On Saturday August 9 1879 a dance evening was being held in Virginia City. And of course the Cartwrights heard about it too. The first ones who heard about it were the brothers Hoss and Joe and their nephew Mitch and niece Pam.
Mitch saw a poster hanging and asked, “What is written there?”
Hoss read it and answered then, “This coming Saturday evening there is a dance evening here in Virginia City. Minimum age: 16 year.”
“Unfortunately for you. Your brother and you may not be letting in”, Joe said teasing.
“We are already 16 so we will be letting in. Mitch, shall we go? Matt will probably go as well”, said Pam.
Matt was her boyfriend Matthew Walker who lived with them since July 17.
“Just say to your father that we go too with your aunts”, said Hoss.
Of course then his nephew asked the silly question, “And who babysits your daughters then?”
“Grandpa of course. There you have them for, haven’t your?”, asked Joe.
They laughed.
“But what if widow Hawkins is there and asks for grandpa?”, asked Pam.
“Tell her then that her ducky babysits his grandchildren”, Hoss answered laughing.
Again there was laughter.
Once at home the sisters-in-law Betsy and Cora got to hear from their respectively husbands Hoss and Joe, “Ladies, Saturday evening we take you to the dance evening in Virginia City. Pa babysits the girl.”
“How nice”, said Betsy.
The reaction of Cora was, “Great. An evening without children.”
Quite soon everyone was talking about the dance evening in Virginia City. Especially because the theme was romance. Mainly for this reason had Ponderosa ranch owner Ben Cartwright had decided to stay at home. If it was only to avoid widow Hawkins. The owner of the best pension in Virginia City had an eye on Ben for years but further than a romantic dinner on Valentine’s day it hadn’t come anymore.
During supper Mitch asked his father Adam and mother Sally Cartwright:“Daddy, mom, may Matt, Pam and I go to that dance evening on Saturday?”
His parents looked at each other amazed.
Adam asked carefully, “I know that the minimum age is 16 years old. So you may go from us. But is there another reason why you ask permission?”
Mitch knew that his father knew him through and through and answered, “I want to ask Miss Miller out.”
“You mean Miss Polly Miller?”, Adam asked for the security.
Mitch nodded.
“Just ask if she wants to”, said Adam.
“And if she rejects you, you can try if Amy Johnson wants to go with you”, said Pam.
“Would Amy still like to see me?”, Mitch asked then.
“You can try it”, said Adam.
The following morning Mitch was up early. After walking the dogs and breakfast Mitch first rode to the house of the parents of Amy Johnson. He was still crazy about Amy and hopefully she was also about him. Kevin Johnson, the father of Amy, saw the young Cartwright coming and knew right away why he came.
“Hello Mr Johnson”, Mitch said while he dismounted.
“Hello Mitch. Welcome”, said Kevin.
“If that isn’t Mitch Cartwright is? Welcome”, said Martha, the wife of Kevin.
They went inside where the visitor got a cup of coffee.
“You do come for Amy, don’t you?”, Martha asked carefully.
Mitch nodded.
“She doesn’t live here anymore. Our daughter doesn’t come here anymore since February. Amy lives now in the 1st house at the wedge of town in the better neighborhood. In other words: there where the snobs live”, told Kevin.
“I think that I am going to please your daughter with an unexpected visit”, the boy said smiling.
“Amy is now together with a certain George Wilson”, said Martha.
Mitch thanked Kevin and Martha and left again.
Underway the boy thought, ‘I only know 1 George Wilson and that is the son of banker Charles Wilson. Amy only can chosen him because of the money. So handsome is that not really. He has the manners of an ape anyway.’
Mitch had found the house of George and Amy quite quickly. It wasn’t so difficult either because her parents had given him a very clear description.
The young Cartwright looked at the house and said admiring, “so here she lives with her sweetheart? A difference than a normal house.”
He dismounted and hitched his horse. Here after he knocked at the door. To his surprise Amy answered herself.
She saw who it was and asked carelessly, “Oh it’s you. What are you doing here?”
“You may react a bit more hearty with seeing your boyfriend”, Mitch reacted amazed.
“You mean ex-boyfriend. Just come in for a second because I know that you won’t leave without knowing everything”, said Amy.
Mitch came in and Amy saw how bad her ex walked. She didn’t say anything about it but Mitch saw her thinking.
