Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 8, Episode 23 - A Woman in the House - full transcript
ANNOUNCER: The following program
is brought to you in
living color on NBC.
(fanfare plays)
(horses whinnying)
Good to have you
back with us, boys.
Bunks four and
five, same as usual.
Name's Monk Slavin.
You ever work roundup this
part of the country before?
Lassiter's, last year.
Oh... Well, Lassiter's
hiring on men.
Why didn't you go back there?
Well, I had a little trouble.
'Tweren't nothing.
Something about cutting
up a man, wasn't it?
Just an Indian.
You better look
someplace else. We'll pass.
(horse whinnies)
All right, that'll be bunk 14.
Howdy, Mr. Cartwright.
Hello, Goliath. How are you?
- Goliath.
- Fine.
Didn't know that horse
of yours was still alive.
You, uh, want to get
on him and find out?
No, sir. I'll take
your word for it.
Good to have you back, Goliath.
Goliath, you'll be in bunk 15.
Hey, where's your teeth?
Oh, uh... they're right here.
How come you don't have 'em in?
Well, it gets lonesome
on the trail, you know.
I got to have
somebody to talk to.
(laughter)
HOSS: That Goliath.
That toothless old cuss'll
never change, will he?
LITTLE JOE: Hey,
Dave, good to see you.
You'll be in bunk 18.
You'll be riding point.
Next.
Oh.
Howdy.
Had a rough night?
Oh, no, uh... I've
been treatin' this cold.
Hmm.
Well, I, uh...
sorry, I don't think we
can use you this trip.
Mr. Cartwright, wait a minute.
Uh, my name is Wharton.
Russ Wharton.
I'm Mary Farnum's husband.
Mary and me...
been travellin'
back from Oregon.
I need-I need this job.
Where's Mary?
Comin' along behind.
Drivin' the buckboard.
How about it, Mr. Cartwright?
I-I really need the job.
You'll find a cabin for married
couples back of the bunkhouse.
Thanks.
BEN: Wharton.
I'll be in to see you
once you're settled in.
Tell Mary.
Well, we're beholden to you.
Poor little gal.
Don't look like she did
too well for herself, does it?
(horses whinnying)
Well, he's a booze fighter.
You're not gonna get
any work out of him.
(theme song playing)
(knocking)
Come in.
Oh, Ben.
- Oh.
- Oh, Ben, it's been so long.
Yeah, it sure has been.
Too long.
You know, when... when
your husband told me
that you'd come
back to the Ponderosa,
I... I just couldn't believe it.
It sure is good
to have you here.
Yeah, it sure is.
I don't know... I don't
know what to say.
Well, you, uh... Just
don't say anything.
Mary, I, uh...
I'd have come up
north, you know, when...
when your pa died, but...
we didn't hear for
an awful long time.
Nine years ago now, isn't it?
Right after I married Russ.
I think that that's
all that kept Pa alive,
was waiting to see me safe.
Quite a young woman.
Married lady.
Mary, uh...
what happened with the ranch?
Everything was
going fine, for a while.
Russ had things going real good.
But... I... Everything
started to go wrong.
Russ is a good, hard
worker, Uncle Ben,
but even he
couldn't cope with it.
You can understand that.
Of course.
But, uh... you
could have written.
I know.
As Pa always said,
"Share your joys but...
keep your troubles to yourself."
Oh.
Ben, thank you for taking us in.
Now, Mary, you... you
don't thank a rancher
for taking on extra
hands at roundup time.
You know better than that.
Would you have hired him
if you hadn't felt sorry for me?
- Oh, M-Mr. Cartwright.
- Oh.
Say, you know, I-I
was just looking for you.
Uh...
Mary, darling, why-why
don't you go and make
- Mr. Cartwright some coffee.
- Oh, no, no, no.
It's all right. I was just... I
was just, uh, just leaving.
Thank you. Uh, what did
you want to see me about?
Well, uh, you
understand that ordinarily
I-I would never
ask this, but... Russ.
Oh, no, it's all right, Mary.
Well, you see, um...
we had to push so
hard in order to get here
that we... we ran
out of supplies.
And so I was wondering if,
uh, perhaps you couldn't, uh,
advance us a few dollars.
There's actually
no need for that.
You can get all the supplies
you want from our storeroom.
Any one of the hands'll
tell you where it is.
I'll, uh, get along now. You...
You know where I
am if you need me.
Mr. Cartwright.
Look, uh... I got to
have a few dollars.
Oh, not-not for me, but, uh...
The fact is... tomorrow's
Mary's birthday.
Don't you remember
that I've never once failed
to send Mary some little
remembrance on her birthday?
Which I figure is about
three months away.
(sighs heavily)
All right, look, what-what's
a few dollars to you?
I'll... I'm gonna earn it.
Not if you're drunk, you won't.
(men shouting, whistling)
(cattle bellowing)
Hey, watch that
little doggie there.
Hyah! (grunting)
Hyah! Hyah.
(shouting, whistling continues)
(cattle bellowing)
Get over there.
Get over there.
Get over there.
Hyah!
Hup. Ha. (whistles) Whoa.
Bunch 'em up at the dry
bed and turn 'em south.
- Hyah! -(whoops)
- Hyah.
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
HOSS: Well, we've had a
good head count so far, Pa.
Mm.
They're the best-looking
calves we've ever had.
We better start
branding pretty soon.
Yeah, they are
pretty good-looking.
Wish we weren't so shorthanded.
How's Russ Wharton doing?
Well, you might as well
know the truth, Pa. He...
He didn't even show up at
the chuck wagon at noon.
He just... just rode off
somewhere, I don't know.
(knocking)
- Hey, Goliath, come on in.
- Howdy, Little Joe.
- How's it going?
