The Lie

By: Bernie

There was a loud rumbling noise and a few seconds later the stagecoach got caught in a sudden downpour. Taking no notice of the weather, the stagecoach was going at full speed along hilly roads. The coachman was worried because he knew he wouldn’t get on time. Unfortunately in Reno, a wheel had come off at the stagecoach departure time. All the passengers had complained with the exception of a young woman of about 25 years old, who had been the last passenger to buy a ticket to Carson City. Leaning her nose against the window, the young woman looked thoughtful distracted. The coachman stopped in Virgina City to change horses, so the passengers went for a stroll, but Billy White, the coachman, didn’t let them go for a drink, as he was in a hurry. Unfortunately they couldn’t drink anything because Billy White, the coachman, didn’t let them. He was in a hurry. A young man tried to buy a ticket and to sit beside Billy as all the seats had already been bought, but Billy, was a very stubborn man and rejected the idea at once. He thought that passengers shouldn’t go next to the coachman.

Three ladies were sitting next to the young woman, they were talking and complaining about the coachman because he was going very fast. In front of her, a couple was arguing and two wicked cowboys were making jokes. The young woman was convinced that they were two outlaws. She couldn’t stand their dirty looks so; she started looking through the window. All of a sudden she remembered the young handsome man who tried to get a seat. He looked so different from these two men.

Unexpectedly, there was another stopover near Washoe Lake- not far from The Ponderosa, the biggest ranch in the region. As a matter of fact, all the stagecoaches stopped there. Billy, the coachman, was surprised because the old guardian Charley,didn’t welcome him. So, he shouted ´Charley´ but nobody answered. Although Billy noticed that two horses were tied to a post and saddled up,he didn’t pay attention to that fact. Therefore, he got off the stagecoach, opened the stagecoach’s door and asked the passengers to go to the inn and spend the night there as regarding the weather conditions it was getting very dangerous to travel.

When the passengers went into the inn, they were shocked by the sight of a dead man lying on the floor: it was Charley. At first they didn’t notice that two men were in the room aiming their guns at them. Some passengers turned round and got startled when they saw that the two cowboys, who had been traveling with them, were aiming their guns at them as well. To make matters worse, these two cowboys pushed them towards the back of the room. Then, two outlaws hid behind the door waiting for Billy who had gone to the stable to feed the horses. So, when Billy finished his task, he headed towards the inn. When he went into the room the bandits welcomed him. They obliged him at gunpoint to go outside and bring the passengers baggage. Billy obeyed them in silence. The young woman was terrified, because she remembered the Indians set up when she was on her way from Boston.

Suddenly Billy went into the room carrying many suitcases. He looked at the passengers and dropped one suitcase to the floor. Without looking around the room, he slid his right hand towards one of his boots to grab a hidden gun he got there. Unfortunately, one of the outlaws was keeping a careful eye on Billy and shot him in cold blood. The coachman stopped dead in front of the young woman.

The passengers felt lost and desperate. The outlaws´chief, who had been inside the inn waiting for the stagecoach, ordered his men to get rid of Billy’s corpse. Then he commanded the passengers to queue up and give him all their money and jewels.

At that moment, the young woman got an idea. Fortunately she was wearing a skirt and a pair of boots- a good outfit for riding a horse. So, she walked towards the end of the queue and stood there. She could see that the outlaws were watching with greed the jewels, which had been placed on the wooden table. So, when nobody was watching her, she slid out of the room. It seemed that lightning and thunder were attacking the Earth. She was completely soaked and terrified. She saw that two outlaws were placing Billy’s body next to Charley´s and after a few seconds they went to the stable. So, she crawled for some meters, untied a horse and jumped on it with calm manner. She knew how to treat horses therefore; she eased the frightened animal. Without knowing where she was heading she rode away at full speed. When the outlaws realized that the young woman was escaping, they fired at her but fortunately they failed.

Ben Cartwright and his eldest son Adam were drinking some coffee and talking while Hoss and Little Joe were playing checkers. Hop Sin, their faithful cook, was already sleeping. " The weather is awful,” exclaimed Ben, listening to a roll of thunder. " Fortunately the coachman didn’t let you sit next to him" added Ben smiling at Adam.

