Joe walked back over to the school and told his brothers what Paul Martin and Reverend Long had said. "That's great," said Adam. "Pa probably won't argue with them."
Mitch came out from under the school. "Joe, what took you so long to get a piece of paper and a pencil? Did you have to go back home for them?"
"No. Dr. Martin was busy and I had to wait until he was finished with his patient. Besides that, if older brother here had remembered to bring them, I wouldn't have had to go and get them from Paul."
"Alright you two," said Adam. "We need to meet Pa, Caroline, and the girls for dinner in about an hour, so let's get busy. We may as well measure the roof first as it needs to be completely replaced."
While Cat's brothers and Mitch were busy at the school, Ben, Caroline, and the girls were in the general store. "Hello Ben," said Mr. McLeod. "I didn't expect to see you again this soon."
"Hello George. I am learning that raising a little girl isn't going to be as easy as I thought. It seems like almost every day I discover something else she needs. Catherine has decided to wear a dress to church instead of her buckskins, so I think we need more material and hair ribbons. Catherine, how many more dresses are you going to get?"
"Just two but only if Carrie, Mary, and Laura can get more too."
Ben just rolled his eyes while the other adults laughed. "Alright said Caroline. They may have two more each. Girls, pick out some material that you like."
While the girls were picking out material, Ben said, "George, I just discovered that Catherine does not have a rain sicker. I can't have her sitting in school soaking wet all day. She'll get sick."
"Yes she will. Once she and her friends pick out their material and hair ribbons, we'll try some rain slickers on her."
"She'll need some kind of boots also," added Caroline. "Her feet will be soaked before she gets from the house to the barn."
"I didn't think about that. Caroline, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. If it weren't for you, Catherine wouldn't have many of the things she needs. George, do you have anything in the way of rain boots for children?"
"No Ben I don't. Most of the girls who live on farms and ranches are driven to town when it's raining. Otherwise they do like the girls who live in town and tie oil skins around their shoes and remove them at the school. We'll have to see if I have a pair of boots that Cat likes. When it comes to clothing, boys are much easier to please than girls."
James walked into the store while the girls were looking at material for dresses. "Hi Cat. It's nice to see you again. Did you bring your puppies?"
"Hi James. It's nice to see you too. Yes, I brought Lassie and Silver Chief. I think they're over there chasing a mouse." Just then Lassie walked up carrying a mouse and received a lot of praise from everyone.
"Come on Lassie," said James. "I'll show you where to let it go. Then you and Silver Chief can play with Prince while Cat is shopping." Cat told her puppies to go with James and they followed him out of the store.
"I would have preferred to kill that thing," said George. "However, there would have been four very unhappy little girls. I have learned that most little girls like almost all animals, including mice, as long as they're not being teased with them by boys. Unfortunately, by the time they turn thirteen, most of them no longer like animals like mice and frogs and some of them no longer like any animals at all."
It took a while but the girls finally picked out fabrics they liked. Carrie had never had a new dress before, so she was amazed by all of the different fabrics to choose from. Once Cat had picked out her fabric and hair ribbons, Ben called her over to look at the rain slickers. All four girls looked at them. Mary held one up and said, "Look Cat. This one is all one piece and has a hood. You put your arms through the side holes and since there's no collar, the rain won't go down your neck. The hood is big enough to cover your hat so it won't get wet either."
Cat tried it on and it was a little bit big. "That's ok," said Mr. McLeod. "You're a growing girl and if you get one that fits just right, you may only be able to wear it a few times before you need a new one."
"Oh, ok. I wish it was in a different color than black."
"Actually, I also have it in brown. It's not a real dark brown, so I think you'll like it." He opened the door to the store room and asked James to bring the crate of children's rain ponchos out into the store.
"How about your girls Caroline?" asked Ben. "Do they need new rain slickers?"
"Mary is the only one who will need a new one. Her old one should fit Laura and I can shorten Laura's for Carrie."
