavy in his father\u2019s heart too. He settled on believing that time would reveal the truth of what was going on at the home to the north of them, and he had no part in it.<\/p>\n

My Son, My Son<\/em><\/strong> – Painful Lessons for two Cartwright Sons<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I\u2019ve asked a lot of favors lately,\u201d Ben admitted when he pulled Adam aside the night before a celebration marking the fourth anniversary of the larger general store and boarding house being completed in town. It would be a festive day with food and conversation for the adults, and playtime for kids. \u201cYour brothers really want to go to tomorrow, and I just realized our count on the herd in the pasture abutting the hill seems unrealistically low. I need an accurate number to make an offer to a new cavalry post just south of this territory, and it can\u2019t be put off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to do the count?\u201d Adam asked, hoping this was the impending request.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather you take your brothers to town. Once I have the correct figure, I\u2019ll head home and write up the offer. If I get done early enough, I\u2019ll join you. Hop Sing will send food for the lunch and bakery for the raffle. It might give you a chance to see some folks a last time before you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no need to mull over the request. He knew his father felt great guilt about having to miss another family event while taking care of business, and there was no reason to make it any harder. \u201cSure, Pa,\u201d he said easily. \u201cIt\u2019s lunch with an hour or two before and after?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cIt won\u2019t start until after morning chores, and the need to get home for evening ones will keep it short.\u201d He added, \u201cThank you, Adam,\u201d as his son headed for bed.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

The day in town flew by with his brothers\u2019 joy evident on their dirty, sweat-streaked faces and big smiles as they\u2019d run past. And he had<\/em> been able to talk to people he\u2019d be leaving behind. One of his favorites was Abigail Jones. The young teacher had ended up here after her father died on the trip to California, and her mother had planted roots where he\u2019d been buried. Abigail\u2019s love of literature had provided fodder for several conversation between them, and she had been the only person outside his family who had cheered his choice to be educated.<\/p>\n

The pleasant day had been marred by one odd thing. When he\u2019d taken Hop Sing\u2019s offering to the ladies organizing the lunch, he\u2019d seen them whispering as he approached. This ended when he arrived, and their pink-cheeked expressions indicated they\u2019d been gossiping. While not an unusual occurrence when the ladies got together, it had left him feeling he\u2019d been the subject of the furtive conversation. He\u2019d pushed it aside, assuming they were likely taking their last shots at his plans to \u201cabandon\u201d his family for school.<\/p>\n

When the afternoon sun began pushing its way towards chore time, Adam noted parents beginning to gather their kids. Feeling comfortable that he could do the same, he eyeballed his brothers\u2019 locations, intending to give them notice of impending departure. To his chagrin, just as he got a bead on both, he saw Rebecca Manning heading his way with a look on her face that was all too familiar. The expression usually meant he was about to hear a report about the misbehavior of one the Cartwright boys.<\/p>\n

He was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what your brother did?\u201d she shouted from a few paces away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll need to narrow that down, Becka,\u201d he said, trying to take the edge off her anger. \u201cI have two brothers. Unless they\u2019re in on this together, I\u2019m betting this is about Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

The comment stopped her in her tracks. \u201cJoe?\u201d she asked. \u201cHe\u2019s a baby. How much trouble can he get into?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis young age isn\u2019t a deterrent in Little Joe attracting trouble,\u201d he offered sincerely, along with a knowing grin. \u201cOn the other hand, while Hoss gets into trouble, he\u2019s seldom the one who initiates <\/em>it. I\u2019m surprised it\u2019s his actions that have you so upset.\u201d Adam\u2019s statement was true . Hoss seldom did anything bad on his own, unless he was responding in anger or embarrassment.<\/p>\n

Becka\u2019s tone softened. \u201cMy little sister Jojo came to me crying, upset about Hoss. Those two have been a little sweet on each other for a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen that too,\u201d Adam admitted. \u201cHoss can\u2019t talk about her without blushing. He\u2019s always saying how Jojo knows so much; does everything just right, and that she\u2019s the prettiest gal in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becka agreed. \u201cHe\u2019s always real sweet with her. But today, he came over and called her Bucky!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBucky? What did that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he was gonna stop calling her Jojo and call her Bucky the Beaver because of her big front teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s, \u201cOuch!\u201d came from the heart. \u201cThat must have stung hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt did. He was with those older boys, and said it front of everyone, causing them all to laugh at her. Hoss is lucky there\u2019s just girls in our family or he\u2019d be missing his front teeth about now. I nearly socked him in the mouth myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere those other guys led by Dave Cass?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so, although Jojo was too upset to talk straight. My other sister took her home while I came to find you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe Hoss would do that. He knows how it feels to be teased about things he can\u2019t control. His size makes him an easy target.\u201d Adam thought back to his own childhood. \u201cI had large front teeth as a kid and got teased too. Tell your sister that a doctor in our wagon train told me something amazing about our permanent teeth. They come in at the size they need to be when we grow up. It\u2019s not that they\u2019re too big, it\u2019s that our face is small and it will fill out to make the proportion perfect later. That aside, Hoss believes Jojo is beautiful.\u201d He winked at the young married woman. \u201cJust like the rest of her sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becka grinned as she blushed to a soft pink. \u201cShe might not be ready to hear about adult teeth and the size of her face just yet, but I will tell her you think she\u2019s pretty. Every girl in town hopes you\u2019ll think that of them, Adam. Too bad you\u2019re more interested in going to school than settling down here.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Abandoning his family had been the biggest criticism about him leaving. Depriving the town of a fine candidate for marriage was a close second. It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t find the young women in town attractive. It was that finding a wife wasn\u2019t something he wanted yet. He chose to leave the comment unaddressed, offering, \u00a0\u201cPa and I will figure out why Hoss did this and help him sort it through. There\u2019s got to be something behind it. How about I bring him to your place tomorrow to explain and apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becka heard her name being called by the young ranch hand she\u2019d recently married, and waved to him. \u201cI\u2019ll tell Jojo you\u2019ll both be by. Thanks, Adam.\u201d She smiled as she nodded towards her husband. \u201cYou may have not wanted to marry me back when my folks decided we\u2019d make a good match, but that was a good thing. Marrying Clancy has turned out real nice. \u00a0He\u2019s a good man, and the perfect person to help Pa on the farm. Getting married a little young ain\u2019t so bad. It\u2019s nice having someone who holds me as special like he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Adam had taken the small buckboard to town, and put Little Joe in the back to play with the wagon and horse set they\u2019d won in a ticket raffle. Various people had offered items to raise money to purchase school books Miss Jones could use for classes she held in the dining room of the boarding house for any child who could attend. There\u2019d been donations of baked goods, some new items from Cass\u2019 store, and a working replica of a buckboard and team whittled by Tom Tucker. While Tom\u2019s donation had been there, Adam hadn\u2019t seen the Tucker family at the event, and that had been fine with him.<\/p>\n

Pa had sent money for the raffle, with Little Joe asking that they put all their tickets into the jar for the wagon. Seeding the outcome had worked, and he\u2019d won. The best part was that it was now keeping him busy so Adam could talk to Hoss.<\/p>\n

Once they\u2019d turned onto the road to the Ponderosa, Adam finally broached the subject. \u201cBecka said you called Jojo a name that made her cry. Is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 jaw slacked as he turned to his brother. \u201cI just called her Bucky. It weren\u2019t meant to hurt her none.\u201d<\/p>\n