- Pretty good.
Hello, Goliath. Coffee?
No, uh... I just
come to tell you...
well, I just come to tell you
the bunkhouse has been robbed.
Well, what's missing?
Six dollars from
Charley Drake and...
a bottle of whiskey from me.
- You sure?
- When I'm missing a bottle of whiskey,
Mr. Cartwright, I'm sure.
Well, let's have a look.
WHARTON: Cartwright, Cartwright.
That's all I heard from you
since the day I married you.
- Huh?
- No, Russ!
Now, don't you think I know
- why you wanted me to come here?
- No.
Russ, no!
- Don't, Russ.
- You did it.
- Russ, no!
- I'll tell you why you did it.
- No.
- Listen to me. To show me up.
- Now, that's why! Yeah!
- No!
(blow landing, Mary screams)
Cartwright's wealth.
No.
Ooh!
(Ben panting)
(Ben pants loudly)
Now, you're through.
Get your things and get out.
Go fetch the doctor.
Sure.
(cattle bellowing,
men whistling)
MAN: Hyah! Hyah!
(men whooping and whistling)
(indistinct,
overlapping chatter)
Hyah!
(cattle bellowing)
Hyah! Ha!
Hyah!
(whistling)
Whoa. Come on.
- (whistling)
- Oh.
(whooping, cattle bellowing)
Yeah. Hyah! Oh.
(whistling)
(teacups clinking)
(Hop Sing sighs)
Hmm. Hey, wait a
minute. Wait a minute.
What's that? That's not coffee.
No more coffee.
Hot chocolate at nighttime.
Missy say make you sleep better.
- (Hop Sing laughs)
- Oh.
Oh, everything much better
since you here, Missy Mary.
- Here, let me do that.
- Huh?
Please.
(Ben groans softly)
- Oh.
- What's the matter?
Oh, nothing. I
was just a little stiff.
Doing a little roping today,
and I guess I'm
not quite used to it.
Now, just lean over
a little bit, all right?
All right.
(Ben sighs)
Yeah, it feels good.
Oh, yeah.
(laughs)
You just keep that up, and I...
I may fall asleep
sitting straight up.
Well, why don't you?
(chuckles)
(sighs)
(men shouting, whistling)
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
Hop Sing, you really
outdid yourself tonight.
Uh, you no thank Hop Sing.
You thank Missy Mary.
She is a very fine cook.
Everything she touch
tastes just a little bit better.
Yeah, it sure does.
Thank you, Hop Sing.
It's a fine idea have
lady in this house.
Everything is much better.
Hey, you know, it takes
somebody pretty special
- to get into Hop Sing's kitchen.
- Yeah.
Sure does. The last
time I was in there,
- he took a meat cleaver after me.
- (laughter)
I think he still thinks
of me as a little girl.
Uh, we'll have dessert
in the living room.
Why don't you go in
and stretch out and relax?
- Sounds good.
- That's fine.
(sighs)
All right, now where is she?
People in town...
Now, they told me about
your new housekeeper.
You think I don't know
what's going on here?
Look, uh, Wharton,
why don't you get
yourself sobered up,
and then you can
come back to me,
and I'll listen to every
word you have to say?
- Uh, I want...
- Now, listen to me. Come on. Come on.
- I want my wife!
- (Mary gasps)
Oh, you're... No.
Mm.
WHARTON: Come on,
you're going with me.
Oh, come on. We...
We-we don't need them! Come on!
- Now, here. Let go.
- Ben...
- Hey, get...
- Ben!
Ben, I got to go
with him. Please.
I can't let you go
with him. Listen...
- Get your hands...
- No!
- Please.
- Mary, you can't... you can't go to him
in this condition. Now,
you go back into the kitchen.
(sighs)
(Wharton groans)
(Ben panting)
You better take him
to the sheriff's office.
Oh, I-I can stand.
- Thank you.
- Wait a minute.
You know, I'm-I'm gonna
get her back, you know.
If I have to kill you to do it.
Well, unless you straighten
yourself out, Wharton,
that's exactly what
you'll have to do.
Whoa.
I brought you your horse.
How-how come you
didn't press charges?
(sighs)
Keeping you in jail is
not gonna do any good.
You got to straighten
yourself out.
Yeah, and meanwhile,
you can tell my wife
what a mistake she
made marrying me.
Is that it?
You've done a pretty good
job of telling her that yourself.
(wind whistling)
Here's your wages.
Hey, what-what's
this for, to buy me off?
Well, it won't work.
She's my wife,
and when I leave here,
she leaves with me.
You're sober now.
I'm telling you sober.
Number one, whatever
it is you're thinking,
you get that right
out of your mind.
And number two, you
try hurting her again,
and you'll really deal with me.
♪♪
Well, look who's here.
Must be slim pickings all over.
Give us a couple
of beers, Cosmo.
Howdy, Mr. Lassiter.
The name's Slavin.
Monk Slavin. Remember me?
Yeah.
Buy yourself and the rest of
those saddle tramps a drink.
(quietly): Wow.
Thanks, Mr. Lassiter.
Hey?
Who's he?
He owns the Big L.
You're not gonna
ask him for a job?
Why not? They're
all short of hands.
Oh, come on, don't kid yourself.
You're marked bad
just like the rest of us.
Mr. Lassiter?
Can you use a good hand?
Yes, I could.
All the good ones are working.
Look, I really want a job.
Then there's one
wide open for you.
More than 20
miles of public land
past the ranch boundaries.
We all lose 50 to a 100
strays there every year.
There's a dollar a head bounty
for every calf you bring out.
Two dollars a steer.
You want a job, make one.
If you mean what you say
about paying that bounty,
I'm gonna try.
Suit yourself.
I'll pay.
