Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 2, Episode 31 - The Secret - full transcript

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Hi, Mary, Little Joe.

Jake Parsons.

Well, by golly,
it's good to see you.

I figured you might
feel like that.

Yeah.

Nice to see you, too, Ben.

Well, come on in.

Not many days happen
like this, Ben.

I figure a man ought to enjoy
'em while he can.



Yeah.

Like it says
in the Good Book,

it ain't what a man's got,

it's his begats that counts.

Well, Jake, I, uh,

I agree with you there.

I guess we're lucky
to have our children.

You're right.

Come into this world
with nothing,

we go out with nothing.

Yeah.

What's the reason
for man's existence

if it ain't to look out
for his kids?

Very little, I guess.



Well, I've been blessed
that way--

two strapping boys and a girl.

Of course, the boys
have given me some trouble,

but not my Mary.

She's as good as they come.

I agree with you, Jake.

She's a mighty fine girl.

Sometimes I used to think
that the only thing

you could raise on my land
was a ruckus.

Two years without rain or grass,

and when the grass came,
fire and rustlers.

You've had your share
of hard luck, Jake.

There's no denying.

The Lord's will.

Keep working hard and sweating
and things get better.

I'm going to send 600 head
of cattle to market this year.

600 head?

Well, by golly, Jake,
that's wonderful.

Ben, I want to do my share
for the young'uns.

Well, every father should.

You got good land to spare,
I got cattle,

and together we can scrape them
up a nice little spread--

start 'em in right.

Yeah.

My Mary and your Little Joe.

Been hoping that'd happen.

I'm purely happy it did.

Jake, I...

I... I don't rightfully know
what-what you're aiming at.

Well, now, a church wedding

would have been more
to my taste,

and a barbecue
and a dance after and, but...

I finally tracked
that sorrel down, Pa.

How you doing, Mr. Parsons?

Well, Little Joe, how's Mary?

Mary?

Uh, Joe, I...

Sit down, Joe.

It was bad enough
for Mary to elope,

but the least you could do

would be to bring her
back afterwards

so we could help celebrate.

Mary eloped, huh?
Who with?

Oh, now, Little Joe,
I know about you young'uns.

I couldn't be happier.

Jake, Jake believes that...

that you eloped
with his daughter, Mary.

Me? Oh, heck, no, sir.

I didn't elope with anybody.

Now, Little Joe, there's no...
no need to lie about it.

I'm not lying.
I haven't even seen her.

Mary told me and the boys

that you were going to take her
on a picnic yesterday.

- Me?
- Yes, you.

She drove out in the buggy

to meet you a little after noon,

and she ain't been back since.

Now, if you didn't elope,

suppose you tell me
where she was all last night

and where she is now.

Well, I don't know.

I told you, I haven't seen her.

Where was he last night?

My son is old enough
to answer for himself.

You know where I was.

I was out looking
for that sorrel.

It got late, so I camped
in Buckhorn Flats.

- That's your answer, Jake.
- Where is she?!

- Jake! -Look, all I can tell you
is the truth.

I didn't see her.

If she went on a picnic
with someone, it wasn't me.

Jake.

She said she was going with you.

Well, you must have
heard her wrong.

She says you've been
courting her for two months.

You deny that?

I have to because it isn't true.

You're calling my Mary a liar?

No, sir.

I'm saying there must be
some mistake.

It appears to me
there is some kind of mistake.

Some bad mistake.

It appears to me, too,
there's going to be a wedding

when my Mary comes home

and tells me the truth
about all of this.

Jake, I know you're upset,
but my son doesn't lie.

Neither does my Mary!

Parsons may not be as rich
as Cartwrights,

but we do know the difference
between right and wrong.

We found Mary, Pa.

She's dead.

The buggy was near Indian Leap.

Her body was at the bottom
of the cliff.

Jake, this...

this is terrible.

Is there anything we could do?

You Cartwrights
have done enough.

I want to see my daughter.

You boys take me to her.

We'll be back.

Oh, no.

Someone might come in.

Let them.

We're engaged, aren't we?