His astonishment seemed honest, and as Adam predicted, his younger brother seemed unaware she\u2019d been offended.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCalling attention to any flaw in someone\u2019s appearance is unkind, Hoss,\u201d Adam explained. \u201cTelling Jojo she has buck teeth, especially in front of others, embarrassed her, making her feel homely. The only way to make this right is to figure out why you did it and then how you\u2019ll apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was them kids I was with at the end. They told me gals like it when their favorite guy calls \u2018em something kind\u2019a teasin\u2019 like. And since I like Jojo, I was to figure out something special for her. It was Dave who said Bucky would be good, \u2018cuz of her front teeth bein\u2019 big like a beaver\u2019s. He said not to worry, that she\u2019d blush a little and act sort\u2019a mad, but that would be her way of saying she liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s suspicions were confirmed. These older \u201cboys\u201d with nothing better to do, decided to make Hoss the butt of their joke, and it hadn\u2019t mattered that they would wound sweet, innocent Jojo in the process. What made less sense was that Hoss\u2019 recent experiences with Dave Cass didn\u2019t make him wary of anything he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you trust Dave?\u201d Adam asked with more bile than he\u2019d intended, making Hoss turn away and slump in his seat. \u201cRemember how he told Little Joe that you and I were bad seeds who probably made our own mothers die, and then we made Marie die too. Joe didn\u2019t know it was a lie. He became so afraid of us, we had to find Pa and bring him home to solve the problem. Dave thinks it\u2019s fun to hurt people, and by trusting him, you allowed him to do it through you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that now,\u201d Hoss said as he raised his head and looked directly at his brother. \u201cBut it made some sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d Adam demanded gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe claimed his ma was a little heavy in her backside, so Mr. Cass called her Fat Fanny when he wanted to say something sweet to her.\u201d The boy grew silent for a minute before adding, \u201cHe even said he heard Pa call Mama Marie, his Creole Madam once when they was at the store, and she giggled. That\u2019s why he knew Jojo would like a special name too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam let the team come to a stop as he stared at Hoss. \u201cDave Cass lied to you in the worst possible way. His parents were devoted to each other. I never heard Mr. Cass say anything unkind to Mrs. Cass. They argued and got testy with each other as all couples do, but how Will could say such an evil thing about his own dead mother astounds me. And Pa \u2026 would \u2026 never have said that to Marie! He told me that Marie had faced abuse from people who should have treasured her, and he never wanted to hear anything unkind come out of our mouths.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why was what Dave said so bad? I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam could explain some of this easily, but wouldn\u2019t get into the meaning of \u201cmadam\u201d in this instance. \u201cFirst off, no woman would be happy being called fat! And for our family, what Dave said implies there was something wrong about Marie being Creole. This only means her parents were born in France and kept some of their former customs and developed some new ones when they settled in New Orleans. But sometimes, people use that term to imply that those of Creole heritage aren\u2019t sophisticated or smart, or that their ways are strange. You know Marie was a well-educated, refined lady. Dave meant to hurt you and Jojo, but he meant for Pa to be hurt when you said that in front of him. Pa would have torn out his tongue before saying that to Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 confusion twisted his features to the point he looked ready to cry. \u201cWhy\u2019d Dave say them things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDave Cass is an unhappy guy who delights in confusing those too young to discern his intention. He\u2019s learned which words cut through flesh to the bone, and hates anyone with something good in their lives. With Pa. he probably dislikes that he\u2019s so well respected. For me, it\u2019s going away to school, and with you, he\u2019s jealous that Jojo thinks you\u2019re special. He got pleasure out of getting you in trouble with everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose there\u2019s any way you won\u2019t tell Pa about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

The older brother slapped the reins gently to get the horses moving, while laughing heartily. \u201cHe will find out. Who do you suspect he\u2019ll expect to hear it from first?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell Pa privately about the names Dave told you, but you\u2019ll do the rest. He\u2019ll understand while still expecting you\u2019ll make amends, and may even add a few extra chores to remind you not to listen to others when it doesn\u2019t sound right.\u201d He smiled. \u201cI\u2019m assuming it didn\u2019t sound right to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy\u2019s head dropped again. \u201cNo. But sometimes it\u2019s hard standing up to a group tellin\u2019 you it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJudge things by what you know, Hoss, not what feels like a lie turned round and round to make it sound true. You have a good heart; trust it!<\/p>\n

The Quality of Mercy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben listened to his middle son\u2019s embarrassed explanation, leaving the man needing to control his anger at some points, and his smile at others. What was clear was that this sweet young man\u2019s heart was too true to believe someone would stoop to such levels for sick fun.<\/p>\n

The situation in the Cass family was something he had mentioned to Will already, most recently when he\u2019d told Little Joe that the \u201cevil cloud\u201d over his brothers had killed Marie.2 \u00a0<\/sup>Will had been apologetic, but later reported that Dave claimed it had been a \u201cmisunderstanding\u201d on the little boy\u2019s part.<\/p>\n

Ben hadn\u2019t pushed further even though Little Joe had been very clear about what had been said. A six-year-old couldn\u2019t have come up with such an ugly conclusion about his family without a solid push in that direction.<\/p>\n

But he was also complicit in the situation with Joe. The nonsense would have ended as soon as it started if he\u2019d have been home to deal with it. His grief at Marie\u2019s senseless death had sent him riding the hills to find something to explain it, while leaving Joe in the care of those Dave had accused of the treachery. There\u2019d been no way for Hoss and Adam to deny the accusations once the child had jumped into the conspiracy with both feet. Being absent during the fiasco, he\u2019d accepted that he\u2019d shared the blame.<\/p>\n

But Will\u2019s failure to see the truth then, left the boy free to do it again. Should Hoss have doubted anything Dave Cass told him to do? Of course. But while the trusting kid might have doubted Dave\u2019s words, it seemed he accepted that the others he considered friends wouldn\u2019t set him up to do something bad.<\/p>\n

While those boys were probably told it was innocent fun, it was Hoss who was learning that hurtful words couldn\u2019t be unsaid, and how difficult it was to renew trust once lost.<\/p>\n

As the tall 12-year-old stood twisting his hat in an unending circle, waiting for judgment, Ben finally said, \u201cSince Adam offered to follow through with this, he should take you to the Mannings tomorrow as promised. However, between now and then, you will write out your apology, and I will approve it. And have no doubt that I will contact Jojo\u2019s parent to make sure you have completed your mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t I just say I\u2019m sorry?\u201d Hoss asked hopefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you will say that, but you\u2019ll also need to explain why you did it, without blaming the kids who egged you on. They did an ugly thing, but it was your<\/em> decision to act on it even though you had misgivings. That makes you solely responsible for the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Pa,\u201d Hoss replied in a near whisper. \u201cBut do I gotta write it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will make things worse if you think the right words will miraculously exit your mouth without thinking this through. Go do your chores, and then head to your room to compose the apology. I\u2019d suggest that once it\u2019s finished, you take it along and read it. And since you\u2019ll be more motivated if you\u2019re hungry, you will finish writing it and get my approval before you have supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy fidgeted. \u201cBut, Pa, I don\u2019t have good words like you and Adam. I\u2019ll starve before coming up with anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me very clearly what happened. Put that on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss turned towards the stairs, making his father clear his throat. \u201cLest you have forgotten, chores come first.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fair complected boy blushed as he redirected his path, yet he knew better than to complain. As he neared the door, he was stopped again by his father\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more, Hoss. Since you had trouble discerning how words could hurt others, I\u2019ll give you a list of Bible verses dealing with this subject to look up and write out. I\u2019ll make sure you have time for that tomorrow, and we\u2019ll use them for our Sunday reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds all right, Pa.\u201d Hoss laughed in relief. \u201cI thought sure my punishment would be a lot worse than writing out a few Bible verses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled as a low chuckle rumbled from his chest. \u201cSpending time in scripture is never a punishment, son. Your punishment <\/em>will be to paint the outhouse \u2026 in addition to your other chores, lessons, and ranch work. You don\u2019t have to finish it in one day, but to make sure it does get done, all other fun activities are curtailed until we have a nicely painted facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned away to wink at Adam. \u201cI believe Hop Sing has chicken and dumplings for supper. That\u2019s your favorite, but it\u2019s our favorite too, so I\u2019d suggest you get moving or there may be none left when you\u2019re ready to eat. I\u2019d hate for you to be left with a cheese sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Adam held their laughter until Hoss was out the door.<\/p>\n

With Joe outside enjoying his new toy, and Hoss doing his chores, Ben directed Adam to a bench near the hearth, and sat facing him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspect Hoss told you those nicknames Dave claimed he\u2019d heard, and I\u2019m grateful you took the burden for revealing them. I need the truth of how deep this went since I may try again to address Dave\u2019s behavior with Will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