So will the others.
So, you're gonna go rounding
up strays, huh, Mr. Wharton?
It pays good money.
What's wrong with it?
Oh, there's nothing
wrong with it.
Nothing at all.
Except scrub and rock slopes
that'll kill your
horse in a day.
And half-crazy steers
that you have to climb
up and drive down by foot.
And when you get mounted
up, you've lost him again.
That is if you haven't
broken your neck by then.
Oh.
What do you know?
Mr. Wharton's gonna go
bounty hunting and strike it rich.
(laughter)
(crickets chirping)
(sighs)
Lovely night.
- Oh, say, I, uh...
- Mm.
I want to thank
you for that, uh...
oh, the comforter that
you're making for me.
I think it's gonna be real
nice and-and very warm.
It's gonna be... Well, I'm
gonna get a lot of use out of it.
Oh, that's very sweet.
I've been, uh, thinking
about making a
couple for the boys, too.
Mary, you're just
gonna spoil us rotten.
(both laughing)
I like spoiling you.
Yeah, I guess that maybe
that's a woman's reason for living.
I don't know. Somebody to spoil.
Ben... being here with you
and Little-Little
Joe and Hoss...
well, I don't know
how to tell you what it...
what it is I want to say. It...
You don't have to say anything.
Oh, no, no, please. I want to.
Th-There's a religion
where they believe
that when a person dies,
he's born again.
Well, that's what's
happening with me.
Being here with you,
all the love and affection
one can feel around here...
(chuckles) a sense of security.
Well, that's-that's good.
Well, it's-it's like
what I used to feel
when I was a little
girl back home.
Ben, I can't go back to...
(sighs) to humiliation and...
No, I just can't.
I've made up my mind.
I know what I have to do.
I want to see a lawyer.
I want to divorce Russ.
That's a... that's a big step.
No.
Not when the love you
once had for a man has...
died.
You sure it has?
I know what love is, Ben.
I know it very well.
It's what I want.
It's what any woman wants.
But, Ben, I can't find...
comfort and
forgetfulness in a bottle
the way Russ is doing.
I just hope that you...
that you're doing
the right thing.
I'm not a child.
I'm not going to just...
rush into anything.
Well, that's good.
Then that means
you don't have to
rush into a divorce.
(chuckling): No.
No. No, I don't suppose I-I do.
Then you'll wait?
If that's what
you think is best.
I think it would be
a-a wise decision.
(cattle lowing)
Howdy.
Hey, Joe!
Well, what are you
doing over this way?
The food's a lot
better at your wagon.
- (chuckles) It sure is, isn't it?
- (chuckles)
I'll tell you, that Hop Sing...
Oh. Thank you, Wong.
- Mmm.
- Hop Sing got his cousin over here.
He was afraid the other
fella was gonna poison me.
(laughs)
Hey, I ran into Ed
Lassiter up on the line.
Oh, yeah?
Said Russ Wharton's
collecting strays for bounty.
He's bringing in
quite a few of 'em, too.
Hmm. Huh.
That's good news.
That means he's sober.
Maybe he's getting
some sense into him.
Yeah, means he's
getting some money, too.
I hope he doesn't start drinking
and come gunning for you again.
You know, Joe,
now, a fella, all alone,
working hard, gives
him time to think.
Just hope you're right.
♪♪
Well... looks like
you took my advice.
You gonna buy the house a drink?
Whiskey.
♪♪
Did you find any
Ponderosa strays?
I hear tell Ben Cartwright's
got one of yours.
(chuckles)
(glass shatters)
You mention my wife
again and I'll kill you.
Whoa, what...
Hello there, Ben.
Well, hello, Ed. (chuckles)
Good to see you. I'll bet
you're about as happy as I am
roundup's almost over.
(sighs) Yeah, the days
get pretty long, don't they?
Oh, they sure do.
Who you shipping
out with this year?
Oh, Mike Yates, same as usual.
Just signed the
papers at the lawyer's.
- Well, that's what I'm here to do.
- Yeah.
I'm running kind of late.
I better get started, I guess.
- See you, Ed.
- Yeah.
- Say, Ben.
- Huh?
You hear that, uh,
Russ Wharton's been, uh,
rounding up some strays for me?
Yeah. Yeah, I did hear that.
I hear he's been doing a
pretty good job for you, too.
He's doing a good job for
everybody, Ben, not only me.
Mm-hmm. Well,
I'm-I'm glad to hear that.
Ben, I, uh... I'm
not much for gossip,
but, uh, talk is that there's
bad blood between you two.
Well, y... Yeah,
we-we had a few words.
Not many secrets
in Virginia City.
Word is that, uh,
Wharton's wife is
staying with you.
Never tried to
keep that a secret.
No.
No, of course not.
I'll, uh, see you later, Ben.
I'm gonna take a walk.
- Oh, Mary. Uh...
- Mmm.
Do you mind if I
come along with you?
(chuckling): No, I'd love it.
There's something I'd
like to discuss with you.
Won't be too long.
(door opens)
(door shuts)
This is a good cookie.
They sure are.
(Little Joe and
Hop Sing chuckle)
Howard Thurber tells me that...
you were in to see him.
I was, uh, hoping that...
you'd talk to me before
you went to see a lawyer.
I didn't talk to
you because I...
I knew that, well, you'd only
try to talk me out of it again.
Well, uh... (sighs)
there might be a
reason that I might.
Uh, I bumped into a
friend of mine today,
Ed Lassiter, rancher.
We were talking about Russ.
Russ is doing some work for him.
Rounding up strays.
And he's doing a
good job for him, too.
(chuckles) But no.
He's done this before.
He-He's worked
for a couple of days
and then, well, it
never leads to anything.
