Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 8, Episode 35 - Daddy Went Away - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Here I come!

If that don't take the cake...

Chester, what's happened here?

Oh, everything, Mr. Dillon.

Are you hurt, Chester?

No, I ain't hurt, Doc.

The thing just happened so fast.

It just... whoosh!

Heavens, Chester, if you...
if you'd wanted burnt eggs,

you can get 'em at Delmonico's.



I just had a couple.

Well, you had to pay
for 'em, too, didn't you?

Oh, yes, I paid for 'em.

Then I could eat 'em.

Well, I don't think that you
should make fun of somebody

just because they're
trying to save a little money.

I ain't rich, you
know, like a doctor.

You get burned, Chester?

Well, not so's that I have
to go to a doctor for it.

Well, what happened to
you? Where's all the coal oil?

Well, that... that was, uh...

For heaven's sake,

was you trying to
fry eggs in coal oil?

I made a little
bit of a mistake.



I-I admit that I made
a little bit of a mistake.

Heavens, that-that seems like

it's kind of hard for
some people to admit,

especially those that
thinks that they know it all.

Well, maybe you better go
and get some more coal oil, huh?

I ain't the first person

that put a wrong
thing in a frying pan.

Well, probably the first person

that ever put coal
oil in there and lived.

It could happen to anybody.

Maybe you better
get a new frying pan

- while you're at it, too, huh?
- Yeah.

They couldn't have
set over their coffee

just a little bit
longer this morning.

No, they had to come
back and sniff at the smoke.

Just sniff at it like they
never seen smoke before.

Course, they... they got
to make all their mistakes

with their doors closed.

Just never make a mistake
where nobody can see them at all.

Just makes me about half tired.

Well... looks
like you didn't get

a very good start on the
day yourself, does it, hmm?

Well, now, it
ain't all that bad.

Maybe things are gonna
pick up for both of us, huh?

- Hello.
- Howdy.

What'd you say to Rainy?

I didn't say nothing to nobody.

I saw you.

You stopped and talked to Rainy.

Oh, you-you mean the horse.

Well, I just told him
his day might pick up.

Rainy, is it?

That's how it was the
day Daddy got him.

Oh.

I see.

It was rainy, huh?

Well, it's a good thing it
wasn't hailing that day.

It's a nice-sized room.

Well, I know, Mrs.
Damon, but it's a storeroom

and I need it for
that... Every bit of it.

- Hello, Chester.
- Uh, morning.

I was just helping
myself here, Jonas.

Just mind a minute,
now. Wait your turn.

Well, I thought, when you
was busy with a customer there,

I could get it myself.

I can get the frying
pan, too, for that matter.

Now, Mrs. Damon,
I'd like to help you out,

but I just can't make
room if there isn't any.

Well, I think I
would be better off

with a place of my own, but...

Frying pan?

Yeah, a frying
pan. And fill this.

Not now, Chester. I told you.

Mr. Jonas, I'm a very
good dressmaker,

and I know that I... I
could build up a good trade

if I could just get started
here in Dodge City.

I suppose you thought
about getting a house?

That way, you could
work right at home and all.

Oh, now we're
back to money again.

I... I just can't
afford a house.

Here, put your hands in there.

Go on, put 'em in there.

Well, Chester, for
heaven's sakes.

Oh, well, I was just
passing the time of day here.

Just having a little fun.

Is that for whiskey?

Jessica.

No, that's for coal oil.

Daddy drank whiskey.

Jessica, we mustn't talk
about that now, must we, hmm?

Daddy went away.

Jessica and I are alone now,

but we're going to make
out fine, aren't we, honey?

Oh, Chester, this
is Mrs. Lucy Damon.

This is Chester
Goode, Mrs. Damon.

How do you do?

Mr. Goode. And this
is my daughter Jessica.

We're already friends.

You bet we are.

Oh, Mrs. Damon wants to
locate in Dodge, Chester.

- She wants to start a dressmaking trade.
- Oh.

You wouldn't know of a
vacant building, would you,

kind of a small-like,
she could take over?