"You’d be soaked" remarked Little Joe, laughing.

"Worse than when we pushed you into the lake last summer" said Hoss with laughter

Adam smiled.... He was used to his brothers´ jokes. Suddenly he got serious, turned round and headed towards the living-room. He got closer and opened the window-shutter. He tried to gaze out of the window but he couldn’t see anything because it was too dark outside. It was raining harder and harder.

Ben, Hoss and Little Joe looked at one another. They couldn’t understand what was going on. Therefore, Ben asked Adam.

" What’s up, son?"

" I heard a strange noise outside...in the stable. It might be possible that somebody was sneaking around"

"But son, the horses would have neighed and the cowboys would have been woken up"

"You know that they are heavy sleepers" added Adam, trying to catch a glimpse of something"

“It was a branch, I bet you that" said Little Joe.

" Who would dare to travel now! Everything must be muddy! Even the horses would sink into the mud !´ added Hoss, a horse expert.

"I’m going to take a look at...."

" Adam! You can’t be serious” exclaimed Ben very worried.

" Of course I am".

"Come on, Adam. You ´ll end up with a cold. What about a flue or worse than that..."

"Joseph " Ben yelled at his youngest son, who was going too far.

" I won’t be able to asleep if I don’t check everything."

Adam grabbed his black raincoat, his gun and went out.

His father and brothers decided to follow him. But they suddenly listened to Adam´s voice calling his father. Ben opened the door with a rush and Adam went into the house carrying a fainted young woman.

Ben ordered Adam to place her on the sofa, Hoss brought a glass of water and Little Joe a blanket. After a few seconds, she came to and Adam told them what had happened.

"Before going down the terrace, I don’t know what happened but I bumped into something. ..It was her. She couldn’t see me because she was already fainted. I don’t know how she got here".

" You were right, son" added Ben.

" She must have been riding for a long time" remarked Hoss.

" She must have been the noise that you heard" added Little Joe “I´ m sure she went to the stable and then she tried to get to the house."

As a matter of fact, the young men were right. She had been riding for a long time before reaching The Ponderosa. She had no idea where she was heading to .

When she got closer to the Ponderosa´s stable, she heard the horses neighing because of the storm. She opened the stable door and tied the horse. Almost fainted she could close the stable door and discovered with amazement a house in the distance which was being lit by a magnificent lightning. She made strenuous efforts to get to that beautiful house. All of a sudden she couldn’t move and fainted.

Little by little the young woman came round so, Ben helped her to drink some water- The young woman was shivering from cold. Therefore Ben covered her with a blanket. She opened her eyes and looked at them. She recognised at once the man in black. It was the same man she had seen in Virginia City trying to get on the stagecoach. She looked around the huge living-room and sighed with relief. She could see she had been rescued by a rich family. Adam saw her eyes sparkled with excitement. In a whisper she asked where she was. Ben introduced himself and his three sons. When she felt a bit better she told them who she was and what had happened when the stagecoach arrived at an inn, near Washoe Lake.

" Hey boys. Why don’t you wake four or five men. We must rescue those people."

Ben woke Hop-Sin up to fill the bathtub and fix some food for the young woman. Hop-Sin got angry because he didn’t like to be disturbed in the middle of the night, So, he started cursing in Chinese as he always did. He changed his mood when he heard that a beautiful young woman had been rescued.

After a warm bath, she put on some clothes that belonged to a family friend who had forgotten her suitcase at The Ponderosa a few days before.

When the meal was ready, Ben went upstairs to let her know. He stood still, facing the door and knocked on it.

"Come on in" answered Amy.

Ben opened the door gently and got dazzled by her beauty. She had light brown wavy hair that touched her shoulders and white soft skin, which enlightened her face and blue eyes. Motionless he stood there, just admiring her. She could see what was happening so she smiled at him for a few seconds.

" I can see that those clothes suit you."

"It seems that your friend and I have the same size, Mr. Cartwright"

" Please, call me Ben..."

" Ben, I don’t know how to thank you for all your kindness...you are helping me so much."

" It’s. Ok. Why don’t you come downstairs? Hop-Sin fixed a delicious meal."

" Who is Hop-Sin?"

