On a Thursday afternoon Mitch Cartwright happened to be in Virginia City with his friend Matthew Walker when the stagecoach arrived. The fourteen year old boys walked to the carriage. When all passengers had gotten out a young lady looked at Mitch and a sparkle flew over between both.
The young Cartwright walked up to her and asked, “Can I help you Miss?”
“Please. I am Polly Johnson and look for the Silver Dollar Saloon”, she said.
“I know that saloon. I am Mitch Cartwright”, said Mitch.
He got her bag and walked with her to the saloon. Matthew knew enough and went home laughing.
“Where are you staying?”, Mitch asked in an attempt to come to a conversation with Polly.
“I stay at the pension of widow Hawkins. Would you like to bring me there as well?”, she asked.
Mitch didn’t know what he heard.
“I shall bring you first to widow Hawkins. She is very nice but also a bit eccentric”, he said laughing.
Soon they reached the pension of widow Hawkins. She already stood waiting.
“Widow Hawkins, this is Miss Johnson. Polly, widow Hawkins”, said Mitch.
“Hello Miss Johnson, Mitch. Just come in”, she said friendly.
They came in and Polly looked around amazed.
“My late husband worked in a circus”, the widow explained.
Polly nodded understanding.
“Mitch, just bring her to the first room above the stairs. Then I will make tea”, said widow Hawkins.
“Miss Johnson, will you follow me?”, Mitch asked with his magic smile.
“You always”, Polly said smiling too.
Together they went upstairs. The widow went to the kitchen to make tea.
Sometime later Mitch and Polly went to the Silver Dollar Saloon. The boy saw that his uncle Little Joe Cartwright was there too.
“Well, here are we then”, said Mitch.
“Aren’t you going inside?”, asked Polly.
“Eh, I may not go in because I am still too young”, answered Mitch.
“How old are you then?”, she asked.
“Fourteen but I will become 15 in December”, was the shy answer.
Mitch kept silent for a second but then he continued, “But my uncle is inside there too so he can protect me.”
“Where are you waiting for then?”, asked Polly.
“Just 1 question: how old are you?”, Mitch wanted to know.
“I am 18”, she said.
They went into the saloon and it was deadly quiet at once. All cowboys including Little Joe looked at Polly. Sam, the barman, walked up to the two and looked at Polly.
“I am Sam, your boss. Is that your guide?”, he asked.
“Yes, and my boyfriend”, said Polly.
“If Mitch is your guide he may be here but otherwise…”, said Sam.
“Alright Sam”, said Mitch.
They walked on and Joe saw his nephew coming. He took the boy apart.
“Where did you get here from?”, he asked whispering.
“That is for you a question and for me a know. But I do know this: grandpa won’t be pleased with where she stays”, Mitch said sneaky.
Joe looked at him stupefied and asked, “Not with ………?”
His nephew nodded smiling.
“And Adam doesn’t know about your girlfriend either?”, Joe asked for the security.
“No. I just say that I have taken you as an example”, answered his nephew.
“Do not say that because then you get house arrest for life. Do you want a sarsaprilla?”, asked Joe.
Mitch nodded. Joe ordered a beer and a sarsaprilla. They went to sit at a table while Polly worked. The youngest Cartwright couldn’t keep his eyes off the new saloon girl. He not only kept an eye on her but also on the others.
Suddenly Polly got stopped by Jake Wilson.
“Do you know that that smurf of yours is lame?”, he asked mocking.
“And what if he is that? He is much nicer, more helpful and funnier than you and your trolls”, answered Polly.
Everybody heard it and looked at Jake and Polly. Joe and Mitch came closer and looked at the cowboy.
“What did you call my nephew?”, asked Joe.
“A smurf. Just let him play outside with his blocks. Then I can spend my time and money on Miss Polly”, answered Jake.