“Sit down”, she said.
Mitch sat down and looked around.
“You have done very well. Who is the unlucky fellow that you have snared?”, he asked sarcastic.
“George Wilson. And he does have much time for me”, scoffled Amy.
Then they heard a bay crying.
“Charlene, wait a minute. Momma will come in a second”, called Amy.
“Darling, you just stay downstairs. I help her”, George called from upstairs.
“Is that your child?”, asked Mitch.
“Yes, she is 2 months old and we are 6 months married”, said Amy.
She didn’t like it that Mitch wanted to know everything as she saw that.
Mitch counted back and answered then, “If your daughter is 2 months old and you married 6 months ago then you were already pregnant on your wedding day.”
“Is that so bad? Your parents weren’t even married when you and Pam were born. By the way, your stepmother was also pregnant when she married your father”, snapped Amy.
“I see that you don’t even need me anymore. Why didn’t you come to our farewell party in December?”, asked Mitch.
“I was already dating George then. Besides I was sick because I carried my Charlene with me”, answered Amy.
Mitch went away without saying another word. He grabbed his horse and mounted on. A moment later he had left the better neighborhood of Virginia City. It was made clear to him once again that he belonged more at a ranch than in town.
At the market square Mitch ran into Davy Clark.
“Hi coach. Is your sister also coming to play on Saturday?”, asked Davy.
“Hey Davy. Which sister do you mean: I have 3”, Mitch said laughing.
“Lisa of course. She is my girl”, reacted Davy.
Deputy Clem Foster happen to came by coincidence and he heard the reaction of Davy.
“Mr Clark, so you are also having a relationship with a Cartwright, aren’t you?”, Clem asked amused.
“Yes, and we are getting married later”, exclaimed Davy.
“Congratulations for now. Good day gentlemen”, said Clem.
Mitch went to the house of Polly Miller. He stopped in front of her house. He dismounted and hitched his horse. With a lump in his throat the boy went to the front door. He knocked polite.
Mrs Cathy Miller answered and asked, “Hello Mitch. What can I do for you?”
“Is Polly at home? I want to ask her something”, answered Mitch.
“She is busy in the kitchen. Just go through”, Cathy said who already knew it al along and understood where it was about.
Mitch took off his hat and walked to the kitchen where Polly was busy with supper.
“Hello Miss Polly Miller”, the young Cartwright said at the door.
Polly recognized the voice right away and turned around.
“Hello Mitch. Come here”, she said.
Mitch came smiling and got a very warm greeting from Polly. They kissed each other passionately.
“Polly, I want to ask you out to the dance evening this coming Saturday”, Mitch said a bit shy.
“I only want to go with you. Since you saved my basket I love you. Even though you are younger than I am”, said Polly.
“How old are you actually?”, asked Mitch.
“I am 22. And you are…?”, Polly wanted to know.
“Sixteen. With Christmas my sister and I become 17”, said Mitch.
He noticed that his girlfriend had changed.
That’s why he asked, “Polly, what has happened?”
Polly began to tell hesitated, “About 3½ months ago I got raped in a brutally way by George Wilson. I became pregnant. It’s already a bit visible.”
She began to sob in the arms of Mitch.
“We will make it together. I won’t leave you alone anymore now”, the young Cartwright said comforting.
Polly looked at him with wet eyes.
Then she showed her belly and Mitch got to hear, “I wish the baby was yours.”
“If my parents give permission you become Mrs Cartwright”, reacted Mitch.
“Delighted”, Polly said smiling.
Suddenly she felt much better.
Mitch rode upon the yard of the big ranch houses op. He saw his cousins playing outside just like he had done back then. The boy stopped his horse, dismounted and hitched the animal.
“Inger, is grandpa in?”, Mitch asked his eldest cousin.
The girl answered, “Yes, but he’s not glad. That’s why we had to play outside too.”
Mitch answered smiling, “Then grandpa is busy with his biggest hobby: the administration. Since we don’t live here anymore he has to do it instead of daddy.”
He went inside and walked straight to the office where Ben was indeed busy with the administration. The boy went to sit opposite his grandpa.
Of course the rancher had heard his grandson coming and he said to him then, “Not a word about what I am now doing, young man!”
“Grandpa, I wouldn’t dare”, reacted Mitch.
Ben stopped with working and looked at his grandson seriously.