"Nonsense! Laura, Mary, Carrie, pick out new rain slickers for yourselves too. Caroline, I am not spoiling your girls. These are things they need. Laura and Carrie remind me of Little Joe when he was a young boy. He mostly wore Adam's old clothing and rarely got anything new. So please indulge me and allow me to buy a few new things for all three of your girls. Now, what about boots? Do they need them?"
"No they don't. Because it's such a long walk, Charles drives them to school in the wagon. Except for picking vegetables, weeding the garden and gathering eggs, they don't have any outside chores. Charles or I gather the eggs when it's raining."
"What about new shoes? Please don't say no Caroline. The help you and Charles have given and will give me with Catherine is invaluable. I know absolutely nothing about raising girls and you have three. The cost of the rain slickers, dresses, hair ribbons, and shoes is nothing compared to the help I have received from you so far."
Caroline sighed. "Very well Ben. If you insist. Mary, Laura, Carrie, find some shoes that fit you."
"Cat, you need to look at boots and see if you can find a pair that fit you," added Ben.
"Why do I need boots Pa? I have my moccasins."
"You need boots for when it rains. The yard can get very muddy and your feet will be soaked before you can get out to the barn. We'll get you some warm boots before cold weather sets in."
Cat looked at the boots and found a pair she liked. "Can I please get these Pa?"
"Do they fit?"
"I don't know."
"Silly girl. You need to try them on before we buy them. I'm not going to spend money on something that doesn't fit you."
Cat sat down on the floor, took her moccasins off and tried the boots on. "Oh darn. They're too small and they're the only pair I liked. All the rest are black or dark brown and I don't like them."
"Alright Kitten. We'll think of something. Maybe there's a pair of Joe's old boots in the attic. They may be too big for you but you can always wear extra socks. We'll get you some more just in case they're needed. Caroline, is there anything else I need to buy for Catherine right now?" When Caroline said no, Ben said, "Girls, you may each have a bag of peanuts but you can't eat them until after dinner." The girls thanked Ben and filled bags with peanuts.
Ben was getting ready to pay for everything when Cat said, "Pa, can we get peanuts for Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, and Mitch? If we do, maybe they'll let me push the school down."
All of the adults laughed. "Catherine Michael Cartwright, you have got to be the silliest little girl I have ever met. There is no way that you will ever be strong enough to push the school down. Besides that, do you really want Adam to be your teacher? I know what he told you this morning. Ask Joe how mean Adam is as a teacher. Adam had to substitute for his teacher several times when he returned from college and Joe was not very happy when Adam was substituting."
Cat scrunched up her nose and made a sour face. "No, I don't want Adam for my teacher. He'll be mean. I want Little Joe to teach me."
"I'm sorry Sweetheart. It's either go to school or have Adam teach you. Joseph did not go to college. Adam did which is why he would be your teacher. Now, do you still want to get peanuts for your brothers and Mitch? If you do, get them now because we still need to go and see Mrs. Hansen before dinner." The girls filled four more bags with peanuts and put them on the counter next to their other things. Ben paid for everything and James helped his father wrap all of the purchases in paper. Once everything was wrapped, James brought Cat's puppies back into the store and the group left, put everything except the new material into the buggy, and walked over to the dressmaker's shop.
Mrs. Hansen had Laura, Mary, and Cat try on the dresses she had already made and measured Carrie for her new dresses. When she was finished, she stooped down, picked up Lassie and Silver Chief and said, "How come I'm not making new clothes for these two?"
The girls giggled and Carrie said, "Because they always wear the same clothes."
"That they do, however, if they're going to keep going to church, this young man should at least have a tie and this young lady needs a bow." She rummaged through some scraps and made a tie that she slipped over Silver Chief's head and around his neck. Then she made a bow to tie on Lassie's head. All four girls just kept giggling at the sight of the two puppies wearing a tie and a bow.
Ben and Caroline laughed at the puppies also. "Get your things girls," laughed Ben. It's time to meet the Longs, Dr. Martin, Catherine's brothers and Mitch for dinner. You can put your things in the buggy before we go to the restaurant."