A moment later he got hit outside by Joe. An accomplice of Jake, Carl Lewis, wanted to knock down Joe but Mitch drew his revolver and held Carl under gun shot.
“Now you go outside with Jake to play with your blocks”, said Mitch.
Carl went straight outside. He helped Jake up and they walked away.
“That gal is yours and not of that little kid. We get the law by it”, said Carl.
“No. The sheriff is a friend of the Cartwrights and that deputy too. We deal with them on our own way”, said Jake.
They walked away to work out their plans further.
In the saloon Polly got left alone because Sam too kept an eye on her to big relief of Polly and Mitch.
“Mitch, what would you say if we headed home?”, Joe asked after a while.
“Alright. May I say goodbye to eh… in private?”, was the counter-question of Mitch.
His uncle nodded and Mitch and Polly went to sit aside for a moment.
“I have to leave you alone unfortunately”, said Mitch.
“Pity. But I will see you tomorrow again, won’t I?”, Polly asked hopeful.
“Of course. I just take the day off my work at the ranch”, said Mitch.
Quickly they kissed each other where after they went each their own way.
On the way to their ranch Mitch didn’t say much at first but his eyes beamed and around his mouth played a happy smile.
“Soon you have a lot of explanation to do when grandpa asks what you have done this afternoon”, Joe said suddenly.
“I rather think that daddy will have a fit when he hears that I go with Polly. And especially because she is a saloon girl”, answered Mitch.
“Well, I think that your father will take it easier because he too once went with a girl who didn’t have a decent job like the Ladies society that beseems”, said Joe.
“And that of course went wrong? With her I mean?”, asked Mitch.
“She got killed and your father ended up in jail but he was innocent”, answered his uncle.
Mitch was silent for a second because he had never heard this story. Then they saw the twin sister of Mitch, Pam coming.
“Where do you come from?”, Joe wanted to know.
“Mrs Walker wanted that I dropped by so I did. Mitch, you must have the regards of Matthew. He wanted to know how it goes with your conquering”, she said.
“He means Polly Johnson. Well, it goes very well with her because she works at the Silver Dollar Saloon, sleeps by widow Hawkins and she wants to see me tomorrow again”, answered her brother.
“Well, then it is very serious between you two”, answered Joe.
“That it is too”, said Mitch.
“Grandpa will have objections about her sleeping places”, Pam said giggling.
“Maybe grandpa must guide me tomorrow. Then we can double date”, her brother suggested.
Now Joe couldn’t stop laughing anymore. They rode on a bit faster to come home earlier.
Meanwhile at the ranch everyone waited for the homecoming of Joe and the twins. Adam Cartwright, the father of the twins, knew that they too were away that afternoon but didn’t know yet what had happened to them and especially Mitch. He clearly was worried but his wife Sally knew to distract him by het him giving attention to their daughters Lisa and Rose. But the others (Ben, Hoss and his wife Betsy and daughter Inger) too waited for the awayers. Suddenly the shepherd dog Cody pointed sharp his ears and ran to the door. Betsy let him out and saw also the 3 missing Cartwrights coming. She remained with Cody on the porch waiting. The twins and Joe stopped their horses and dismounted.
“You just go inside. I will take care of the horses with Candy and Griff”, said Joe.
Cody got an extended greeting from the twins where after they went inside.
“And where have you been all the time?”, Ben asked straight away.
“I was with Mrs Walker”, answered Pam.
“And I was in town”, Mitch said with laughing eyes.
“Kids, I just want to see you separately. Outside! Now!”, Adam said who knew enough.
Obeying they walked along outside where they went to sit on the porch.
“I don’t want that a little child walks around here who calls me grandpa and has one of you as a parent before I am 50”, said Adam.
“Then we only have to wait 3 years”, Pam said dry.
He looked at them seriously. Mitch didn’t say anything but wasn’t really there with his thoughts.
“Mitch, where are you with your thoughts?”, asked Adam.
“Eh, what did you say?”, the boy asked confused.
