Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny Adam and Lizzie were out doing morning chores before church services.

"Papa, can I ride Blaze to church?"

"Of course you may, you'll have to be careful how you ride though, since you'll be wearing a dress. But I definitely think you should ride Blaze to church. I'll saddle him for you and he'll be out here waiting when you're finished with breakfast," Adam said with a smile.

"Thanks, Papa," Lizzie said skipping off to finish her chores.

After breakfast the entire family was loading up,

"Come on Lizzie, time to climb aboard," Ben said, holding his arms out to her.

"I'm riding on Blaze, Grandpa. Papa said I could!" Lizzie said excitedly.

"Well, what about your dress, Lizzie? You don't want your dress to get dirty, do you?"

"But Grandpa, I ride with Papa all the time on Beauty in a dress," Lizzie said running over to Blaze.

"Adam, do you really think it's a good idea for Lizzie to ride to church in a dress?" Ben whispered quietly.

"Pa, Lizzie is excited to have a horse and I am not going to tell her no, she's right, she's ridden in front of me plenty of times in a dress, including to church," Adam said quietly.

"Adam, sometimes I think you forget you are raising a girl!" Ben said in a scolding tone.

"No, Pa, I never forget I'm raising a girl, but I'm raising a girl who loves horses and who just got her wish for a horse of her own. I'm not going to deny her the pleasure of riding her new horse regardless of how her dress may look when she arrives at church," Adam said respectfully.

"Fine!" Ben said throwing up his hands and climbing into the buggy.

Adam hid a smile and climbed up beside him. Hoss joined them and Little Joe helped Lizzie into her saddle and then mounted his horse and the family left for church.

When they arrived, Lizzie saw Jenny and dismounted quickly and was going to run to her, when Little Joe put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Whoa there, Lizzie, you need to make sure your horse is tied to the rail like he should be, you can't just drop the reins and run off."

"Sorry," Lizzie quickly looped the reins over the hitching post and getting nod from Joe, she ran over to Jenny.

"Guess, what! Papa gave me a horse," she said excitedly to Jenny. "Come see!" Lizzie grabbed Jenny's hand and started to lead her over to where Blaze was tied, when she saw Sally, John and Ruth approaching. She took a deep breath and called, "Come on, Sally, come see the horse Papa let me have!"

Sally hesitated, looking up at her mother and John.

"Well, go on," John encouraged.

Sally ran over to where Jenny and Lizzie were admiring her horse.

"This is the one you always ride, isn't it?" Sally asked.

"Yes, but he's mine now, so that makes it different," Lizzie looked up at Sally to be sure she wasn't being mean. When she saw it was just an honest question, she continued, "Blaze is the one I almost always rode before and Papa said that we have a connection so he's mine and I can ride him to school and everything!"

"You're lucky, Lizzie" Jenny said, "I live in town and Pa says there isn't much reason to have horses. We rent them when we need to go somewhere. I wish I could have a horse, though," she said with a bit of longing.

"Sorry, Jenny, but you can ride Blaze and when you come out The Ponderosa we can go riding together. You too, Sally," Lizzie said, trying to include her.

"So, girls, what do you think of Blaze?" Adam asked as he walked up to join them.

"He's beautiful, Mr. Cartwright," Jenny said promptly.

"Do you think John will let me have a horse too, Adam?" Sally asked.

"I don't know, Sally, you'll have to ask him. Not much call for a horse in town, although, I know John has one so he can do his doctoring." Adam shook his head. "I guess you'll just have to ask him." He glanced up as the church bell began to ring. "Time to go in." He smiled as the girls ran ahead of him into the church.

After the service was over, the men began setting up sheets of lumber over saw horses to make tables and baked goods and quilts and homemade jams and jellies began to appear as if from nowhere. Mr. O'Leary came out of the bar, nodding and smiling at everyone as he put pitchers of lemonade onto one of the more distant tables. He was a Catholic and did not attend services with the rest of the town, but he did always participate in the social gatherings and would willingly donate the proceeds from the lemonade to the church.

"Stick together, girls," Jim Mason called after the three girls as they headed off to explore.

"Don't go any farther than the farthest table," Adam added with a smile as he heard a chorus of yes, Pas, Papas and Adams.

"Thank you, Adam…Jim," Ruth said as she and John joined Adam, Jim, Lily and Carolyn.

"For what?" Jim asked.

"I know you spoke to the girls about including Sally," Ruth said quietly. "Thank you."

"Ah, I just mentioned that Sally was new in town and it might be nice to make her feel welcome. Lizzie asking Sally along is her own doing," Adam said, holding up his hands in surrender. Ruth smiled at him and turned to Jim and Lily.

