THE PARTY

By Heidi

In Virginia City there was a partyevening organised for all the inhabitants and those who lived outside the city. The Ladies Society had taken the initiative to held a great evening for everyone.

When Little Joe came home with the invitations he was in avery good mood. Adam and Hoss were busy at the yard and Mitch played at the porch with Cody.

“It is a pity that pa and Candy are away cause guess three times what I got here with me”, said Little Joe.

“The post”, said Adam.

“Wrong answer”, said Little Joe.

“It won’t be worth much”, said Hoss.

Little Joe said, “What I have here are invitations for a party in Virginia City. Decent clothes required.”

“Then at least I can go because I always look perfect”, Adam reacted.

“Who must babysit your son then? Hop Sing for sure?”, asked Little Joe.

“No, not al all. I just take him along. How many invitations did you get?”, Adam asked.

“Four”, Little Joe said amazed.

“You, Hoss and I are three and Mitch is four”, his eldest brother explained.

“Geesh Joe, I didn’t know that our brother could count to four already”, Hoss said laughing.

“He has learned that at the university in Boston”, Little Joe reacted.

“I can do that but you don’t because you have never been to the university”, Adam said dry.

“Is it actually good for a five year old to go to a party? The Ladies Society has arranged it”, Little Joe said seriously.

“Mitch has been present at a party at the ranch often enough. He had always behaved very well then so that will happen this time too. Besides, we are with him the whole time”, said Adam.

“I hope that there is enough to eat at that party or it won’t be my thing”, Hoss replied to change the subject.

Adam and Little Joe looked at each other laughing because they knew exactly how their brother thought about food.

Because Adam had gotten an invitation as well he felt obligated to go. In its own this wasn’t a problem if he wasn’t the father of five year old Mitch. The boy was very attempting and outspoken. Often enough Mitch had unwilling made an embarresment of Adam. Though the eldest Cartwright boy loved his offspring too much to be able to punish him. That was also the case for the other Cartwrights, Candy and Hop Sing. Hereby Adam was never without a babysitter if necessary.

The evening of the party.

The party was being held at the International House.

“What is that child doing here?”, Kate Smith asked amazed when the Cartwrights gave their invitation to her.

“Pa ain’t here so that’s why Mitch had gotten his invite. You can’t say that he ins’t without a guide because he happens to be so”, said Adam.

“Hm, you didn’t want to arrange a babysitter for him, did you?”, Kate asked snappy.

“He wanted to come himself. You may never be able to babysit him. Although you were the best babysitter in the world”, Adam reacted.

Kate was boiling inside of furiousness and had to let Mitch in. the woman knew how the Cartwrights were and gave in for that reason.

The sphere at the party was somehow tense. The brothers noticed that rights way when they came in. Mitch sat on his father’s arm and looked around.

“Is Matthew also coming with his parents?”, the boy asked after a while.

“I don’t think so. Maybe his parents didn’t get an invitation. But we will entertain ourselves anyway”, Adam replied.

Little Joe and Hoss decided to walk around a bit while their brother and nephew kept a table on hold. Now and then they nodded at a few fmilair faces but the party wasn’t very amusing to the brothers.

“Have I dressed up myself like a monkey for this fashionshow?”, Hoss asked indignant.

“I won’t say anything”, was the comment of Little Joe.

“You better be too”, said Hoss.

At the bar they fetched something to drink for the four of them. They repeated this ritual the whole evening.

After a few hours Adam and Little Joe saw Hoss standing.

“Joe, shall we play a joke on Hoss?”, Adam asked chcukled.

“What did you have in mind then?”, Little Joe asked.

“Mitch tells him that there are morsels but that they are invisble. Wanna bet that he falls for it?”, Adam asked again.

His yougest brother agreed.

“Kid, you know that Uncle Hoss always has an appetite”, Adam said to his son.

Mitch nodded.

“Tell him that there are morsels but that they are invisible. We stay by you”, his fathet said.

The youngest Cartwright walked delighted to his big Uncle, followed by his father and other Uncle.

“Uncle Hoss, have you already seen the delicious morsels?”, Mitch asked excited.

“Morsels? Where are the morsels? I don’t see them at all”, Hoss said indignant.

“They are invisible”, his nephew of five reacted.

Adam and Little Joe were rolling on the floor laughing but Hoss thought it wasn’t funny.

“Very funny Mitchy”, groaned Hoss.

Though he couldn’t be and stay mad at his nephew.

“Shall we go and get something to drink?”, Little Joe suggested.

This suggestion felt good with everyone. Adam lifted up his son.

A stately lady saw the Cartwrights coming to the bar. It was Miss Vera Stone. She wasn’t already no fan of the Cartwrights but now not at all anymore.

“Vera, because you are one of the organising parties can you tell us when the morsels are on the way?

My little brother slowly starts to get an appetite”, said Adam.

“They mustn’t be on the way but here”, said Mitch.

Vera looked at the Cartwrights being insulted.

“The snacks arrive later on for to be consumed”, she answered.

“Later or not al all?”, asked Little Joe.

“We have organised the party according to a scheme and also decided when the snacks come”, Vera replied.

“What are sna...things?”, Mitch asked amazed.

“That are morsels but then named a bit more stately”, Hoss replied.

The Cartwright brothers felt that Mitch was hatching a remark and came into action.

Because Mitch was almost asleep Adam asked,“Hoss, would you like to take your sweet nephew home and bring him to bed?”

“Of course I do that. A party without morsels is for me no party!”, Hoss answered indignant.

“Kid, sweet dreams and I see you at home”, Adam said to his son.

“You too sweet dreams”, the boy said sleepy.

Father and son Cartwright kissed each other which Hoss and Little Joe found mollifying and Vera disguisting. Hoss grabbed his nephew and went home.

Arrived at home Hoss first brough his sleeping nephew to his bed and when then to plunder the kitchen empty. At least that was his plan. But due to the barking of Cody Hop Sing had woken up. The cook had watched secretly how Hoss brought Mitch to bed and hid himself behind the kitchendoor. Hoss put Mitch to bed, undressed him and tucked him in. Hereafter Hoss went downstairs again to fill his empty stomach. ‘I just hope that Cody hasn’t woken up Hop Sing because then the party is really over’, Hoss thought.

Arrived at the kitchen Hoss got the scare of his life. At the door was Hop Sing standing with a rolling-pin in the hand.

“Er Hop Sing, I thought that you were sleeping”, Hoss said amazed.

“Mr Hoss better think. Hop Sing woke up by Cody”, the cook said smiling.

Hoss felt like he had been caught cheating at school and decided to come down peg or two. Grumbling he went to his bedroom.

Not much later Adam and Little Joe came home. Because Hop Sing was still up he made for them hot milk with cake.

“Adam, this tastes better than all those invisble morsels at that party”, Little Joe remarked.

“Hoss won’t like it at all when he sees us eating”, Adam laughed.

Both brothers looked up from the remark of their cook, “Mr Hoss wanted to plunder kitchen but Hop Sing prevented that.”

For a moment it was quiet but then the brothers screamed it out. the brothers went laughing sleeping. Despite the boring party it had been a succesfull evening for the Cartwrights.

THE END

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