" He´s our cook. " Without uttering a word they went downstairs arm in arm.

Hop-Sin was waiting for the special guest. When she saw him, she smiled at him with tenderness. Therefore Hop-Sin stayed there until she tried that meal. With delight he noticed that she loved it so, without saying a word, he returned to the kitchen smiling.

Once she finished dinner, Ben showed her to the living-room. They sat in front of the huge fireplace listening to the crackling logs, which heated the vast room.

Hop-Sin served them some coffee and sherry. Amy told Ben everything about her childhood in Boston, her long journey from North to West and her adventures when she had to fight against the Indians. She also talked for a while about her father and his couple who had passed away. She was deeply touched by her memories and she remembered with sadness when her father settled in the West. Ben didn’t say a word, he just listened to her attentively. He was greatly impressed by her beauty and tenderness. After a while they began a beautiful friendship.

The boys came back two hours later. Fortunately they could rescue the other passengers safe but after a shooting two outlaws were killed.The other two bandits had been caught and tied their hands with rough ropes. The Ponderosa cowboys would watch them during that night and at dawn, they would be taken to jail to Virginia City, where the town Sheriff, Roy Coffee, lived.

Ben invited the passengers to stay for the night. Hop-Sin didn’t agree that invitation gladly because it was very late and he was tired. Amy could see Hop-Sin’s annoyance, so she helped him. Adam, Hoss and Little Joe were exhausted; therefore they went straight to bed.

The following day, after breakfast, Ben invited Amy to stay at the Ponderosa for a couple of days. The four men were not only pleased, her naive smile, beauty and intelligence also captivated them. Little Joe invited her to Virginia City.

Close to midday, the young Cartwrights took the passengers to a hotel in Virginia City, where they could stay until the next Stagecoach arrived and the two outlaws to jail. After that, Hoss and Adam went to the "Silver Dollar" canteen to have some beer. Little Joe wasn’t with his brothers, he was walking with Amy. At the canteen, Hoss and Adam talked about Amy. They knew that her beauty struck them.

"Amy is a beauty, isn’t she?" said Hoss, after drinking some beer in small sips.

"Oh, yeah, that’s why Joe is fond of her, isn’t he? " added Adam smiling.

" You bet. And what about you? Don’t you like her? asked Hoss.

" Are you mad? Of course not!” exclaimed Adam. But we aren’t the only ones... or isn’t it true? asked Adam laughing.

" Oh no! I know that she ´s beautiful, sweet and kind and. I´d love to find somebody similar to her."

"So, can’t you see that she has stolen your heart?" remarked Adam.

Hoss looked at Adam and told him the truth.

"Well, I like her a lot. But... have you seen that Pa is fond of her too?"

Adam got serious at once. He drank some beer and said:

" Are you sure?.... She could be her daughter."

"There is no age for true love " Hoss commented wisely "Pa is a very handsome man. Any woman could fall in love with him" added Hoss with pride.

" I see what you mean. Can you get the picture? The four of us fighting for Amy’s love" remarked Adam finishing his beer in a gulp.

Hoss didn’t want to continue with the conversation. He was sure about something. Amy’s stay would bring a lot of trouble.

After an interesting visit to the City, Little Joe took Amy to a ladies store. He asked the saleswoman to charge everything to The Ponderosa’s and left the store happily to do some errands. Amy almost passed out when she saw beautiful dresses and colorful hats. As a matter of fact, she chose the most expensive dresses as well as the finest gloves, perfumes and cloaks with hoods.

After an hour waiting, the three Cartwrights went back to the ranch carrying heavy boxes.

When they got home, Ben welcomed them smiling, as they seemed so cheerful. Little Joe helped Amy to carry her boxes upstairs. She stayed in her room, for a few minutes, to freshen up. Adam gave the mail to Ben, who checked it reluctantly. The three young men would have enjoyed to be with Amy for a while but their father ordered them to attend their chores.

So, when Amy went down downstairs, Ben invited her to a neighboring ranch. A friend of his and his two daughters lived there. Ben thought that she could have a lively talk with these two girls while he could do some business with his friend. That afternoon, Hoss and Adam saw Amy and Ben leaving The Ponderosa in a small cart. At that moment, Little Joe was coming out of the stable with his horse, Cochise.