Before entering the restaurant, Caroline took Mary and Laura aside and said, "After dinner, I would like you girls to take Carrie and Cat over to the school to play for a little while. Please ask Mitch to go with you to push you on the swings." The girl said they would do as their mother asked and walked into the restaurant.
They sat down near Cat and Ben asked, "What would you girls like for dinner?"
"Chocolate cake," said all four girls at once, causing everyone else to laugh.
"Sorry girls," laughed Ben. "Chocolate cake is for dessert. You need meat, vegetables and potatoes."
The girls ordered their food and milk. Once they finished their dessert, Mary asked, "May Laura, Cat, Carrie, and I go over to the school and play on the swings for a while?"
"Of course you may," answered Caroline. "Have a good time. We'll come and get you when we're ready to leave."
The girls got up to leave when Ben said, "Catherine, I want you to stay here."
"Why? I want to go and play with my friends."
"Because I said I want you to stay here."
"But that's not fair. How come I can't go and play with Laura, Mary, and Carrie?"
"Because I said I want you to stay here. If you continue to argue with me, we will have a discussion in the barn when we return home. Now sit down and have another glass of milk." Cat did as she was told but tears started falling from her eyes.
"Ben," said Paul. "Why won't you let Catherine go and play? Has she done something wrong?"
"No. I just want her to stay here where I know she's safe."
Adam spoke up. "Pa is being very overprotective of Cat. He's afraid that she'll get hurt if he lets her do anything without him being right there. He is upset with my brothers and I because we showed her how to get out to the west pasture and back home again."
"Catherine, you go and play with your friends," said Paul. "We grownups need to talk for a little while." Ben gave his friend an angry look but didn't say anything. Cat looked at Caroline and her brothers and they all nodded their heads.
"Gee thanks Dr. Martin. Mitch, will you please push us on the swings?"
"Of course I will. How could I refuse an invitation from four pretty ladies?" Mitch and the girls walked out of the restaurant and over to the school where he pushed them on the swings.
"Alright Ben," said Paul. "Out with it. Why are you being so overprotective with that child all of a sudden?"
"On the way home from town Wednesday, I told Joe to let Catherine drive the fully loaded wagon up the road to the house. The team was spooked by a rabbit and she couldn't hold them. I realized then what could have happened to her. She could have been seriously hurt or worse. I can't let that happen. She's my little sister's little girl and I need to keep her safe from harm even if it means not letting her do anything."
"Did you act that way with your sons the first time a team ran away with them?" asked Reverend Long.
"No, but they were boys and needed to learn how to handle a runaway team."
"Why won't Catherine need to know how to handle a runaway team?" Paul asked. "You said that the Ponderosa will be hers someday. Won't she need to drive a wagon to town for supplies? Won't she need to drive the buggy to pick up guests who come in on the stage? Or is she just supposed to sit back and let her husband or hands run her ranch and depend on them to be honest with her and do what is best for the ranch?"
"Ben, do you realize how unfair you are being to Cat?" asked Reverend Long. "Do you plan to drive her to school every day in the buggy or have her ride with you on your horse? Do you know what her school life will be like? She is nine, not five and will be greatly teased. Do you plan to cut up her food for her so she won't cut herself with a knife? You can never keep anybody from getting hurt all the time." He held up his bandaged hand. "Look at me. I'm a grown man and I managed to burn myself today. I was helping Joanne with the baking and forgot to grab a towel before I took the biscuits out of the oven."
"David is right," added Paul. "I already know that Cat has Little Joe's temper and if she is teased and called a baby at school, she will start a fight. I know that your children are not allowed to start fights and will be punished if they do. Do you want Cat to start fights and be punished because of your actions? How will that be fair to her? I thought you loved her more than that. Do you want to lose her? How long do you think she'll put up with it before she tries to go back to Dodge? If you don't stop being so overprotective of Catherine, I will personally telegraph her uncles to come and get her. As a physician, I refuse to stand by and let you crush her spirit because she might get hurt. Getting scrapes, bumps, and bruises is part of growing up. I'm quite sure that your sisters occasionally got injured when they were girls. Ask Caroline how many times her girls have gotten hurt doing something simple like playing a game or helping around the house."