I want the whole world to see
and know how lucky I am.

Darling, do you think
the governor

will be at the reception?

I don't know.

That's the tenth time
you've asked me that.

Does it really matter
that much?

Of course it does.

I want to meet him.

Contacts like that
are very important

in the legal profession.

Jerome, can't you
ever forget business?

Sweetheart, I didn't
have the start

that your father did.

If I want to be worthy of you,

I've got to make
every moment count.

Mr. Cartwright, I didn't know

you were coming in
this afternoon.

Well, we hadn't intended to,
Mr. Bell.

Hello, Betty Mae.

Is Hiram in, please?

Yes, sir. I'll tell him
you're here.

Thank you.

Mr. Cartwright
to see you, sir.

Ben? Little Joe.

Well, this is
a pleasant surprise.

What brings you
into Virginia City, Ben?

Well, Hiram, trouble.

We need your help.

Well, I'm sorry
to hear that, Ben.

That's what I'm here for.

Come in, come in.

Hiram, uh, this isn't
an ordinary legal matter.

You make it sound
pretty serious, Ben.

Well, it is.

It's quite personal.

I'll be outside
if you want me, Mr. Wood.

What do you think
the trouble is, Jerome?

I've never seen
Ben Cartwright so upset.

People are always upset

when they come
to a lawyer's office.

That's why attorneys
like your father

get such large fees.

Jerome, that's a fine way
to talk about

your future father-in-law.

If you worked
as hard as he does...

Well, darling, I would,

but every hour I work
is an hour away from you.

Well, try working
for an hour anyway.

I'll be back at 2:00.

We can leave for the reception
from here.

I'll be waiting for you.

Ben, I can understand
your concern about this,

but I don't see what
you got to worry about.

If Little Joe
was chasing a horse

in Buckhorn Flat all day,
there's no way

he can be implicated
in the death of this girl.

Well, maybe not legally,

but Jake Parsons and his boys
think he is implicated.

Well, Ben,
it was a terrible tragedy.

They were overwrought.

I can understand that.

But I don't want my son
gunned down

by someone taking the law
into his own hands.

Don't you worry
about the Parsons boys, Pa.

I can take care of them.

You'll do no such thing.

You'll go to the sheriff
and give him a full account

of your whereabouts
these last few days.

And, Ben, you tell him
what transpired

between Jake Parsons
and yourself.

That way, any protecting
that needs to be done

will come from the law.

Mm. Well...

all right, Hiram.

I came to you for advice.

If that's what you think
we should do...

That's what you should do.

Roy Coffee will know
how to handle it.

- Yeah.
- Sheriff Coffee's not in town.

He's in Carson City
on that rustling case.

- Oh, yeah.
- The new deputy, Rick Conley,

I think, is in charge.

You think that will make
any difference, Hiram?

Well, I haven't had a chance

to get acquainted
with Deputy Conley.

But just to make sure,
I'll send Jerome along with you

to see that your statements
are taken down properly.

Thank you.

Jerome, would you step in,
please?

Yes, sir.

Jerome, I want you to go
to the sheriff's office

with Ben and Little Joe.

They're going to make
a statement

and I want you to protect
their interests

and see that
it's recorded correctly.

You want that taken care of
immediately, sir?

You know Betty Mae and I
are due at the reception.

- Well, that'll have to wait.
- Of course.

Is this Ponderosa business?

Well, not exactly.

Little Joe is going to make a
statement as to his whereabouts

at the time
of Mary Parsons' death.

Mary Parsons?

I hadn't heard.

Her body was found
at the bottom of Indian Leap.

"...Parsons and
the company of others."

Well, this seems to be
perfectly all right.

All right for you both
to sign it.

I'll just witness it.

That should take care of things.

Unless there's an inquest.

Inquest?

I see no reason for an inquest.

It was obviously a case
of accidental death.

Well, maybe it was
and maybe it wasn't.

That's not for me to decide.
That's up to the coroner.

I feel that an inquest would be
completely out of order

in a case like this.

Well, mister,
I don't care what you feel.