Well, I thought you should know
that Russ is...
well, seems to be trying
to pull himself together,
set himself up on his two feet.
And I... (sighs)
I sure hate to see you...
do anything to
put you in a corner
without being able to get out.
Oh, Ben, look, I'm-I'm sorry.
I-I've made up my mind.
I just would rather
not talk about it,
if you don't mind.
- (sighs)
- (chuckles) Look,
Ben, why don't we
just enjoy a-a nice walk.
Please?
Come on.
- (men shouting, whistling)
- (cattle bellowing)
(gunshot)
(wind whistling)
(gunshot)
(sniffs, clears throat)
(gunshots)
Now, if you'd have
been counting the shots,
you'd have known
this gun is empty.
I don't like a gun pointed in
my direction, empty or not.
What are you doing here?
This isn't Ponderosa land.
I checked that.
I, uh,
heard you were rounding
up strays for the bounty.
Yeah.
None of those are yours.
I don't touch your cattle.
(mooing)
Why not?
We pay the same
bounty as anybody else.
I don't like your
money, Mr. Cartwright.
How's my wife?
She has a roof over her head.
Oh, and that's more
than I was able to give her,
is that what you're saying?
Well...
you asked the
question. You answer it.
I will.
In due time.
The, uh, reports are that
you're doing pretty good at this.
That the best thing you
got to do with your time,
getting reports on me?
I got work to do.
What about Mary?
Any word for her?
Yeah.
Yeah, tell her I'm, uh,
glad she's got a
roof over her head.
Well, I'll tell you,
when this roundup is over
I'm gonna sleep for three days.
Yeah, well, the
roundup's not over yet.
We better grab a little
shut-eye right now.
Right.
- Good night.
- Good night, now.
Good night, good night.
Good night. See
you in the morning.
(footsteps receding)
They're wonderful boys, Ben.
Yes, they are.
I'm a very fortunate man.
You know something, Ben,
I envy you very much.
You know something,
I envy you very much.
You have a whole
wonderful life ahead of you.
I wish I could believe that.
Mary...
I saw Russ today.
Is he, uh, is he all right?
I saw a man who you
once told me about.
A man with pride and dignity.
Oh, the pride was
a little wounded,
and maybe there was
a dent in the dignity,
but it was all there.
Russ is working
hard, day and night.
He's doing well.
I know he's proud of that.
And he hasn't taken a drink.
And he won't.
Mary, look, I, uh...
I don't know what discussions
you've had with
your lawyer, but...
I sure hope that they
haven't gone so far
that you can't change your mind.
I don't want to change my mind.
Oh, Mary.
It's too late, Ben.
Don't you... don't
you realize that?
♪♪
I love... being here with you.
I've been happier than
I've-I've been in years.
Well...
- Mary, I...
- What?
What?
Mary, I-I want you
to be the happiest
young lady in the world.
And... I want for you... Yes?
Everything...
that I could want for
my... own daughter.
Oh.
Y-Your... daughter.
Well, I... I guess I've...
I've really made a fool
of myself, haven't I?
No, Mary, you...
you could never make a
fool of yourself with me.
Thank you.
(rain falling)
Wharton.
What do you want?
Lawyer fella gave me two dollars
to give you this.
Ain't no love letter.
It's from your wife.
(cackling)
See you later, Hop Sing.
Hop Sing glad roundup over.
Now you eat all meal
regular time again.
Yeah, we'll all be
home for supper tonight.
- Good.
- (knocking)
Russ.
Come to see Mary?
I want to see you.
I-I'm gonna be leaving here.
There's a few things
that I wanted to
say before I go.
And one of them's
a... comes a little hard.
Thanks.
And... tell her that I'm sorry.
BEN: Tell her you're sorry.
Nine years of married life
and all you can
say about it is that...
you're sorry.
Well, what's a man
supposed to say?
Well, I don't know.
I imagine he could say
quite a few things like, uh...
maybe even some of the
things that he used to say.
She might like to
hear them again.
I made her come here.
Mm-hmm.
I used her to make
it easy for myself.
Mm-hmm.
Then I saw you.
And... this place.
Everything that we had once.
Only it... fell
apart in my hands.
You know, I hated you.
That's right, I hated
you because you could
give her everything
that I couldn't.
(laughs softly): Hmm.
Oh... No.
No, Russ, you did not hate me.
You... hated yourself.
Although I... I don't know why.
You didn't start a fire.
You didn't start a flood.
You didn't do any
of those things.
I-I know that... now.
Then why don't you tell
Mary that you know that now?
No, I don't want to
hurt her anymore.
I want her to have
everything she deserves.
Everything she deserves?
Now, Russ, do you really think
she has everything
she deserves now?
How much more is there?
She is in love
with you, you know.
Well, you know that, don't you?
Well, don't you?
She always has been.
Oh, Ru... You're loco.
(sighs) No, Russ,
you couldn't be more wrong.
Oh, I'd hope that she...
that she loves me as a daughter
might love a father, but...
she's looking for
the love and security
that she can find in-in you.
She loves the man
that you once were.
The man that you
are again today, now.
Well,
I'm afraid it's a
little late for that,
because... I got
the divorce papers...
today.
Well, what are you
gonna do about 'em?
Um... Here's the money that...
that I earned rounding
up those strays.
Take out what I stole from you
in the bunkhouse.
And give the rest to Mary.
I'm not gonna run
your errands for you.
She's in her room.
You can give her
that money yourself.
MARY: I'm right here, Uncle Ben.
- Hello.
- Hello.
You look nice.
So do you.
I was wrong.
I was, too.
I heard what, uh,
what you said to Ben.
Well, whatever you want,
you know, for yourself...
that-that's what I want for you.
