BEST MAN

On a Monday morning Adam Cartwright got to hear news from his father Ben Cartwright.

“Boy, can you remember George Miller?”, the rancher asked his eldest son.

Adam thought deep for a second and started then to smile.

“He said that he would never get married”, he said.

“Exactly. And what was in the mail today? The wedding card for his marriage to Emily Wilson. Because it is rather busy I hardly can go and neither can your brothers go. But seeing as he is a good friend of yours I suggest that you go to represent the Cartwrights. Just take your son along. I think that Mitch will like that”, answered Ben.

“When Hoss hears that Mitch goes along instead of him and that it is for a wedding, my younger brother will be rather disappointed”, Adam chuckled.

“The wedding is Saturday so I would bring your son up to date about the party and leave then. Just take the carriage along”, said Ben.

Adam nodded and went outside to find his offspring of 3.

The eldest Cartwright boy walked over the yard and called constantly, “Mitch, where are you? I must tell you something.”

Finally Adam found Mitch behind the ranch house in the flower garden.

“Here you are then. I am looking myself rotten for you”, said Adam.

“You have found me though so.........”, replied Mitch.

Of course Adam knew nothing to say to this. The young Cartwright looked at his father questionable.

Adam picked up the boy and carried him to the porch.

“Why were you looking for me?”, Mitch asked curious.

“An old friend of mine is getting married this coming Saturday. Grandpa, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe cannot go but I can. You probably don't want to go?”, Adam asked teasing.

“Is Hop Sing our cook?”, was the counter-question of Mitch so that Adam knew enough.

The next day father and son Cartwright were so far ready that they could leave.

Ben said to Adam, “Give them our love and come back safe. Both!”

“That will happen both. Mitch, give grandpa another kiss and then we go”, Adam said smiling.

That happened and the little Cartwright got put into the carriage by his grandfather. Adam climbed into it and a moment later they rode away from the yard.

“So, now we have a few days of rest”, Hoss said laughing.

Ben looked at his second son Hoss and reacted teasing, “When you and your brother Joseph go to work hard I also have some rest!”

“We are already at work pa”, said Little Joe, the youngest Cartwright brother.

He and Hoss didn't know how fast they had to get to work.

After a few hours Adam and Mitch arrived in Townville.

“Now you must stay by me”, said Adam.

Mitch nodded. Adam rode directly to the house of his friend which was just outside of town.

“Kid, here is where we must be”, said Adam.

He parked the carriage in front of the door and got out. Hereafter he lifted his son out of it. With the young Cartwright on the arm Adam walked to the front door. He knocked hard at the door.

“I am coming. You don't have to rebuild the front door”, the Cartwrights heard a male voice calling.

The front door went open and it was the groom.

“If I hadn't thought it. Only a Cartwright pulls such rotten jokes”, George said laughing when he saw Adam.

Adam put Mitch on the ground and the friends embraced each other like they hadn't seen each other in a thousand years.

“We have come for your wedding”, said Adam.

“We?”, George asked amazed.

Adam lifted up his son and replied, “This is my son Mitch of 3. Unfortunately Pa, Hoss and Little Joe couldn't come but we could. Mitch, this man is getting married on Saturday and that's why we have come riding to here.”

George and Mitch gave each other a hand.

“He looks like you a lot.

Does he get into much mischief?”, asked George.

“When my brothers interfere with him yes. But alone this lad can cause a lot of commotion too”, said Adam.

He put his son down and went to get the luggage. Here after they went inside.

Mitch got a lot of attention but he was a bit shy though. He did show that Adam had raised him nicely.

“Adam, would you like to be my best man?”, asked George.

Adam replied:“I am honored.”

Then the door went open and the bride to be came in.

“Adam and Mitch, may I introduce you to my wife-to-be Emily Wilson? Emily, this is now Adam Cartwright and his son Mitch”, said George.

Again hands got shaken.

“Adam and Mitch live at the Ponderosa, Nevada. Adam is my best man”, told George.

Emily looked at Mitch and asked, “Mr. Mitch Cartwright, would you like to be my bride's page when George and I get married?”

Mitch nodded.

Finally it was the day. Adam made sure that his son looked very nice.

When the Cartwrights saw the bride and bridegroom standing at the aisle Mitch asked Adam, “Daddy, will you ever marry mamma?”

“If we find her and she wants that, that it happens With you as my best man”, his father replied.

He noticed that the boy was missing his mother. Even though Mitch had never knew her. Mitch behaved very well to great pleasure of his father.

When the reception was going along the Cartwrights had a great time. Mitch liked the brides cake very much and ate his piece all alone.

Because Adam hadn't finished his piece yet Mitch asked sly, “Daddy, shall we trade pieces of cake?”

“If you think you can eat it yet, go ahead”, replied Adam.

In a jiffy the piece of cake of Adam had disappeared into the stomach of Mitch.

By the end of the reception Adam got a box of Emily.

“Adam, in here are another 2 pieces of cake for you and your son for on the way”, she said.

“Thank you. Knowing my boy he will eat them both. Much luck the both of you and if you ever come in the area of the Ponderosa, you are always welcome”, said Adam.

On the way home Adam asked, “Kid, shall we pull a joke on Uncle Hoss?”

“How do you mean?”, the boy asked amazed.

“Well, Emily has given us two pieces of brides cake. Later on we are going to eat those at a quiet place. We take the empty box along and say to Uncle Hoss that specially for him there is a cake in it for him”, Adam explained.

Mitch agreed with it.

Once at home Hoss got the empty cake box where after he would never forgive his brother and nephew.