"Don't look at us," Jim said with a smile. "All we said was that you can never have too many friends."

"Well, whatever you said, or didn't say," Ruth said, "I appreciate it."

"Come on Carolyn, I want you to show me which pies you made, so I can bid on them," Adam said, taking Carolyn's hand.

Lizzie, Jenny and Sally walked over to one of the games and compared how much money they had between them. They had each been given a nickel by their parents, so they decided to try the ring toss. They had just started throwing their rings when Jimmy Phillips walked up and began taunting them.

"So, you're hanging around with the bastard, huh?"

"You shut up, Jimmy Phillips," Lizzie shouted.

"And what if I don't? What are you going to do about it?" Jimmy asked with a smug smile and crossed his arms.

Now Jimmy had about 20 pounds on Lizzie, but Lizzie had speed on her side and before the smile left his face, she had stomped on both of Jimmy's insteps with the heel of her shoe and was about to sail in with a right fist, when she was grabbed from behind.

"Whoa, Lizzie," Adam said, pulling her back.

"Papa, he said…" Lizzie said, as she struggled in his grasp.

"I heard, honey, we need to let Jimmy and Sally's parents take care of it," Adam said interrupting her. He looked up at a frowning Dr. Fellows, an almost tearful Ruth, and he could see Brett Phillips making his way over to them.

"What's to take care of?" Mrs. Phillips said as she walked up. "My son is telling the truth, she is a bastard." She knelt down by Jimmy's side where he was writhing on the ground grabbing one foot and then the other.

"That's not nice, you shouldn't say that!" Lizzie shouted at Mrs. Phillips.

"And your daughter is very poorly behaved," Mrs. Phillips continued, looking down her nose at the struggling girl.

"Lizzie, honey, I think you are entirely right for what you are feeling and saying and I know you don't want to mind me right now, but you need to let the adults handle this. Come on, I'll buy you a lemonade."

Adam quickly steered Lizzie away from the confrontation he could see was about to happen between the Fellows and the Phillips. The Masons also steered Jenny away in the opposite directions and left them to it.

"Bastards," Mr. O'Leary said as they approached his table. He glared at the Phillips' before turning to Adam and Lizzie.

"Mr. O'Leary, that's not a nice word," Lizzie said with a giggle and felt the anger leave.

"Now, Lizzie, it isn't your place to correct adults," Adam said with laughter in his voice.

"Ah, now, Adam, the lass is right," Mr. O'Leary said as a huge smile spread across his face, "I should not be using such language in front of a lady. I need to mind me manners, but I find my hackles rising when a wee barren such as that one has to defend herself from such a harridan and her spawn. Now, two lemonades…on the house," he added when Adam moved to pull out some money, "It's my pleasure to treat a true lady and her father to a cool drink," he said with a wink and pulling out a ten cent piece, put it loudly in the till.

"Thanks, Mr. O'Leary," Lizzie said as she took the glass from the table.

"You're welcome lass, it's the least I can do."

Adam leaned against a nearby tree, took a sip of his lemonade and smiled as Carolyn came to join them.

"I heard what happened! That woman makes me so angry! She's just a little girl. It was so good of you to stand up for Sally, Lizzie," Carolyn flashed a brilliant smile at Lizzie as she came over to join them in the shade of the tree.

"I agree, but I don't think Lizzie handled it as well as she could have," Adam said looking at Lizzie with a frown.

"What are you saying Adam? Lizzie was just standing up for Sally…" Carolyn looked quizzically at Adam and then turned to look at a blushing Lizzie.

"Tell us what happened Lizzie," Adam said quietly.

Lizzie blushed again, but she started to tell the story as he had requested.

"We were playing the ring toss, Sally, Jenny and I and Jimmy Phillips came up and started to tease us about hanging around with a bastard. Sorry, Papa," Lizzie said, looking up at him.

"Go on," Adam said, nodding in understanding.

"I told him to stop and he said I had to make him and then Mrs. Phillips came up and said that what he had said was true and then everybody came over."

Adam nodded and thought quietly for a few moments. "Are you sure you aren't leaving something out?"

"Like what?" Lizzie said, looking down at the ground and kicking at it.

"Lizzie," Adam warned.

"When he said I had to make him stop…I stomped on his feet," Lizzie said quietly.

"And you would have punched him if I hadn't stopped you," Adam added firmly.

"But he was being mean, Papa, and he and Mrs. Phillips shouldn't have said those things."