"Where are they going?" asked Little Joe, curiously.

"He didn’t tell me, but I guess that they are going to John Sullivan´s ranch" answered Hoss.

"I remember that Pa mentioned that …… .…. Pa told me that he would go there to see some bulls, which were on sale," added Adam, saddling his horse Sport.

" But why is he going with Amy?" asked Little Joe.

" John Sullivan has two daughters, Mary and Julie. So, Amy can talk to them for a while. She might get bored here... as we are working."

Little Joe didn’t say a word and got on Cochise. Hoss got closer and asked him

"Tell me Joe, do you like Amy?"

"Much more than that. I love her and she’ll be mine. See you tonight, brothers" answered Joe heading towards the vast prairies.

Hoss watched Joe until he disappeared behind some trees. He knew that Joe wasn’t joking and that Adam hasn’t fallen in love with Amy yet. Hoss felt sorry for his father because he had seen that his father was attracted to Amy. Hoss wondered who she was really attracted to . He thought that Little Joe was the perfect match for Amy.

"What are you thinking?" asked Adam when he saw Hoss´ attitude.

"Have you listened to Joe?" asked Hoss.

"Yes, I have. I’m afraid Joe will have a big disappointment."

"What are you talking about, Adam?"

"I have a hunch. Amy is hiding something."

"But...What can she hide?"

"I’ve no idea yet" Adam answered, getting on his horse and leaving Hoss thinking.

Although Ben Cartwright was almost forty-five, many women still sighed for him. He was a smart and powerful man. Amy felt greatly flattered by Ben’s compliments. She liked Hoss because he made her laugh all the time but she didn’t feel attracted to him. She didn’t like Adam either although she knew he was the smartest. Regarding Little Joe, she was sure that all the girls liked him a lot and that he was an innate seducer.

Ben went through a long prairie before getting to the Sullivan´s ranch. The two Sullivan´s girls went out of the house running to see who was sitting beside Ben. When they arrived at the house, he helped Amy to get off the cart.

" Hello, Ben. It’s so nice to see you again! Exclaimed Julie, John Sullivan´s oldest daughter.

" Hello Julie” answered Ben, introducing Amy to the girls. " This is Amy Williams, a new friend."

" Nice to meet you I’m Mary and she’s my sister Julie"

" Nice to meet you, too" answered Amy -shaking the girls hands.

" What about John?" asked Ben.

"He is in the stable," one of the girls replied. “ I´ll show you the way.”

" Oh, it’s fine, I know the place. Mary, Julie.... Can you stay with Amy, please?"

" Yes, of course" exclaimed Mary and Julie , eager to have at talk with Amy . They were happy because they could have a chat with Amy.

Ben headed towards the stable. Mary and Julie showed Amy to the house, where they could have some tea and cookies.

Amy told the two sisters how she had met the Cartwrights and how happy she was to be their guest. Cunningly, she asked them many questions about Ben and his sons. The Sullivan´s sisters thought that Amy wanted to know if Ben and his sons were honorable people.

Amy went back to The Ponderosa very cheerfully. On one hand because she had met Mary and Julie Sullivan and on the other because she had been invited to Mary’s birthday, the following Saturday. She was aware, not only of the fact that she would meet the richest and most elegant people of Virginia City but also that she would be seen with the Cartwrights

During that supper and the rest of that week, she didn’t stop talking about that special party.

Saturday night arrived at last .The four Cartwrights were waiting for her in the living room all of them looked so smart and confidant. When Amy came downstairs they lost themselves in her beauty were completely lost by her beauty. She was wearing a beautiful blue-dress. She looked like a princess from a fairy tale waiting for her prince. The Cartwrights admired her but Joe not only admired her. He loved her as he had never loved a woman before. When they arrived at the party, her beauty dazzled everybody. Fathers and sons wanted to dance with her. Little Joe felt extremely happy when he could hold her hand and seized her tiny waist. They were so beautiful and happy. All of a sudden, they stopped dancing and ran to the garden. Little Joe couldn’t resist any longer and kissed her on her lips. Amy kissed him back. Hoss and Adam were in the garden at that moment and saw them. Without saying a word, they went into the room.

