"Do you mind takin' your foot down, banner?" "There's plenty o' room out in the street, mccain." "Take your foot down." "Mccain!" "You had no call to do that." "Didn't I?" "Now, let me tell you somethin', banner." "You two" "Better take my advice an' find somethin' better to do than" "Sittin' around town, an' gettin' in people's way." "Next person to try it, I may not be so polite." "Big sodbuster!" "Some day I'd like to take 'im down!" "I don't like being laughed at." "Yeah, an' luke mccain, he needs somebody laughing' at him" "For a change, see how he likes it." "You're right, an' I know just how to do it." "Yeah..." "How?" "He ain't got a woman." "Just him an' that boy o' his." "No wife to henpeck 'im." "So?" "So, why don't we order 'im one?" "Huh?" "Yeah." "Mark?" "Here's a list of the things I'm gonna need from the" "Store." "Will you pick 'em up on the way back?" "All right, you want me to bring 'em right out, or wait for miss milly?" "Oh, well, if we're gonna have dinner ready for her when she" "Gets here, you better bring 'em right out." "An' don't dawdle," "I'm gonna need that sugar for the chocolate cake." "All right." "Say, pa, do you think it's just a coincidence" "That miss milly likes the chocolate cake" "As much as we do?" "Why don't you figure that out on your way to school." "An' by the way, son, here's 15 cents, you better get" "Yourself a haircut." "You sure need it." "Oh, all right." "Stagedriver:" "Whoa!" "You think she's on it?" "Said she'll be." "Last letter" "We got from that matrimony place in st." "Louis." "great day in the mornin', would you look at that." "I'm, ah, lookin'." "Ma'am?" "You were..." "Expectin' somebody to meet you?" "You're makin' it your business, marshal?" "Why, no." "No, not if you don't" "Want me to, but don't I know you from some place?" "You never met me before in your life an' you know it." "Maybe so, but asking' that is one way of meeting' a person." "My name is torrance, micah torrance." "My name is mary woodson, I came over 1,000 miles," "From st." "Louis." "Someone's gonna meet me, I've been sent for, an'" "He'll be here." "Now, is there anythin' else, marshal?" "Er, no, no I reckon not." "But er, in case whoever he is doesn't show up, my office" "Is just across the street, an' if I can be of any help..." "Marshal?" "I..." "I really do need some information, you see, uh" "Just who were you expectin', miss?" "Well, a..." "A rancher." "Um, mccain, lucas mccain." "Lucas mc" "Oh, what's the matter?" "Matter?" "Well, er, well, nothin', I mean" "Well, do you know 'im?" "Know 'im?" "I should say I do know 'im." "Know 'im very well," "He's practically my best friend." "Oh, well, in that case he must have told you." "Told me?" "Told me what?" "Told you why I'm here, I mean, if you're good friends, he" "No, no." "I, er, I can't remember 'im tellin' me" "Anything, but..." "Say, you, er," "You're not a relative or somethin'?" "No, I'm not a relative, least not now." "But I will be." "Would you, er, mind explaining' that?" "Well there's nothin' to explain, I'm the bride he sent for." "You're the what?" "What's the matter, marshal?" "Don't you hear so good?" "Why, er- would you mind stepping' into my office?" "I'd like to talk to you a little more privately about this." "Woo, if this don't beat all." "That mccain is sure gonna be mad." "He' goin' to be a lot madder," "By the time we get through with 'im." "Come on, let's go." "We got us a piece of information to spread around." "Now, miss, would you mind repeating' that?" "Are you sure" "Lucas mccain asked you to marry 'im?" "Well, of course I'm sure!" "You think I'd come all the way out here, if I- well, they're" "All right here, right here, in his letters." "All his nice words, how he lives, being lonely an' all." "Him an' his boy." "Do you mind if I have a look at those?" "They're kind o' personal, marshal." "Listen, what's this all about anyway?" "Why wasn't he out there" "To meet me, an' what are all these questions about?" "You don't think he's tryin' to back out, do you?" "Oh, no." "No, no." "Lucas mccain's a man of his word." "If he asked you to marry 'im, I reckon he meant it." "If you don' mind, marshal," "I'd like to go back to the hotel an' freshen up." "I think he's probably just late." "Yes, yes, probably." "I'll, er, walk over with you." "Oh, hi, micah." "Hello, mark." "Mark!" "Well, don't tell me!" "You're lucas' boy?" "It