"You're right, they shouldn't have said those things, but right now we are talking about you and your behavior," Adam crossed his arms and frowned at her, before he relented and reached out to cup her face, "I think your fun for the day is over. I want you to take your lemonade and sit on that bench under the tree over there. You're not to get up until we're ready to leave. Do you hear?"

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie said sadly as she moved to obey him.

"Adam, you can't punish that child for standing up to a bully!" Carolyn said fiercely.

"Lizzie, wait," Adam called. "Carolyn, I appreciate you standing up for Lizzie, but I don't think you understand." He paused and looked at Lizzie. "Lizzie, tell Carolyn why I'm sending you to sit on the bench."

"For stomping on Jimmy's feet," Lizzie said sadly.

"And why was that wrong, honey?"

"'Cause ladies don't get into fights," Lizzie said.

"Yes, honey," Adam said with a nod, "I am proud of you for standing up for Sally, neither Jimmy nor Mrs. Phillips should have said those things about Sally, but unless Jimmy was going to throw a punch, you should have kept your hands, feet, and your temper in check. Right?"

Lizzie nodded sadly.

"All right, go on now," Adam said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Carolyn and Adam watched Lizzie as she slowly made her way to the bench.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to raise your daughter, Adam, but do you think you're being fair?"

"Carolyn," Adam said, taking Carolyn in his arms, "I like that you are standing up to me about how I am treating Lizzie. My family does the same thing and I appreciate it. It keeps me mindful of how I am treating her and what she needs from me," Adam took a breath and raised an eyebrow. "I wish you had done it a little more privately and out of Lizzie's hearing, but regardless, I am glad that you did it. Now, Lizzie has a bit of a temper if you haven't noticed," he said with a smile, "and she and I are working diligently to help her learn to express her anger appropriately. No matter how you slice it, taking on a boy twenty pounds heavier, who didn't throw the first punch, is not acceptable, regardless of the circumstances. The last time Lizzie threw a punch, I told her I would spank her if it happened again. I think she knows I am going easy on her due to extenuating circumstances and I expect she sees sitting under that tree as mercy."

"You spank that child?" Carolyn said in horror, "my parents never…"

'Well, I do, rarely, but I do," Adam said with conviction.

"But, she's just a little girl…" Carolyn said sadly.

"I know, she is just a little girl, but sometimes she needs her papa to be firm with her. She knows I love her to distraction and she also knows that when she does dangerous things…. that she has been told not to do…like getting into a fistfight, especially with a boy that is older and heavier than she is, that she'll be spanked. It's not like the spankings come as a surprise, Carolyn. Lizzie knows when she's earned one."

"Adam, I don't understand, my parents never laid a hand on me. I think it would have frightened me to death to be spanked."

"Carolyn, every child is raised differently, my own Pa raised me and my brothers differently from each other. I am raising Lizzie in a different way than I was raised. I like to think I'm doing a pretty good job," he raised an eyebrow and when she nodded, he went on, "I don't think she's been scarred for life the few times I've taken her over my knee. She doesn't seem scared of me, does she? She's certainly not timid about trying things or telling me what she thinks, and she's well behaved isn't she?"

"Well, yes," Carolyn said, nodding, "she just looks so sad and lonely over there."

"Well," he said taking her in his arms and kissing her, "she won't be sad and lonely too long. In a few more minutes, I'm going to go over and make sure she knows she's loved and forgiven and we'll talk about what she should do differently in the future," Adam smiled, "Now, don't worry honey, Lizzie will come through this just fine and thank you, for being such a good friend to Lizzie."

Carolyn smiled and kissed him and then looked over her shoulder at Lizzie.

"All right," Adam put his hand up in surrender, "I'll go talk to her."

Carolyn watched with a smile as Adam walked over the bench and lifted Lizzie onto his lap.

"You are a dear, sweet, fair lady, Lizzie," Adam said as he drew her into his lap. "Sally is lucky to have you as a friend."

"Really, Papa?"

"Yes, really, " Adam said, nodding.

"You are also a very smart girl to know that you are over here under the tree only because of the fighting and not for anything else you did today."

"Not even for yelling at Mrs. Phillips?"

"Well, considering the circumstances, I think it was warranted," Adam said, "you probably shouldn't make a habit of telling adults how to behave or what to say, but Mrs. Phillips should know better, so I think you were right to speak up. I am very glad that you didn't walk away and leave Sally to defend herself. That was definitely the right thing to do. Next time, though, I expect you to wait for the first punch to be thrown. Do you understand why?"

"I should use my words and mind instead of my fists," Lizzie recited dutifully.