"That's an easy question to answer," replied Caroline. "My girls are always getting scraped, bumped or bruised. Just last week, Mary bruised some of her toes when she accidentally dropped a stack of books on them. Laura was gathering eggs yesterday and got pecked by a hen. So, as you can see Ben, there is no way to keep any child from getting hurt, no matter how hard you try."
Ben sighed. "I don't like it but I'll start easing up on Catherine's restrictions."
"Good," said Paul. "We're going to hold you to that. Adam, Hoss, Joe, David and I want you to let us know if your father does not ease up on your sister's restrictions."
"Now that we've got that problem solved," said Reverend Long, "Is Catherine still having nightmares?"
"Yes," said Joe. "She just had one last night. Adam says her nightmares are just as bad or worse than mine where when my mother died."
"That's understandable. Standing next to anyone when they are murdered is a very traumatic thing, especially for a young child. Paul and I were talking about that earlier. Has she been out to her mother's grave since the funeral?"
"No," said Ben. "I don't want her going out there. She'll just get upset."
"Do you mean to say that she hasn't had time to mourn?" asked Paul.
"No," replied Hoss. "She's been kept real busy since the funeral. The funeral was on a Friday, Cat and Joe's birthday was the following Tuesday. She left the day after to spend two weeks with her uncle and the Apaches in Arizona. Then she spent another week in New Mexico with her father's best friend, Lucas McCain. After that, she went to Dodge for two weeks. We've kept her real busy since she got home."
"That needs to be remedied immediately," said Reverend Long. "Hoss, I want you and your brothers to take your sister out to her mother's grave this afternoon. She needs time to mourn."
"I'll take her out there when I'm ready for her to go there," said Ben.
"No Ben. This is something Catherine needs to do with her brothers and the sooner the better. From what Paul has told me, all three of them lost a mother when they were infants or very young. She needs to be with someone who has experienced losing a parent at a young age."
"It will be Sunday afternoon at the earliest before we can take her out there," said Joe. "The Winters are coming to supper and should be at the house around four thirty. We still have to finish inspecting the school. Adam thinks it will take about thirty minutes. It takes almost two hours to get home and another hour to get out to where Cat's parents and my mother are buried. If we go there when we get back to the ranch, we won't be back home before the Winters arrive. We'll be lucky to be home in time for supper. As Paul can tell you, Hop Sing gets extremely upset when we're late for supper. Tomorrow, the Ingalls are coming over to spend the day picnicking at Lake Tahoe. That picnic has been planned since Cat got home and she's looking forward to it."
Paul laughed at Joe's comment about Hop Sing. "Yes David, Joe is right about Hop Sing. Even though I'm not family, I have experienced his wrath when I was late arriving for a meal I had been invited to. Believe me, it is not pleasant being scolded by him."
"You got off easy Paul," laughed Adam. "At least he didn't threaten to go back to China like he does when one of us is late."
"Hop Sing doesn't really do that, does he?" asked Reverend Long.
"He shore does," answered Hoss. "Now he threatens to go back to China and take Cat with him."
"The way he acts toward Catherine, you'd think she was his daughter, not mine," laughed Ben. "Just last night, he informed me that she was perfect."
"That is precious," laughed Paul. "Adam, what has your inspection of the school revealed so far?"
"The entire roof needs to be replaced. It has a lot of holes in it and there are several weak spots. One post and two beams under the school also need to be replaced. The walls are sound. We'll inspect the inside when we go back over there."
"That sounds like a lot of work," said Reverend Long. "School is supposed to start a week from Monday. Do you think all of the repairs will be completed before then?"
"Depending on what we find inside, I am going to recommend that the school board delay the start of school by one week. The next meeting is Monday night and it's going to take time to get the work completed."