" I was about to seduce her" sighed Hoss disappointed.

"Yeah, You’re right! We should talk to Pa before it’s too late...."remarked Adam.

"I´ll tell him everything as soon as we get home,” added Hoss.

A few minutes later, they returned to La Ponderosa. Amy, Adam and Little Joe went to bed because they were exhausted. Ben was worn out too, but Hoss started mumbling:

"What’s up, son? Can’t we talk tomorrow? I’m exhausted and ....it’s already

midnight. The party was longer than I expected.

" You’re right, Pa. I’m sleepy too...but we have to talk about something...now."

"What ´s going on?"

"It’s about Amy

Ben was very shocked, he wondered what had happened. The two men sat in front of the fireplace. Hoss started talking:

"Pa...I just wanna know... I could see that you like Amy a lot... and I think that she’s a beauty but..."

"You are right. She could make me very happy. We get along very well. To tell you the truth I was going to tell her .you know.....But... do you feel attracted to her?

"Well, I like her a lot. She’s so beautiful. Tonight at the Sullivan´s.... Joe was kissing her."

"What? It can’t be possible! Are you sure?" asked Ben shocked by the news.

"Yeah, Pa. Adam saw them, too. Perhaps she loves Little Joe.... I’m sorry but you should know it."

" I appreciate your words son. I would never fight with one of my sons for a woman.

Your happiness is my goal."

"You don’t have to explain anything to me. I know you Pa.”

Hoss smiled and went to bed. Ben stayed there, thinking. He couldn’t fall asleep until dawn.

The next morning, after breakfast, Little Joe and Amy went to Virginia City. Ben saw them leaving the ranch. They looked so young and happy. Ben wondered if Amy loved his son. He knew he would recover but he was aware that his heart was broken into pieces. Before starting his daily tasks, Hoss went to see his father:

"Are you OK, Pa?"

Of course, son. Everything is running smoothly. Do your job."

" See you later, Pa."

Little Joe and Amy came back in the afternoon. They were cheerful. Ben was working in his studio.

"Any news? You both look so happy"

"Well, Pa. We must be happy" answered Joe smiling and looking at Amy with tenderness.

"Why? asked Ben smiling.

" We are going to get married" answered Little Joe happily.

"Really?" asked Ben shocked by the news. " But if you don’t know each other."

"Well, we know that we want to get married and be together. I think that’s enough.

Aren’t you going to congratulate us, Pa?"

"Of course, my son!"

Ben approached the young couple and gave them a hug. Just at that moment, Little Joe heard his brothers´ voices, so he left the room and told them the news.

Amy and Ben stood still staring at each other. She could feel that he wasn’t

looking at her in the same way. His eyes were cold and thoughtful. Amy realized Ben’s feelings. She dared to say:

" Ben, I know that we are causing to much grief."

"Grief? What are you talking about? I think ....it’s too quick."

" Ben. You don’t have to hide your feelings. I know that you love me with all your heart"

" Amy! Exclaimed Ben.

" I could see that from the very beginning. You looked at me in such an endearingly way. You’re a wonderful man...At first I was confused.... But little by little I knew that Joe was the one. Are you crazy about me, aren’t you?

" Oh no, on the contrary."

Ben held her hands tightly and said

" You know, Amy. You’ll be daughter...I see you like that. I hope you’ll see me as your father. You can count on me if you need some advice or whatever...."

" Oh! Thank you, Ben! " exclaimed the young Lady woman with happiness.

Little Joe, Adam and Hoss walked in. Hop-Sin brought some wine to make a toast. Adam was thoughtful: he was worried for his brother’s future. A few days later, as Ben, Hoss and Little Joe were not at The Ponderosa, Adam decided to have a talk with Amy. When he saw that she was going down the stairs, he approached her and asked gently:

" Amy, do you have a minute? I wanna talk to you"

" Yeah. " She didn’t want to have a word with Adam. She was afraid of him because she knew he was intelligent and cunning.

He looked at her, sighed and asked her:

" Amy. This is an odd situation but I wanna ask you a few questions"

" To tell you truth, I’m a bit uncomfortable, but ...go ahead. What do you want to know?"