His estimation of the impact was evident when he saw his father cringe and pale after hearing the statements. \u201cHow did Dave know those things about Marie?\u201d he asked as he finished. \u201cShe told me about working in New Orleans, but I never thought of it as anything but hostessing at a fancy club.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shifted until he was facing the hearth instead of his son. \u201cMarie spoke openly about her life because there was nothing to hide. People were curious about her here, so she told them about being French, attending convent school, having to work when her husband left for the West, and how we met. She described the place she worked just as you did, but these pioneering folks have never been in a city like New Orleans with its culture and old-world qualities, so they can\u2019t understand the difference between high-society clubs like the one Marie ran there, and a saloon or brothel in a rapid growing gold town like San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t it a private, pricey club that catered to rich men? She said they paid dues to have somewhere they could talk business and politics, and belch without their wife\u2019s permission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben laughed at his wife\u2019s description. \u201cThey hired beautiful, intelligent women who provided elegance and order, and to keep things running smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cShe said wealthy men were so inept at taking care of themselves, they expected her to handle everything. Raised as she\u2019d been, she was equipped to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI forget how much the two of you talked. She trusted you, Adam, and loved getting your thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam hesitated in returning to the conversation. \u201cI assume Dave overheard gossip about Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDave probably overhears a lot lurking around the store. I can\u2019t bear to tell Will what was said about Mary, but maybe this time he\u2019ll take action.\u201d He shook his head sadly. \u201cHis own mother!\u201d<\/p>\n

A sigh preceded Ben\u2019s rising from the bench, an indication their talk was over. \u201cI\u2019ll enjoy reading what Hoss comes up with. Thank you for taking control of the situation today. And tomorrow, while I know you\u2019ll want to help him, let him handle it on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

With his written apology approved by his father sooner that he thought possible, Hoss had quickly consumed the double helping Hop Sing had set aside for him, and still had time to start looking up his Bible verses.<\/p>\n

The next morning, both older boys arose early to complete their chores before having a big breakfast and heading out. Since the Mannings lived on the opposite side of town, Adam decided to stop at the blacksmith on the way through to order new harness straps.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019d assumed Hoss\u2019 blunder had happened late enough to avoid a stir, he began to wonder if Becka had reneged on her promise to keep the incident quiet after noticing two women point at them as they drove by, before quickly covering their mouths to \u201cdiscreetly\u201d discuss the latest gossip concerning the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

His main worry was that Hoss would become more nervous about his apology if he thought others knew what he\u2019d said, so he drove the wagon to the rear of the blacksmith shop to cut behind the buildings until he could rejoin the road outside town to the Manning homestead when they left.<\/p>\n

\u00ad\u00ad___<\/strong><\/p>\n

Becka exited her small cabin next to her family\u2019s residence and watched the Cartwright wagon enter the long drive, exchanging a wave with the boys to acknowledge their arrival.<\/p>\n

The young woman approached as soon as the wagon stopped. \u201cI\u2019m glad you two kept your promise,\u201d she told Adam as he set the brake \u201cJojo and I talked last night and she agreed it isn\u2019t like Hoss to be hurtful, so she\u2019s ready to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brother a gentle nudge to get him moving. \u201cGo ask Jojo to take a walk and tell her what you\u2019ve thought about. You\u2019ve got your written apology in your pocket?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy patted his shirt and nodded, his distress showing in his pale cheeks, and the sheen of dewy sweat on his forehead and upper lip despite the cool morning. \u201cWish me luck, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need luck, Hoss. You\u2019ve worked hard to understand what happened. Now tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his brother on his way, he wound the reins around the brake and jumped down to address the older sister who was still grinning at him \u201cSpeaking of keeping promises, we got some odd looks and saw whispering when we went through town, making me think you might have spoken about Hoss\u2019 misstep without waiting for the facts.\u201d Crossing his arms, he leaned into himself with a near smirk of satisfaction at taking the moral high ground in this conversation. \u201cI was worried Hoss might jump off the wagon and run for home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becka was unshaken by the admonishment, and her grin grew bigger. \u201cI didn\u2019t say anything to anyone, Adam. It would have hurt my sister more than punish Hoss.\u201d She stepped closer. \u201cBesides, the gossip in town isn\u2019t about your brother. It\u2019s about you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Adam choked out, taking a staggering step back to lean against the wagon as he felt himself rolling back down the hill of perceived advantage. \u201cAll I did yesterday was eat lunch and watch my brothers. How could that create gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started before you ever arrived,\u201d Becka explained. \u201cI\u2019d have mentioned it, but Ma didn\u2019t tell us until we got home. She\u2019s very concerned for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was being said!\u201d It wasn\u2019t a question. He was exhibiting his own sweaty response, as his shirt began sticking to his wet skin, and his curly hair glued to his damp forehead and cheeks.<\/p>\n

Becka\u2019s fun at Adam\u2019s expense ended when she saw his tortured expression. \u201cLet\u2019s talk with my folks, Adam. They heard it directly, not second hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Mrs. Manning cleared the house of her many daughters and sent Becka to bring her father inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s gossip about you and Marilou Tucker, Adam,\u201d she began when the house was quiet. \u201cSeems you might be planning to take her along to Boston to help her escape her horrible life with Tom and her son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s jaw hung loose and froze for a moment. \u201cWhich ugly gossiper is spreading that story?\u201d Regaining full use of his face again, he added, \u201cMrs. Tucker and I barely know each other. Where would anyone get that idea?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah Manning smiled at Adam as she led him to a kitchen chair and turned to her husband as he walked into the house. \u201cGrab the boy a glass of something to get his heart pumping before he passes out.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a sip of the man\u2019s homemade dandelion wine burned a streak down Adam\u2019s throat and brought some pink back to his cheeks, Hannah finally revealed, \u201cThe person who said it was Marilou Tucker herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he spoke with little strength. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t even at the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tuckers came early with Tom\u2019s raffle item,\u201d Hannah began. \u201cMarilou wandered over to talk to the women setting up the food tables, and Nancy Limerick said the woman claimed she\u2019s become very good friends with you, and now that you know how bad things are for her, you\u2019d help her get away if she\u2019d ask you. Of course, Nancy immediately found Tom and told him about this. He went over to the ladies, took his wife\u2019s arm, apologizing for her imaginative story-telling, and then led her to the wagon. They left and didn\u2019t return. But other women had already told their husbands and the story was spreading. Mr. Manning and I managed to calm the rumors before you arrived, telling them this surely wasn\u2019t true and to keep their tongues quiet before she needlessly destroyed another young man\u2019s reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam suddenly understood why his father had warned him to stay away from the Tuckers. The woman\u2019s odd offer of babysitting Joe so he could come more often to make \u201cplans,\u201d bounced in his head like a wagon wheel hitting a bottomless hole. But something Mrs. Manning just said puzzled him even more. \u201cWhat do you mean by her destroying another<\/em> young man\u2019s reputation?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah\u2019s head wagged left-to-right. \u201cI\u2019m sure she told you all about how awful Tom Tucker is to her. Bad folks can hide who they are, but Tom has always been good to her and Timmy. She, on the other hand, has caused trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fritz Manning cleared his throat. \u201cShe favored a young man shortly after they arrived, spreading similar rumors about him taking her away from the hell she was in. \u00a0The truth came out, with her finally admitting it had been made up. But the damage had been done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was this?\u201d Adam\u2019s heart was beating so fast he was having trouble breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know the Fredericks who had the farm a little west of here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cThey moved away a month ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fritz explained, \u201cThey liked it here, but couldn\u2019t stay on after the Tucker woman lied about their son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of lies?\u201d Adam asked, with a rising urgency.<\/p>\n

Hannah picked up the story. \u201cSadie Fredericks sent their oldest son to the Tuckers with some welcome pies when they moved in. Marilou was the only one home, and Sadie said the boy was gone for some time. Afterwards, he seemed overly quiet, but denied anything was wrong. She forgot about it until that crazy Marilou started sending notes to Stanley. She\u2019d sneak over to the saloon when they\u2019d come in for supplies, and pay some drunken cowboy to take it to the Fredricks\u2019 place. She claimed Tom was so busy, she needed someone to help with heavy chores she needed done. At first, Stanley\u2019s mama saw it as being neighborly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Sadie saw that her son looked more upset each time a note arrived,\u201d Fritz confided. \u201cShe had the boy\u2019s pa sit him down and demand answers to what kind of help she wanted. Turned out Mrs. Tucker was feeding the boy stories of how mean Tom was to her, and how she needed a friend\u2014someone her age\u2014who would make her feel young. He even admitted that she had quickly started talking about how he was old enough to go live in a big city, and send for her when he was settled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah laughed sharply. \u201cSadie went to have words with Marilou about feeding her son lies. And when she saw the state of things out there, she told her she should spend her time taking care of her own house, and leave her son alone. Marilou got revenge by spreading rumors about the love-starved boy making excuses to come over, and then nearly molesting her. The Fredericks felt it best to leave after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued after a deep breath. \u201cTom apologized to the Fredericks and even spoke to those who\u2019d heard the lies, telling them that his wife had problems being so isolated out in the country. \u00a0From then on, he kept her at his side when they\u2019d come to town so she couldn\u2019t cause trouble. Funny thing was she acted like it was her who\u2019d been harmed and held her chin up so high, it cast shadows on others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised Pa never heard about this,\u201d Adam said before releasing his tension in a loud sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen was in the throes of Marie\u2019s death, and with Tom being his friend, we all agreed to keep quiet. We also liked Tom and wanted to stop the gossip for his and the boy\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