“You don’t just drop by to see how I’m busy with the administration. What is the real reason of your visit?”, asked the de rancher.
Mitch sighed deep and told everything about Polly Miller and Amy Johnson.
Ben suggested then, “Your uncles and aunts do go to that dance evening. So I have to babysit their daughters alone. Let Lisa and Rose come too and then we make a cozy evening of it.”
“Alright. Pam and Matt also go to that dance evening. Then daddy and mom have a quiet evening for once because I take Cody and Skip to here”, answered Mitch.
Ben nodded. Mitch got up and left the ranch house.
But before his grandson went away Ben got to hear from him, “Keep working grandpa.”
Ben only looked at bit stern at Mitch who went away laughing.
Meanwhile Pam said to Matthew, “Do remember that you only may and will dance with me!”
“I only want to and go dancing with you”, reacted Matthew.
“You better too. Because otherwise you can forget our wedding day too”, said Pam.
“And which date you hade in mind?”, asked her boyfriend.
“If our parents agree: April 1 1880”, answered Pam.
The answer of Matthew was a passionate kiss to Pam.
A moment later Pam asked, “And then a bit later on I walk around looking just like mom now?”
Sally, the mother of the twins, Lisa and Rose, was 6 months pregnant.
“You can count on that for sure”, said Matthew.
Now Pam began to kiss her boyfriend passionately. And Matthew didn’t mind that of course.
Like each evening after supper so also that day the twins and Matthew sat outside on the porch with the dogs and the cat Lucky.
“Sis, Matt, I go with Polly to that dance evening. Lisa and Rose go to grandpa. Then our parents also have a quiet evening”, Mitch said suddenly.
“So Amy has dropped off?”, asked Matthew.
“Amy Johnson is now Mrs George Wilson. They are married for 6 months, have a daughter Charlene of 2 months old and live in the better area of Virginia City. I have been there this morning and their house is beautiful but that of ours and grandpa is more beautiful”, was the answer of Mitch.
Pam and Matthew didn’t know what they heard.
“She is just 15, already married now and a child! How old is that George not?”, Pam asked after a while.
“I believe 20. He has a lot of money and Amy always likes that. He may have”, answered Mitch.
It couldn’t care him anymore what happened with Amy.
Inside Adam and Sally talked about the upcoming dance evening too.
“Darling, Saturday evening we have the house nicely to ourselves”, Adam said suddenly.
Sally looked at her husband amazed.
“Matt, Mitch and Pam go to that dance evening. So I bring Lisa and Rose to pa to stay the night there. And then we are home together”, Adam explained.
His wife reacted with, “What will it be quiet in the house then. I really can use that.”
“That’s why I have arranged it too”, answered Adam.
Sally kissed her husband to thank him that way.
Quite late that evening Mitch asked, “Daddy, this afternoon I was at Polly’s. She does go with me on Saturday evening. Only 3 months ago she was raped and made pregnant by George Wilson. He is married to Amy Johnson for 6 months. You don’t mind that I want to marry Polly?”
Adam first had to cope with all information. He noticed that his son really meant it about marrying Polly.
That’s why the eldest Cartwright boy said, “You are a bit young but if Miss Miller is the one for you, you mustn’t let her go. Be there for her. Especially now she has it tough.”
“She confessed that she wished that the baby was mine. Then I proposed to her. In the kitchen. Romantic isn’t it?”, asked Mitch.
“Son, you don’t propose to your girlfriend in the kitchen? If your children look like you I feel very sorry for Polly”, Adam reacted smiling and teasing at the same time.
Mitch noticed though that his father had given permission.
“Mitch, do choose another date than 4/1/1880 to get married. That date is already reserved by your twin sister”, Adam said now a bit more serious.
“We will remember it”, said the boy.
Not much later they too went to bed.
Finally it was Saturday evening. Betsy and Cora had prepared delicious snacks for Ben and the girls. Of course Hoss and Joe saw that.
“Joe, shall we stay at home too? Then those snacks are for us too”, said Hoss.
“Good idea of you Hoss. There will come more dance evenings”, said Joe.
“No way that any of you stay at home due to the snacks”, Betsy said determined.
“By the way, you have promised us an evening without children”, reacted Cora.
“Hoss and Joseph, you heard the ladies. Tonight I have a cozy evening with only my granddaughters. Have fun with dancing”, said Ben.