I suppose that my brother has already told you that you’re going to live here, with us."

" Of course."

" Do you love him enough to share your life not only with him but with us as well?"

"Certainly I don’t get you. What do you mean? " Amy was getting nervous, she didn’t want to be questioned by Adam. But he didn’t care about her, he was worried for his brother. He could grasp the truth. So, Ben Cartwright´s oldest son went on:

" By the way.... You know that the Ponderosa is far away from the biggest cities... I don’t think you’ll go.....so often."

" I bet you that Little Joe will take me to Virginia City, Reno, Carson City...."

" You might be right. Perhaps Virginia City. But Reno and Carson.... I doubt it.

We have too much work here. He won’t have any free time. Have you thought about your friends...."

" Are you cross-- examining me?" asked Amy, almost trembling.

" Of course, not. I could see that you are used to living in big cities and I believe that you’ll miss that."

" Don’t you worry. I´ll get used to it" answered Amy scornfully.

" Regarding your family " Adam said changing the subject “Haven’t you told us that they settled in Reno after being in Boston."

" That’s right. "

" That’s. I inquired into the matter and nobody remembers your family “ Adam paused and studied her for a couple of seconds. “ What are you up to? Why don’t you tell me the truth?"

There was a long silence. Amy didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, Little Joe came into the room. He felt that something strange was happening. He asked them what the problem was. But none of them answered. Nobody uttered a word. Thoughtfully, Adam grabbed his hat and left the room in silence. Amy stood up, hugged Little Joe and muttered something. He smiled at her and kissed her tenderly.

Although Adam and Hoss were concerned for Little Joe’s life, they didn’t tell him anything because they didn’t want to disappoint their young brother.

A few days later, the Cartwrights were planning the wedding ceremony, which was going to take place in The Ponderosa. Few guests would be invited as for instance Doctor Martin and Roy Coffee, who had already congratulated Little Joe.

A week before the wedding, Roy Coffee was working when a young man, in his thirties, walked in and asked him about a missing girl.

" Who are you? Where are you from? Who are you looking for?" asked Roy to the young man.

" I’m Frank Perkins from Sacramento I work in a ranch and I ´m looking for my wife, Sally"

" But, boy. Sacramento is in California and we are in Nevada" answered the Sheriff with a smile.

" Yeah, well... my wife traveled to Carson City a month ago to visit a friend of hers... but she never arrived there. She set off from Sacramento up to Reno... I guess she slept there... Then the following day, she took the stagecoach to Carson. I was told that the stagecoach made a stopover in Virginia City. That ´s the whole picture."

" You’re right. That stagecoach makes a stopover here and then another in Washoe Lake. Have you made inquiries in Reno and in Carson?"

" Yes, certainly. I was told that she took it in Reno...Hey, Mr...I’m talking about the stagecoach that was robbed by outlaws."

" I know that. It happened in Washoe Lake. Luckily all the passengers got safe and sound. The Cartwrights rescued them. Then, they were taken to The Ponderosa and the following day they stayed here before going to Carson."

" But, who are the Cartwrights and what is The Ponderosa?" asked Frank Perkins, the poor man was too shocked to understand.

"Ben Cartwright and his sons own the Ponderosa. it’s the biggest ranch in Nevada" answered Roy smiling.

" So, they should have seen her and you....too!" exclaimed Frank Perkins full of joy.

Roy listened to him and asked him about his wife’s physical appearance.

" Sally is very beautiful. She’s blonde with blue eyes." answered the man.

Roy got shocked, he looked at Perkins and told him:

" Well, I met a young woman but she’s not called Sally ....but Amy. I don’t remember her surname...Let me think.... Yeah, I remember now. .Williams. That’s it. Amy Williams.

" Amy Williams? " asked Perkins. " It can’t be true... it must be another woman.

The Amy Williams I know died some many years ago when she was riding a horse.... It was an accident. She was Sally’s best-friend."

" Are you sure?" asked Roy very confused.

" Of course, I am. Sally and Amy came together from Boston. They were brought p in Sacramento."

Roy Coffee stood still in silence. He was thinking about Amy. All of a sudden, he looked at Perkins and said:

" You’ll see Amy now. She is at The Ponderosa. She was one of the passengers"

" Oh, that’s great! I bet she saw Sally!"

