All talking ceased when the wagon pulled into the Ponderosa's front yard. Adam had just finished checking one of the horses' legs and was closing the coral's gate. He came towards the buckboard as Luke pulled the team to a halt and set the break. "Did you find everything we needed, Evvy?" he asked.
Evelyn nodded her head then turned to the back of the wagon. "Children, please unload the supplies while your father and I speak to Mary." The children complied quickly, taking armfuls of items then hurried into the house, leaving Mary alone still in the wagon.
"What's going on, Evvy?" Adam enquired with a serious expression.
Evelyn descended the wagon then marched to its rear. "Mary, out of the wagon," she commanded. Mary silently obeyed and stood before her parents, head bowed and hands buried in her pockets.
"Evvy, what's going on?" Adam repeated.
"Tell him, Mary Cartwright. Tell your father what you did." Evelyn told the girl.
Without looking up, Mary only shook her head no.
"Tell him right NOW, young lady!" Evelyn barked.
Again, Mary only shook her head.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Evelyn exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "She stole, Adam! She stole a hair comb from Eli's store then lied about it when I caught her red handed!"
"WHAT?! Is this true, Mary?"
Mary nodded her head yes, but still avoided eye contact with her parents.
"Look at me when I am talking to you, young lady. Did you take a hair comb from Mr. Guthrie's store?"
Mary raised her head and looked at her irate father. With tears streaming down her cheeks she answered, "Yes, Pa."
"You get on up to your room and wait for me there!" he ordered.
Mary bolted into the house and up to her room, crying the whole way.
Evelyn kicked the wheel of the buckboard then spun around and leaned against it with a big huff.
Adam cocked an eyebrow then walked over and leaned beside her. "You weren't this upset when Maisy stole money from the nuns, but Mary tries to steal a cheap hair comb and you're fit to be tied. I'm having a hard time reading you, Evvy."
"Circumstances were different with Maisy. With Mary I just don't understand."
"What's not to understand, Evvy? She did something wrong and needs to be held accountable. Seems pretty cut and dry to me."
"I know she needs to be accountable, but why Adam? Why would she steal in the first place? I think of all the children who have so little in this world. Of Maisy and Jake before they came to us and what their lives were like. Mary has always had two parents who love her and wants for nothing, yet she goes and steals; why? Doesn't she know how fortunate she is?"
"Apparently not, but she will," he replied after a moment of thought.
"What do you mean?"
"I think I've been far too lenient with our Miss Mary. She needs to know that her behaviour today was not only unacceptable but hurtful, to others as well as herself."
"I doubt a sound spanking and lecture will relay that message, Adam, but it's worth a try," she said shrugging her shoulders.
"I wasn't referring to a spanking or a lecture - although she will be getting both shortly – I have something else in mind that I think will open her eyes in a big way, at least I hope it will," he shared rather dubiously.
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'll fill you in tonight after the children are in bed," he told her as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Right now I have to bite the bullet and go deliver my princess her comeuppance," he sighed, shaking his head.
Evelyn cracked a smile. "Adam, it's not as though you have never punished Mary before."
"Not like this I haven't, Evvy," he said as he started towards the house. "Not like this."
A few days later, on Saturday, Adam gathered the family together in the great room just after breakfast. On the coffee table he placed the children's toy chest and opened the lid. "Lizzie and Maisy do you have any toys in here?" he asked his daughters. Both girls looked in the box then shook their heads no. Next, Adam turned to his two eldest sons and asked them the same question, to which they too responded no. He then posed the question to Jake, Morgan, and Mary. The three children looked in the chest and responded that they all had toys in there that belonged to each of them.
"Seeing that the toys in the chest belong to Mary, Morgan and Jake, the rest of you are excused to do your morning chores," Adam said. Not sure of what was happening; the four older children left the great room and headed outside, but stayed closed to the window so they could hear the rest of the conversation. "I would like the three of you to sort out your items from the box please," he continued. Mary, Morgan, and Jake quietly did as they were told, all the while wondering what in Sam Hill their father was up to. After about ten minutes each child sat with a pile of his or her stuff resting beside them.
"Are you sure that everything is sorted correctly," he asked.
"Yeah, Pa, we're sure," Morgan stated for the three of them.
"Good, now Morgan and Jake the pair of you can put your toys back in the chest then head out and start your chores," Adam said. The boys did as they were told, leaving Mary with her pile of toys in the great room with her parents.
"Can I put my things back in the box now too, Pa?" Mary asked.