is him, isn't it, mark mccain?" "Yes, ma'am, this is lucas' boy." "I knew it the minute I saw you." "The way you father described you, why, I'd know you anywhere." "Ma'am...?" "Mark, this is miss woodson, mary woodson." "Oh, how do you do?" "Well, you sound like you never heard o' me before." "Your father did tell you, didn't he?" "I'm sorry, I don' know what you're talkin' about." "Oh, well, I guess he wanted to keep it a secret," "Even from mark." "Mark, er, miss woodson here claims your pa sent for her," "All the way from st." "Louis." "Sent for her, why?" "To marry, that's why." "What?" "Marry you?" "That's right, I'm gonna be your new mother." "Mark, is, uh, lucas still at the ranch?" "Oh, sure he's just cleanin' up, we're havin' company." "There, you see, gettin' ready for me." "Oh, no, miss milly's comin' over for dinner." "Who's miss milly?" "You better go on home an' fetch your pa." "I don't like it, marshal." "Now, what kind of a man is this lucas mccain anyway?" "According to his letters he" "Oh, it's probably just a little misunderstanding'." "Now why don't you go to your hotel," "An' I'll see that your bags are sent over." "But I declare" " I just don't understand it, marshal." "He told me he was gonna be here." "Pa!" "Pa!" "So there you are." "Afternoon, son." "How was school today?" "I just had a shot" "At that grey wolf that's been botherin' the calves," "But my rifle misfired." "Did you get your haircut?" "I hope so, it was gettin' so long I" " I'd been" "Thinkin' o' tying' a piece o' string to it to keep it back." "Ooh, just what I'd thought." "Firin' pin's bent a little." "Is somethin' wrong?" "Somethin' is wrong." "Well, I..." "I know it, must be a mistake?" "What's a mistake, son?" "Well..." "That..." "That woman who..." "Who you sent for." "What woman?" "Well, miss woodson, the woman who just came into town an'" "Said..." "An'..." "An'..." "An' says you're gonna marry her!" "What?" "I still don't believe it." "Well, nobody else does either," "But I seen it with my own eyes, an' I heard it with my own ears." "Yeah, you said that, an' I still don't believe it." "Not until I hear it from lucas mccain himself." "You can ask 'im anytime you want." "He an' his kid just, er," "Rode into the marshal's office." "Seen 'em on my way over from the store." "You should have seen" "The look on milly scott's face when I told her about it." "Oh, my!" "Lucas, this is mary." "Lucas?" "Mary, I" "Lucas?" "Lucas, what's this I hear about you gettin' married?" "Well, now" "What's it got to do with you?" "Well, I- am I still invited to dinner tonight?" "Of course, you are, milly." "Now look, ma'am, um," "There's been some kind of a misunderstanding." "I" "Not as far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been." "This is sure a surprise, lucas." "Now look, micah, I'm not gonna marry anyone." "You're not gonna what?" "Now, ma'am, look you've made a mistake," "I don't know what happened, but..." "You..." "Well, they sure been in there a long time." "Yeah." "You know, I bet that ol' gal's railing' them" "Up an' down the walls." "Yeah, I bet she's the kind what could do it, too." "Yeah." "I bet she's madder than a swarm o' hornets." "What's the matter, kelly?" "Ain't nothin' the matter, except we did this to rile up" "Mccain." "I..." "Just never figured a gal like that." "That gal look good to you?" "Who?" "Her?" "Gimme another drink." "She's comin' around." "Mary, breathe deeply." "What?" "What happened?" "You fainted." "Well, who wouldn't faint?" "You..." "You're the one!" "Now, wait a minute, miss" "Don't you "now, miss" me, lucas mccain" "Now, just a se" "Not after what you've put me through!" "I didn't put you" "Make me come out here over 1000 miles!" "I didn't put you through" "An' then you walk in, an' you say," ""I'm not marrying' you, I made a mistake."" "Would you just" "Well, I've got news for you," "You're the one that made a mistake!" "Miss woodson, come now, settle down." "I'll settle down all right!" "I'll settle this bottle right over his head." "Oh, no, you don't, ma'am." "Now, marshal, lock 'im up." "I'm preferring' charges, less'n..." "Less'n he wants to change his mind." "There's nothing to change my mind about, ma'am," "You just made a mistake." "Lock 'im up." "Any charge you wanna make, breach o' promise, anything." "Now, just a minute" "You stay out of it, less'n you wanna be the other