" We’ll see... Let’s go"

" Yeah"

The two men went out, got on their horses and headed towards The Ponderosa.

Amy was standing in front of the mirror combing her beautiful hair. She was wearing a beautiful black velvet dress. She felt herself in heaven because Little Joe, the most handsome, the most beloved had proposed to her. She knew that every woman in Virginia City would hate her and she felt happy about it. Did she love him! Of course not! but she didn’t care about it. She just wanted a new life without boredom and misery. She just wanted to be a lady!.

By midday Roy and Frank Perkins arrived at The Ponderosa. Amy, Adam and Hoss weren’t there; they had gone to the Sullivan´s.

Little Joe was having a chat with Ben when he heard some horses´ hoofs. So, he raised his head and looked through the window. He saw that Roy and a stranger were approaching the house. Therefore, he and Ben stood up and went out to greet them.

"What a nice surprise, Roy! “ said Ben Cartwright. “ What’s going on?"

" You’ll see. I would like to introduce you to Frank Perkins"

"Hello"

"Hello" answered Ben and Little Joe shaking the young man’s hand.

They went into the house and sat down facing the fireplace. A few minutes later, Hop -Sin brought some coffee.

"Ben, This is Frank Perkins from Sacramento", Roy started saying. He’s looking for his wife and that’s why I brought him here.

" Here at the Ponderosa?" asked Ben laughing.

"The Sheriff told me that a young woman called Amy Williams is staying here..."

"Staying?" interrupted Little Joe. "Haven’t the Sheriff told you anything else?"

asked Little Joe. He was surprised because Roy didn’t mention the wedding.

" What do you mean?" asked Perkins.

" I’m sorry, but I don’t understand! What does Amy have to do in this matter?"

" When I told the Sheriff about my wife’s physical appearance, he said that...a young woman very similar to Sally was living here... but that she was called Amy Williams. I was surprised because Sally’s best friend was called Amy...".

“Was called?" asked Little Joe."

Yes, Amy died a long time ago"

Ben, Little Joe and Roy gaped at one another. Roy couldn’t move his lips.

"What’s going on, here?" asked Perkins,as he noticed that they were shocked. When he realized that they were shocked.

"But, where did your wife disappear?" asked Ben.

"She was traveling by stagecoach when she was robbed. It was about a month ago. The Sheriff told me that you rescued all the passengers. Do you remember?

Don’t you?" asked Perkins to Ben and Little Joe anxiously.

Little Joe was trembling. Ben guessed what was happening so he asked Perkins." What does she look like?"

" Sally is very beautiful. She ´s got huge blue eyes..." answered Perkins with sadness.

Ben and Little Joe looked at each other again. Little Joe felt that he was going to pass out. He was grief- stricken.

" Oh, Lord! Where are you, dear Sally!” exclaimed Frank Perkins almost in tears.

Amy and Hoss rushed into the room laughing. Adam was following them. Amy’s face blushed with shame. She almost fainted. She could feel that Ben and Little Joe were staring at her. When Frank saw her, he ran towards her and hugged her with tenderness.

" Sally my love! I’m so happy to see you again! I’ve been so desperate! I thought something terrible had happened to you! I have been looking for you everywhere!

But...how did you get here?"

Hoss thought that Adam hadn’t been mistaken. Unfortunately, Amy had been hiding something. Ben and Little Joe confirmed their suspicions. Sally and Amy were one and the same person. Roy had guessed right the truth. Ben couldn’t understand the young woman’s behaviour. They had given her everything: their home, friendship and true love. Ben wondered why she had lied to them, why she had been so evil, so ambitious.

Ben and Little Joe didn’t dare to tell Frank Perkins the truth. They didn’t want to disappoint him. Unfortunately he loved that woman with all his heart. The young woman started looking at Little Joe. He couldn’t look at her, (as) he was too hurt. Sally was overwhelmed because she could see that Little Joe loathed her, so, all of a sudden, her eyes were in tears. Perkins was too happy to see the truth, he just thought that Sally was overexcited. Little Joe got closer and asked Perkins:

"Is this the lady you have been searching for more than a month?"

