After Ben and Cat drove off, Abel said, "Boys, now that your father and sister are gone, I need your help with something. Hoss, please go up to my room and bring down the small trunk. Please be very careful with it as I don't want the contents to break."
Hoss carried the trunk downstairs and set it on the low table in the great room. Abel opened it and removed the model of a sailing ship. Adam looked at it and said, "That's the Wanderer. It's larger than the model in my room, but I'd recognize it anywhere."
"You are correct Grandson. However, you seem to have forgotten what I taught you when you lived with me," he teased. "Ships are always referred to as female because they can be as fickle as women." Adam laughed at being teased by his grandfather. "I need the three of you to help me wrap this model up for your sister. I plan on giving it to her for Christmas." With Hop Sing's help, they got the model wrapped up and put back in the trunk.
"I'm going to town to get the sleds since Cat's not home," said Adam.
"Where ya gonna put them so's little sister don't find them?" asked Hoss.
"I'm going to put them in the loft above the tack room."
Cat was thoroughly enjoying her shopping trip. Carson City was larger than Dodge and had many more stores for her to explore. Cat looked in the window of a store that sold art supplies and said, "Let's go in there. Maybe they have some drawing paper and crayons for Adam. Hoss said his carving knife broke so maybe they have one of them too." Ben and Cat's puppies followed her into the store. She couldn't believe all of the things they had in there. She looked at an easel and asked, "What's this for?"
"It's an easel," replied Ben. "Painters use it to hold their canvas so they can hold their palate and brush in their hands."
"What's a palate?
Ben showed a stack of palates to Cat and said, "The artist puts his paints on this and holds it in one hand and his brush in the other.
"Do you think Adam would like an easel and a palate?"
"No sweetheart. He doesn't paint. He draws and designs things. He designed our house and helped me build it. He also designed the church in Virginia City and has helped neighbors add rooms onto their houses."
"Oh ok."
"Why don't you look around? I'm sure you'll find something for Adam. While you're doing that, I'll see if they have any carving knives." Cat looked around and eventually decided on a large drawing pad, a sketch pad, and a case of pencils with brightly colored lead. She also selected two carving knives for Hoss.
"I don't know what to get Hop Sing, Joe and Grandpa," she said as they left the store. "I know Joe likes horses but he already has one. Hop Sing keeps saying he needs a new stove because the one he has is barely big enough to make enough food for Hoss."
"I'm sure we'll find something for them. There are still a lot of stores you haven't looked in. Don't forget, you still need to get something for Pete, Joshua, Thaddeus, Rip, and the Barkleys. Trust me, Hop Sing does not need a new stove."
"Do I have to get something for Audra and Nick?"
"Yes you do. Even though Audra was very mean to you, getting her a Christmas gift is the right thing to do. It's the same thing with Nick. I'll bet you a day's chores that Nick finds a way to apologize to you when his mother tells him he won't be coming to the Ponderosa with her and his brothers. Nick isn't a bad person. He's just very hard headed and doesn't apologize as much as he should. I know you can't do everything I do so if I win our little bet, you groom Buck, feed him, and clean out his stall one day and if you win, I'll do your chores for a day."
"Ok, but I don't know what they like."
"That's alright. They'll like anything you get them." They kept walking and looking in stores and Cat eventually selected two scarves each for Victoria and Audra and several brightly colored bandannas for her cousins, Joshua, Thaddeus, and Pete. It was getting close to dinner time when Ben heard Cat's stomach rumbling. He took her to a very nice hotel and restaurant called the Magnolia Inn. The maître d' was hesitant to let Cat's puppies into the restaurant so Ben explained that they were very well behaved and went everywhere Cat, including church. They just didn't go to school with her. When asked why they didn't go to school with Cat, Ben explained that if they did, the children would pay more attention to the puppies than their lessons, so they were reluctantly admitted to the restaurant.
Cat had never been in someplace as fancy as the Magnolia Inn and was impressed with her surroundings. "This place sure is pretty Pa. You're right, it is a lot nicer than the International. I've never been in anyplace this nice. What are those trees and flowers painted on the walls?"
"Those are magnolias. They grow in the south where it is warm. Maybe I'll take you to Atlanta or Charleston one day so you can see some for yourself. Here's the waiter with menus for us."
Cat looked at the menu and when the waiter returned to take their order, she asked, "What is shepherds pie?"
