A Bonanza Christmas Story: "The Most Precious Gift Of All."

Chapter Three

Rosemary is outside with Sara waiting for the next stage to Thornton. A rugged man is sitting down on the ground near them with a tin cup in his hand. Rosemary paces back and forth impatiently and then puts Sara back down as she says. "Wait right here, darling." Sara turns and looks at the ragged man who is sitting down on the ground and he smiles and waves at her. Rosemary comes up to a man behind the stagecoach office and asks him. "Excuse me, when does the next stage to Thornton arrive?" He takes a look at his pocket watch and replies. "It should be here any minute now, ma'am." She then tells him. "It was supposed to be here ten minutes ago." "It may just be running a little late, don't worry, it'll be here." He tells her. She then looks over and sees Sara who is giggling at the rugged looking man who is making faces at her. Rosemary quickly walks over to her and picks her up off the ground as she says. "You shouldn't talk to strangers, come along, darling." She walks away from the man who removes his hat and remarks. "You have a nice day too, ma'am."

Meanwhile, Ben, along with Clem, Joe, Alice, and Candy continue to ask around in search of Sara's whereabouts. A woman takes a look at Sara's picture and shakes her head as she hands it back to Ben who tells her. "Thank you." They all then meet back with Clem as Joe tells him. "Clem, we haven't found one person who claims to have seen her. She couldn't have just disappeared." He then begins to raise his voice in a panic as he says. "You're the one in charge of this town when Roy is away, so do something!" Ben tries to calm him down as he says to him. "Joe, Joe, take it easy." He then turns to Clem and asks him. "What can we do now?" "Well, there is an orphanage on the other side of town." Clem tells him. "Sometimes lost children turn up there, there's a chance she could be there." "Alright, we'll head that way now. Thank you, Clem. Let's go." Ben says and they all head towards the direction of the orphanage.

Inside the Virginia City Orphanage, a little boy with brunette hair walks past the office and stops when he sees a man and woman inside. Joe is pacing back and forth with his hat in his hands as Alice sits down on the bench near him. The little boy walks inside the office and takes a seat on the bench across from them.

Alice looks up and sees him looking at her with a small smile and she can't help but smile back at him as Joe then takes a seat next to her. The boy then asks. "Are you here to adopt a boy?" Joe looks at him and gives a small smile as he replies. "No, we're uh..we're looking for a little girl." The boy looks down in disappointment as he says. "I knew it. Everybody wants to adopt girls." Joe then tells him. "We're not looking to adopt one, we're looking for our daughter." Alice then speaks up and tells him. "She's missing and we thought maybe she was brought here." "Oh." He then asks. "Do you have any boys around your house?" "No." Joe replies. The boy then tells him. "Well, you oughta consider it. Lots of things a boy can do around the house to help. Take me for instance. I'm big enough to chop wood, feed the livestock, just about anything." Joe tries to suppress a smirk and replies. "I'm sure you can, son, but.." The boy then says. "You don't have to feed me much, I can skip supper, I don't eat hardly anything at all!" Joe then starts to say. "I'm sorry, son, we..we just can't.." A man's voice then speaks up and says. "Thomas?" Tommy turns his head to the Head Administrator of the orphanage and replies. "Yes, Mr. Ferguson?" He signals for him to come over to him.

Tommy then gets up from the bench and walks over to him with his head down and Mr. Ferguson then says to him. "Look at me." Tommy looks up at him and then Mr. Ferguson asks him. "Would you recite rule number nine to me, please?" "Rule number nine, do not speak unless spoken to." Tommy replies. Mr. Ferguson smiles as he says. "Correct. Shouldn't you be in class now, young lad?" He points to the door and Tommy replies in a sad tone. "Yes, sir." He starts to walk out the door but then stops and turns around and says to Joe and Alice. "I ain't afraid of hard work." Mr. Ferguson then says. "Thomas." Tommy looks up at him and then walks out the door.