Small and cheap.

I've wracked my brain.
I can't think of a thing.

Golly, everything I
think of is already took.

Uh, course, a place for
you and Jessica to stay

would be Ma Smalley's,
don't you think, Jonas?

Oh, yes, yes, indeed.

It's neat, it's,
uh, comfortable.

It's reasonable, too.

You wouldn't want to meet
a nicer woman than Ma.

Well, it's very nice
of you to think of that.

Well, it's right
down the street.

Here, I'll... I'll,
uh, show you.

Now, you just go to the
end of Front Street here,

and it's right on your left.

There's a sign says "Ma
Smalley's Boarding House"

just big as day.

I do thank you.

Mr. Jonas, if you do hear of
anything, please let me know.

- Bye.
- Bye.

- Good-bye.
- Jessica.

I sure wouldn't want to be a
widow woman with a little girl.

I'll tell you that, Chester.

Well, I don't think
that that's likely, Jonas.

What I mean is I don't think

you should worry
yourself about it at all.

It likely ain't gonna happen.

I was just sympathizing
with them, Chester, that's all.

Well, I feel sorry for 'em, too.

You ought to see that horse.

Oh, you said a
frying pan, didn't you?

Yeah. Yeah, I did.

I've said it now for a
couple of times, Jonas.

What's the matter?

Oh, just seeing 'em
set there that way,

make a body think you
was gonna cook with coal oil.

Just put it on
Mr. Dillon's bill.

If we don't get some
rain pretty soon,

everything that can is just
gonna dry up and blow away.

Hold it. Mr. Dillon,
wait a minute.

What's the matter?

Well, come here. I
never noticed this before.

Chester, I've got
a telegram to send.

You know, this
might do just fine.

Just fine for what?

I wonder if a body
could get in here.

Now, wait a minute.

That's private
property, Chester.

Well, it don't say so.

Boy, this place ain't
been used in a while.

You sure enough can tell that.

Well, there's things that are
gonna have to be done to it,

no question about that.

It's a good size, though.

Chester, you know this
building belongs to the bank.

Well, if I decide on it,

well, I could straighten
that out with Mr. Botkin.

There's a good light
here. That's real important.

All right, you can poke
around in here if you want to.

I'm going down to
the telegraph office.

Hmm. Now, they could live

just right up here
in this part real easy.

And then she could have

this whole part down
here for her work.

I'd say that my sewing machine
would go just about there.

After I fix that floor.

The important
thing is it's empty.

Gives a fair amount
of light there, don't it?

Well, yes.

Of course, if it rains...

Well, you'd want to get
the roof patched, naturally.

You're funny.

Oh, I'm no such thing.

This must have been
vacant for a long time.

Uh, Mr. Botkin said that a
freighter was in here last.

Said it was mostly used for
storage, you know, like that.

Oh, watch that hole there.

Could use that for
our sleeping room.

Well, you know, that's just
what I remarked when I seen it.

Can we move in here?

Well, that's your
mama's say-so, Jessica.

Mr. Goode and I have some
things to talk about, honey.

And you want me to go
see how Rainy's doing.

It's a wonderful idea.

Sometimes I talk to
Rainy more than anyone.

You certainly made
a friend, Mr. Goode.

Oh, uh, listen, about
that "Mr. Goode,"

I just hardly
never answer to it.

If you can call me "Chester."

Oh. Well, I don't mind at all.

You know, there's
a shed out back

that you could use for
Rainy and your wagon.

You speak of Rainy
like an old friend.

Well, Miss Jessica
told me all about him.

Excuse me.

Jessica really doesn't
take to strangers.

Can you believe that?

Well, maybe that's 'cause
that I take to her so good.

You're being so very
thoughtful, Chester,

I must be honest with you.

I'm a good seamstress.

I don't mean to sound
prideful, but I sew very well.

That's very becoming to a lady.

I know I could make a good
living for Jessica and me...

but I've not much money.

Well, none of us is...
is rich, Mrs. Damon.

What I'm saying is I couldn't
afford to hire this work done.