"It's a hearty dish with origins in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales that has ground meat cooked in gravy, onions, carrots, celery, and a mashed potato crust on the top and bottom. It's very good and one of my favorite dishes. I guarantee it will fill you up and you won't be hungry again until suppertime. If you think you'd like to order it, I can ask Chef Jackson to put gravy on the top also."
"Thank you. I'd like to order it with the gravy on top and milk to drink please."
"I think you've made an excellent choice young lady and what would you like to have sir?"
"I'll have the same thing my daughter is having except with coffee to drink. Also, may we please have a large bowl of water and a raw steak cut in half for her dogs? Thank you very much."
"With pleasure sir. I'll be back shortly with the young lady's milk, your coffee and water for the dogs. I must say, I don't ever recall seeing two more well behaved dogs. You've done an excellent job training them. The maître d' must have also been impressed to let them in as he normally would not let any animal in here."
When the waiter took their order into the kitchen and gave it to the chef, he could not believe that dogs had been allowed inside his restaurant. When he was told how well behaved they were, he carried a large bowl and pitcher of water out to the Cartwright's table. Lassie and Silver Chief were laying quietly next to Cat with their chins resting on their front legs. Like the waiter, the chef was impressed at how well behaved the puppies were, set the bowl down in front of them and filled it with water from the pitcher. "Thank you sir," said Cat. "We've been doing a lot of walking and they're thirsty."
"You are very welcome. When Ronald told me there were dogs in my restaurant and they were well behaved, I had to see them for myself. Do they always go everywhere with you?"
"Yes sir, except to school. Pa won't let me take them to school because he says us kids would be paying attention to them instead of our lessons."
The chef laughed. "Yes, I can see how that would happen. If you'll excuse me, I need to go and make your food. Tell me, do you like a lot of gravy on your food?"
"Yes sir. I love gravy. The only thing wrong with gravy is that it's not chocolate."
"Chocolate gravy. I like that idea. I'll have to try and make some one day. Now I must go and make your food." When the waiter returned with their food, the chef was with him and carrying two plates each containing a steak. When Ben started to say he only wanted one steak to split between the puppies, the chef said, "Nonsense. These two beautiful animals need more than half a steak each. Young lady, please taste your food and tell me what you think."
Cat took a forkful of her food and said, "It's very good. It tastes like there's some chocolate in it."
The chef looked at Ben and said, "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of adding two tablespoons of chocolate sauce to your daughter's food. That's the closest I could come to chocolate gravy. There's enough chocolate to give the food a slightly different flavor but not enough to completely change the taste."
Ben laughed. "Well Kitten, it looks like you finally got some chocolate as part of your meal instead of just for dessert. Thank you sir. You have made my daughter a very happy girl. She would eat chocolate cake for breakfast, dinner, and supper if I'd let her."
"If I didn't know that doing so would be very bad for my health, I would do that myself. I hope you enjoy your meals."
After the waiter and chef left, Ben asked, "Cat, may I please try a little bit of your shepherds pie? I want to see how it tastes with the chocolate sauce in it."
"Sure Pa. You can have a little bit if you want to."
Ben tasted Cat's food and said, "This is very good. It has a slightly different flavor than mine but it still tastes similar. The next time we come here, I may ask him to put chocolate sauce in my food also. Now we need to have a little talk. Before we left the house, you promised not to spend all of my money but you're doing a very good job of it."
"No I didn't. I just promised not to spend it all in one store and I haven't."
"Oh that's right. Lassie and Silver Chief promised not to spend all of my money. That's why I was going to leave you at home and bring them instead. They shouldn't have insisted that you come along. I should have brought Fury instead. I know he wouldn't try to spend all of my money in one day."
Cat giggled at being teased by her father. "But I'm having fun spending all of your money. Too bad Adam, Hoss, and Joe didn't come with us. Then I could spend all of their money too. Maybe my uncles will let me spend all of their money when I see them in the summer."
"Little scamp. You are only nine years old and should not be acting like a grown woman when it comes to spending money."
"I still don't know what to get for Hop Sing, Joe, Grandpa, and Uncle Rip."
"You're already getting boots for Joe and your grandfather."
"But I'm getting two things for Adam and Hoss so I should get two things for Joe and Grandpa and I still need to get something for you."
"I have you and your brothers. That's all I have ever needed. I'm sure you'll find something for Joe and the others after dinner. I suppose it would be kind of silly of me to ask if you want dessert, wouldn't it?"
"Yes it would. I always have room for chocolate cake. Even if I ate as much as Hoss does, I would still have room for chocolate cake. In fact, even though I ate a lot, I left enough room for a whole chocolate cake."