I'm running this office until
Sheriff Coffee gets back,

and I'm not about to decide
anything until Doc Martin

tells me whether it looks
to him like this girl was hit,

choked, shot or whatever
before she took that fall.

We can understand
your position, Rick.

And we'll go along with anything
that's necessary.

Do you want us to stay in town?

Might be a good idea,
Mr. Cartwright.

Jake and his boys brought
the girl's body in.

Doc Martin is making
the examination right now.

If you gentlemen will excuse me,
I'm late for an appointment.

I really must advise you that
even if there is an inquest,

there's no need
for you to stay in town.

There was no witness
to involve Little Joe.

I'll be able to handle
everything at the proper time.

Thank you, Mr. Bell.

Good-bye, sir.

He's right, Mr. Cartwright.

I can't keep you in town
unless you want to stay.

Well, we'll, uh...
we'll stay in town

until after the doctor's
made his examination.

We'll be in his office
if you need us.

All right, sir.

What's the doctor going
to be able to tell us?

I don't know.

The more information we have,

the better we'll be able
to reason with Jake Parsons.

Yeah.

That girl fell 200 feet.

I don't see how
they could tell anything.

Doctor, were you able
to reach any conclusion?

There's one conclusion
that was easy to reach.

What was that?

Every bone in her body
was broken.

Was there anything to indicate

that it was anything
but an accident?

Not specifically.

Well, then it was
an accident, then.

It could have been.

Or it could have been suicide.

Suicide?

What makes you say that?

She wasn't married, was she?

Well, you know she wasn't.

She should have been.

Son...

No, Pa,
I was never even alone with her.

I'm gonna have to tell this
to Deputy Conley right away.

I guess you know that, Ben.

Yeah, I know that.

I... was just thinking about
what Jake Parsons is going to do

when he finds out the truth.

Thank you, Doctor.

Come on, Joe,
we'd better go home.

Hi, Ben.

Hello, John.

Oh, hello, Doc.

What's got into Ben Cartwright?

He and Little Joe went by me
like I was a rock in the road.

It's nothing personal, I'm sure.

They're concerned about
Mary Parsons being found dead.

Mary Parsons dead?

When was this?

Her brothers found her body
yesterday.

Happened the day before, though.

The day before?

I saw her that day around noon.

Where'd you see her?

Why, right on the road
to Indian Leap.

Must have happened
right after I saw them.

Them?

You mean there was somebody
with her?

Sure there was.

She was with
Little Joe Cartwright.

I even waved to them
when they went by.

Are you sure you saw her
with Little Joe Cartwright?

Don't you think I know
Little Joe when I see him?

Well, you'd better be sure,

because you're going to have
to tell that to Ben Cartwright.

Tell Ben Cartwright, why?

Because as soon as you sign
a statement of that effect

and everything is legal,
you're going with me

out to the Ponderosa to arrest
Little Joe for murder.

Doc, you better witness this.

All right.

Mr. Hardner?

Howdy, Rick, Mr. Hardner.

- Howdy, Hoss.
- Howdy, Hoss.

Your pa home?

Yeah, he's inside.
Come on in.

Come on in, men.

John, Deputy.

Well, come on in, gentlemen,
sit down.

Thank you, Mr. Cartwright, but
we're here on official business.

Oh. Well, what does that mean?

You go ahead and tell him
what you told me, Mr. Hardner.

Sorry as I am to say it, Ben,

I saw Little Joe
and Mary Parsons

driving up toward Indian Leap
day before yesterday.

You what?

You were in Parsons' buggy,
Little Joe.

Your paint horse
was tied on behind.

Mr. Hardner,
that's not the truth!

I wish it had been somebody else
that saw you, Joe.

It ain't easy to do this
to a friend.

Pa, he's lying.

Pa, Little Joe wasn't in that
buggy-- he wasn't nowhere

- near Indian Leap.
- I know that.

Well, what are we doing standing
here listening to this for?

Well, John--for some reason--

thinks that he saw Little Joe
and Mary in that buggy.

He believes it.

Now that kind of believing can
put a rope around Joe's neck.

And you still say
that you weren't there.