woman." "I know my rights, they're all right here in these letters." "Nice romantic letters, makin' a lot o' promises about gettin'" "Married." "I suppose they were a mistake too." "All that talk about" "You bein' lonely." "Lonely?" "Ha!" "If you're implyin' that lucas an' I" "But pa never wrote you any letters." "Oh, didn't he?" "What kind o' man are you, lucas mccain?" "You don't even tell your own boy?" "Oh, come on." "Now look, ma'am, what the boy's sayin' is true." "Now, if you've got any letters, I think I can prove it to you." "Oh, I got 'em, all right." "They're right here." "There." "Micah, milly, you know my handwriting', don't you?" "Is this it?" "Well, this sure ain't it." "It certainly isn't." "Well, of course he wrote 'em, he signed 'em." "Lucas is an easy name to sign, ma'am, but..." "Tell you" "The truth, ma'am, until today I never heard o' you an' I..." "I didn't write those letters." "Well..." "Well, if he didn't write 'em, who did?" "I'd like to find out." "Say, didn't you write to lucas?" "You must have told 'im you were comin' out." "No." "No, I never wrote." "The marriage bureau took care of all that back there." "All I did was say I'd come out," "After I read his letters an' paid 'em my money." "Well, the post office is in my store." "I would have noticed" "Letters from a matrimonial bureau." "I'm sure there must be somethin'" "No, they use plain white envelopes." "Said the customers" "Liked it that way, it kept them from being embarrassed." "I'd sure give them a piece" "O' my mind if I were you when I got back." "Get back?" "But how am I gonna get back, spent everythin'" "I had just to get here." "I ain't got nothin' left." "Mary, there must be somethin' you can do." "Do?" "Well, what can I do?" "I" "Sing in a dancehall or a saloon, maybe?" "Back to what I was," "Just a nothin'." "Living from day to day in a big city, all alone," "Nobody to..." "To care." "This was my only hope, you understand." "I thought if I came out here, I could start a new life." "Something'll turn up." "Yeah, sure." "Well, I guess joke's on me." "It's pretty funny," "Isn't it?" "I don't mind, ain't the first time." "I'm sorry," "Mccain." "You ever do think about gettin' hitched up, you keep" "Me in mind, you hear?" "Just..." "Just for laughs, I mean." "Yeah." "Well, I reckon you'll be talkin' about this for a long time." "How that woman came out here from st." "Louis." "That woman" "That..." "That- excuse me, I" " I think I need a drink." "I better go talk to her." "Not now, lucas." "Give her a little time." "well, I guess you're right." "You tryin' to tell me, there's a law against my being here?" "No, no." "I..." "I didn't say" "That." "There- there ain't no law, it's- it's only" "Only what?" "Well, I" " I mean, you know, a lady in a place" "Who said I was a lady?" "I want a drink an' I want it now." "A double!" "Give it to her." "Thanks, I can take care o' myself." "Well, I'm sure o' that, ma'am." "But ah, I just don't like to see a lady have to ask twice." "You people stop callin' me a lady, I ain't." "Lucas mccain might not take kindly to you havin' too many." "Well, lucas mccain ain't got nothin' to say about it," "An' besides, it's none o' your business." "No, that it ain't, but ah, you an' him gettin' hitched up" "An' all, like you said to the marshal." "I ain't marrying' lucas mccain, or anybody else." "Now when you burn the trash, you can burn 'em too." "What you got there?" "Mister, will you leave me alone?" "Oh, sure, sure." "Only, er," "You an' him must've had a real falling' out, huh?" "You an' mccain?" "You sayin' you ain't" "Marryin' 'im an' then burnin' his letters an' all." "They ain't his." "Why, sure looks like his handwriting." "Yeah?" "How would you know?" "Brother kelly?" "Don't this here" "Look like luke mccain's handwriting'?" "Sure looks like it to me." "But he said he didn't write 'em." "He said that?" "I think he's puttin' you on, ma'am." "Well, he said somebody else wrote 'em." "He- he didn't write 'em or send for me or anything." "I bet he changed his mind." "Got his eye on that pretty little storekeeper woman." "So that's it!" "Banner, what're you tryin' to pull?" "You keep out of this, sweeney!" "Are you gonna let" "Mccain get away with a thing like this?" "Get away?" "That's what I said, get away." "Makin' a- a laughin' stock of you." "A laughing' stock, am I?" "Come all this way just to