Ben laughed. "That's what I thought you'd say. When the waiter comes back, I'll order some chocolate cake for both of us."
Ronald returned and took their empty dinner plates. "Would you like some dessert?"
"Yes please," replied Ben. "We would like two pieces of chocolate cake."
"Very good sir. Would you like ice cream on your cake?"
"Please Pa," said Cat.
"Yes please," replied Ben. "That would be very nice."
When Ronald returned with their cake and ice cream, he also brought a bowl with a small ladle in it. Cat looked in the bowl and was delighted to see that it was filled with chocolate sauce. "Chef Jackson knew your daughter would like some chocolate sauce on her cake and ice cream but he wasn't sure if you would also, so he sent this bowl."
"Please thank him for me," replied Ben. "That was very thoughtful of him."
Chef Jackson joined them when Cat was about half done with her cake. "I hope you are enjoying your cake and ice cream young lady."
"Oh yes sir. It's just as good as Hop Sing's chocolate cake. Please don't tell him I said that Pa. I don't want him to be mad at me."
"I won't say a word Sweetheart. If I did, I would have to admit that it's just as good as his and I don't want Hop Sing angry at me either."
"Who may I ask is Hop Sing?"
"He's our Chinese cook. Actually, he's more than just the cook. He's family and everyone on the ranch, including myself and the hands listens to him."
While they were talking, Cat tugged on Ben's shirt sleeve and whispered something to him. Being familiar with young children, Chef Jackson called Ronald over and said, "Ronald, please show Miss… I'm sorry, I didn't even think to ask your name."
"I'm Ben Cartwright and this is my daughter Catherine."
"Ben Cartwright. Are you from the Ponderosa Cartwrights?"
"Yes. I own the ranch and my sons and daughter help me run it."
"Ronald, please show Miss Cartwright where the water closet is. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Cartwright. I am David Jackson and Ronald is my son. His father was my brother. His parents were killed in a train wreck when he was two so my wife and I adopted him and have been raising him as our own. I own the Magnolia and Ronald is learning the business from the ground up just as I did. He started out washing dishes and scrubbing pots and pans after finishing his homework. Then he moved up to bus boy and then began training to be a waiter. Now he is my head waiter and I couldn't be prouder of him. The Magnolia will be his one day and he'll be well qualified to run it."
"That is a coincidence. Catherine's mother was my sister. Her father was killed in the war when she was a baby and her mother was murdered last June. I adopted her and am raising her as my own. I have three fine sons but always wanted a little girl to spoil."
"What brings you to Carson City?"
"Catherine is Christmas shopping for the family and a few of the hands and doing her best to spend all of my money. She's only nine but spending like a grown woman."
Chef Jackson laughed. "She seems like a very sweet girl."
"She's very well behaved in public but at home, she can be full of mischief." Ben told him about the Halloween pranks and last Saturday's snowball fight with her brothers.
"You have raised three sons so you know all young children can be full of mischief at times. Those Halloween pranks were funny. I wish I had been there to see the looks on your faces and I wish I could have been there to see her having a snowball fight with her brothers and ending up looking like a snowman."
When Cat and Ronald returned, Ben said, "Cat, you need to finish your cake. We still have more shopping do to and Hop Sing will kill me if we're not home in time for supper."
"Can't we just eat supper here?"
"Not today Sweetheart. This is Saturday, we have church in the morning, and you have to take your bath after supper."
Cat sighed. "Rats. I wanted to eat shepherds pie for supper again. I've never had it before and it was really, really good."
"That's 'very good' and we'll eat here the next time we're in Carson City. Maybe Chef Jackson and his family will pay us a visit on the Ponderosa sometime and he can teach Hop Sing how to make shepherds pie."
"I have heard many good things about the Ponderosa and would enjoy seeing it," replied Chef Jackson. "Perhaps we can arrange a visit after Easter."
"That would be just fine," replied Ben. "Just send me a telegram when you plan to arrive and I'll meet you at the stage."
"I'm looking forward to it. I know you have a long ride home, so please stop back here before you leave and I'll give you a light snack for the ride home. You still have a lot of walking to do and I'm quite certain that you will both be in need of a snack by then."
Ben thanked the chef, paid their bill and gave Ronald a very large tip. Then he and Cat continued their shopping trip. They passed a gun shop and Cat wasn't even going to look in it until she spotted a very nicely decorated holster in the window. "Do you think Joe would like that? I hate guns but I know that Joe likes them."