And I don't think I
could manage it alone.

Oh, heavens, no. Mercy.

A man would be
hard put to do it right.

Of course, now,
Mr. Botkin did say

that if a body would
make the improvements,

he'd count it against the rent.

Well, that's very
generous, but...

Jessica and I were left
with very little, Chester.

Jess... that was Mr. Damon...

I'm afraid he dreamed
more than he worked,

and I'm afraid he drank
more than he dreamed.

Oh. Well, that's a pity.

Oh, I shouldn't
be saying all this.

Jess wouldn't set out to
leave his family in want.

He was a delightful man,
really. But not very practical.

Well, it's just that, you know,

places being hard
to come by and all,

I... I know it ain't the best.

Oh, don't misunderstand.

I'm so grateful.

It's just that I don't see

how I could make this
little bit of money do the job.

I can't thank you
enough, though,

for your thought of us.

Mama, can I hear
what you're saying now?

Yes, honey. I was just
saying good-bye to Chester.

Well, you know, Mrs.
Damon, it ain't all that much.

What I mean is, a
person with a little time

could get this place
fixed up right nice.

Aren't we going to move in?

No, honey, we're not.

No, now, now,
just wait a minute.

There's no reason in the world

why I can't do it
myself in my spare time.

Oh, no, no, I-I
won't hear of that.

But that ain't that
much, Mrs. Damon.

I'm telling you, all you
need when you think about it

is just some lumber and
a couple or three nails

and a few hunks of putty.

- Why...
- It's just too much.

Let me tell you something.

Everybody needs a
little help now and again.

Folks help me all the time.

I'm sure they do.

Well, I want to do it for you.

And if I want to, why,
heavens, you ought not mind.

You shame me, Chester.

Well, now, I didn't
mean to do that at all.

No, you're right.

If you're willing to,
I surely ought to be.

Well, are we going to or not?

You bet your life
we're going to.

Yay!

Hello, Chester.

Oh, Doc.

You looking for me, was you?

- No, no, I wasn't.
- Well, you was up in my office.

Well, I was just up there
to see if you was there.

I wasn't there, huh?

No. Say, you don't know where
I could get some used lumber...?

- What do you got there?
- Where?

- In your hand.
- Oh, that's a hammer, Doc.

- That's a surgical hammer.
- Surgical?

Did you take this
out of my office?

Well, it was just laying
up there in the chest.

I've never seen
you use it before.

I think I'm gonna
use it right now.

- Oh, Doc, don't get so excited.
- Excited?

Well, yes, for heaven's sakes,

Jonas was good enough
to give me some nails.

- Nails?
- And with that hammer

and a little bit of lumb...

Hey, you don't
have a level, do you?

No, and you haven't
got a hammer, either.

Oh, well, if that's
how you feel about it.

Do you know that
a surgical hammer

is a delicate and
expensive instrument?

And you don't
pound nails with it!

Go take a pill.

Doc got purple just
telling me about it.

Yeah, he told me he's
gonna take Chester's advice

and prescribe his own pills.

I don't know, Matt.

I don't know whether
I'm strong enough

to weather another one
of Chester's romances.

Funny thing is, you know,
he doesn't even mention it.

He just talks about
hammers and nails

and putty and
lumber, stuff like that.

He's just got a new
approach, that's all.

Oh, well, a chance to
ask him for ourselves here.

Hello, Chester.

Oh, Miss Kitty, Mr. Dillon.

Mighty professional-
looking job there, Chester.

Well, thank you.

What's her name?

Who?

The lady you're
working so hard for.

Oh, Mrs. Damon's her name.

Mrs. Damon?

Yeah, she's, uh...
she's a widow lady.

Oh, a pretty widow lady.

That's something a little
bit different for you, isn't it?

Well, I wouldn't say
that she was pretty at all.

Well, for heaven's
sakes, Miss Kitty,

Mrs.-Mrs. Damon is...
is a growed woman.

She's got a
nine-year-old daughter.

Wouldn't even
cross my mind to...