One question was now pounding in his brain after hearing about Joey Frederick, \u201cWhat exactly did she say about me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah laid her hand on his arm. \u201cDon\u2019t look so worried. It was just that you\u2019d come to pick up your little brother and the two of you struck up a friendship. You could see how bad Tom treated her and she was making plans for how you could help her escape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was pretty sure his swallow was loud enough to be heard for miles. \u201cOnly one part of that is true. I picked up Little Joe and talked for a while. When she started complaining about her husband, I even suggested she talk to another woman or the traveling preacher about it, not me.\u201d He stopped abruptly as he reconsidered how much to reveal. \u201cI best talk to Pa and Mr. Tucker before saying more. Thanks for telling me the truth, and for defending me.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 relief over his apology showed in his chattiness on the ride home.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you and Jojo friends again? No hard feelings?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe believed I was sorry. I told her people say things about me too that sound<\/em> like teasin\u2019, but ain\u2019t, so I should\u2019a known better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were both smiling when you said goodbye. I\u2019m happy it worked out and you learned some good lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was goin\u2019 on with you in the house?\u201d Hoss inquired as he narrowed his eyes. \u201cYou looked sort\u2019a scared when you went inside. Were her folks mad about what I done and pickin\u2019 on you fer it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t about you. In fact, they were impressed with how you handled things. What you saw was me learning a serious lesson about judging what\u2019s true as well. I can\u2019t tell you more until I talk to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss was a curious kid, but he let things go easily. \u201cThat\u2019s fine. Hey! Jojo asked me for Sunday dinner. I hope Pa let\u2019s me go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPut your best effort into that painting job. That\u2019ll go a long way to ensure your attendance, even if you don\u2019t get it all the way done.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys grew silent for the remainder of the drive: Hoss savoring his success, and Adam wondering if Pa had already heard what was being said about him. The answer came fast when he saw Tom Tucker\u2019s horse tied in front of the house. Asking Hoss to take care of the wagon and team, he headed inside to face whatever awaited him, just as his younger brother had done.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d it go for Hoss?\u201d Ben asked as soon as Adam stepped inside the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood! Smiles abounded and he even got a Sunday dinner invitation.\u201d Adam\u2019s eyes drifted to Tom, who was seated next to his father at the table, holding onto a mug of coffee like a log in a raging river he\u2019d fallen into. \u201cBut the Mannings also said they\u2019d heard gossip about me yesterday. I suppose that\u2019s why Mr. Tucker is here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is,\u201d his father confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure what was said, but the gist of what Mrs. Manning told me wasn\u2019t true,\u201d he began apologetically. \u201cI have no idea \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Adam,\u201d Tom interrupted, while managing a sad smile to ease the boy\u2019s nerves. \u201cI\u2019m here to apologize to you and explain a few things before we move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMove?\u201d Adam asked as his eyes widened. \u201cAre you moving because of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has nothing to do with you, son. Your father already knew I was considering this back when I found Marilou all dressed up because she expected you would bring Timmy home. My concerns grew when your Pa told me about her suggestion to take Little Joe more often, and he suspected it was meant as a way to see you, not help him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom released a long breath. \u201cIt\u2019s why I asked Ben to impress on you the need to stay away from her. I\u2019m glad you respected your father in doing that \u2026 even if it made you wonder if what she\u2019d told you about me was true.\u201d Seeing Adam blush, he chuckled sadly. \u201cI\u2019m aware she says I\u2019m a miserable old coot who forced her to marry me; that I keep her from having the life she wants, and am extremely jealous and controlling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa warned that I should be careful when I asked whether you\u2019d changed. The Mannings confirmed that no one has ever seen the traits she offers as true about you, and they mentioned that the Fredericks moved away because of lies Mrs. Tucker spread.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fredericks boy is \u2026.\u201d Tom scrubbed at his face before saying, \u201cThere was no reason for them to leave. I should have exposed Marilou\u2019s troubles more publicly back then to save the boy.\u201d He sighed heavily. \u201cShe knew I\u2019d do that, but it didn\u2019t bother her. With the Fredericks gone, I offered her one last bargain: I wouldn\u2019t complain about the state of the house and garden, if she\u2019d just do better by Timmy and stop making up stories. She accepted the part of doing as little as possible around the place, and stayed at my side in town. But then she met you and I could see it starting up again. After what she said to those women yesterday, I realize there is something wrong with Marilou that I can\u2019t cure with patience, forgiveness, bargains, or hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom rose slowly, looking like Atlas trying to lift the unbearable weight of the heavens onto his shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cI have so much to finish before we can leave, so I\u2019ll let your father tell you more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you sold the farm already? Adam asked.<\/p>\n

Tom glanced towards Ben. \u201cYour father has offered me a good price for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019ll be farming now, Pa?\u201d Adam asked with a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing wants to grow more food crops and raise the small animals away from the house. I\u2019d \u00a0already considered making an offer when the last family left. This will work well if I find someone to run it \u00a0and provide Hop Sing\u2019s needs in exchange for living there and getting a small salary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom stopped at the door and shook Ben\u2019s hand. \u201cIt was good seeing you again. Abel always said you\u2019d found the perfect place to raise your sons, and I came hoping to find that for Timmy. Pray for us Ben. Trying to control Marilou hasn\u2019t worked. Maybe setting her free will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom shook Adam\u2019s hand as well, wishing him the best in his travels and education. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll take a ship around the Horn to get home. Maybe we\u2019ll see you at Abel\u2019s if we get to Boston while you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll look forward to that,\u201d the young man replied.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Ben accompanied Tom outside and gave his old friend\u2019s horse a swat to send him on his way. Before returning to the house, he found Hoss to congratulate him on a job well done at the Mannings, and then asked that he keep Little Joe busy until he came for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Adam in trouble?\u201d Hoss asked. \u201cHe seemed pretty skittish on the ride home, and it got worse when he saw Mr. Tucker was here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo trouble, but we need talk now without interruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pouring another cup of coffee, Ben joined Adam at the table.<\/p>\n