"Yes, I'm sure he would. That is a very nice holster. Why don't we see how well it's made and if it is good quality, you can buy it for Joe."
They went into the shop and Cat asked to see the holster in the window. Since there were several there, the clerk asked which one she was interested in and she pointed it out. She looked at it and said, "It's very nice but my brother is left handed. Do you have one like it for people who use their left hands?"
"Yes I do. I'll get one for you."
"Thank you." She turned to say something to her father and spotted him looking at another nice holster. She tugged on the clerk's sleeve and he bent over so she could whisper to him. "Do you have another one like the one my Pa is looking at? I want to get it for him for Christmas."
"I'll look and see. If I don't, I'll find one that is very similar."
"Thank you." He walked into the back and returned a few minutes later with two holsters. Cat paid him for Ben's and asked, "Could you please wrap it up and hide it so Pa doesn't see it?"
"I'll be more than happy to do that for you."
Ben paid for Joe's holster and they continued shopping. "I still don't know what else to get for Grandpa, Hop Sing, and Uncle Rip."
"We still have a lot of stores to look at. I'm sure you'll find something for them. Maybe we'll find a store that sells herbs. I know that Hop Sing would love to have more of them."
"Since I can't get him a new stove, can I get him new pots and pans?"
"Yes you may. That would be a very thoughtful gift as Marie bought the ones he has now right after we were married, so they're getting old."
"I wish I could give Uncle Rip a new horse. I don't like the one he has now."
"I understand, however, he is in the Army and has to ride an Army horse."
"I wish he wasn't in the Army. I hate the Army just as bad as I hate guns. If it wasn't for the Army and guns, my mama and daddy would still be alive."
Ben pulled Cat close to him and hugged her. "I know Sweetheart and if I could change the past I would. It wasn't fair for you to have to spend most of your young life without any parents but there was a war on and your father did what he felt he had to do. He didn't want to leave you and you mother but he was needed in the Army." He was very tempted to tell Cat that her father had not wanted to go back in the Army but her Godfathers talked him into it. However, he decided, just as he had at Kate's funeral, that they, not he, needed to tell her it was their fault she spent eight years of her life without a family. He also didn't want Sheridan and Sherman on the Ponderosa because of the way they were treating the Indians but if they showed up, he would tolerate them for Cat's sake until she learned the truth and decided to distance herself from them. "I tried talking your mother out of going to live with our father and so did Victoria but your mother wouldn't listen to us. Matt said he tried talking her into taking you and going to Rip but she was afraid if she didn't go back to our father, he would have one of his attacks and die. There was nothing wrong with him. He pretended to have those attacks so people would do what he wanted them to. When you see Rip at Christmas and next summer, you can try to talk him into leaving the Army but I don't think he will. If he does, there will be a place for him on the Ponderosa and we'll teach him how to be a rancher. Now, you need to think about what you want to buy him for Christmas."
As they walked along looking in stores, they came across one that sold kitchen items so they went in. Cat stood in the shop with her mouth open, staring at everything in wonderment. She had never seen so many stoves, pots and pans in one place before. "Can we buy everything for Hop Sing?"
Ben laughed. "No Sweetheart. I'm afraid not. There isn't enough room in our house to store everything and Hop Sing would never use all of it."
Cat pointed to a very large stove with eight burners and two ovens and asked, "Can we buy that for him?"
Ben laughed and hugged Cat. "No silly girl. That is much too big for our kitchen. Hop Sing wouldn't be able to move around in there."
"But he needs a really big stove to make enough food for Hoss and everyone else."
"You are a silly little girl. The stove we have works just fine and Hop Sing has been cooking enough food for Hoss and the rest of the family since before Little Joe was born. Now, Let's see if we can find something he'll like. They found a set of cookware with different sized pots and pans and cake pans in it. "This looks like a good set. It has more pots and pans in it than we have now so Hop Sing should be very happy with it. If you want to, you may pick out some cooking utensils for him also." Ben paid for the cookware and utensils and arranged for them to be shipped to Virginia City.
"How come we're not going to take Hop Sing's present with us? Christmas is next Saturday. Will it get to us before then?"
"I'm having it shipped to because we only brought the small buggy and there isn't enough room for the crate in the back. Don't worry. It will be delivered on Monday and your brothers can pick it up on Tuesday. They're going to be making plenty of trips to town to pick up supplies for Christmas and winter."
"I still need to get something else for Hop Sing and Grandpa and I don't know what to get for Uncle Rip."