" Of course! She’s Sally. Haven’t you told them, darling?" asked Frank to his wife holding her tightly.

The young woman couldn’t stop looking at Little Joe. . She was full of rage. She knew she couldn’t achieve her goal. When she met the Cartwrights she thought her dream had come true. That was why she faked her name. Her unique goal had been to marry one of them and become a lady. She was fed up of her life with Frank. It had been a plain and boring life.

All of a sudden, Frank asked Ben

" Where is Amy, now? The Sheriff told me that Amy was here. Isn’t she living at The Ponderosa?"

There was a short silence. Not a soul dared to tell Frank the truth. So, Ben stated:

"Amy is no longer with us."

Ben told the young woman to pack her things. Roy, Hoss, Adam and Perkins went outside. He followed them, he knew that Little Joe and Sally had to be alone.

After a while, Sally went downstairs carrying her old bag. In her room she had left, all the beautiful things that the Cartwrights had bought her.

Without uttering a word, she left her suitcase beside the staircase and headed towards the fireplace. Little Joe was standing next to it. She got closer and in tears said

" Joe, I..."

"Amy or Sally. You can’t justify your behavior. How could you mock me in this way! I loved you with all my heart. But I loved you because you were..."

" I loved you too. Joe..."

"No, you didn’t. You just wanted to escape from your boring life and from your husband."

"Don’t talk about him!"

"How come? He ´s a man worthy of praise, who doesn’t deserve a woman like you!"

"You are a mean person."

"I’m just telling you the truth. Sally open your eyes. Happiness is not founded on luxuries but on true love. Your husband loves you, be happy with him. He is not a rich man, but he loves you and he can teach you honesty and dignity."

" But Joe! I love you!"

" That’s not true You don’t love me. The Ponderosa dazzled you. You might have married any of us.... Even my father.... You just wanted to change your life, to be rich. .... Cheating. .... You have no idea what love is! "

She didn’t utter a word. Sally wanted to beg him, to ask for his forgiveness but she couldn’t. Ben came into the room and told her that her husband was waiting for her, impatiently. She turned round, looked at Little Joe for the last time, grabbed her old bag and headed towards the door. To her surprise, Ben didn’t reproach her behavior. He knew his son had already spoken to her. When Perkins saw her leaving the house, he got closer and helped her to get on the coach that had been lent by Ben. Very politely Perkins, thanked everybody for being so helpful and departed as soon as he could.

A few minutes later, Ben Hoss and Adam went into the house. Little Joe was sitting in front of the fireplace, thinking. They had never seen the young man so lonely, so lost. They didn’t know what to tell him . They looked at one another,they didn’t know what to say. After a few seconds, Ben looked at this son and said:

" Son, I know that it’ll be hard but you’ll live down this incident. Sometimes life plays a dirty trick on us."

" But Pa, why did she lie to us? Why did she cheat me? I believed in her love! Perkins would have appeared in the future and it would have been terrible. Can you imagine? And we would have been married..."

" Amy, sorry I mean Sally dazzled us....she was young, beautiful and sweet. I know that we gave her everything. Unfortunately, she was too ambitious. She couldn’t see that she had a wonderful man beside her , who was offering her something more important than money...love."

" Pa, do you think that this incident taught her a lesson?"

" I hope so, Hoss."

" There is no doubt about her beauty. But the luckiest one was...Joe. " added Adam smiling.

" Are you sure, Adam? " asked Little Joe. "Fortunately you didn’t fall in love with her" added the grief-stricken young man.

"You’re wrong, Joe." remarked Hoss. As Sally won’t be a member of our family, I can tell you a secret. You weren’t the only one who fell in love with her."

"Don’t you tell me that you..." said Little Joe.

" No, Joe. It wasn’t me. It was Pa..."

" Please, Hoss, why don’t you shut up!” exclaimed Ben.

Little Joe understood his father´s sacrifice. He approached him and told him:

" I’m proud of being your son. "

" I’m the happiest man in the world" answered Ben with voice shaking with emotion.

Hop-Sin told them that lunch was ready, so smiling and joking they sat at the table willing to forget Sally forever. But they wouldn’t forget Amy, the beautiful woman who had given them happiness and a few days of hope.

The End

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