Adam repeated the question. Mitch looked a bit confused around him and knew that he had to answer his father but didn’t feel much like it.
“Nowhere”, Mitch said as an excuse.
“You probably think about Polly?”, asked Pam.
“Who is Polly? A new girl in town?”, Adam asked worried.
“She is called Polly Johnson and works since today at the Silver Dollar Saloon. She really is attractive”, Mitch answered with shining eyes.
Adam didn’t know what he heard. He looked at his son questionable.
“She doesn’t sleep in such a brothel house, does she?”, Adam asked worried.
“Daddy, Don’t you worry about that because I rather think that grandpa will get worried if I get to see Polly more often”, answered Mitch.
“And why will grandpa get more worried then?”, asked his father.
“Well, Polly sleeps in the pension of widow Hawkins”, was the answer.
Adam didn’t know what he heard.
“So my son goes with a saloon girl who sleeps in the pension of the woman who has a heavy crush on my father?”, he asked for the security.
His only son nodded. Pam was rolling on the floor laughing and Mitch thought it was funny as well.
“Well Mitch, just take her home for supper once”, Adam said finally.
“You do behave normal, don’t you?”, Mitch asked for the security.
“Boy, everyone has been smitten in love for the first time and you and Pam are no exception. In case you might think that”, Adam said smiling.
“So you don’t mind that Mitch goes with Polly and I with Matthew?”, asked Pam.
“As long as you know what you are doing ad don’t give me grandchildren for the first 10 years”, answered Adam.
The twins were relieved and promised their father what he wanted.
“It is getting used to me to the idea that you now are growing up too”, said Adam.
“Then you already can get used to it because when we are of age Lisa is on the turn to come home, with boys and after that Rose”, Mitch told light-hearted.
“Mitchell Jonathan Cartwright, I still can revoke that invitation for Miss Johnson”, his father said frowning.
“You must admit that it is so”, Pam said to help her brother.
“Why do I can go against those brothers of mine but not to you?”, asked Adam.
“Because you just can’t resist us and we are so enormously sweet”, answered Pam.
“During supper you tell about your girlfriend and especially where she sleeps”, said Adam.
Mitch nodded and remarked then, “Grandpa wouldn’t surely like that.”
They got up and went inside. Sally and Betsy already set the table and everyone went to the table.
During supper Mitch said suddenly, “Soon someone comes to eat here.”
Ben and Hoss almost choked and everyone looked at Mitch.
“And who may that be?”, asked Sally.
“My girlfriend Polly Johnson. She works at the Silver Dollar Saloon. Grandpa, guess three times where my Polly sleeps?”, Mitch asked while he looked at the owner of the Ponderosa ranch seriously.
Ben knew his grandson through and through and suspected the worst answer he could get.
“Mitchell Jonathan Cartwright, you are not going to tell me that your girlfriend hires a room from widow Hawkins?”, he asked after a deep sigh.
“If you guess it in one time, why should I tell it then anyway? It is anyway better than in a brothel house”, said Mitch.
“Mitch!”, Adam whispered quickly.
Then Mitch just realized what he had said.
But Lisa already asked, “What is a brothel house?”
“Well sis, you know the saloon girls?”, asked Mitch.
Lisa nodded.
“There are also women and girls who earn their money with spoiling men. They live in such a brothel house”, said her brother.
Fortunately Lisa was satisfied with this answer.
“How old is that Polly?”, Hoss wanted to know.
“She is 18 so far too you g for you and for uncle Joe as well”, answered his nephew.
“Mitch, your uncle Hoss is already occupied by me so don’t you worry”, said Betsy.
Hoss and Joe didn’t find it a funny remark but the other adults fount it funny and the twins too.
“Shall I ask her tomorrow if she comes to eat on Sunday?”, Mitch asked carefully.
“She is very welcome”, said Ben.