"One thing we can do while we're here is go to Chinatown and see if we can get more herbs for Hop Sing. I know that is a gift he will greatly appreciate. In fact, if you want to, we can put them in the crate with the pots and pans and then you can still get something else for him. I'm not sure what to get for Rip since most of the things he uses are issued by the Army. Let's keep looking in stores and maybe we'll find something for him."
As they walked along, looking in stores, they came across a store that sold fancy women's and children's clothing. "Will you allow me to buy you one very fancy party dress?" asked Ben. "It would be something you would wear at a very special event, not all the time."
"When would I wear it?"
"Well, for example, let's say your Uncle Sam Grant decided to pay us a visit. Since he is the president, I would have to give a very fancy party for him. Everybody would be in their very best clothing and all of the ladies would be wearing very fancy dresses. I know that you wouldn't want to be the only one not wearing an extra special dress."
"Ok. I remember last summer, all of the men at Uncle Rip's fort wore their dress uniforms and the ladies wore their best dresses to supper after Uncle Rip got promoted so you can buy me one special party dress."
"Thank you Kitten. Let's go and see if they have anything you like that will fit you."
They walked into the store and the owner, said, "What can I do for you today?"
"I would like to buy a fancy party dress for my best girl," replied Ben.
"I'll be more than happy to help with that. What are your favorite colors young lady?"
"They're green, blue, and gold ma'am."
"Why do you need to know my daughter's favorite colors?"
"Because all ladies look their best when they're wearing their favorite colors." Cat giggled at being called a lady.
"I think I have just the dress for you." She walked into the back and returned a few minutes later with a very pretty silk dress that had blue, green, and gold swirls in it. "How do you like this one?"
"It's very pretty."
"Come with me and you can try it on and show your father how pretty you look in it."
Cat changed into the dress and walked back into the main part of the store. "That dress looks very pretty on you Cat, but it's too big for you," said Ben.
"Don't worry about that sir. I will make alterations so it will fit your daughter. Since she is a growing girl and will not be wearing the dress often, I'm not going to cut the excess material off. Instead, I'm just going to adjust the seams and hem and they can be let out as she grows. That way the dress should last her quite a while. She's also going to need some pantaloons and petticoats to wear under it"
"That's fine. I'll be more than happy to purchase whatever she needs to go with the dress."
"I will have the dress finished in about an hour and you can pick it and the other items up then."
"Thank you. We'll be back in an hour or so. Come on Cat, we still need to find gifts for your grandfather and uncle." After leaving the shop, Ben said, "Why don't we go to Chinatown and see if we can buy some herbs for Hop Sing?"
"Ok. Maybe they'll have something better tasting than the tea he gives me when my head hurts."
Ben laughed. "I seriously doubt that. He says the teas don't work if they taste good."
Hop Sing had been teaching Cat to speak Chinese, so when they entered a shop Ben was familiar with, she was able to greet the proprietor in his own language, greatly surprising and impressing Ben. The owner greeted her in his own language and then asked how he could help her. "I'm sorry sir. The only other word I know in Chinese is goodbye. Hop Sing has been teaching me but I guess I'm not a good learner because I don't know a lot yet."
"That is fine little one. The fact that you are willing to learn is a very good thing. Now, how can I help you?"
"I want to buy some herbs for Hop Sing."
"You must be Missy Cat. He talks of you and Little Joe when he visits me. I am his cousin Chin Lee and will be very happy to sell you some herbs for him. Do you know what he needs?"
"No sir. They're for part of his Christmas present."
"Then I will give you some of everything. I will write the names on the envelopes and he will know what they are for. I do remember him saying he wished there was an herb to keep a certain little girl out of mischief. He used to say the same thing when Little Joe was a boy." Cat giggled at his words.
He went about his shop, filling large envelopes with herbs. When he was finished, he handed a very large package to Ben. "Would it be possible for you to make this into two packages so it will fit into my coat pockets?"
"Of course. Please forgive my lapse in judgment."
"That is quite alright. You had no way of knowing I would want to carry the herbs in my coat pockets."
After being paid for the herbs, Chin Lee said, "Please allow me to do something for you. Missy Cat, sit in chair and take boots off." Cat did as she was told and he massaged her feet.
"Thank you sir. How did you know I'm not used to this much walking and my feet were starting to hurt? They feel much, much better. I feel like I could walk around the whole city without my feet hurting. Pa, can Mr. Chin Lee come and visit us on the Ponderosa?"
"Yes he can. Hop Sing's family is always welcome to visit us whenever they want to."