"That'll shore make little sister happy," said Hoss.
"I take it Catherine does not like school," said Reverend Long.
"No she does not," replied Ben. I don't know how many times Matt punished her for skipping school when she was five, but it didn't do any good. She decided that she wasn't going to go to school and nobody could make her."
"How did he finally get her to attend school?"
"Actually, it was my sons that did it. Joseph told her if she didn't go to school, she wouldn't be allowed to spend her holidays and summers on the Ponderosa."
"I remember that," said Paul. "I don't remember ever seeing her more unhappy than when she went back to Dodge that January. It was all I could do to keep from laughing when she told me why she was so sad."
"Now that she's living her, how are you going to get her to attend school?" asked Reverend Long.
"Matt told her that she wouldn't be allowed to spend her summers in Dodge and Joseph told her that part of the punishment for skipping school was having to ride double with me or one of her brothers."
"We'd better get back over to the school if we're going to be home before the Winters get there," said Adam. "Also, Mitch might be getting tired of pushing them on the swings."
While everyone was at the restaurant talking, Mitch was busy pushing the girls on the swings at the school. Laura looked at the ladder and asked, "Mitch, will you take us up on the roof? I want to see what Virginia City looks like from up there."
"Not right now. Let's wait for Cat's brothers to come back. It will be safer if all four of us help you go up there." When Adam, Hoss, and Joe returned to the school, Mitch said, "The girls want to go up on the roof. Hear me out before you say no Adam because I figured out how we can do it safely. You, Joe, and I will be on the roof. Only one girl will be on the roof at a time. We will tie a rope around her waist. It will also be tied around our waists and we'll take up the slack as she comes up the ladder. Hoss will be on the ladder with her and follow her onto the roof. She will have to hold his hand until she gets up to the top and then she can either hold your hand or his but she has to hold someone's hand the entire time she's up there. When it's time to go back down, Hoss will get on the ladder first and you'll help her get onto the ladder. As long as we keep the rope tight, even if a girl slips she won't fall off the roof."
Adam thought about what Mitch said and agreed. They explained everything to all four girls and they agreed to do exactly what they were told. Since Carrie was a little nervous, it was decided that Mary would go first to show her how easy it was. The rest of the group walked out of the restaurant while Carrie was up on the roof. She waved to her mother who waved back. Ben started to rush over there when he felt Paul's hand on his shoulder. "Relax Ben. That child is safer than you or I would be up there. She is securely tied to Adam, Joe, and Mitch and she's holding Hoss' hand. They seem to have thought it out very carefully before deciding to take the girls on the roof. Watch how they're helping Carrie get down." Ben relaxed as he watched while Hoss got on the ladder and waited for Carrie. Adam walked her almost to the ladder then had her sit down and scoot the rest of the way on her bottom. He held the rope tight and Hoss had his arms around her as she turned around and put both feet on the ladder. Once Carrie was safely on the ground, Hoss tied the rope around Laura's waist and helped her up the ladder. Ben started to tense up again as Cat went up onto the roof. Once Cat was back on the ground, Adam, Joe, and Mitch untied the rope from their waists and Adam tossed it to the ground before the three of them went down the ladder. The girls coiled the rope and handed it to Adam who thanked them and tied it on his saddle. Before rejoining Ben and Caroline, all four girls hugged Cat's brothers and Mitch and thanked them for taking them up on the roof. Reverend Long helped them get into the buggy. Then he said, "Catherine, I expect to see those puppies in church every Sunday. They are so well behaved, some adults can learn from them."
"Ok Reverend Long. As long as Pa says they can come I'll bring them."
He smiled and said, "I guarantee that your Pa will not say no because I said to bring them, isn't that right Ben?"
"Reverend Long, if you want Catherine to bring her puppies to church, I promise you that she will bring them. However, I can guarantee that there will be quite a few members upset with your decision."
