It was quite an ordinary day for the Cartwrights

It was quite an ordinary day for the Cartwrights. Ben and Hoss were in California on a business trip to hopefully acquire more cattle for the ranch. Joe had taken it upon himself to go into town and put in some of the money made during the last cattle drive into the bank. He enthusiastically took this job because he was plumb tired of Adam's orders around the house; don't get him wrong, he would do anything for his older brother but sometimes he could be such a pain! Ordering him to complete chores all the time, Joe was quite anxious for his father to come home.

Joe had just left the bank and was walking around the street to where Cochise was when he came to a halt; he saw a beautiful young woman strolling along the street. She had flowing dark brown curls that elegantly hung down her back. She looked around at the different shops, evidently looking a bit lost. Joe, always the perfect gentlemen and having a strong desire to introduce all young women to Virginia City, hurriedly caught up with her. Taking his hat off and bowing slightly, he grinned at her and introduced himself.

"Howdy, m'am. You look a little lost, do you need help getting somewhere? The name's Joe Cartwright and I'd be more than happy to assist you." She glanced up towards his face, and Joe realized that she looked younger than he had originally thought. She looked to be no more than 16 years old. Her beautiful green eyes rested on his face thoughtfully until he had said his name. At that point, her face looked drawn and clouded.

"Excuse me, did you say your name was Cartwright?" Joe grinned. "That's right miss, maybe you've heard of us Cartwrights elsewhere?" She looked sad and cast her eyes downward. "I used to know Adam." Joe's grin fell; just when he thought he could escape from Adam, he somehow always crept back into the conversation!

"How do you know my brother? I think I would remember if I saw a pretty thing like you around these parts." The girl smiled, showing a full set of pearly white teeth. "This is my first time in Virginia City, or in the West for that matter. I grew up back East in Massachusetts. That's where I met Adam, he was going to school then."

Joe raised his eyebrow. "Why, you mustn't have been more then a little kid back when Adam was there. How could you remember him?" Again she shifted her eyes down. "He was a good friend of my Mom's, used to come visit a lot." Then her eyes met his. "I was very sad to hear about your brother." Joe was taken back. "What about Adam?" The girl tilted her head and an utter look of confusion was plastered upon her face. "Well…I mean…I know that he…passed away awhile ago." It was Joe's turn to look confused. "Adam? My brother, Adam Cartwright? Last time I checked he was part of the living," he said, grinning slightly. Her face paled as her mouth opened slightly. For a split second Joe thought she might faint but then quickly composed herself. "Oh…well, that's…that's good to hear. Shows how reliable the newspapers are huh?" She laughed slightly. Joe grinned; she had the most beautiful laugh! "Well, miss, as much as I love talking about my brother, I believe you need to be escorted somewhere?" And he held out his arm for her to take. She smiled and reached out to grab his arm when she heard a sharp shout.

"Elizabeth Marie, I have been looking for you everywhere!" Elizabeth Marie, Joe thought. Now he knew her name. He couldn't help but notice Elizabeth tense up as the man approached. The man appeared to be quite burly and was beginning to show the signs of baldness on top of his head. He was wearing a very fancy grey suit, a little too fancy for Virginia City. Joe frowned slightly. "I got bored so I figured I'd take a walk. I didn't realize I was so long, I'm sorry," Elizabeth quickly stumbled over the words as she bowed her head. The man looked at Joe and shaking his head, he chuckled. "Women, they never can estimate time very well!" Joe grinned ever so slightly; he had a very uncomfortable feeling about this guy. "My name's Mitch Appatow, I appreciate you offering to escort my daughter around town." Joe shook his hand. "Nice to meet you sir, and the pleasure was all mine." He winked at Elizabeth. "The name's Joe, Joe Cartwright."

At the mention of his name, Mitch's eyes ever so slightly slid over to his daughter before returning to Joe. Joe could feel Elizabeth stiffen even more next to him. "Well, I thank you once again Mr. Cartwright. Elizabeth, do you think you can find your way back to the hotel in a reasonable amount of time?" She nodded quickly before turning to Joe. "It was nice meeting you sir." Joe just smiled and nodded. As soon as the girl was out of earshot, Mitch took a few steps closer to Joe. "I'd like to thank you for being so kind to my daughter, really. Thing is, she's so shy and delicate-like that I'm sure this interaction probably startled her a little. If I were you, I wouldn't keep my eye out for her." He then smiled and walked away, leaving Joe feeling sorry that the young lady had such a bad companion.