“May Matthew come here for supper on Saturday then?”, asked Pam.
“He is also very welcome”, said the rancher.
He clearly had to get used to it too that his grandchildren were growing up and faster than he had wanted.
That night there were 2 people who didn’t sleep much to nothing. Polly because she missed Mitch and Mitch because he longed to see his Polly again.
The next morning Mitch quickly did his work where after he went to Virginia City. At the house of widow Hawkins Polly already stood waiting. She saw the man of her dreams already coming. But to her amazing Mitch hadn’t come alone. By accident Cody had ran along. The young Cartwright dismounted and hitched his horse.
“Cody, behave yourself because this is a real lady”, he said to the dog.
“Woof”, said Cody.
They went to the pension where Polly answered the door.
“Hello sweetheart”, said Polly.
“Hello beauty”, Mitch said smiling.
They kissed each other but Cody protested by barking loud.
“Polly, may I introduce you to our dog Cody? Cody, this is miss Johnson”, said Mitch.
Cody went to sit and gave a nice paw which Polly accepted laughing. She kneeled down and stroke him over his head.
“You are just as sweet as your master”, she said.
The dog licked her hand.
“He likes you too. Cody is 10 but just as quick as a young pup”, told Mitch told proud as a peacock.
“Shall we have coffee somewhere?”, asked Polly.
“Alright Come Cody”, said Mitch.
“You are invited to come and have lunch with us at the ranch this coming Sunday”, said the boy.
“Hereby I accept the invitation”, said Polly.
“I must warn you that it is very busy at our place. I have 3 sisters and my uncle has 1 daughter so the women are becoming more”, said Mitch.
“I was only child and recently my parents were killed by 2 cowboys”, Polly said while they went into a restaurant.
“Not by Jake Wilson and Carl Lewis?”, Mitch asked worried.
Polly nodded and said, “They don’t know that I saw it.”
“They are just here in town for a little while. I can inform by the sheriff if they are already wanted. I think so”, Mitch suggested.
“No, just leave it. Then they will get you as well. That Jake is already such a good friend of yours”, said Polly.
“We are good friends with the sheriff and the deputy”, answered Mitch.
He went to get the coffee while Polly and Cody went to sit down. She couldn’t and wouldn’t go without Mitch through her life anymore. Even though he was younger than she was.
On Sunday morning Mitch came to pick up his girlfriend very early. Each day he became crazier on her and vice versa. Polly had put on her blue dress and waited as usual at the front door.
When the young Cartwright had picked her up widow Hawkins asked, “Mitch, you do give Ducky the grateful regards from me, don’t you?”
Mitch understood it right away and answered, “Grandpa won’t like it but I do it anyway.”
Polly didn’t understand nothing of it but didn’t ask any further.
On the way Mitch explained how it exactly was between Ben and widow Hawkins.
“I won’t say anything”, Polly said grinning.
In the meantime the Chinese cook Hop Sing was busy with the preparing a delicious lunch. He had gotten assistance from Sally and Betsy.
“How does Adam find it that his only son has a girlfriend?”, Betsy suddenly asked.
“He had rather that Mitch waited a few more years but the boy probably had taken Joe as an example for the girls. I like it but it still getting used to that your eldest child is going steady”, answered her sister-in-law.
“Fortunately the twins are too young to get married”, said Betsy.
“Adam would surely stop that”, reacted Sally.
In the living room said Pam, “Daddy, Mitch won’t come home with an ugly girl for sure.”
“I am not afraid of that too but rather for how your uncles will behave themselves”, answered Adam.
“Can’t we send them into the wood?”, asked his eldest daughter.
“That could be but then they make the wood dirty and I don’t want that either”, reacted her father.
Hoss and Joe looked at him indignant.
“What do you have a lot of faith is us again”, said Joe.
“I know that your hobby is teasing Mitch and now he comes home with a girl for lunch I fear the worst”, answered Adam.