Of course I say it. I wasn't
within 20 miles of that place.

All right.

Comes down to your word
against Mr. Hardner's.

In a case like that, a jury's
gonna have to decide it.

I'm sorry, Joe, but I'm going
to have to take you in.

Get your horses ready.

We're going to town.

We believe you, boy.

Never doubt that for an instant.

I'll take that, Joe.

Stop right there, all of you!

You don't have to do this.

Little Joe's under arrest.
We're on our way to town.

Get out of the way, Cartwright.

I come out here to get one,
but I'll take two if I have to.

Little Joe's not wearing a gun.

You can't shoot an unarmed man.

What chance did
he give my sister?

I never even saw your sister.

That's what you'd say, sure.
But she said

she was going to meet you
and that's good enough for me.

Get out of the way, Cartwright!

Don't be a fool, Pete.

Let the law handle this.

Cartwright is a big name
around these parts.

One kind of law for you and
another kind for the rest of us.

- That isn't true, Pete.
- Not this time, it ain't.

I'm going to have me
an eye for an eye.

You ain't out of
the woods yet, Cartwright.

Wait till my pa and brother
hear about this.

Let's get it over with, Joe.

I'll say it again, I wasn't
within 20 miles of Indian Leap.

Then you got nothing
to be afraid of.

Haven't I?

All I saw was a rabbit, a buck
and that sorrel.

Are they going to testify
on my behalf?

I guess somebody better tell
Jake Parsons about Pete.

Don't worry, I don't doubt
that all the Parsons

have heard about it by now.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

I'm going to see Hiram Wood.

You boys coming along?

No, we'll keep Joe company.

Yeah, and make sure he don't
get no uninvited company.

That's a good idea.

I didn't want to hurt Pete,

but I just couldn't let him
kill somebody

in cold blood, could I?

I had to shoot.

Of course you did, Ben.
Of course you did.

But right now, the Parsons
are the least of your worries.

Well, let's face it,

this has turned out to be
a lot more serious

than I'd anticipated.

With a witness like
John Hardner...

Could John have any reason
to lie, Ben?

Oh, no, not John Hardner.

Ben, this is a difficult
question for me to ask you.

Are you sure that Little Joe
is telling the whole truth?

You ask me to doubt my son?

No, no, no, no,
I'm not asking that.

All I'm asking is

do you think there's any chance
that Little Joe...

If I were to start doubting
my son at this point,

everything I've lived
and worked for would be lost.

Ben, I'm your lawyer.

I have to think the way
a jury is going to think.

Believe me, with this
latest news about the girl

and John Hardner's testimony,

this is going to come
before a jury.

Hiram, what do we do?

Well...

You two have a good time
at the reception?

Oh, Father,
it was absolutely wonderful.

Jerome made such an impression
on the governor,

the governor hardly noticed
anyone else.

I was surprised
how young he is.

We did seem to have
a lot in common.

He even wanted to know
my views on politics.

That's fine, Jerome.
That's fine.

But right now
politics can wait.

We've got something
much more urgent

to consider at the moment.

Well, yes, sir, of course.

As a matter of fact,
it's been on my mind

all during the reception.

I'm glad to hear that.

Did you come up
with any ideas?

Well, sir, I don't like
to say this about the dead,

but with that girl's
reputation,

I don't think there's a jury
in Virginia City

that would convict Little Joe.

Jerome!

What a dreadful thing to say.

I'm sorry, sweetheart, but we're
fighting for a man's life.

Hiram...
Hiram, suppose...

suppose we
took Jake Parsons' buggy

back up to Indian Leap again

and have John Hardner show us
exactly what he saw.

That might be
an excellent idea, Ben.

If there's any possibility

of showing that John Hardner
was mistaken,

- why, I think...
- That's just it.

But what happens, sir,
if it confirms

John Hardner's statement?

Then we'll have no case at all
in court.

No, sir, I think
we've got to fight this out

on the basis
of the reputations

of that girl
and Mr. Cartwright's son.

Mr. Bell, we are going
on the assumption

that Little Joe is innocent.

Yes, sir, of course.