♪♪
ANNOUNCER: This has
been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.
is brought to you in
living color on NBC.
(fanfare plays)
(horses whinnying)
Good to have you
back with us, boys.
Bunks four and
five, same as usual.
Name's Monk Slavin.
You ever work roundup this
part of the country before?
Lassiter's, last year.
Oh... Well, Lassiter's
hiring on men.
Why didn't you go back there?
Well, I had a little trouble.
'Tweren't nothing.
Something about cutting
up a man, wasn't it?
Just an Indian.
You better look
someplace else. We'll pass.
(horse whinnies)
All right, that'll be bunk 14.
Howdy, Mr. Cartwright.
Hello, Goliath. How are you?
- Goliath.
- Fine.
Didn't know that horse
of yours was still alive.
You, uh, want to get
on him and find out?
No, sir. I'll take
your word for it.
Good to have you back, Goliath.
Goliath, you'll be in bunk 15.
Hey, where's your teeth?
Oh, uh... they're right here.
How come you don't have 'em in?
Well, it gets lonesome
on the trail, you know.
I got to have
somebody to talk to.
(laughter)
HOSS: That Goliath.
That toothless old cuss'll
never change, will he?
LITTLE JOE: Hey,
Dave, good to see you.
You'll be in bunk 18.
You'll be riding point.
Next.
Oh.
Howdy.
Had a rough night?
Oh, no, uh... I've
been treatin' this cold.
Hmm.
Well, I, uh...
sorry, I don't think we
can use you this trip.
Mr. Cartwright, wait a minute.
Uh, my name is Wharton.
Russ Wharton.
I'm Mary Farnum's husband.
Mary and me...
been travellin'
back from Oregon.
I need-I need this job.
Where's Mary?
Comin' along behind.
Drivin' the buckboard.
How about it, Mr. Cartwright?
I-I really need the job.
You'll find a cabin for married
couples back of the bunkhouse.
Thanks.
BEN: Wharton.
I'll be in to see you
once you're settled in.
Tell Mary.
Well, we're beholden to you.
Poor little gal.
Don't look like she did
too well for herself, does it?
(horses whinnying)
Well, he's a booze fighter.
You're not gonna get
any work out of him.
(theme song playing)
(knocking)
Come in.
Oh, Ben.
- Oh.
- Oh, Ben, it's been so long.
Yeah, it sure has been.
Too long.
You know, when... when
your husband told me
that you'd come
back to the Ponderosa,
I... I just couldn't believe it.
It sure is good
to have you here.
Yeah, it sure is.
I don't know... I don't
know what to say.
Well, you, uh... Just
don't say anything.
Mary, I, uh...
I'd have come up
north, you know, when...
when your pa died, but...
we didn't hear for
an awful long time.
Nine years ago now, isn't it?
Right after I married Russ.
I think that that's
all that kept Pa alive,
was waiting to see me safe.
Quite a young woman.
Married lady.
Mary, uh...
what happened with the ranch?
Everything was
going fine, for a while.
Russ had things going real good.
But... I... Everything
started to go wrong.
Russ is a good, hard
worker, Uncle Ben,
but even he
couldn't cope with it.
You can understand that.
Of course.
But, uh... you
could have written.
I know.
As Pa always said,
"Share your joys but...
keep your troubles to yourself."
Oh.
Ben, thank you for taking us in.
Now, Mary, you... you
don't thank a rancher
for taking on extra
hands at roundup time.
You know better than that.
Would you have hired him
if you hadn't felt sorry for me?
- Oh, M-Mr. Cartwright.
- Oh.
Say, you know, I-I
was just looking for you.
Uh...
Mary, darling, why-why
don't you go and make
- Mr. Cartwright some coffee.
- Oh, no, no, no.
It's all right. I was just... I
was just, uh, just leaving.
Thank you. Uh, what did
you want to see me about?
Well, uh, you
understand that ordinarily
I-I would never
ask this, but... Russ.
Oh, no, it's all right, Mary.
Well, you see, um...
we had to push so
hard in order to get here
that we... we ran
out of supplies.
And so I was wondering if,
uh, perhaps you couldn't, uh,
advance us a few dollars.
There's actually
no need for that.
You can get all the supplies
you want from our storeroom.
Any one of the hands'll
tell you where it is.
I'll, uh, get along now. You...
You know where I
am if you need me.
Mr. Cartwright.
Look, uh... I got to
have a few dollars.
Oh, not-not for me, but, uh...
The fact is... tomorrow's
Mary's birthday.
Don't you remember
that I've never once failed
to send Mary some little
remembrance on her birthday?
Which I figure is about
three months away.
(sighs heavily)
All right, look, what-what's
a few dollars to you?
I'll... I'm gonna earn it.
Not if you're drunk, you won't.
(men shouting, whistling)
(cattle bellowing)
Hey, watch that
little doggie there.
Hyah! (grunting)
Hyah! Hyah.
(shouting, whistling continues)
(cattle bellowing)
Get over there.
Get over there.
Get over there.
Hyah!
Hup. Ha. (whistles) Whoa.
Bunch 'em up at the dry
bed and turn 'em south.
- Hyah! -(whoops)
- Hyah.
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
HOSS: Well, we've had a
good head count so far, Pa.
Mm.
They're the best-looking
calves we've ever had.
We better start
branding pretty soon.
Yeah, they are
pretty good-looking.
Wish we weren't so shorthanded.
How's Russ Wharton doing?
Well, you might as well
know the truth, Pa. He...
He didn't even show up at
the chuck wagon at noon.
He just... just rode off
somewhere, I don't know.
(knocking)
- Hey, Goliath, come on in.
- Howdy, Little Joe.
- How's it going?
- Pretty good.
Hello, Goliath. Coffee?