“Let’s go then because I hear Pam and Matt coming”, said Joe.
“You know what our parents have said: behave yourselves”, said Pam.
“We will”, Lisa said on behalf of Rose.
They went inside with Cody and Skip. Their uncles and aunts went along with Pam and Matthew.
“Where is that brother of yours?”, Hoss asked underway.
“Mitch is already on his way to Virginia City. His girl awaits there for him”, said Pam.
In Virginia City Polly was preparing herself for the dance evening when suddenly she got pain.
“Please. Not now already”, she said softly.
Polly went to the living room and said to her parents, “I am afraid that I just have to stay at home tonight. I have such a bellyache.”
“Sit down”, said Cathy.
Polly sat down but got more pain.
Mitch came nicely on time at the house of Polly Miller. He hitched his horse Caramel and walked to the door. Jack Miller, the father of Polly, already had seen him coming and opened the door.
“Hello Mr Miller. Is Polly in?”, asked Mitch.
“She is in but I don’t think that she wants to go”, answered Jack.
He let Mitch in and the boy went to the living room where Polly and her mother Cathy were.
“Polly, what is the matter?”, Mitch asked worried.
He went to sit by her and grabbed her hand.
“Mitch, it’s going wrong with the baby. Pa, can you let the doctor come?”, asked Polly.
Jack nodded and went away at once. Mitch helped his girlfriend to bed and remained by her.
“Mitch, I’m afraid that the baby is coming now”, Polly suddenly said.
She turned back the blankets and felt her belly. The young woman got a wave of pain and gave birth a moment later to a lifeless child.
“The child is still born”, Mitch said serious.
Hen went to sit on bed and in is arms Polly began to cry.
“It’s a girl”, Mitch said a bit later on.
Then the door went open and it was Doc Paul Martin.
“May Mitch stay by me?”, asked Polly.
Doc nodded. He helped Polly and examined her after the sudden delivery.
“You are healthy. Just rest well and let yourself spoil quite well by this young man”, said Doc.
He went away and took the little corps with him.
“You may go to that dance evening of me”, said Polly.
“No, I only go with you. You need me now and I am there for you”, was the answer of Mitch.
Quite soon Polly fell asleep so that Mitch left her alone.
In the living room Jack said, “Polly got raped by George Wilson.”
Mitch thought for a moment and asked then, “Is that happen to be George Wilson, the son of de zoon van banker Charles Wilson?”
“That is him. Do you know him?”, asked Cathy.
“My grandpa and pa are doing business sometimes with his father. Since half a year he is married to my ex. They have a 2 month old daughter”, answered Mitch.
“So when his wife was 8 months pregnant George raped our daughter and he conceived a child by her? Mitch, are you coming to pay him a visit?”, asked Jack.
Mitch answered, “Of course I come.”
The 2 left at once.
Meanwhile it was very busy at the Opera house where the dance evening was being held.
Because she thought that Mitch would go as well Amy said to George, “Let’s go to that dance evening as well.”
“Good. Mother can look after the baby”, said George.
Arrived at the dance hall Clem stopped Amy.
“Sorry Mrs Wilson. You may not get in because you are not 16 yet”, said the deputy.
Amy saw Pam and Matthew and said, “They are also not even 16 yet. But because she is a Cartwright she may get in. And her little lame brother is there too of course!”
Pam heard that and came with Matthew to her, George and Clem toe.
“So it’s true that you are married to that geezer and have a child already. Go home then and look after your child”, said the young Cartwright.
“At least my child has a father who can walk normal. Come on George. We don’t belong here”, scoffed Amy.
She left at once again with George. Exactly at that moment they ran into Jack and Mitch.
“Couldn’t you find a bird to go with to the dance evening?”, George asked mocking.
“Yes, but she is now in bed because she lost your daughter earlier this evening. As it happens, Polly got raped and made pregnant by Mr George Wilson. That happened about 3½ months ago. Charlene wasn’t born yet, was she?” was the counter-question of Mitch.
George became red and Amy understood that her husband had been cheating.
“So you just went to date other women while I was forced to lie in bed with our baby on the way?”, Amy asked angry.
“She wanted to have me as well”, lied George.
Amy forgot that she was a lady and hit her husband against the ground. She also kicked him in his noble parts. George doubled up due to the pain.
