I'LL NEVER TELL
It had been a very warm summer and tempers had been running a little
high on the Ponderosa. Usually all four members of the family got
along really well, together, but the hot weather and long hours spent
working on the ranch was causing quite a lot of friction, especially
between Adam and his two, younger brothers.
Ben was about to suggest that the boys spent some time apart, when
Hoss came barrelling into the house yelling about a large mountain
lion, which was after their yearlings.
"Why don't you and me take off after it, little brother?" suggested
Hoss, to Joe. "We can camp out fer a couple of nights, too, with the
weather bein' so good an' all, and mebbe git in some fishin', at the
same time?"
This was said with a sideways glance over at Ben, as Hoss feared that
their father might say that now was not the time for going off camping.
However, Ben seemed only too happy to approve the plan.
"What a good idea, son. We can't have that beast attacking our beef.
First thing in the morning, you and Joe head off and see if you can
catch him," said Ben. "And if you have time for some fishing,
well,
I'm sure that we would all enjoy a fresh fish supper, when you return."
"Thanks, Pa," said Joe, smiling at his father.
The young man was quite relieved to be getting away from the house and
from his oldest brother, for a few days. Adam had been acting really
strangely since receiving a letter, about ten days earlier. Joe, never
the most patient of young men, had tried to find out from whom that
letter had come, but Adam was not about to share that news with
anyone, least of all nosey younger brothers.
"Can't a man have any secrets around here?" he demanded, when
he
caught Joe trying to get a peek at the handwriting on the envelope.
"Sorry, I'm sure," said Joe, who had jumped, a bit, when finding
Adam
right behind him. "If I'd received a letter from a young lady, I'd
tell you all about it."
"Well, that's where you and I differ, little brother," said Adam.
"I
prefer to be more private about my affairs, and who says that the
letter is from a young lady?"
"I sincerely hope it is from a young lady, if you're talking about
having an affair with the person who wrote it," said Joe.
"What's all this about an affair?" shouted Ben. "I hope
that none of
my sons are planning to embark on any kind of relationship that could
be termed an affair. That implies clandestine meetings and something
that cannot be talked about amongst genteel society."
Adam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before speaking.
"When I said I liked to conduct my affairs in private, I was not
talking about having an affair, as such. All I meant was that there
are some things that a man does not wish to discuss, and the content
of that letter happens to be one of them."
"Oh, I see," said Ben, in a quieter voice, obviously relieved
to hear
what Adam had just said. "I apologise, son, I got hold of the wrong
end of the stick."
"That's okay, Pa," said Adam. "It's hard not to get things
mixed up
when Joe gets involved. He's always going off half cocked."
"No, I'm not," shouted Joe. "Why does he always have to
be having a
dig at me, Pa?"
"Because, young man, you can be rather irritating, at times," said Ben.
"Thanks a lot," said Joe.
Over supper, Ben decided to tell the boys about his proposed trip.
"I, too, received a letter, recently. I have been invited to attend
the wedding of a friend of mine, over in Carson City."
"A friend?" queried Hoss. "Anyone we know, Pa?"
"You might recall me mentioning his name, a time or two, when I've
told you stories about my time at sea," said Ben. "He was a friend
of
mine when we sailed together under Captain Stoddard. His name is Jake
Whittaker and he's marrying a girl from these parts, and they've
decided to get married out this way. He's nearly as old as me and this
will be his first marriage, so he's taken a good while to give up
being a bachelor. I think he likes the idea of having an old friend
along to give him moral support. I wasn't sure if I could spare the
time to go, but we've all worked really hard, this summer, and I think
things are at the stage, around here, where I can afford to take a
couple of days off. So, you'll have the place to yourself, for a few
days, Adam."
"Not exactly, as Hop Sing will still be here," said Adam.
"No, he won't, as he's coming with me to Carson," said Ben. "I
thought
that if three of us were going to be away, at the same time, you could
manage to cook for yourself, and Hop Sing could have a break, too."
"That's fine by me," said Adam.
By mid afternoon, the following day, Adam had the house completely to
himself. This is what he'd been striving for, ever since receiving the
letter, but hadn't dared hope to actually pull it off. It had been
easy to pick a few fights with Joe, and so cause friction there. And
he knew that by doing so, Hoss would take his younger brother's side
and also fall out with him.
Ben receiving the wedding invitation had been a pure stroke of luck.
Adam had been prepared to go to quite devious means to get his father
to go away for a while, but that hadn't been necessary. And he'd
easily sowed the seeds into Hop Sing's mind that having a break, when
only one member of the household was going to be home, was a good idea.
Rather uncharacteristically for Adam, the young man paced the floor of
the main room, nervously awaiting the sound of a buggy arriving in the
yard. As soon as he heard it, he walked to the door, and opened it.
He led the young lady across the room, and over to the staircase.
"This must be our little secret," she said.
"I'll never tell," said Adam.
THE END
Little Joe forever
Lynne
November 30th 2007