The eldest began the conversation in an accusatory tone. \u201cIf you knew what was going on at the Tucker\u2019s, Pa, why didn\u2019t you tell me instead of ordering me to stay away?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know the whole story until today. Tom originally only confided that there was good reason for you to stay clear, based on things he would explain only if it became necessary. And I didn\u2019t order you to do anything. I trusted you\u2019d accept that I would only ask <\/em>you for something I believed was the right thing. As you\u2019ve now learned, it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did, Pa. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo your credit, your decision was correct.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam released a quick breath, aimed upwards in hopes of moving the lock of hair that had slipped onto his forehead. \u201cHow could she make up that story about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d ask instead that you imagine how defeating it was for Tom to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben placed his hand on Adam\u2019s arm. \u201cTom and I admire that you cared enough to make diplomatic attempts to get my perspective without accusing Tom of anything. I realize that I should have asked more questions when you broached the subject, and then gone to Tom immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve thought a lot about this, Pa. While Mr. Tucker could have changed, her stories revealed more about her inability to cope with what she was expected to do, than anything being done to her. The conditions at their house didn\u2019t speak to a man who ruled with an iron fist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stopped to recall something. \u201cRemember back when I accused Becka Manning\u2019s parents of seeing her as a crop ready for sale back when they decided she should marry to bring a male into the family to help her father? As the oldest, she too carried responsibilities, and I don\u2019t think the Mannings would have forced her to marry had she objected. But she told me yesterday that she accepted it when she realized Clancy was happy and grateful to become her husband. She saw it as a gift to her parents, and from this gift, she has found a very happy life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFritz also told me things are going very well for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other hand, Marilou saw her role in helping her family as a lifelong sentence of hard labor that kept her from anything even close to joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTom feels Marilou has told this story of woe so often she truly believes there is nothing good about her circumstances,\u201d Ben admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most awful part in this is how she feels about Timmy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cAs difficult as that is, Tom understood enough to be patient. When his brother married, Tim wrote to ask if he could sell the farm to give his new wife a fresh start. Unfortunately, when he tried, property values had plummeted, leaving Tim no choice but to scrape a living from the homestead for a while. Marilou didn\u2019t try to understand that it wasn\u2019t meant to hurt her, and saw it as a lie. Being lonely while Tim worked so hard, her recourse was to get sympathy offered by strangers after hearing her tale. What has always kept Tom trying with Marilou was that as much as she talked about running off, she never did, and probably wouldn\u2019t. He suspects she\u2019s more confused than bad. But no efforts to help her have worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded. \u201cMay I ask how old she is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same age as Tom\u2019s brother, so mid-thirties.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas her childhood worse than most?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTom believes it was difficult, but not as horrible as she implies. Her family and the Tuckers are from the area of Pennsylvania known for strict religious groups. Her grandparents belonged to one of the sternest. The sects conducted commerce with \u201coutsiders\u201d like the Tuckers, but didn\u2019t socialize with them. But Marilou\u2019s mother fell in love with an \u2018outsider\u2019 she\u2019d come to know with whom her parents did business.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t an easy life for Marilou\u2019s parents. They had this man\u2019s small farm, but the profits never covered the needs of their big family. Added to their troubles was that neither set of their parents acknowledged the marriage or their grandchildren. The sect shunned them because her mother married outside the brotherhood, while the husband\u2019s family claimed their son had been trapped by a conniving woman wanting out of the sect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould this be any different than the isolation pioneers experience when they leave their families behind?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShunning is a different, son. The people are still there, but pretend you don\u2019t exist. Tom also recalls that Marilou\u2019s mother held to the regimented life of her religious upbringing even after she was ostracized, holding to their principles and regimented living.\u201d Ben took a moment to think. \u201cTom confirmed that the family was large, and the parents were strict, but didn\u2019t seem unkind back when the Tucker family did business with them. He did observe Marilou tending her siblings when they stopped by.\u201d Ben smiled at his son. \u201cI know \u2026. So did you and every other \u2018oldest\u2019 kid you\u2019ve known. It\u2019s a simple fact of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe being surrounded by people who could have helped and chose not to, made everything seem worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded rhythmically. \u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m guessing Marilou\u2019s parents did not like Marilou\u2019s marriage to Tim Tucker?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps they found nothing bad about him, but Marilou\u2019s mother was against the marriage because she had hoped to regain her sect\u2019s good graces by suggesting a marriage between Marilou and a member, most likely an older widower. Whether that was possible remains unknown, although Tom is unaware of her being able to accomplish this arrangement with any of her other daughters either. But with Marilou\u2019s elopement, the tender shoot of hope was trampled, and she then shunned her daughter and Tim for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam thought a moment. \u201cHow did Tim die?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn accident while out plowing. Timmy was born just days before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving Mrs. Tucker with even more responsibility. Did she try running the farm?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head. \u201cTom\u2019s parents left the farm to both sons, stipulating that if one died, the farm went fully to the other. When Tim died, Tom owned it, not Marilou. It seems a spiteful thing, but it is done to keep property within a family. Tim was expected to set money aside for his family, but with things bad financially, Marilou was left in dire straits. Tom wired money to cover expenses for her and the baby until he could return home. He arrived in Lancaster to find his sister-in-law in custody, with every cent he\u2019d provided, gone. She wasn\u2019t in trouble for debts, though. She\u2019d been arrested after folks had noticed her in town several times for many hours, without the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHad she given him to someone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head wagged again. \u201cWhen talk of the missing baby reached them, her parents went to the farm and found Timmy wet, filthy, and screaming. They cleaned him up and took him into the authorities. They knew Tom was on his way and told the constable that their daughter had abandoned the child, so they should have the children\u2019s welfare group \u00a0in Lancaster find a home for Timmy until Tom arrived. Then they left. Marilou was found talking the ear off a drunk in a lady\u2019s lounge off a Lancaster bar. She admitted to leaving Timmy alone for short times after he was fed and sleeping. Her claim was on that day, she\u2019d simply lost track of time, while normally being gone only an hour. A few inquiries proved she\u2019d always stayed around the taverns for hours, using Tom\u2019s money to buy drinks so patrons would listen to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t Marilou\u2019s family take the baby?\u00a0 They must have understood there was something deeply wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shrugged his shoulders and eyebrows, making Adam lower his head and ask, \u201cHow can people who claim to live by the Word, not understand a single thing about how to love and treat others in need. And in this case, their own flesh and blood. They knew how bad if was to be shunned, and then did that to their daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood question, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is just twelve, but after learning that he hurt someone he cared for, he accepted his responsibility and made amends. I\u2019m looking forward to our family service when we go over those passages he\u2019s been copying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe difference in these two instances is that Hoss took the lesson into his heart rather than memorizing words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did Tom handle that mess?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarilou and Timmy were released to his care. He said she was repentant to the extent of blaming her situation. <\/em>She had too much responsibility and no way to fix anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said Tom forced her to marry him. Was that his<\/em> fix?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way. When she did little to become a better mother, Tom gave her two choices: He would adopt the boy with her parental ties ended, or she could marry him so she and Timmy would be safe while she learned to care for him. She agreed to the marriage and promised to do better.\u201d Ben\u2019s cheeked turned rosy as he added, \u201cThe marital arrangement was solely for the welfare of his nephew. Tom never demanded that they live as man and wife, only as parents to Tim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s cheeks flushed too as he understood the implication of his father\u2019s words. \u201cI guess I hadn\u2019t thought about that, but I believe it. She\u2019d have mentioned being forced in that way too, since she seemed to have no propriety over what she shared.\u201d He released a long breath. \u201cSo, why didn\u2019t they stay on that farm?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone there knew what had happened, so Tom decided a fresh start was needed. He rented out the farm and they moved. After three attempts in different places where Marilou fell back into similar behavior with abandoning him and Tim to hang out in bars, causing the family to be ostracized, Tom recalled Abel telling him about me being out here, and thought it was the solution. Being near an old friend who\u2019d made a good life despite the losses we\u2019ve endured, seemed a perfect example to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would she do the same thing when it brought nothing but trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a whistling breath. \u201cAgain, she likely doesn\u2019t know what she wants, and found some kind of release and relief in her actions. You must recall a few people from the wagon train and around here who blame everyone but themselves for their unhappy condition. That was Marilou\u2019s fallback too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Tom hadn\u2019t figured on was the change she made here. When Stanley Fredricks showed up at the farm, she realized that a youngster would be easier for her to convince of her hardship. I\u2019m sure Stanley listened and expressed sympathy, even while being as confused as you were. This time his mother intervened and it was even worse than the wives because she was protecting her child. So Marilou fought back by suggesting the boy had been romantically interested in her and would have abandoned his parents for her. \u00a0She set out to punish the mother by ruining her son. Tom was dumbstruck when he found out that his wife had caused such hardship to another family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t this move end the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re leaving, not moving. Tom is taking Tim back to Pennsylvania to raise him on the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s left cheek rose. \u201cAnd where is Mrs. Tucker going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever she wants. Their first destination is San Francisco to hire a lawyer. Tom will petition for an annulment, citing the marriage as entirely a custody arrangement. In return for giving her the money from this place and her freedom, she must give him legal guardianship of Tim. Tom hopes that deciding her own destiny will finally fill that empty hole she has inside. His greater hope is that with time, she\u2019ll seek Tim out and be his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s lips took a sour turn. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine a woman walking away from her child, yet she confessed easily that motherhood was one more thing she felt forced to endure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s sick in some soul-deep way. Tom can\u2019t fix her, but he can give his nephew a stable life while Marilou does what it is she thinks she wants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did she take this news?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTom said they\u2019ve had more peace in the last 24-hours than in nearly six years. He doesn\u2019t understand it, but he welcomes it.\u201d Ben saw Adam close his eyes and slide down his chair until his head was resting against the back. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother, Inger, and Marie would have done anything to stay a little longer with us. How can she be happy<\/em> about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best outcome for you in this, is to learn another lesson about the human spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small smile played at the corner of the boy\u2019s mouth. \u201cI\u2019ve also learned to run away from anyone too eager to reveal their situation<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