No, uh... I just
come to tell you...
well, I just come to tell you
the bunkhouse has been robbed.
Well, what's missing?
Six dollars from
Charley Drake and...
a bottle of whiskey from me.
- You sure?
- When I'm missing a bottle of whiskey,
Mr. Cartwright, I'm sure.
Well, let's have a look.
WHARTON: Cartwright, Cartwright.
That's all I heard from you
since the day I married you.
- Huh?
- No, Russ!
Now, don't you think I know
- why you wanted me to come here?
- No.
Russ, no!
- Don't, Russ.
- You did it.
- Russ, no!
- I'll tell you why you did it.
- No.
- Listen to me. To show me up.
- Now, that's why! Yeah!
- No!
(blow landing, Mary screams)
Cartwright's wealth.
No.
Ooh!
(Ben panting)
(Ben pants loudly)
Now, you're through.
Get your things and get out.
Go fetch the doctor.
Sure.
(cattle bellowing,
men whistling)
MAN: Hyah! Hyah!
(men whooping and whistling)
(indistinct,
overlapping chatter)
Hyah!
(cattle bellowing)
Hyah! Ha!
Hyah!
(whistling)
Whoa. Come on.
- (whistling)
- Oh.
(whooping, cattle bellowing)
Yeah. Hyah! Oh.
(whistling)
(teacups clinking)
(Hop Sing sighs)
Hmm. Hey, wait a
minute. Wait a minute.
What's that? That's not coffee.
No more coffee.
Hot chocolate at nighttime.
Missy say make you sleep better.
- (Hop Sing laughs)
- Oh.
Oh, everything much better
since you here, Missy Mary.
- Here, let me do that.
- Huh?
Please.
(Ben groans softly)
- Oh.
- What's the matter?
Oh, nothing. I
was just a little stiff.
Doing a little roping today,
and I guess I'm
not quite used to it.
Now, just lean over
a little bit, all right?
All right.
(Ben sighs)
Yeah, it feels good.
Oh, yeah.
(laughs)
You just keep that up, and I...
I may fall asleep
sitting straight up.
Well, why don't you?
(chuckles)
(sighs)
(men shouting, whistling)
(cattle bellowing)
(shouting, whistling continues)
Hop Sing, you really
outdid yourself tonight.
Uh, you no thank Hop Sing.
You thank Missy Mary.
She is a very fine cook.
Everything she touch
tastes just a little bit better.
Yeah, it sure does.
Thank you, Hop Sing.
It's a fine idea have
lady in this house.
Everything is much better.
Hey, you know, it takes
somebody pretty special
- to get into Hop Sing's kitchen.
- Yeah.
Sure does. The last
time I was in there,
- he took a meat cleaver after me.
- (laughter)
I think he still thinks
of me as a little girl.
Uh, we'll have dessert
in the living room.
Why don't you go in
and stretch out and relax?
- Sounds good.
- That's fine.
(sighs)
All right, now where is she?
People in town...
Now, they told me about
your new housekeeper.
You think I don't know
what's going on here?
Look, uh, Wharton,
why don't you get
yourself sobered up,
and then you can
come back to me,
and I'll listen to every
word you have to say?
- Uh, I want...
- Now, listen to me. Come on. Come on.
- I want my wife!
- (Mary gasps)
Oh, you're... No.
Mm.
WHARTON: Come on,
you're going with me.
Oh, come on. We...
We-we don't need them! Come on!
- Now, here. Let go.
- Ben...
- Hey, get...
- Ben!
Ben, I got to go
with him. Please.
I can't let you go
with him. Listen...
- Get your hands...
- No!
- Please.
- Mary, you can't... you can't go to him
in this condition. Now,
you go back into the kitchen.
(sighs)
(Wharton groans)
(Ben panting)
You better take him
to the sheriff's office.
Oh, I-I can stand.
- Thank you.
- Wait a minute.
You know, I'm-I'm gonna
get her back, you know.
If I have to kill you to do it.
Well, unless you straighten
yourself out, Wharton,
that's exactly what
you'll have to do.
Whoa.
I brought you your horse.
How-how come you
didn't press charges?
(sighs)
Keeping you in jail is
not gonna do any good.
You got to straighten
yourself out.
Yeah, and meanwhile,
you can tell my wife
what a mistake she
made marrying me.
Is that it?
You've done a pretty good
job of telling her that yourself.
(wind whistling)
Here's your wages.
Hey, what-what's
this for, to buy me off?
Well, it won't work.
She's my wife,
and when I leave here,
she leaves with me.
You're sober now.
I'm telling you sober.
Number one, whatever
it is you're thinking,
you get that right
out of your mind.
And number two, you
try hurting her again,
and you'll really deal with me.
♪♪
Well, look who's here.
Must be slim pickings all over.
Give us a couple
of beers, Cosmo.
Howdy, Mr. Lassiter.
The name's Slavin.
Monk Slavin. Remember me?
Yeah.
Buy yourself and the rest of
those saddle tramps a drink.
(quietly): Wow.
Thanks, Mr. Lassiter.
Hey?
Who's he?
He owns the Big L.
You're not gonna
ask him for a job?
Why not? They're
all short of hands.
Oh, come on, don't kid yourself.
You're marked bad
just like the rest of us.
Mr. Lassiter?
Can you use a good hand?
Yes, I could.
All the good ones are working.
Look, I really want a job.
Then there's one
wide open for you.
More than 20
miles of public land
past the ranch boundaries.
We all lose 50 to a 100
strays there every year.
There's a dollar a head bounty
for every calf you bring out.
Two dollars a steer.
You want a job, make one.
If you mean what you say
about paying that bounty,
I'm gonna try.
Suit yourself.
I'll pay.
So will the others.