be laughed at, me!" "Fallin' for what he said, him an' that marshal an' that woman!" "You get outta my way!" "Now, ma'am!" "I'm gonna give lucas mccain a piece o' my mind!" "That ain't gonna do no good, you come out here to marry 'im." "That ain't the way to do it." "Well, you got any suggestions?" "Oh, well, me an' my brother, we sure hate to see a lady like" "You pushed around." "Now, our way o' thinking, that mccain ought" "To be made to live up to his promises, make a..." "A honorable woman of you." "I wouldn't marry 'im on a bet, after what he done to me." "But- but you just said that" "I know what I just said but he wants me," "He just has to make amends." "Oh, well, that's what I'm sayin'." "But he can't do it" "If he ain't here." "All I'm sayin' is, you go get 'im." "Ah, charv, maybe" "Well, that's right." "He's mine, an'..." "An' I'm claimin' 'im." "That's right." "You wanted to see me, ma'am?" "Well, mccain, you make it real easy for the little lady." "This doesn't concern you, banner." "Careful, charv." "Careful o' what?" "Look at 'im" "Standin' there, 'im what backs down on his promises." "Now look, you heard the marshal." "This has nothin' to do" "With you." "Either of you." "Now, miss woodson" "What do you mean it ain't got nothing to do with me?" "You oughta be ashamed o' yourself, mccain." "Sendin' away for this woman, asking' her to marry you," "Gettin' it all set up with that matrimony bureau." "She coming' out" "Here full o' hope, never havin' seen you, never written to you." "Comin' out here with charity an' love for a man she never" "Seen." "An' then you throw her down the way you done." "You gonna let 'im get away with this, marshal?" "All right, that's enough, banner." "Now, look, miss woodson," "Like I told you, I didn't write those letters, an' I didn't send" "For you." "Whoever did it, arranged it all with that" "Matrimonial bureau." "An' whoever did it is the only one who" "Could have known that miss woodson didn't write back to me." "Now, you've done it." "That's right, banner, you've got a big mouth." "An' you just put your foot right in it." "You- you tryin' to say I done this?" "Not tryin', sayin'!" "An' if there ain't a law against it, I'll make one." "I'm gonna lock you up, the both of you!" "Oh, no, you don't." "Oh, you ain't gonna put this on me." "You snake!" "You wrote them letters!" "It was you, you done it all!" "No, I didn't!" "I didn't do it!" "I can read a little, but I can't write no how, that's the truth." "He done it, he wrote 'em." "Why, you told me to." "I just put the words down, you mailed 'em!" "You shut up!" "I'll shut you up!" "Stay right there, mccain." "You too, marshal." "Now, charv, you've gone far enough!" "Hush up, kelly, we's gonna get us outta here." "Nobody's gonna lock us up for nothing." "Banner, you're only makin' it worse for yourself." "Sure, well, maybe so but" "Well..." "Well, how come you done that?" "After all the harm you an' him done?" "I don't know, just seemed like the only thing to do." "I'm sorry, ma'am, I just didn't wanna see you get hurt anymore." "It just started out to be a joke," "Just gonna be a joke on mccain." "Well, all that talk about love an'- an' being lonely," "All 'em pretty words, you wouldn't think a man" "Like that had no words." "Oh, uh, he didn't tell me what to say." "I guess I got" "Carried away, all 'em words was mine." "Yours?" "Them words were yours?" "Yes, ma'am." "Well, I'm sorry, mccain." "Well?" "Come on, marshal." "You know somethin', mccain?" "That boy kelly's some man." "Well, mccain, like I was sayin'," "I..." "Never was cut out for a town this size anyway." "St. Louis is the only place for me." "Well, I think everybody should live" "Where they'll be the happiest." "Yeah, I guess you're right." "Well, like I said, it's been good for laughs." "You take care, boy." "I sure will, bye." "What's he doin' here?" "Said he'd leave town if I let 'im outta jail." "I figured" "That was a fair enough bargain." "Oh, where you goin'?" "Oh, I don't know, ma'am." "I reckon st." "Louis would be about a good place as any." "What about your brother?" "Oh, he's gonna stay around town for awhile." "Well, what are we waitin' for?" "Get in the coach." "Bye." "Good bye." "Oh, ah, marshal, tell charv I'll write to 'im." "I'll do that." "Stagedriver:" "Haa!" "How long does it take to get to st louis, pa?" "Long enough, son." "Long enough."