A laugh shook Ben\u2019s shoulders as his posture relaxed. \u201cThat\u2019s true too. You and Hoss are both learning to discern what others tell you. The first step after listening is to scrutinize for the bias of their claims. I will always expect you to stick up for those in true peril. But you had a little trouble seeing that Marilou\u2019s peril was in her own mind.\u201d Ben grew quiet, his nose wrinkling and forehead scrunching while trying to put words to a thought in the back of his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve talked about this skill many times, Adam, and you are very discerning. Yet you had trouble this time. Do you know why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a brief mental trip back to that first day with Marilou Tucker, spotting the likely answer to his father\u2019s question. \u201cI was put on guard by her actions at first, yet our first real conversation began with her questions about me \u2026 us \u2026. How we got out here; how we made a living once we arrived; how long we\u2019ve been here, and finally, she marveled at you allowing me to go on my own, just ten years after arriving here, even though you\u2019d still benefit from my help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dAre you saying she charmed you?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you mean she feigned interest to disarm me; no.\u201d Adam\u2019s smile began to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has been the normal response when people heard I was going back to where we came from \u2026 for an education<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSurprise?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot surprise. Judgment! \u00a0Most think I\u2019m stupid for wanting an education to live out here. \u00a0Others imply you\u2019re a bad parent for letting me go, while most agree I\u2019m greedy and evil to strip family resources for some fanciful belief that I\u2019m smarter than others. And while they\u2019ll dab some righteous cologne on their words to make them smell better, the odor of their judgment is pungent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s eyes hooded in concern. \u201cI thought you\u2019d gotten past that bothering you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have. But what \u2026 disarmed me \u2026 about Mrs. Tucker, was that I fully expected a similar response, and instead, she asked why school was so important to me and why I chose Boston. She listened, and was awed that you\u2019d paid attention and gave your full support.\u201d<\/p>\n

A smile replaced Ben\u2019s frowning concern. \u201cYou\u2019re going to bring this around to something interesting, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a general theme to the complaints about her life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cFirst: no one ever<\/em> listened<\/em> to her. Her ideas were disregarded. She was called selfish, crazy, and disloyal for wanting small opportunities outside her family. Others decided what was best for her without allowing her any say, and even Tim reneged on his promise, proving he\u2019d lied to get a housekeeper for the farm. \u00a0Unlike Becka, whose family enlisted her help rather than demanding it, Marilou Tucker felt she\u2019d been transferred from the prison of her family, to a similar prison term with Tim, and then Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes sense,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of what she felt, was her interpretation of the situations she\u2019d face. Others may not have reacted so adversely or even tried to understand that it wasn\u2019t meant to harm her. And when Tim died, leaving her free for the first time ever, she had Timmy, no money, and no family who would help. Not sure what to do, she perceived her only option was accepting Tom Tucker\u2019s fix.\u201d Adam sighed. \u201cShe really doesn\u2019t know what she wants, other than wanting out of the life she feels forced to accept.\u201d Looking up, he addressed his father directly. \u201cI believe Mr. Tucker is doing the perfect thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Ben asked, struggling to follow his son\u2019s logic.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first time, Marilou will make her own decisions. She isn\u2019t being asked to give Timmy up, and she will have that chance she\u2019s felt was denied her. It may backfire, leaving her struggling even more without the safety net others have provided even while blamin them for doing it. But right now, she must feel like she\u2019s sprouted wings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a stretch, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it? Those of us who have had our ideas supported, can\u2019t understand the ache that drives her. You were given wings by your parents and as a result, you will always cheer your sons on. Marilou Tucker grew up hated by her community for nothing she\u2019d done. Feeling unheard, she began to imagine fairy tales where someone set her free. That\u2019s coming true.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s jaw slacked as he squeezed his son\u2019s shoulder. \u201cHow on earth did you get so smart? Must come from your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve said that before, Pa. But I have happy memories from the years we struggled to get here and make our life here, while Mrs. Tucker interprets similar struggles as ruining her life and providing no fun or joy to the bleakness. The difference is that I had you to help me find the good parts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take Tom aside tomorrow when I get the deed and tell him about this conversation. He\u2019ll listen better if the words come from an \u2018old guy\u2019 like me rather than a kid who sees into hearts in ways we old codgers can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Beginning<\/em> (Rather than an Ending)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two friends did a walk-around of the place after exchanging money and deed, with Tom pointing out upgrades he had made to the barn and equipment. The out buildings, as Tom\u2019s domain, were neat and organized. This wasn\u2019t a surprise, since he and Tom had learned such organization from the master, Abel Stoddard. And while the house still had the feel of surviving a canon attack, Ben suspected effort had been put into leaving it in better shape than his sons had described it. Even with some order apparent, there was elbow grease required to make the place suitable for a new tenant. Sensing his friend\u2019s eagerness to get on the road, he let Tom believe everything was fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam and I had a long talk after you left,\u201d Ben ventured when he could no longer bear the sadness in Tom\u2019s eyes. After explaining the gist of the conversation, he concluded, \u201cIt\u2019s devastating to admit that your best efforts have failed, but I agree with Adam. Time and freedom may provide the answers separately that would never have come while together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt rings true!\u201d Tom replied. \u201cI\u2019d certainly decided I wasn\u2019t the one who could help her, but your son\u2019s thoughts make me hope that this is the only right thing to do. How did he come up with this after talking to her just a couple of times?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe listens better than most, and his childhood was difficult too. The difference between those two is his point of view. He was able to find the good in what he experienced along with the hard work and uncertainties.\u201d Ben chuckled as he undid the reins from the hitch rail. \u201cI guess I can take some credit for his attitude, since I never let him get bogged down by our experiences, and we always looked for the good things within the hard times. It seems Marilou was never shown how to do that. A loving family makes a lot of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled again. \u201cI also believe Adam gets a heavenly direction from the three women who touched his life. There\u2019s understanding in that boy that leaves me speechless sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI pray Marilou will change,\u201d Tom confided. \u201cNot for my sake. We are not a match that could withstand another marriage. What I do pray is that there is a better woman inside this frazzled shell, and that she finds her. I\u2019ve kept Timmy from knowing the trouble his mother has caused, but he is getting old enough to see it and hear the gossip. He loves his mother, but that would change if we stayed together,\u201d Tom sighed deeply. \u201cI\u2019d ask that you pray for Timmy and Marilou, Ben. Ask that he will have a chance to know her as she can be, not as she is now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do that along with praying for safe travel and better days for all of you,\u201d Ben promised while swinging himself onto his horse\u2019s back. Giving Tom a smart salute, he added, \u201cGive our old captain my warmest regards if you see him!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Four Years Later in Boston<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blessed Are They<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlie Ensworth pounded on the door of the room occupied by his two best friends at Harvard, Adam Cartwright, and Frankie Wadsworth. \u201cHey Adam,\u201d he shouted. \u201cAnswer the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

A muffled, \u201cHold on a minute,\u201d issued from behind the heavy barrier until it opened. \u201cI was putting on my pants, Charlie. What\u2019s the rush?<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you fully dressed now?\u201d Charlie teased. \u201cI don\u2019t want you showing up in the lounge missing some vital piece of clothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want, Charlie?\u201d Frankie demanded as he joined Adam at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Adam Cartwright\u2019s presence is requested in the parlor. There\u2019s a woman and her son asking after him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Adam asked as his cheeks rose. \u201cDid she give her name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. Hurry up though. You don\u2019t want to be late for Professor Matthew\u2019s class. You can\u2019t skip or he\u2019ll give you a failing grade for the day that\u2019ll be hard to average in before the end of the semester, knocking you out of your top spot in the junior class. \u00a0Almost worse is incurring his never ending harassment over a tardy entrance into the auditorium.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease tell her I\u2019ll be out in a minute.\u201d He looked down at his bare feet while scratching his messy head of hair. \u201cStill need to get my shoes on, plaster my hair down, and grab my books.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Adam finished getting ready while considering who\u2019d seek him out on campus. The chilling conclusion was that it was one of Abel\u2019s neighbors bearing bad news. Socks donned, shoes on and tied, and hair pomade hastily applied to tame the curls that had become springy without constantly wearing a hat as he had for most of his life, he made his way to the common area.<\/p>\n