So, you're gonna go rounding
up strays, huh, Mr. Wharton?
It pays good money.
What's wrong with it?
Oh, there's nothing
wrong with it.
Nothing at all.
Except scrub and rock slopes
that'll kill your
horse in a day.
And half-crazy steers
that you have to climb
up and drive down by foot.
And when you get mounted
up, you've lost him again.
That is if you haven't
broken your neck by then.
Oh.
What do you know?
Mr. Wharton's gonna go
bounty hunting and strike it rich.
(laughter)
(crickets chirping)
(sighs)
Lovely night.
- Oh, say, I, uh...
- Mm.
I want to thank
you for that, uh...
oh, the comforter that
you're making for me.
I think it's gonna be real
nice and-and very warm.
It's gonna be... Well, I'm
gonna get a lot of use out of it.
Oh, that's very sweet.
I've been, uh, thinking
about making a
couple for the boys, too.
Mary, you're just
gonna spoil us rotten.
(both laughing)
I like spoiling you.
Yeah, I guess that maybe
that's a woman's reason for living.
I don't know. Somebody to spoil.
Ben... being here with you
and Little-Little
Joe and Hoss...
well, I don't know
how to tell you what it...
what it is I want to say. It...
You don't have to say anything.
Oh, no, no, please. I want to.
Th-There's a religion
where they believe
that when a person dies,
he's born again.
Well, that's what's
happening with me.
Being here with you,
all the love and affection
one can feel around here...
(chuckles) a sense of security.
Well, that's-that's good.
Well, it's-it's like
what I used to feel
when I was a little
girl back home.
Ben, I can't go back to...
(sighs) to humiliation and...
No, I just can't.
I've made up my mind.
I know what I have to do.
I want to see a lawyer.
I want to divorce Russ.
That's a... that's a big step.
No.
Not when the love you
once had for a man has...
died.
You sure it has?
I know what love is, Ben.
I know it very well.
It's what I want.
It's what any woman wants.
But, Ben, I can't find...
comfort and
forgetfulness in a bottle
the way Russ is doing.
I just hope that you...
that you're doing
the right thing.
I'm not a child.
I'm not going to just...
rush into anything.
Well, that's good.
Then that means
you don't have to
rush into a divorce.
(chuckling): No.
No. No, I don't suppose I-I do.
Then you'll wait?
If that's what
you think is best.
I think it would be
a-a wise decision.
(cattle lowing)
Howdy.
Hey, Joe!
Well, what are you
doing over this way?
The food's a lot
better at your wagon.
- (chuckles) It sure is, isn't it?
- (chuckles)
I'll tell you, that Hop Sing...
Oh. Thank you, Wong.
- Mmm.
- Hop Sing got his cousin over here.
He was afraid the other
fella was gonna poison me.
(laughs)
Hey, I ran into Ed
Lassiter up on the line.
Oh, yeah?
Said Russ Wharton's
collecting strays for bounty.
He's bringing in
quite a few of 'em, too.
Hmm. Huh.
That's good news.
That means he's sober.
Maybe he's getting
some sense into him.
Yeah, means he's
getting some money, too.
I hope he doesn't start drinking
and come gunning for you again.
You know, Joe,
now, a fella, all alone,
working hard, gives
him time to think.
Just hope you're right.
♪♪
Well... looks like
you took my advice.
You gonna buy the house a drink?
Whiskey.
♪♪
Did you find any
Ponderosa strays?
I hear tell Ben Cartwright's
got one of yours.
(chuckles)
(glass shatters)
You mention my wife
again and I'll kill you.
Whoa, what...
Hello there, Ben.
Well, hello, Ed. (chuckles)
Good to see you. I'll bet
you're about as happy as I am
roundup's almost over.
(sighs) Yeah, the days
get pretty long, don't they?
Oh, they sure do.
Who you shipping
out with this year?
Oh, Mike Yates, same as usual.
Just signed the
papers at the lawyer's.
- Well, that's what I'm here to do.
- Yeah.
I'm running kind of late.
I better get started, I guess.
- See you, Ed.
- Yeah.
- Say, Ben.
- Huh?
You hear that, uh,
Russ Wharton's been, uh,
rounding up some strays for me?
Yeah. Yeah, I did hear that.
I hear he's been doing a
pretty good job for you, too.
He's doing a good job for
everybody, Ben, not only me.
Mm-hmm. Well,
I'm-I'm glad to hear that.
Ben, I, uh... I'm
not much for gossip,
but, uh, talk is that there's
bad blood between you two.
Well, y... Yeah,
we-we had a few words.
Not many secrets
in Virginia City.
Word is that, uh,
Wharton's wife is
staying with you.
Never tried to
keep that a secret.
No.
No, of course not.
I'll, uh, see you later, Ben.
I'm gonna take a walk.
- Oh, Mary. Uh...
- Mmm.
Do you mind if I
come along with you?
(chuckling): No, I'd love it.
There's something I'd
like to discuss with you.
Won't be too long.
(door opens)
(door shuts)
This is a good cookie.
They sure are.
(Little Joe and
Hop Sing chuckle)
Howard Thurber tells me that...
you were in to see him.
I was, uh, hoping that...
you'd talk to me before
you went to see a lawyer.
I didn't talk to
you because I...
I knew that, well, you'd only
try to talk me out of it again.
Well, uh... (sighs)
there might be a
reason that I might.
Uh, I bumped into a
friend of mine today,
Ed Lassiter, rancher.
We were talking about Russ.
Russ is doing some work for him.
Rounding up strays.
And he's doing a
good job for him, too.
(chuckles) But no.
He's done this before.
He-He's worked
for a couple of days
and then, well, it
never leads to anything.
Well, I thought you should know
that Russ is...
well, seems to be trying
to pull himself together,
set himself up on his two feet.