Well, what did you
say a thing like that for?

Well, because you're
working so hard.

Well, she needs help
is what she needs.

Her and that little girl,
they just need all the help

that they can get.

Say, you know,

you-you... you
could help yourself

if you had a mind to.

How's that?

Uh, have you got a minute?

Well, I guess so.

Would you come inside?
I'd like for you to meet her.

You, too, Mr. Dillon,
if you want to.

Oh, no, no, thanks, Chester.

I got to get back to the office.

See you later, Kitty.

You don't mind,
do you, Miss Kitty?

No.

Uh, oh, Mrs. Damon?

I-I'd like for you to
meet a friend of mine.

There you are.

I wasn't expecting company.

Mrs. Damon, this
is Miss Kitty Russell.

She's a friend of mine.

- Hello, Miss Russell.
- Hello, Mrs. Damon.

Miss Kitty, she's, uh, uh,
in business, too, you know.

Oh, are you a seamstress?

Well, I've been known to
take a tuck now and again.

I run a saloon.

Oh.

Well, Chester,
it looks like, uh,

you've got a whole new
career cut out for yourself.

Uh, what do you mean?

The building and all?

I mean the building and all.

Well, you ought to see what...

Can I show her
what we did up there?

Oh, well, yes, of course.

We're just getting settled, uh,

but we think it'll
be quite livable.

You ought to have seen it,
Miss Kitty, before we started.

Oh, I'll tell you,
it was just...

Well, it was just a
mess, that's what it was.

It's really very
nice, Mrs. Damon.

- Well, thanks to Chester.
- Oh.

My little girl is staying
with Ma Smalley

while I move us in.

Uh, now, here's
a dress, you see...

Chester, this is just something
I'm running up for myself.

Well, I know, but
it gives you an idea

of how she can run things up.

Now, how's that, huh?

You do beautiful work.

Thank you.

Tell you the truth,
Miss Kitty, I really think

that it's prettier than
what you're wearing.

- Chester.
- Well, I do.

Chester and I
understand each other.

And I'm not so
sure he isn't right.

Of course, I don't know
whether it's gonna fit you or not.

I tell you, I got to get back
out there and fix that roof.

Why don't you just try it on.

You'll do no such
thing, Miss Russell.

Chester, you're the limit.

Well, you can work
it out between you,

but it seems to me like

if a body was gonna
order up something special,

made just for them,

well, they'd want to pay a
little something in advance.

You mean, um,
to show good faith.

Yeah.

You put it so nice.

Miss Russell, I really
don't know what to say.

Why, he's...

He's Chester.

Oh, his friends learn
to take him the way he is

and to love him,

because there is no way in
the world to understand him.

I do have some
material I'd like made up.

I'll bring it over to you.

Oh, I feel I've
been forced on you.

You have, and he may be
doing both of us a big favor.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

- Bye.
- Bye.

Say, um,

Mrs. Damon used to
working all night, Chester?

By golly, I don't know.

Wonder... wonder
what she's doing

with her lights on so late.

By golly, she fell asleep.

She's gonna get an awful
crick in her neck that way.

It's me, Chester.

Well, look, I'll, uh...
I'll wander along.

Looks like you can
handle this alone.

It's Chester.

Chester, Mrs. Damon.

Can't imagine what happened.

Well, you just went to sleep
there is what happened.

Uh, Mr. Dillon seen
that... He had to go on.

He seen that your head
was on the machine there,

and you'd get a
crick in your neck.

Oh. Well, come on in, Chester.

Well, no, no, I...

Oh, no, come in. I'm
glad you troubled to come.

Well, I... I, uh...

I sure can't stay long.

Oh, oh, uh, you
shouldn't see this.

What?

What is it?

Well, I...

I was going to
surprise you, Chester,

but, well, there's no reason
I shouldn't give it to you now.

Well, what-what is it?

Is it a shirt for me?

I, uh...

I hope it fits.

I just measured you with my eye.

Well, Mrs. Damon, I...

I... I've just...

never had anybody
that-that made anything

that was just
special for me before.