"No, Mary, not just yet, I would like you to do something first. You're nine years old now, right?"
"Yes," she answered nervously.
"So, I would like you to choose your nine favourite toys from your pile."
"Why, Pa?" she questioned.
"I will explain later; please do as I ask," he said firmly.
Mary reluctantly went through her pile and chose a couple books, her favourite rainbow coloured spinning top, her box of paper dolls, and a few other items and placed them on the coffee table.
Adam scanned her choices. "Mary, there are only eight things here; I told you to choose nine."
"That's because Penelope is upstairs, Pa. She's my most favourite thing of all."
"Go upstairs and get her, please," he sternly ordered, trying to hide the emotion he now felt. When he thought of the lesson he wanted Mary to learn, Adam had forgotten about her precious Penelope. He had purchased the blond-haired china doll for Mary's fifth birthday while in San Francisco on business. Since the moment she opened the gift, Mary and Penelope have been inseparable.
"Adam, not Penelope," Evelyn quietly pleaded while Mary was upstairs, "you know how much she means to Mary."
"I know, Evelyn. I'm the one who gave her the doll, remember?" he retorted in a frustrated tone. "But if I don't follow through she will never learn."
A few minutes later, Mary came back downstairs with Penelope in tow and gently placed her on the table with the rest of the eight other toys then sat on the settee. "Can I put my things back in the toy chest now, Pa?" she asked timidly, fearful of the answer.
"No, Mary," Adam responded simply as he walked over to his desk and picked up the wooden crate that rested there. Walking back to the table he placed the crate atop. "I want you to put the toys in this crate, Mary, and then you and I are on our way to Carson City."
"Why are we going to Carson City, Pa? Do you have a meeting or something?" she enquired as she put her favourite toys in the crate, all that is except for Penelope.
"No, Mary, I don't have a meeting. You and I are going to make a trip over to the orphanage to deliver these toys to the children," he explained.
Mary looked at the pile on the floor of her remaining toys from the chest somewhat relieved. "OK, Pa, I don't really play with those toys anymore; the orphans can have them."
Adam cocked his eyebrow. "That is very considerate of you, Mary, but I wasn't referring to the broken and worn out items on the floor," he commented dryly as he picked up the crate. "These are the toys that the orphans will be enjoying, now put Penelope in the crate and let's get going."
Mary was aghast; this was not happening. He couldn't possible expect her to give away her prized possessions just because she ALMOST stole a stupid hair comb, could he? Tears started to well up in her eyes at the thought of losing Penelope. "Why are you being so mean? I didn't really steal the comb and you already punished for that, so why do you want to take away my things?" she bravely asked her father.
"You better watch how you speak to me, little girl," Adam warned, starting to lose his patience. "I am not doing this to be mean, Mary. I am doing this because I know what is best for you and what is best for you, young lady, is for you to start thinking about someone other than yourself! So, put Penelope in the crate, put on your coat, and get in the surrey. Right now, Mary!" he commanded.
Mary slowly placed the doll in the crate, put on her brown coat and sorrowfully trudged out the front door. The other children - who had been eavesdropping outside on the porch – watched as the girl climbed aboard the awaiting surrey and sat in silence, tears streaming down her face.
"Geez, I wanted Mary to get what for, but I didn't think that Pa would make her give away Penelope," Maisy whispered to Lizzie.
"Me neither," Lizzie whispered back.
"Serves her right, if you ask me," Luke added. "Bout time Mary the Mouth got what was coming to her. Besides, it's just a stupid doll. He'll probably buy her another one next time he's in town."
"Lucas Cartwright, how can you say such a thing?! You know how Mary loves Penelope so," Lizzie said.
"Yeah, Luke," Maisy agreed. "That was a low blow."
"Oh, come on, Maisy, a minute ago you were just itching to see Mary get in trouble and now you're changing your mind cuz she's crying over some doll? I thought you were tougher than that," Luke gruffly pointed out.
"Why do you want Mary to get in trouble, Maisy?" Jake asked, getting in on the conversation.
"I don't, Jakey, not really. I just wanted her to be punished for taking my comb, and she was; Pa gave her a tanning. I didn't think he was gonna take away Penelope. I'd leave if he ever took away my things from my mama as a punishment."
Before anyone could respond, they heard footsteps coming towards the front door. The children scattered quickly and pretended to be busy with work as they saw their father exit the house, ascend the surrey, and click the team into motion.
I hope he knows what he's doing, Maisy thought as she watched the surrey disappear around the corner, cuz if he doesn't little sister is gonna be pretty hard to live with.