I'm just pointing out

that legally we might be
taking unwarranted risk.

He's got a point there, Ben.

There would be
some risk involved.

It's a risk
I'm perfectly willing to take.

- I hope we don't regret this,
Mr. Wood. -

I want the man that shot my son.

Your rifle, Jake, put it down.

You won't need it in here.

Where's Ben Cartwright?

I'm right here, Jake.

Pete took the law
into his own hands,

tried to shoot an unarmed man.

Mr. Cartwright did
the only thing

he could do, in self-defense.

It's true, Jake, I saw it.

Hardner, seems to me like
you jumped the fence.

You was going to testify
Little Joe was with my Mary.

Now your siding
with Cartwrights.

I'm not siding with anybody.

I saw Little Joe and Mary
up at Indian Leap.

I'll say it under oath.

I also saw Pete trying
to shoot an unarmed man.

I'll swear to that, too.

I had no choice.

I'm sorry it happened, Pete.

One of mine dead, one shot

and all I hear anybody
say is, "I'm sorry."

There's one thing
we can do, Jake.

We can take your buggy

up to Indian Leap again
in the morning.

Why?

So John Hardner can show us

where he was
when the buggy passed him.

We can all get a good look
at what he saw.

Hardner says he seen Little Joe.

You want him to change
his mind?

My son's life is at stake.

I'm just trying
to get at the truth.

All I'm thinking about
is my daughter was killed,

and your son did it!

Well, now supposing
it wasn't Little Joe.

Suppose it was somebody else.

Wouldn't you want
to know who it was?

All right, boys.

We'll give them that chance.

But if we find
what I think we will,

there won't be no need
of holding a trial.

All right, bring on the buggy.

Hold it.

John, is this as close
as you got to that buggy?

Just about the exact spot, Ben.

Well, we can't see the man's
face and we're afoot.

How can you see him,
sitting as high as you are?

I didn't say I could
see his face from here.

I sure saw his paint horse
tied on behind the buggy.

He probably turned and looked
when you got down on the road.

Ah, stop putting words
in his mouth.

Move the buggy
on down the road.

Now you ride down to the road
and make your turn.

I remember.

Now I can tell you
how I knew it was Little Joe.

When the buggy made the curve,

the man had his foot
on the dash.

I could see his leg.

Well, what does that prove?

When did you see his face?

I didn't have to see his face.

His leg was enough.

He was wearing his gun
tied down to his left leg.

That's how I knew
it was Little Joe.

Well, what did you find out?

Just what we knew we'd find.

Well, Deputy,
what do you say now?

Inquest will be
in my office at 2:00.

I'm just seeing to it

that whatever needs doing
is done proper and legal.

My sister is dead.

The man that pushed her
off that cliff is still alive.

You call that legal and proper?

I said there'd be an inquest
and a trial.

There'll be a trial
and a hanging.

We heard what you said,
Mr. Hardner,

and if you don't say it again
so everybody can hear,

you won't live to get off
that witness chair.

Thank you very much,
Mr. Hardner.

Will the foreman of the
coroner's jury please rise?

Have you reached a verdict?

- Yeah, we sure have.
- State it.

Mary Parsons was murdered...

by Little Joe Cartwright.

Jim, you know better
than to say that!

All you're to determine
is the cause of death.

Anything else will be decided

by a judge and jury
at the proper time.

Well, that is
the cause of death.

Little Joe Cartwright
pushed her off of that cliff.

If the jury finds
that she died by violence,

it'll have to be it.

Deputy Conley?

Joseph Cartwright...

you are hereby bound over

to stand trial
for the murder of Mary Parsons.

Well, I never thought
owning a paint pony

and being left-handed

could get a fellow
in so much trouble.

Hiram, the boys and I know

that Joseph didn't murder
Mary Parsons.

I don't care what anybody says,
he didn't do it.

Pa, wait a minute.

What?

What Joe just said
about the pony

and being left-handed.

- Well?
- What about it?

Well, now, Hardner didn't say
he saw the man's face.

He just said
he saw a paint pony

and a left-handed gun.