“I have already met her and she is a real beauty but the girl doesn’t fill in my category”, reacted his youngest brother.
“Well, we and then I mean Mitch and I just have a refiner taste in the choice of our partners”, Pam said whereby she had a smack at her uncle.
Hoss and Joe first looked at each other amazed and then at their brother.
“Do you let your daughter insult us like that?”, asked Hoss.
“I agree with her”, Adam said smiling.
Then Cody barked. Adam became more nervous but didn’t let anything show.
Mitch parked the carriage in front of the porch and climbed out of it. Here after he helped Polly out of it.
“Polly, welcome to the Ponderosa”, said the young Cartwright.
“Thank you”, she said.
She looked around and was very impressed.
“My father has designed the ranch house and built it with my grandpa. Shall we go in?”, asked Mitch.
Polly nodded. They walked to the front door and went inside.
Each Cartwright looked at the female visitor.
“May I introduce you to Polly Johnson? Polly, now this is my family”, said Mitch.
He introduced her to the others. To his big relief especially his uncles behaved normal during the visit. Only Ben wasn’t really pleased with the regards of widow Hawkins which everyone understood.
After the delicious lunch Mitch took Polly along to the water. With permission he had borrowed a carriage. They sat y a tree still enjoying.
“How come actually that you are lame?”, asked Polly.
“When I was 4 a woman pushed me under a stagecoach. My ankle got shattered and it did heal but since then I am lame”, told Mitch.
“It doesn’t matter to me how you walk”, she said.
“I don’t get much comments about it but some think that I don’t belong in town because I happen to walk differently. But because I am a Cartwright they often don’t dare to say anything about it”, said Mitch.
He pulled her near him and began to kiss her which Polly didn’t mind.
After the tenderly kiss she said blushing, “You are a real heartbreaker.”
“Thank you”, Mitch said smiling.
“Do you actually want to stay at the ranch of your je grandpa for the rest of your life?”, asked Polly.
“No. I want to play baseball in New York or Boston. But I know that I always can come to live here if the baseball fails”, said Mitch.
Now Polly took the initiative to kiss her boyfriend. And Mitch had no objections to that either. It was clear that they were madly in love with each other.
Half way the afternoon asked Polly, “I must start at 6 o’clock. Would you like to bring me to Virginia City?”
“I do anything for you. I even would like to draw the world for you”, said Mitch.
A passionate and tenderly kiss followed where after they got up to go to town.
Close by Virginia City the young Cartwright couldn’t keep the carriage under control anymore. The carriage fell down but fortunately the young couple didn’t have anything just like the horses.
“Smurf, you stay here and we will make sure that this sweet girl comes on the place of destination”, Jake said at that moment.
Carl hit Mitch out cold and took with Jake Polly along. For the security she got blindfolded.
At the Ponderosa was Cody had become restless so the Cartwright brothers took him along to town. For the security they had taken Caramel, the stallion of Mitch, along as well. Quite soon they came at the spot of calamity. Mitch was just coming round when he got licked by his dog.
“Polly? Where is Polly?”, he asked confused.
“She isn’t here. Only the carriage with the horses”, said Adam.
Mitch went to sit and thought about it.
“Jake Wilson and Carl Lewis stood here waiting for us. They must have taken he along”, said Mitch.
“Joe, we put the carriage up. You go with it back home and we deal with those 2 scoundrels”, said Adam.
So said, so done.
Jake and Carl had tied up Polly on the bed.
“So gal, now little Cartwright cannot protect you anymore! I will give you lots of fun and when you parade across the streets a lot bigger you just say that that smurf has done it”, laughed Jake.
Polly wriggled herself loose and got the rifle which Carl accidently had left on the bed. Right away she shot Carl dead but Jake took revenge by killing her. Jake went laughing outside where he saw Adam, Hoss and Mitch coming. They had their dog Cody taken along who attacked the cowboy at once. Mitch jumped from his horse and ran into the cabin. He saw the mortal remains of his girlfriend lying and took her into his arms. The tears came into his.