And I... (sighs)
I sure hate to see you...
do anything to
put you in a corner
without being able to get out.
Oh, Ben, look, I'm-I'm sorry.
I-I've made up my mind.
I just would rather
not talk about it,
if you don't mind.
- (sighs)
- (chuckles) Look,
Ben, why don't we
just enjoy a-a nice walk.
Please?
Come on.
- (men shouting, whistling)
- (cattle bellowing)
(gunshot)
(wind whistling)
(gunshot)
(sniffs, clears throat)
(gunshots)
Now, if you'd have
been counting the shots,
you'd have known
this gun is empty.
I don't like a gun pointed in
my direction, empty or not.
What are you doing here?
This isn't Ponderosa land.
I checked that.
I, uh,
heard you were rounding
up strays for the bounty.
Yeah.
None of those are yours.
I don't touch your cattle.
(mooing)
Why not?
We pay the same
bounty as anybody else.
I don't like your
money, Mr. Cartwright.
How's my wife?
She has a roof over her head.
Oh, and that's more
than I was able to give her,
is that what you're saying?
Well...
you asked the
question. You answer it.
I will.
In due time.
The, uh, reports are that
you're doing pretty good at this.
That the best thing you
got to do with your time,
getting reports on me?
I got work to do.
What about Mary?
Any word for her?
Yeah.
Yeah, tell her I'm, uh,
glad she's got a
roof over her head.
Well, I'll tell you,
when this roundup is over
I'm gonna sleep for three days.
Yeah, well, the
roundup's not over yet.
We better grab a little
shut-eye right now.
Right.
- Good night.
- Good night, now.
Good night, good night.
Good night. See
you in the morning.
(footsteps receding)
They're wonderful boys, Ben.
Yes, they are.
I'm a very fortunate man.
You know something, Ben,
I envy you very much.
You know something,
I envy you very much.
You have a whole
wonderful life ahead of you.
I wish I could believe that.
Mary...
I saw Russ today.
Is he, uh, is he all right?
I saw a man who you
once told me about.
A man with pride and dignity.
Oh, the pride was
a little wounded,
and maybe there was
a dent in the dignity,
but it was all there.
Russ is working
hard, day and night.
He's doing well.
I know he's proud of that.
And he hasn't taken a drink.
And he won't.
Mary, look, I, uh...
I don't know what discussions
you've had with
your lawyer, but...
I sure hope that they
haven't gone so far
that you can't change your mind.
I don't want to change my mind.
Oh, Mary.
It's too late, Ben.
Don't you... don't
you realize that?
♪♪
I love... being here with you.
I've been happier than
I've-I've been in years.
Well...
- Mary, I...
- What?
What?
Mary, I-I want you
to be the happiest
young lady in the world.
And... I want for you... Yes?
Everything...
that I could want for
my... own daughter.
Oh.
Y-Your... daughter.
Well, I... I guess I've...
I've really made a fool
of myself, haven't I?
No, Mary, you...
you could never make a
fool of yourself with me.
Thank you.
(rain falling)
Wharton.
What do you want?
Lawyer fella gave me two dollars
to give you this.
Ain't no love letter.
It's from your wife.
(cackling)
See you later, Hop Sing.
Hop Sing glad roundup over.
Now you eat all meal
regular time again.
Yeah, we'll all be
home for supper tonight.
- Good.
- (knocking)
Russ.
Come to see Mary?
I want to see you.
I-I'm gonna be leaving here.
There's a few things
that I wanted to
say before I go.
And one of them's
a... comes a little hard.
Thanks.
And... tell her that I'm sorry.
BEN: Tell her you're sorry.
Nine years of married life
and all you can
say about it is that...
you're sorry.
Well, what's a man
supposed to say?
Well, I don't know.
I imagine he could say
quite a few things like, uh...
maybe even some of the
things that he used to say.
She might like to
hear them again.
I made her come here.
Mm-hmm.
I used her to make
it easy for myself.
Mm-hmm.
Then I saw you.
And... this place.
Everything that we had once.
Only it... fell
apart in my hands.
You know, I hated you.
That's right, I hated
you because you could
give her everything
that I couldn't.
(laughs softly): Hmm.
Oh... No.
No, Russ, you did not hate me.
You... hated yourself.
Although I... I don't know why.
You didn't start a fire.
You didn't start a flood.
You didn't do any
of those things.
I-I know that... now.
Then why don't you tell
Mary that you know that now?
No, I don't want to
hurt her anymore.
I want her to have
everything she deserves.
Everything she deserves?
Now, Russ, do you really think
she has everything
she deserves now?
How much more is there?
She is in love
with you, you know.
Well, you know that, don't you?
Well, don't you?
She always has been.
Oh, Ru... You're loco.
(sighs) No, Russ,
you couldn't be more wrong.
Oh, I'd hope that she...
that she loves me as a daughter
might love a father, but...
she's looking for
the love and security
that she can find in-in you.
She loves the man
that you once were.
The man that you
are again today, now.
Well,
I'm afraid it's a
little late for that,
because... I got
the divorce papers...
today.
Well, what are you
gonna do about 'em?
Um... Here's the money that...
that I earned rounding
up those strays.
Take out what I stole from you
in the bunkhouse.
And give the rest to Mary.
I'm not gonna run
your errands for you.
She's in her room.
You can give her
that money yourself.
MARY: I'm right here, Uncle Ben.
- Hello.
- Hello.
You look nice.
So do you.
I was wrong.
I was, too.
I heard what, uh,
what you said to Ben.
Well, whatever you want,
you know, for yourself...
that-that's what I want for you.
♪♪
ANNOUNCER: This has
been a color production
of the NBC Television Network.