"Exactly," Adam said with a smile. "Like it or not, that is how ladies should behave and it is what I expect from you. I've told you, losing you temper and throwing the first punch is cause for a spanking."

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie said sadly, putting her head in his lap and pulling her legs up onto the bench. "Are you going to spank me when we get home?"

"Well, Lizzie," Adam said, letting his hand drop onto her hip, " I probably should…"

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie said sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

Adam reached out to take her chin and looked deeply into her eyes as if he was searching from something. "I probably should, but I'm not going to. You were standing up for a friend."

"Oh, thank you, Papa," Lizzie said, throwing herself into his arms.

"Now, wait just a minute," Adam said, disengaging himself and putting her on her feet, and taking her chin in his hand again, "fighting is never the answer to a problem and you taking on a boy who is bigger and stronger than you was risky, fool hearty and could have gotten you seriously hurt. Jimmy Phillips is a classmate and you need to get along with him irrespective of what you think of him or his mother. I expect better from you and I will spank you if you ever start a fistfight with someone again. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie said nodding.

"All right, what do you intend to do about your bad behavior?"

"Do you think I should apologize to Mrs. Phillips and Jimmy?"

"Yes, Lizzie, I do, but that's up to you," Adam said seriously.

"What should I apologize for?" She asked, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Well, what do you think you did wrong?" Adam asked, leaning back against the tree and crossing his arms.

"I shouldn't have stomped on Jimmy's feet…and I shouldn't have yelled at Mrs. Phillips."

"What about what you said to Mrs. Phillips, are you sorry about that?"

Lizzie thought a long moment and then taking a step back, she said, "No" in a worried voice.

"Then apologize for being disrespectful and leave it at that," Adam said nodding.

"Should I go now?"

"If they are still here at the bazaar and they aren't speaking to anyone, then yes, I think you should go now." Adam said standing, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, Papa, I don't want them to think you're making me apologize. Is that all right?" Lizzie asked earnestly.

"Of course, Lizzie, that is very grown up of you. Now, come give me a hug, Honey, and come right back to find me when you're done, no dawdling, no talking to friends, and no side tracking, the bazaar is over for you," Adam said holding out his arms to her.

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie said as she hugged him and then ran off to find the Phillips.

Adam walked back over to where Carolyn had been watching them. As he drew near, Carolyn put her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" Adam asked with a smile.

"I knew you were a good man and a good father, Adam. That didn't go how I expected it to and I'm sorry I tried to tell you how to handle your daughter."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she isn't under the tree anymore, despite you telling her she had to stay there until you left and I didn't see any spanking going on…" Carolyn said, kissing his cheek again.

"Well, she has only gone to find the Jimmy and Mrs. Phillips to apologize and then she is to come and find me, she knows the bazaar is over for her and as far as the spanking goes, if I were to do it, it would be in private."

"So, you're still going to spank her?" Carolyn asked, taking a step away.

"No," Adam said, pushing his hat back, "I only spank her when I am convinced she deserves it and she's convinced of the same thing. In this case I'm torn, she shouldn't have gotten in a fistfight, but I can't set aside my feelings about what Jimmy and Mrs. Phillips said. I'm not sure how I would have responded if I had been there, but I'm pretty sure I would have had some words with the two of them and that Jimmy Phillips is a bully. If I were his father, we would be looking for a woodshed. I know I probably shouldn't feel this way and if you ever tell Lizzie…" he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Tell Lizzie what?"

"I'm sort of proud the way that Lizzie blindsided Jimmy and got in some licks. He had it coming, but I'd rather Lizzie not resort to her fists when someone behaves badly."

"Your secret is safe with me, Adam," Carolyn said with a giggle.

"Papa, Papa," Lizzie called as she ran up to them. "I didn't get to apologize because the Phillips' already went home. Should I go to their house?"

"No, honey, you can talk to Jimmy tomorrow at school. Make sure you do it inside the schoolroom so neither you or Jimmy will be tempted to get into another fight. I'm sure you'll get a chance to speak to Mrs. Phillips sometime soon. So, back to the bench," Adam said, inclining his head towards the bench.

"Yes, Papa," Lizzie sighed and slowly walked back to the bench.

Adam held his hand out to Carolyn and with one last sad look at Lizzie, she took it and they went off to explore the bazaar.

Lizzie was quickly bored sitting on the bench. She picked at it for a while and then she lay down on it and was moving to lay down on her other side when Jim Mason came up. She sat up and scooted over so he could sit next to her.

"In trouble with your papa, huh?" He asked sympathetically.

"Yes, Mr. Mason, he doesn't like me to fight," Lizzie said sadly.