“Hoss, you take Jake under your hands with Cody. I go and see what has happened inside the cabin”, said Adam.
Jake got treated on quite a spanking and tore trousers, done by Hoss and Cody. Adam came into the cabin and saw his son sitting with Polly. He saw also Carl lying and the eldest Cartwright boy understood what might have happened. He also went to sit on the bed and looked at Polly.
“Daddy, I love her so much and now she is isn’t here anymore”, sobbed Mitch.
“I am sorry lad but I know for sure that she is now with grandma and mamma and also waits for you. We just let her bury nicely and she also gets a tombstone so you can visit here whenever you want”, said Adam.
“She never did anyone wrong and by that boor of a Jake Wilson she is now dead”, said Mitch.
“He now gets what he deserves from uncle Hoss and Cody has given his share too. Must I arrange it further with the funeral undertaker and the sheriff?”, asked Adam.
“No, I will arrange it but I do want that you are by me”, answered Mitch.
“I just leave you alone for a moment to say goodbye to Polly”, said Adam.
He got up and went outside where Jake saw black and blue.
“Get that wolf away from me”, Jake said like a little child.
The brothers looked around but didn’t see a wolf.
“Wolf? Which wolf? Adam, do you see a wolf?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“I don’t see any wolf at all. Only a dog who has a new toy”, answered his brother.
Cody let Jake loose and went inside the cabin to support his little master. Meanwhile Mitch had put down Polly and given her a last farewell kiss.
“Are you coming Cody?”, asked Mitch.
“Woof”, said Cody where after he gave the girl a lick on her hand.
Outside again the young Cartwright saw how the murderer of his girlfriend looked like. Jake wanted to draw his revolver but Mitch was faster and shot down his arch-rival to the moon. Sheriff Roy Coffee came nearer and saw what had happened.
“Roy, Jake has killed Polly Johnson because she went with Mitch. She lies in the cabin and his accomplice Carl Lewis is dead too. Polly has probably killed him and then Jake her after that. Jake wanted to kill Mitch as well after a well deserved spanking from Hoss and Cody but my son was a fraction faster”, told Adam.
“So it was self-defense”, said Roy.
Then he saw that Jake had a big tore in his trousers.
“I assume that Cody had made that tore?”, asked Roy.
“Yes, but the creep didn’t not even know the difference between a wolf and a dog. He saw Cody as a wolf”, said Hoss.
Meanwhile Mitch sat on the pavement with Cody by him. He had put his arm around the dog and fought against his tears. Adam told the sheriff what he had promised his son concerning the funeral of Polly. Roy agreed with it.
When the Cartwrights were almost home Mitch said, “Daddy, I want to be alone with Cody for a while.”
“That’s alright. We go on ahead and tell what has happened”, Adam said understanding.
Mitch nodded and rode with Cody to their usual fishing spot. The boy dismounted and sat down near the water. Cody went to sit by him for support.
“Cody, she was so sweet and beautiful. And now I will never see her again”, Mitch said suddenly.
The dog licked his master. Silently they looked at the water for a while.
“Are you alright brother?”, Mitch heard then asking.
He looked up and saw that it was his twin sister.
“No, not at all”, he answered.
Pam dismounted off her horse Chiney and went to sit next to him. She put an arm around him for comfort. The two didn’t need much words to understand each other.
“Mom said that your first love always stays with you”, Pam suddenly said.
“I fear that it doesn’t go for uncle Joe because he has a different girl each week”, reacted Mitch.
They laughed and then Pam said, “But now he has competition from you.”
Mitch now knew that there would be enough girls waiting for him but also that he would never forget his first big love Polly Johnson again. Polly always would have a special place in his heart and hold that too. With this in his heart and back of his mind the young Cartwright could face the future again.