He spotted a woman and child gazing out at the beautiful campus from the far window of the room. Not recognizing them, he cleared his throat to make them turn.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d changed! Her hair was pinned up and she wore a fitted dress of good fabric that matched her small hat. Her appearance now fit her true age, giving her the grace missing when trying to pass herself off as twenty.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Tucker,\u201d he said while setting his books on a chair and moving towards the duo. \u201cWelcome!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Adam.\u201d She chuckled as she considered his greeting. \u201cThe funny thing is that I am still Mrs. Tucker, even though I\u2019m no longer the wife of your father\u2019s friend. Might you now be able to call me by my first name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can try,\u201d he responded while getting the pit-of-the-stomach feeling this might turn into another strange conversation. \u201cIs this tall young man, Timmy?\u201d he asked. The time since last seeing these two had brought change in Marilou\u2019s style more than her appearance, but the changes to her son were so profound as to be jaw dropping. He was several inches taller and not stick thin as before. His facial features were now more defined with wide-set cheekbones, darker hair, and a broad, toothy smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is,\u201d she said with a prideful rise of her chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, Timmy,\u201d he added, extending his hand to the child. \u201cWhat brings you both to Boston?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTom and Timmy have had enough of farming, so they\u2019re selling it to move here. They invited me to do the same. We arrived a few weeks back and found a house for them near the harbor where Tom will work \u2026 in a shipping office for now \u2026 and an apartment nearby for me. Tim and I stayed on to enroll him in school while Tom finalizes things in Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have so many questions,\u201d he admitted. Yet he could ask only the most pressing, since Frankie and Charlie\u2019s arrival indicated time was limited. Adam introduced his guests as neighbors from back home who were relocating to Boston. Sensing his friends\u2019 desire to get him moving before they\u2019d all be late for classes, he asked Tim, \u201cMight you be hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy nodded enthusiastically. \u201cI sure am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three of us are too. How about you come along to breakfast. Charlie and Frankie will tell you really bad jokes while you eat, and I\u2019ll catch up with your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\u201cThe women who operated the cafeteria with militaristic precision, found no issue in the addition of a young boy for breakfast. They had noticed Adam from his first meals as a student, leading them to believe he\u2019d come from a different background. He\u2019d greeted them every day, complimented their meals, asked of their lives, and then remembered their names and situations. He\u2019d even told them about the Chinese cook who kept the four men of his family in order with his fiery temper, along with his soft heart that alerted him to their needs before they knew they had them. He also bussed his own setting, even on days when this wasn\u2019t required. The interesting part was that his ways began to change the attitudes of those who dined with him, making them all more gracious.<\/p>\n

Marilou watched Adam\u2019s easy way with those around him, as she sipped on coffee while he quickly ate a bowl of porridge. What she noticed most was his gaze returning to her son. \u201cYou\u2019re well-liked here, Adam. That\u2019s not surprising, since your sincerity is always evident.\u201d She noted that his line of sight had again strayed to the table where his friends had made Timmy laugh so hard he\u2019d choked on his milk. \u201cWhy are you staring at my son?\u201d she finally asked.<\/p>\n

A light blush colored his cheeks. \u201cHe\u2019s grown so much. The hardest part about leaving home for five years was knowing that my brothers would keep growing up in my absence. Seeing Timmy gives me some idea of how much Little Joe has changed. I\u2019m stuck between being amazed and heartbroken.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re changing too, Adam, and your family will be just as shocked to see you. You were a gangly, nice-looking teenager, and you\u2019ve filled out into a handsome man. Yet, from what I\u2019ve witnessed, you\u2019re still as gentle and willing to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blush returned briefly, but after a quick look to the clock above the entrance door, he knew he had to cut this unexpected reunion short. \u201cWe\u2019re all due in class soon,\u201d he said as he nodded towards the constant exodus of students. \u201cThat includes me since skipping a single class can put me far behind. So, may I ask why you\u2019re here?\u201d He rephrased his question. \u201cYou\u2019ve told me why you\u2019re in Boston, but why did you seek me out at school instead of at my grandfather\u2019s house?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marilou took a deep breath. \u201cI did speak to Abel, and he told me where to find you once he knew my intentions. I came to apologize for my actions in Nevada. But more so, I want to thank you for being a better friend than I could have ever imagined when I asked that of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s rising left cheek, made her clarify. \u201cOn the way to San Francisco, Tom revealed what you\u2019d told Ben about me needing a chance to decide my next steps without feeling pressured or judged. You\u2019d listened to my ramblings, figuring out that I\u2019d never felt valued enough to be heard. \u00a0You were right, Adam. Tom could see the results of that, but not the cause, especially in the light of what I\u2019d put him and Timmy through.\u201d<\/p>\n

She paused to organize her thoughts. \u201cStill, he was smart enough to know that whatever drove me to act that way made us all unhappy. He tried controlling and changing our situation in hopes that I\u2019d find peace. But after those attempts failed, he offered to raise Timmy and give me the freedom I said I needed. It was best because my unhappiness had frozen me in a position of opposition to anyone\u2019s ideas, and I lived in constant regret over not having the life I wanted. Even Timmy\u2019s sweetness couldn\u2019t thaw that.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou went ahead with the annulment and the custody arrangement in San Francisco?\u201d<\/p>\n

A nod made her hat bounce. \u201cAt first I saw it only as the escape I\u2019d imagined in each story I\u2019d told of my life to some drunk or innocent young man. But Tom\u2019s decision to set us all free, allowed me to finally see that what I\u2019d been doing had made everyone as unhappy as I had claimed to be. I did need peace more than freedom. Once the legalities were done, they sailed East and I found a rooming house with other nice people, and then got a job at a store in San Francisco. It proved to be exactly what I\u2019d hoped for all those years earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were people at the store and boarding house I talked to each day. I was good with customers and showed the store owners that I could also handle their bookwork, earning their respect. \u00a0The couple who ran that store started asking me to sit in when the salesmen came through, and give an opinion about what items I thought might sell well. I was always right in my choices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat gave me confidence I\u2019d always wanted. To do even better, I asked a teacher in my boarding house to help me improve my reading and grammar. I had the basics, but she helped me read history and the works of great writers. She also gave me a dictionary to look up words I didn\u2019t know so I\u2019d remember better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marilou looked over at her son. \u201cWith so many good things happening, I no longer relied on my former \u201csituation\u201d stories to elicit sympathy. I started walking a lot, using the time to think through all I\u2019d accomplished, and wonder why I could never find anything good about my life \u2026 even after having my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve done a great job with this,\u201d Adam told her with sincerity.<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cI saw my life differently after a while. I hadn\u2019t expected to find that I had always made choices: just bad ones. And I didn\u2019t listen well either or I would have heard the sadness that had motivated my folks and Tim. My parents faced horrible obstacles in their life, and saw only one way to make things work. They hadn\u2019t listened to me, but I began to see it wasn\u2019t based on them being mean or hurtful. They simply couldn\u2019t imagine how they could do without me. Marrying Tim could have been done better so both our parents would have understood our plans and supported us.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then I decided Tim had tricked me into marrying him, always intending to stay on the farm, until I remembered how sad he\u2019d looked when telling me he couldn\u2019t sell the place just yet. He\u2019d promised we\u2019d go once he could make enough to move, and he worked night and day to make that happen. I was finally able to recall what the doctor had said when he\u2019d tended to Tim after the accident. Tim was in bad shape physically at the time. He was pale and thin, and the doctor thought he was in his 50s not his 20s. His said my husband had literally worked himself to death. The position of his body under the plow suggested he might have fallen asleep driving, tumbling forward off the seat and into the path of the blades. The horses continued moving, crushing him under the attachment.\u00a0 I feel sick that I never saw how much he was suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n