- Yeah, it was enough to hang me.
- Yeah, but is it?

What are you driving at, Adam?

Well, why would Mary Parsons

tell her father that she was
going out with Little Joe,

when we know that she wasn't?

Yeah. Why would she, Pa?

Well, obviously, because she
didn't want her father to know

that she was going out
with whoever it was.

Yeah, and...
yeah, and whoever it was

must have a left-handed gun
and a paint pony, right?

How about that, Hiram?

Fine, but how do we prove it?

Well, first let's find
this whoever-it-was.

Hoss, you check
with the harness makers.

Adam, check the livery stables.

Right.

Hiram, I don't know why
we didn't think of this before.

Ben, if this works...

I'll get Jerome Bell
working on it right away.

Sweetheart, what a surprise.

I really shouldn't be here,

but I wanted to talk to you

and Papa said
you'd be here working.

I'm glad you're here.

I'm always glad to see you.

The shy and proper Betty Mae.

All these books...

Do you have to go
through them all?

I'm planning Little Joe's
defense-- or trying to.

If I had it my way
in the first place,

we'd be in a lot better shape.

Jerome, I'm sure Father
knew what he was doing.

I hope he lets me
take over this case.

I feel I can do as well
as any man alive

in that courtroom.

But I have to win
your father over first.

Sweetheart, you could help me
with that.

This is such an
important case, Jerome.

Little Joe's life's at stake.

That's what I mean--
if I win this case,

I'll be the most sought-after
lawyer in Virginia City.

We can get all the things
that we've planned for.

Your father will take me on
as a full partner, and...

well, who knows?

The governor was a lawyer--
that's the way he started.

Of course, Jerome.

I'm sure all those things
will come in time,

but right now, we must be
thinking about Little Joe.

Thinking isn't enough.

The evidence
clearly indicates his guilt.

Well, I don't think he's guilty,

but it's what I can convince
the jury of that counts.

Oh, I can't believe he's guilty.

Jerome, I don't believe
he'd push anyone off a cliff.

Given sufficient provocation,
any man can commit a murder.

That's not my definition,
sweetheart,

but you'll find it
in any legal text just the same.

It was such a shuddery feeling

sitting in that buggy
on Indian Leap.

I dreamed about that girl,
only she didn't have a face.

You know, I always was
a little envious of her.

She was such a pretty girl.

I never paid much attention
to her.

She was cheap and flashy.

Let's not talk
about morbid things, darling.

Let's... let's talk about us.

You will help me
with your father?

Jerome, must we always talk
about my father?

Why not?
We both want the same things--

a big house, beautiful clothes,
fine horses.

I just want happiness.
I just want...

Shh.

No.

I have to say this, Jerome.

You want success so badly
that, sometimes,

I wonder if you want to marry me

just because
I'm Hiram Wood's daughter.

You silly girl.

You know better than that.

All I want is you.

Cartwright.

I'd like a word with you.

I said I'd like a word with you.

Well...

to what do I owe
this unexpected pleasure, huh?

I thought you and Jerome
were going

to the governor's ball
this evening.

We are, Father, a little later.

Jerome went to the hotel
to change.

He's been working so hard.

I was... I was lonesome,
so I thought I'd wait here.

Am I interrupting anything?

No, no. Just catching up
on some odds and ends.

Here, here. Sit down.

I'm sorry I've been
neglecting you lately, darling,

but I just never seem
to get caught up.

Now this nasty business with
the Parsons girl has to come up.

I know, Dad.

It's been a strain
on Jerome, too.

I wish you both could slow down.

Now you sound just like
your mother used to.

I can't imagine Mother ever
scolding you about anything.

She was a wonderful woman.

Wonderful woman.

I just hope that you and Jerome

will have the happiness
your mother and I had.

Of course you will.

I hope so, Dad.

Well, you don't have to sound
so desperate about it.

Dad, we don't have to lie
to one another.

Most girls my age are married
five years and have a family.

Well, I'm not the prettiest girl
in town, and...

well, I just don't want
to make a mistake.

Now, now, now, now, now,
what's this?

Have you and your young man
had words or something?