"I could see in your eyes that you were getting tired. Thank you. I will visit in the spring after the snow melts. It will be good to see my cousin again."
Right after Ben and Cat left the shop, she thought of something and said, "I have to go and ask Mr. Chin Lee something. I'll be right back," and ran into the store. "Mr. Chin Lee, would you please write Hop Sing's name in Chinese for me? I want to ask my best friend's mother to make him a new apron and put his name on it in Chinese."
"You are a very sweet, thoughtful young lady. I'll be more than happy to do that for you." After Chin Lee wrote Hop Sing's name in Chinese, Cat rejoined Ben and they continued looking in stores. They came to a bridle and saddle shop that had some of both items in the window. Cat pointed to a very fancy braided bridle and said, "Look at that one Pa. Do you think Uncle Rip would like it?"
"Yes, I think he would, but remember he may only be able to use it on very special occasions."
"I hope I can talk him into leaving the Army. Adam said my daddy left the Army before he married my mama, so I don't know why Uncle Rip can't."
"He may not want to leave the Army Kitten. He likes it."
"That's just dumb. He shouldn't like something as bad as the Army."
Ben hugged his daughter. "I understand but he's a grown man and knows what he likes and doesn't like. Now, let's go and look at that bridle." While Cat was looking at bridles, Ben spotted a very nice child's saddle and decided to buy it for Cat. He thought about when to give it to her and decided to put it away until her tenth birthday as she was already getting a lot of gifts for Christmas. While Cat was occupied, Ben asked the store owner to burn Cat's name and the Ponderosa brand into the saddle and ship it to him. "Well Kitten, have you decided which bridle you like best?"
She held up a braided one that was made from light colored leather and had fancy buckles on it. "I like this one best."
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to get it for your uncle."
Once they left the saddle shop, Cat said, "I just don't know what to get for Grandpa. I don't know what he likes."
"I do know that he likes to read. Maybe you could get him a few books. Also, I know that Adam has been teaching you to draw so maybe you could draw a picture for him and ask your brothers to build a frame for it."
"What would I draw?"
"How about a picture of the family standing in front of the house? I'm sure Adam would be glad to help you. Hoss is good at working with wood so maybe he could help you make something out of tree bark or a piece of wood from a tree that has been cut down and pine cones. Those would be things Abel could take back to Boston to remind him of his visit here. I really think he would treasure those things more than anything you bought in a store."
"Gee thanks Pa. When we get home, maybe Hoss will go out with me to look for wood and pine cones."
Ben laughed at Cat's enthusiasm. "I'm afraid you won't be able to do that today. It will be almost dark by the time we get home. We'll be home just in time for supper and then you'll have to take your bath. You and your brothers can look for those things after dinner tomorrow. Let's start walking back to the Magnolia. We can stop in the stores and pick up our purchases on the way." After picking up Cat's dress, pantaloons, and petticoats and the holsters, Ben realized that they were going to have too many things to carry all the way back to the livery stable.
They walked into the Magnolia and the maître d' escorted them to a table and told Ronald they were there. "Hello Mr. Cartwright, Miss Cat. It's a pleasure to see you again. I'll let Chef Jackson know you're here." He returned a few minutes later with two large bowls of soup and four sandwiches.
"Thank you Ronald. Would you please ask Chef Jackson if he would come out here when he has the chance? I need to ask him something."
"What can I do for you Mr. Cartwright?" asked Chef Jackson, walking up to the table.
"I was wondering if you would mind if I left Catherine and her puppies here while I go and get our buggy. We still have quite a few purchases to pick up and it won't be easy to carry all of them."
"Of course Catherine can stay here while you get your buggy. She can finish her soup and I'll wrap the sandwiches up for you to eat on the way home. I'll show her the kitchen and Ronald can show her how to take orders and bring food to the tables."
"Thank you David. I appreciate your help. Cat, once I finish my soup, I'm going to get the buggy and bring it back here. I want you to finish your soup and then stay here. If you need anything, just ask Chef Jackson or Ronald and they'll help you."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa/n: To most Americans the word crayon signifies the colored waxy drawing sticks made for children. The main ingredient in these crayons is paraffin. They are seldom employed as an artist's medium because their pigments are not always permanent and because they are not very flexible to use. French writers apply the word crayon to all kinds of manufactured drawing sticks—even pastels and fabricated chalk or charcoal have been called crayons.
I want to thank C. for her suggestions on what Cat can get Hop Sing and Grandpa Stoddard for Christmas.