“Don’t you dare to come home because we are gone!”, snapped Amy.
George came up, grabbed the revolver of Mitch and shot his wife dead while she walked away. Mitch hit down his enemy. George hit back and quite soon they were fighting on the street. By the shit Clem had come too. Of course Hoss, Joe and Matthew interfered with it.
“OK boys. Playtime is over”, Clem said while and Hoss separated the fighting boys.
“Coward, murderer, rapist”, Mitch said furious to George.
Charles Wilson and his wife Ada had come nearer as well with their grandchild.
“You are of course one of the Cartwrights! How dare you to call our son like that? He is an example and pillar of the society”, said Ada.
“Because he is all that. He raped Polly Miller and made her unwanted pregnant. After a matrimonial row he shot his wife and your daughter-in-law in the back dead”, Mitch reacted fierce.
He pulled himself loose from Clem.
“Cartwright, let George go!”, Charles said to Hoss who had George very tight.
Hoss did that but George made abuse of the situation by hitting Mitch so hard that the young Cartwright lost the consciousness on the street. Pam came to stand by too, saw her brother lying and hit George so hard that he saw stars for the rest of the evening. Clem arrested George on the spot.
“Deputy, then you must also arrest that chick of a Cartwright!”, said Ada.
“She only stands up for her brother. Mitch and Pam are twins and now you notice that well”, reacted Clem.
Pam went to sit by Mitch, grabbed his hand and said, “Mitch, wake up.”
Slowly he woke up.
“Hoss just bring your nephew to my house. Mitch can recover there together with Polly”, said Jack.
Hoss helped his nephew and niece up and walked with him and Pam to the house of the Jack Miller.
Polly had woken up again because her mother sat by her.
“Where is Mitch?”, asked Polly.
“He is away with your father”, answered Cathy.
She looked at her daughter and asked seriously, “You do love Mitch very much, don’t you?”
“I really love him a lot. If he is younger and lame. I don’t care about that”, confessed Polly.
“Then I hope that you get very happy together. You have our blessing”, said Cathy.
“Mitch proposed to me in the kitchen and I accepted it”, said Polly.
Cathy looked at her daughter amazed and said, “He proposed to you in the kitchen? I do hope that Mitch will become a bit more romantic though.”
Polly hoped that too.
A moment later the door went open and an injured Mitch got brought in by Hoss and Pam.
“There was a fight between George Wilson and this young man. Cathy, your husband said that I could bring him to your house. Then Mitchy can recover together with Polly”, said Hoss.
“Just put him next to me”, Polly said spontaneously.
Hoss put down his nephew next to Polly. Mitch looked at her and gave a weak smile.
“Mrs Miller, uncle Hoss, they both need rest”, said Pam.
Hoss and Cathy understood the hint and left the 2 turtle doves alone.
“Pam?”, asked Mitch.
“Yes?”, asked Pam.
“Congratulations with your marriage to Matt. Now we must find a nice wedding date”, answered her brother.
“Thanks. And you too congratulations. I go back to Matt”, said Pam.
She left them alone too.
By the recent happenings the dance evening got stopped. Clem had told Kevin and Martha Johnson what had happened to their daughter.
Martha saw Ada with their granddaughter, went to them and said,
“Your son has murdered my daughter. You will never see her child again!”
“Glad too. Amy wasn’t even fit to be a mother”, Ada snapped before the gave the baby to Martha.
Martha took over the baby and went home with Kevin.
While the streets became empty de Cartwrights and Matthew remained behind for a while.
“This was not the dance evening that I had imagined it. But this too was interesting”, said Joe.
Pam said, “When daddy hears this we may never go to a dance evening again.”
“That might not be so. I know for sure that he wouldn’t have wanted to miss this. And Grandpa too”, said Hoss.
They decided to go home as well.
For not to spoil the cozy babysit evening of Ben the Cartwrights went to the house of Adam and Sally who were still up.
“Was it so unsociable?”, Adam asked sarcastic when he saw the others.
“No, there was quite a drama in Virginia City whereby your son had been involved”, answered Hoss.
Adam and Sally looked at him worried. Just when everything was told they were at ease.
“Just let Mitch recover there. He gets more rest there than here”, Adam said when he had heard everything.
Hoss and Joe and their wives just decided to stay the night at their brother and sister-in-law. But nobody would ever forget this dramatic dance evening.