"You see little one, I told you that your Pa would allow you to bring your puppies to church if I said to bring them. Don't worry about people getting upset. Those puppies are God's children too and I intend to remind them of that." They said goodbye to Reverend Long and Paul and Ben drove the buggy out of town.
After they dropped Caroline and the girls off at home, Ben told Cat to put her puppies in the front seat and climb over and sit next to him. He turned the buggy around and handed her the reins. He was very quiet on the way home and Cat was afraid that she was in trouble because Reverend Long had told her to bring her puppies to church. "Are you mad at me Pa? I didn't ask Reverend Long if I could bring my puppies to church. Honest, I didn't."
Ben hugged her and said, "I'm not angry at you Kitten. I know you didn't ask Reverend Long if you could bring your puppies to church. I'm just thinking about what we talked about after you girls went over to play at the school. Did you like being up on the roof?"
"It was fun but I was sad because I couldn't see the Ponderosa from there."
"No, you wouldn't be able to. The ranch is too far from town to even see it from the hotel roof."
"Oh, that's too bad. I really wanted to see what Lake Tahoe looked like from here. Maybe they could build a really high building just so I can climb up to the top and see the lake."
"You sure are being silly today. Ask Adam when he gets home but I think that building would have to be almost as high as a small mountain. It would take you several days to walk up all of the stairs to the top."
"Wow! That would be a really high building. Do they have buildings that high in Boston and Chicago?"
"No Sweetheart. I don't think they have buildings that high anywhere in the world. People don't have time to spend days just walking up to the top of a building. Besides that, except for the fact that a certain silly little girl wants to be able to see Lake Tahoe from Virginia City, there is no need for a building that high." Cat drove the buggy into the yard and stopped it in front of the barn. She started to run out to the pasture to see Fury when Ben said, "Take your things up to your room. Then you can go and see your colt."
Cat carried her things upstairs then ran back downstairs and into the kitchen to ask Hop Sing for some carrots for Fury. Hop Sing saw her running and scolded her. "Missy Cat no lun in house and kitchen. That very naughty. Hop Sing use wooden spoon on Missy Cat bottom. Then he take you to father. Maybe then you no lun in house." He took out his wooden spoon and used it on her bottom five times. Then he took her to Ben. "Missy Cat run in house and kitchen. Hop Sing use wooden spoon on bottom five times."
Ben looked at Cat and asked, "Well Catherine, were you running in the house and the kitchen?"
Cat looked down at the floor and said, "Yes sir."
"Look at me when I talk to you."
Cat looked up at her father and said, "Yes sir."
"What am I going to do with you? Everyone has told you how dangerous it is to run in the house and kitchen. You have been scolded, swatted, and spanked. Now Hop Sing has used his wooden spoon on you. What is it going to take to get you to stop running where you're not supposed to? If we didn't have company coming in a little while, you would be getting another spanking. Now go and stand in the corner by the fireplace until I tell you differently."
Cat reluctantly did as she was told. "What am I going to do with her?" he asked Hop Sing. "Nothing we have done has worked so far. I don't want to have to keep taking her out to the barn, especially if it's not going to correct her behavior. Do you have any ideas?"
"Hop Sing think and tell you. You ask sons, Sheriff Roy, Dr. Paul, and Revend Long. Maybe they have ideas too."
"I will. Thank you my friend. Tell me if you want Catherine to help you with supper and I'll send her into the kitchen. Until then, she can stand in the corner and think about what she has done wrong."
Adam, Hoss, and Joe arrived home a little while later. They took care of their horses, walked into the house, and saw their sister standing in the corner. They walked over to their father's desk and Hoss asked, "What did little sister do that got her put in the corner?"
"Hop Sing caught her running through the house and kitchen. He used his wooden spoon on her and brought her to me. I put her in the corner. Nothing we have done to keep her from running in the house has worked. I would like the three of you to think of things we can do to keep her from running where she shouldn't. I don't want to keep taking her out to the barn if spanking her isn't going to correct her behavior."
"Alright Pa," said Adam. "We'll talk and let you know what we think of."