I suppose I'm being silly.

It's just that...
sometimes...

sometimes it seems as if Jerome

loves his work
more than he does me.

Oh, so that's it.

Well, sweetheart,
I doubt very much

that you're the first woman
ever to say that.

Jerome's a very ambitious
young man.

That's it--ambitious.

So terribly ambitious.

It frightens me.

Dad, at the reception,
when Jerome met the governor,

it was just as if, suddenly,
I ceased to exist.

Baby, baby,
now you are being silly.

I suppose I am.

I shouldn't be bothering you
with my troubles.

Of course you should.
Of course you should.

That's what I'm here for.

Now, you run along
and have a good time.

World looks a lot prettier
under a full moon, you know.

Thanks for talking to me, Dad.

Betty Mae.

What are you doing here?

Is anything wrong?

No.

There's nothing wrong.

I just wanted to see you.

You shouldn't have come here.

Why?

I'm in love with you.

I was lonesome.

Someone might have seen you.

You know how the gossips are
in this town.

Let them talk.

I'm not ashamed of my love.

Are you?

Of course not.

I just didn't want you
to see how I live.

I'll be with you in a moment.

But I want to see
where you live.

I want to know everything
about you.

I want to know
every thought you have.

Come on, sweetheart.
Let's go.

Who's the girl in the picture?

Well, just some girl.
Nothing important.

That's a picture
of Mary Parsons, isn't it?

I picked it up today
in connection with the trial.

You knew her, didn't you?

Betty Mae,
you're being unreasonable.

Being a lawyer,
I meet many people.

If you had told me,
I wouldn't have cared.

I knew there were other women.

Jerome, why did you lie to me?

Well, there wasn't anything
to tell you.

There wasn't anything
between us.

Then, why did you lie?

Well, I-I didn't want
your father to know.

I was afraid he might object.

Darling, please,
let's forget it.

She was very lovely, wasn't she?

She was prettier than I am--
younger and prettier.

That isn't so.

You're the prettiest girl
I've ever seen.

Darling, I love you.

Don't you know that?

No, I don't know it.

I wish I did, but it isn't so.

I guess I knew that
right from the start.

How can you say that
after all the plans we've made?

A big house, fine clothes,

the best carriage in town,
the governor's mansion?

Those were your plans,
Jerome, nof mine.

Well, what's wrong with that?

Why do you object
to those things?

Mary Parsons couldn't get them
for you, could she?

I told you to forget
about Mary Parsons.

Can you forget her?

She was nobody!
She was cheap!

She was trying to blackmail me.

She was going to go to you.

You killed her.

No. No, no.
It was an accident, sweetheart.

We... we went for a ride.

It'll be all right.
I'll...

I'll win the case,
Little Joe will go free, and...

and we can get all the things
that we've always wanted.

What are you going to do?

I'm going to tell my father.

Betty Mae,
I couldn't let you do that.

I couldn't let you
do anything like that.

Betty Mae.

Betty Mae.

Betty Mae.

- Right there, Cartwright.
- Don't move.

You want to see your pa,
don't you?

Move.

What's this all about, Pa?

Oh, these stupid people

think they can take the law
into their own hands.

We don't think it;
we know it.

We're going to move
on that jail,

take out your son
and string him up.

Little Joe didn't kill
your Mary.

We got the proof.

There's a bill of sale
for a paint pony.

Let me see.

Here's one for a left-handed
holster signed by John Sully.

Jerome Bell.

That's right.

Do you believe us now, Jake?

I hope this ain't
a Cartwright trick.

All right.

We're going to pay a visit
to Mr. Jerome Bell.

All right, boys.

Bell!

Stay away! All of you.

You try anything,
and I'll throw her off of here.

Bell, it's no use!
We found out!

Well, you don't try to stop me.

Better go to your daughter.

Jerome.

Betty Mae, it's all right.

It's all right.

You know,
I don't think I could ever

get used to living in there.

Good to have you out, Joe.

Oh, I don't know.
It's been kind of peaceful

around the Ponderosa
the last couple of days.

Little Joe.

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