"Not very lady like, I guess," Mr. Mason said nodding.

"That's what he said," Lizzie whispered.

"Well, I will tell you a secret. Sally and her family were really glad that you stuck up for her and I suspect your papa is too, although, you probably shouldn't have stomped on Jimmy's feet."

"That's what Papa said too and that's why I'm sitting on this bench," Lizzie looked up at him to see him smiling at her.

"Probably should have used the Apache tear, huh? Might have kept you off the bench," Mr. Mason said with a laugh.

Lizzie nodded ruefully.

"Well, I'm proud of you too for standing up for Sally." He reached out and tousled her hair. "I'll see you later, Lizzie" Mr. Mason said as he stood and walked back to the bazaar.

"Thanks, Mr. Mason," Lizzie called after him.

Over the next fifteen minutes, Lizzie had a number of visitors from the town. All of them telling her they were proud of how she acted and none of those visits went unnoticed by Adam.

Adam was starting to get tired and had sought out a bench to sit on with Carolyn when Ben came to find them.

"Are you worn out?" Ben asked.

"Yes, Pa, I don't think I quite have my full strength back, but I don't mind the company here in the shade." He reached out to squeeze Carolyn's hand.

Ben glanced over to Lizzie who was lying down on the bench.

"She's had quite a few visitors," Ben said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, it's giving me a lot of hope for Sally that so many people seem to support Lizzie's actions. I just hope Lizzie isn't getting a swellhead from all the attention. I think I want her to ride back in the buggy with us so that I can talk to her some more. I'm hoping Hoss will ride Blaze back."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. I'll go find him and we can meet up at the buggy. All right?"

"Sure, Pa," Adam said as he stood, "Can I see you on Wednesday?" Adam asked planting a soft kiss on Carolyn's lips.

"Yes, Adam, I would like that," Carolyn said, standing.

"Seven o'clock?" Adam asked.

"Perfect," she said, stepping away from him as he held on to her hand, finally dropping it as she walked away.

Adam walked over to Lizzie and said, "Come on Lizzie, time to go home. You'll be riding back in the buggy with your grandpa and me and Hoss will ride Blaze home."

"But, Papa, I want to ride Blaze…" Lizzie whined.

"Elizabeth, do you think it's wise to whine at me right now?" Adam asked in a low voice.

"No," Lizzie said throwing her arms by her side.

Adam raised his eyebrow and held out his hand to her. She reluctantly took it and followed him to the buggy.

They were soon on the road, with Lizzie in the front seat of the buggy between Adam and Ben.

"Lizzie," Adam said quietly, "I saw you had a lot of visitors at your bench."

"Yes, Papa, should I have told them to go away? Was it not allowed?" Lizzie asked in a worried voice.

"No, Lizzie, I'm just curious what they said to you," Adam said, picking up her hand to hold it.

"They mostly said they were proud of me. Mr. Mason said I should have used the Apache tear." Lizzie said seriously.

"And what did you say to them?"

"I thanked them…was that all right?" Lizzie asked, looking down at her shoes.

"Yes, Lizzie that was exactly what you should have said. I'm curious though. After all those visitors, I'm wondering what you're thinking about what happened today," Adam said, raising his eyebrows.

Lizzie looked down at her shoes and thought about things. She finally looked up at him and said, "I know I shouldn't have stomped on Jimmy's feet. I remember you told me about Grandpa and the teacher that only taught the white children." She glanced up at her grandpa and he smiled at her. "I remember you said that 'cause he didn't yell, that the town and the teacher listened to him. Is that right?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes, Lizzie, I remember telling you that," Adam said squeezing her hand and nodding.

"So, I think that Mrs. Phillips and Jimmy still think that Sally's bad and a bastard and even though the town thinks what I did was good, they're just mad at me," Lizzie put her head in Adam's lap.

"So, you think that yelling at them and stomping on Jimmy's feet didn't help how they felt about Sally?"

"No, Papa," Lizzie said sadly.

"I'm afraid you're right, Lizzie," Adam said just as sadly.

"Do you think when I apologize I should try to talk to them?"

"You can try, honey, but I don't want you to be too disappointed if they don't change their minds," Adam said stroking Lizzie's head. "And if you're going to try and change their minds, Lizzie, I want to go with you."

Lizzie sat up, "Why? I can do it myself."

"I know you can, Lizzie, but they may not like what you say to them and I think that we might be more successful talking to them about it if we go together, all right?"

Lizzie nodded and put her head back in Adam's lap. He looked up to see Ben's eyes looking with pride at his granddaughter and Adam's eyes were just as proud.