"Thank you son. I appreciate your help. We have to keep your sister from running in the house before she or someone else gets hurt or worse. What else did you find at the school?"
"The walls and stairs are sound but a dozen desks need to be replaced. They have been damaged beyond use due to the leaky roof. Also that school needs a good coat of paint inside and out. As I said at dinner, I am going to recommend that the start of school be delayed by a week to allow time to do all of the repairs."
"Alright son. If you think that's what's best, I'll support you at the meeting Monday night. We'll donate the necessary lumber. However, we have a ranch to run and cannot do all of the work."
While they were talking, Hop Sing came out of the kitchen and said, "Sons help fix supper. Shuck corn, snap beans, set table and cut out biscuits."
Cat turned around and said, "I'll cut out the biscuits Hop Sing. I like doing that."
"Missy Cat naughty and tun in house. She be punished. No cut out biscuits. Stay in corner until father say different." Cat couldn't believe that Hop Sing wouldn't let her cut out the biscuits, turned back around and started crying.
"I'll cut out the biscuits," said Adam. "I always liked doing that."
"I'll snap the beans," said Hoss.
"Little Joe can shuck the corn and set the table," said Adam and Hoss together.
"Why do I have to shuck corn and set the table?" complained Joe.
"Because you're the youngest and we said so," answered Adam, giving his brother a gentle push. "Now get busy baby brother. You have a lot of work to do."
Once the brothers were in the kitchen, Joe said, "You know, I kinda feel sorry for Cat being told she couldn't cut out the biscuits. I know how much she likes doing it."
"We do too," said Adam. "However, she's got to learn to stop running in the house and kitchen before someone gets hurt or worse. Maybe that's part of the solution. Not letting her do things she likes doing. What do you think? Everytime she runs in the house, besides having to stand in the corner, which she hates, she won't be allowed to ride her own horse for a day. She'll have to ride double with Pa or one of us. Each time she gets caught running where she's not supposed to, a day gets added onto her restriction. Maybe having to ride double around the ranch and to her friends' houses will get her to stop."
"Say, you know. Ya just might be onto somethin' there Adam. Now we just gotta tell Pa and see what he thinks."
"See what Pa thinks about what?" asked Ben, walking into the kitchen.
"We think Adam might of figured out how to get little sister to stop runnin' in the house," answered Hoss.
"Alright son, what did you figure out?"
"Make her do something she doesn't like and don't let her do something she does like. She'll have to stand in the corner, which she doesn't like and since she loves riding, she won't be allowed to ride her own horse. When she gets caught running in the house, she has to stand in the corner and will have to ride double with one of us around the ranch or to her friend's houses. Each time she's caught, her time in the corner gets increased by oh, say fifteen minutes, and her restriction from riding her own horse gets increased by a day. Maybe a few hours of standing in the corner and several days of having to ride double around the ranch and to her friends' houses with one of us will cure her of running where she's not supposed to."
"That is an excellent idea. How did you happen to think of it?"
"Actually, Joe did when he said that he felt sorry for Cat when Hop Sing told her she couldn't cut out the biscuits and had to stay in the corner instead. We hate seeing her cry but maybe it will work."
"Well, it certainly can't hurt to try. I'd rather do that than take her out to the barn. Joseph, don't worry about setting the table. I'll take care of that for you. Tomorrow, will you please go up in the attic and see if you still have any boots from when you were a boy? Your sister will need boots for when it's raining. Gerald only had one pair she liked and they were too small for her."
"Sure Pa. I'll do it after breakfast. Oh, and thanks for setting the table for me. I have a lot of corn to shuck."
"That's quite all right son. I'm going to leave your sister in the corner for a while longer. She'll have plenty of time to think about what she did wrong and the consequences for doing it. I'll tell her about Adam's idea after the Winters leave. She won't be happy and hopefully the thought of spending a lot of time standing in the corner and several days of having to ride double with one of us will keep her from running in the house." He walked out of the kitchen and started setting the table.