She took a breath. \u201cThen I grew to hate Tom and said evil, untrue things about him, even after he gave up the job he loved most to help me and Timmy. If he hadn\u2019t shown up when he did, I would have gone to prison for abandoning my baby and Timmy would have been sent to an orphanage. Despite how badly I treated Tom, he stuck with us until he saw me trying to use the son of his best friend in my scheme, realizing I could have ruined your life with my lies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another glance at the clock alerted Adam that he had only minutes left. \u201cYou came to see this all on your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did some, but I had a little heavenly help too. The teacher from the boarding house, invited me to church with her. My mother\u2019s type of religion was laden with laws, punishment, and eternal damnation, so I went with Cynthia just to be friendly, assuming I could duck it eventually. That day changed my life. This was a congregation who understood the laws and the consequences, but applied salvation, telling me that with faith, our shortcomings were forgiven. \u00a0The minister presented the same scriptures as my mother had, but in a hopeful way where I didn\u2019t have to earn God\u2019s love: I always had it. \u00a0I made friends there, Adam. Real ones who\u2019d found their way through the worst of times too, and helped me examine those old hurts with a new heart. The day I confessed all I\u2019d done, I felt fully free for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds amazing,\u201d Adam told her while smiling. \u201cI wish you\u2019d gotten to know my father better. He was a pretty good \u2018pastor and preacher\u2019 to us. He would have helped you see the same things. But I doubt you were ready to hear it back then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right about that. The pastor spent hours with me, really listening, and like you, he saw the cause of my anger that produced the effects everyone endured. He said that over the years, he\u2019s found that when kids don\u2019t feel valued or their ideas or dreams don\u2019t matter, they eventually come to hate themselves, thinking it\u2019s something missing in them that makes others disregard them. He was right, Adam. I didn\u2019t see it, but it\u2019s what drove me to stop listening too and blame everyone else for being angry and unhappy. It drove my bad choices.\u201d Marilou\u2019s eyes brightened. \u201cThe other wonderful thing he said was that I let Timmy go with Tom because I loved him. I instinctively knew I had to learn why I was so unhappy to be a better mother. Tom was a godsend who gave my son a very good life while letting me find my way back to my son with a repaired heart.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s smile was genuine and encouraging. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard a better explanation of what people experience when feeling unloved.\u201d Another glance at the clock pressed him on. \u201cHow did you end up back here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me disabuse you of thinking there will be some fairytale ending where Tom and I will live happily ever after now.\u201d She laughed. \u201cSee, I\u2019ve learned a fancy word or two myself.\u201d She laughed again at Adam\u2019s sideways glance and gentle head wag. \u201cThat day in San Francisco when I finally made a decision on my own was a long time coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see it as either setting you free or paralyzing you,\u201d Adam suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was freeing, but not easy. And once I made great progress with myself, the pastor called me in again to say it was time to do right by my son. When I seemed confused, he explained that Timmy would begin wondering why I hadn\u2019t come for him. He wouldn\u2019t blame me, he\u2019d start to blame himself, thinking he wasn\u2019t good enough that I\u2019d want him back. It hit like a punch to the gut, but I knew he was right. I\u2019d always wanted better for Timmy. It was time to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is such an amazing story!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something you need to know. When I\u2019d listen to that pastor tell me about how I\u2019d need to love myself, forgive those who had hurt me, and make amends to those I\u2019d hurt: I thought about you. I feel awful when I think back to all the complaining I did about being the oldest and being expected to contribute so much to my family, like I was the only person who ever experienced this. I finally saw that you and your family had gone through the same thing. I should have asked why you were so happy about your life or how your family did so well with similar circumstances. I didn\u2019t, and I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blushed. \u201cThanks for telling me that. I admit wondering how you couldn\u2019t see that many people faced the same choices you had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing it was time to see Tom and Timmy, I took passage with missionaries returning East. Tom welcomed me back. We didn\u2019t pretend things could be the same, but they were good. He fixed up a bunk house as a house for me. Then I slowly became part of Tim\u2019s life again, allowing Tom to trust that I was sincere. With this going so well, Tom admitted he hated farming, and suggested selling it to move back to Boston. His plan is to work in an office now, but if he\u2019s convinced I can raise Timmy on my own, he\u2019ll give us the house and return to service on the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy for all of you, and so thrilled to have heard your update. Yet I\u2019m sorry you made the trip to Cambridge when I\u2019m pressed for time. You didn\u2019t have to do this, but thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did have to do this. The preacher said it wasn\u2019t an accident that you picked Little Joe up that day. He called you a blessing: someone whose open heart could see more than my crazy antics, and that allowed you to offer hope to us where none seemed evident. I had to let you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI consider your visit today a blessing too. I\u2019ll be in Boston a while yet, and I\u2019d like to see all of you when I\u2019m not rushing off. I\u2019ll ask Grandfather to arrange something when Mr. Tucker arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d wish you luck, Adam, but luck is something you don\u2019t need.\u201d She winked as she rose after calling Timmy to join her. \u201cJust stay who you are and opportunities will flood in.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was really someone from home?\u201d Frankie asked as he and Adam trotted across the yard to make class on time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tuckers lived near the Ponderosa the year before I left for Boston. It\u2019s a long story we don\u2019t have time for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer son is a quick study and funny. I saw you staring at us, though. Were we being too loud?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam remained silent as the two slowed to enter the heavy doors of the lecture auditorium. Frankie was a quick study too who knew his friend\u2019s times of silence were usually related to his mind traveling a couple thousand miles west. He\u2019d witnessed deep homesickness blanket his friend at times in the years they\u2019d been roommates, and noted that same wistful look wash over him as they headed upwards towards empty seats in the middle of the large hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m guessing Timmy\u2019s about the same age as Little Joe?\u201d he asked to confirm his suspicions. He received a nod as they did a crab walk to reach two seats available halfway across the crowded row. Knowing he couldn\u2019t let Adam remain where he\u2019d gone, he\u00a0 pulled him into the chair next to him just as the professor entered and took his place behind the large podium.<\/p>\n

Leaning towards Adam, Frankie whispered, \u201cWell doesn\u2019t he look all pompous today,\u201d as he nodded towards the man at the front of the class. \u201cI\u2019ll bet you a beer at the student pub tonight that he\u2019s got an unscheduled test in that fat folder he just set down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both boys laughed quietly when the man pulled down a chalkboard filled with problems to solve, and said, \u201cClear your desk of everything but a pencil.\u201d \u00a0A smug smile accompanied him on his way across the front row, handing each student a stack of test booklets, while instructing, \u201cTake one of these and pass the pile back. Your test scores on the last exam were so miserable they indicate you aren\u2019t keeping up with your reading assignments. Until further notice, I\u2019ll give daily quizzes to assist you in developing consistent study habits. They will be graded and worked into your overall average, so take this seriously. Please answer the seven problems on the board, showing your process in the booklet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned closer to Frankie as they set their books on the floor and raised the small work surface attached to the back of the seat in front of them. \u201cYou should drop out of engineering to becoming a fortune teller, touring theaters and sideshows as a prognosticator extraordinaire. You guessed Professor Matthews\u2019 intention from his expression and a stuffed portfolio. Seems you might do better at that than passing calculus tests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll speak to my father about changing careers when we\u2019re at the house this weekend. I\u2019ll also be sure to tell him you suggested it. But since you\u2019re rapidly becoming his favorite \u2018son,\u2019 he\u2019ll probably agree wholeheartedly. How does Wadsworth the Prophet sound for a stage name?\u201d He laughed quietly. \u201cJust keep your left arm off your booklet so I can check my answers with yours! I need to pass just in case my father prefers I stay the course to becoming an engineer.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n

1<\/sup> The near shotgun style wedding between Adam and Becka is told in my story, Say Something<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2<\/sup>From my story, When Lies Wound a Broken Heart<\/em><\/p>\n

3<\/sup> Logistical seems like a modern word, yet Antoine-Henri Jomini, a Swiss military officer who served as a\u00a0general<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0French<\/a>\u00a0and later in\u00a0Russian<\/a>\u00a0service, and one of the most celebrated writers on the Napoleonic art of war, may have coined the term\u00a0logistics<\/a>\u00a0in his\u00a0Summary of the Art of War<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(1838).<\/p>\n

*(Matthew 6:34)<\/strong><\/p>\n

My stories of Adam at school place him with Frankie Wadsworth as his roommate, and connect him to the Wadsworth family. He\u2019d met the father, Frank, at an event when he\u2019d first arrived and tested into Harvard, and the man had been so impressed with Adam\u2019s background and scholarship that he\u2019d quietly arranged for him to be his son\u2019s roommate, hoping that the Cartwright boy\u2019s methods and intellect would help Frankie through what was sure to be a difficult adjustment to a very difficult curriculum.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Loving family moments<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: This prequel is set a few weeks before Adam’s departure for school.\u00a0 A simple request to pick up Little Joe from a neighbor’s home where the little boy is playing, ends up bringing Adam into a world of confusion over what’s going on with the wife of his father’s oldest friend.<\/p>\n

This is the first of 2 prequels, the first taking place in the weeks before Adam left for college, and the second story showing his return. Both take a fun, yet serious look at how the Cartwright family faces problems.<\/p>\n

Rating: K\u00a0 \u00a0 Word Count:\u00a0 26419<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":40380,"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_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,1008,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-prequels","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-30-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Bonanza-slide.jpg?fit=1086%2C815&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}