{"id":7723,"date":"2013-08-10T14:32:45","date_gmt":"2013-08-10T18:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7723"},"modified":"2026-07-31T08:31:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:31:59","slug":"hidden-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7723","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Wings (by DJK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/span>\u00a0 Hoss decides to sweeten one family’s day.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+\u00a0\u00a0 Word count:\u00a0\u00a0 1256<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hidden Wings<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hoss leaned over the counter and spoke softly to the proprietor of the mercantile. \u201cWho\u2019s that lady over there?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr. Brown dropped his voice and replied, \u201cThat\u2019s Mrs. Weems. She has a passel of children and a pretty bare cupboard when it comes to cash, but I must say she pays for what she buys, ain\u2019t ever asked for a penny of credit.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAll those youn\u2019uns in the wagon outside hers?\u201d He had seen the wagonload of children waiting patiently outside as he entered the store. They appeared to range in age from about fourteen to three. Their clothes were clean but repeatedly patched, and some wrists stuck out past shirt cuffs. Still, most of the faces contained smiles, and their young voices had called out pleasant good mornings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, all eight of them. Will that be all today?\u201d Mr. Brown had begun to calculate the bill for Hoss Cartwright\u2019s purchases.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, um, I mean no, no, it ain\u2019t. I need you to make up a big sack of candy. You put in a couple of handfuls of every kind ya got in them jars.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019ve got a powerful sweet tooth, Hoss, but that sounds more like the Ponderosa\u2019s gonna start handing out sweets with the pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt don\u2019t go on the Ponderosa\u2019s bill. I\u2019ll be paying for that before I leave. Uh, and when that Miz Weems makes her purchases, you slip in an extra ounce or two of each thing she buys, ya hear. This should cover it, shouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Hoss had taken out his wallet, and he laid several bills on the counter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMore than cover it, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t you go saying nothing to the lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMums the word, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThanks! Now if ya would get me those sweets.\u201d Hoss waited while Mr. Brown gathered the candy. He took it from the storekeeper and walked quickly over to Mrs. Weems. Tipping his hat, he smiled and said, \u201cWe haven\u2019t been introduced proper, ma\u2019am, but if you\u2019ll excuse me being forward, are those your children out in the wagon?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, yes,\u201d replied Mrs. Weems slightly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the large man. Then concern flashed onto her face. \u201cThey haven\u2019t caused any problem, have they?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, ma\u2019am. Why that\u2019s just it. There they were just being good as gold and smiling so as to bring sunshine into the day. It purely sweetened mine just saying hello to them, so I was thinking to myself that I\u2019d like to sweeten theirs. Of course, I told myself, \u2018Now, Hoss,\u2019 that\u2019s my name, ma\u2019am, Hoss Cartwright, so I said, \u2018Now, Hoss, you got to get their ma\u2019s permission first.\u2019 It being only proper, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPermission for what?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy to give them kids some candy. You wouldn\u2019t mind that; now, would ya?\u201d Hoss\u2019s voice was almost cooing, and his smile was a fair imitation of the one his little brother used to wheedle every lady he met. \u201cYa could make \u2018em wait \u2018til after supper to eat it if ya must, but ya wouldn\u2019t tell me I can\u2019t give \u2018em none, would ya? That would plum ruin my day!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2026, no, I don\u2019t see as how I could say no.\u201d Mrs. Weems felt slightly flustered, and then she realized she had been neatly maneuvered into accepting charity for her children with no need to feel humiliated by that fact.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, thank you, ma\u2019am. Do they have to wait?\u201d The last question was delivered with a little-boy look that pled for a denial.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she laughed softly, \u201cNo, they don\u2019t. And thank you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy pleasure, ma\u2019am, truly my pleasure!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alice Weems looked into the young man\u2019s eyes and accepted the fact that he spoke the simple truth. \u201cGive it to Ed, my eldest, and he\u2019ll see it\u2019s doled out proper.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat I will, ma\u2019am. Now you have a good day.\u201d Hoss tipped his hat respectfully and left the store with a whistle on his lips.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Alice Weems left the store, she heard the excited voices of her children.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMama, mama, look, look.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMama, have you ever seen\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMama, that man, look how much\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMama, Ed says we have to save some.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s enough here for days, Mama, tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alice shushed her children. \u201cLet me see,\u201d she instructed her eldest son who placed a sack heavy with candy into her hands. She gasped. Each of her children was already chewing candy and holding at least one more piece.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI let everyone pick three pieces, Mama,\u201d Ed intoned officiously. \u201cIf we each have three pieces a day, why think how long it will last.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave you this whole lot?\u201d Alice\u2019s voice was still incredulous. Some candy, some candy\u2026 Alice Weems, you\u2019ve been had!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Mama. He said it was \u2018cause we\u2019d been good. How\u2019d he know we\u2019d been good?\u201d Emmy Weems asked around a lemondrop.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe he\u2019s Santa, Mama. Do you think he\u2019s Santa?\u201d Sammy piped up sucking on his licorice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSanta comes at Christmas, silly. It ain\u2019t nowhere near Christmas.” This was Maddie\u2019s contribution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good as Christmas, Maddie. Ain\u2019t it, Robby?\u201d The only answer Timmy received was a vigorous nod; Robby\u2019s mouth was totally filled by a green sourball.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he wasn\u2019t Santa, Sammy. His name is Mr. Cartwright. Mr. Brown says he and his father and brothers live on a big ranch called the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI heard about the Ponderosa, Mama,\u201d Ed spoke swelling up with the importance of having information to offer. \u201cThey\u2019re real important folks, and they say all the girls are looking to catch one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEd!\u201d Alice\u2019s voice was sharp, and she gave her oldest a pointed look. \u201cWell, if Hoss Cartwright is the one to judge by, the Cartwrights are fine and generous folk. He certainly is.\u201d Several of the older children nodded their agreement. Alice Weems\u2019s gaze traveled over her children. \u201cNow, you weren\u2019t so busy putting candy in your mouths that you forgot to thank him.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe thanked him, Mama. We all thanked him even Jay,\u201d Kitty said pointing to the three-year-old.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alice nodded her approval. \u201cNow, I want you to remember how a fine person acts. Take Mr. Cartwright as an example. Someday I expect you to repay him by doing the same for someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean when I gots money I should buy somebody else candy?\u201d Timmy\u2019s face looked both puzzled and slightly disappointed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly. Someday when you have something that can bring joy to another, you should share,\u201d Alice instructed. \u201cDo you all understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eight heads nodded. Alice handed the candy back to Ed. \u201cYour right, son, and three pieces each a day should be about right. That way the pleasure will last.\u201d Ed took the candy and straightened to his tallest. Alice climbed onto the wagon and began the trip home. When they arrived, all the children quickly scrambled toward the house or barn except eleven-year-old Cindy. She sat still and quiet. Then she looked at her mother. \u201cI thought maybe he was an angel, Mama. Like the preacher talked about, angels coming unaware. But if he lives on a ranch, I guess, he ain\u2019t an angel.\u201d Cindy\u2019s eyes held disappointment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alice reached out and brushed her daughter\u2019s cheek. \u201cThere\u2019s more than one kind of angel, honey. I imagine some of them could live on a ranch.\u201d Then she smiled at her most serious child. \u201cWhere do you think he hides his wings?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Summary:\u00a0 Hoss decides to sweeten one family’s day.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+\u00a0\u00a0 Word count:\u00a0\u00a0 1256<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":11293,"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_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,1006],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hoss-cartwright","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1006-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Hoss-smile.jpg?fit=285%2C326&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7723","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\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}