It's just a thank-you, Chester,

a very small thank-you.

Well, I...

Oh!

- Oh, I'm sorry.
- I'll get it.

I'll... I'll get it.

I beg your pardon.

It's just the nicest thing

that anybody ever made for me.

I hope it fits.

Oh, it'll fit sure enough.

No question about that.

Well, I...

Well, I guess I
better be going. I...

Well, it wouldn't
do to wake Jessica.

No, no, it wouldn't, uh...

Uh, you better, uh... get
some sleep proper this time.

I will.

Good night.

She ain't even what
you'd call pretty.

Oh, Chester, I don't know
when I've danced like that.

I don't, either. You sure
do do it good, though.

Oh, no, I'm as rusty as can be.

Well, you don't show it.

Chester,

they're all looking at us.

Well, got to have
something to look at, I guess.

Uh, excuse us.

Would you like a
little bit of punch?

All right.

Um, that was the
last dance, you know?

Oh.

You folks got anything you
want to say to the people

before they leave?

Good night, everybody.

Now, Chester, you know
good and well what I mean.

Oh, wet your whistle, Jonas.

Well, if you want to keep it

just between the three
of us for a while, but, uh,

sure like to propose a toast.

What are you carrying on about?

You're not funning me?

We're just watching
you stand there

with your arm in the air.

You two sure look engaged to me.

I mean, everybody's talking
why you're always together,

and you sure don't
seem to mind it none.

Why, Mr. Jonas, we're
just enjoying ourselves.

Why, certainly.

That's all there is
to it, every bit of it.

Well, I've been wrong before,

but, uh, don't think I
am this time, though.

Mrs. Damon.

Well, I... swear
to goodness, it...

Well, I...

sure would admire
to see you home.

All right.

Well, I tell you, it... it
was a nice dance anyway.

Oh, yes, I really enjoyed
the dance, Chester.

Well, me, too, that part of it.

I tell you, that Jonas,

sometimes he talks when
he ought to be dipping snuff.

Hope that you didn't mind him.

Oh, I didn't mind.

I just thought it might
be embarrassing for you.

Oh, no, heavens, I know him.

I was thinking more about you.

Oh, Chester, I don't know
when I've had so much fun.

Well, it was kind of wonderful

just all the way
around, wasn't it?

Makes you stop and realize.

Well, how's that?

Well, a woman just
can't fill a life by herself.

Well, it-it's awful good
that you got Jessica to...

No.

A woman just isn't
complete without a man.

By the way, uh,
should we have picked

Jessica up from Ma Smalley's?

Oh, no, not at this hour.

I'll pick her up first
thing in the morning.

You know, that is
something to think on,

what, uh, Jonas said,

uh, tonight.

An engagement, Chester?

Well, no, no,

not necessarily an engagement.

Uh, it is just something
to think on, I mean...

uh, well, for sometime

in the future, you know.

It's not an unpleasant thought.

What I mean is, if we had
some kind of an understanding

if you wanted.

Well, that might
be nice, Chester.

An understanding.

Yeah, that just might.

Well, uh, good
night, Mrs. Damon.

Oh, about that,
uh, "Mrs. Damon."

I hardly answer to that.

You can call me Lucy.

Good night, Lucy.

You, uh, want me
to help you there,

- Mr. Dillon?
- Oh, no, thanks, Chester.

Like for me to get
you a cup of coffee

or something?

No, no, thanks.

I, uh, kind of get the
feeling that you, uh,

got something on
your mind this morning.

Could be.

Couldn't be, uh,
Mrs. Damon, could it?

Whatever made you think of her?

Oh, just a wild guess.

Well, as a matter
of fact, she...

she did cross my mind
there a time or two.

Mm-hmm.

You remember that, uh,

I took her to the grange
dance there last night.

Yeah, I remember you
took my best string tie, too.

Oh, say, listen, I want
to thank you for that.

Mm-hmm.

Well, uh, she said something
last night when I took her home

that... well, it just sort of,

I don't know, it kind of got me

to puzzling about it.

She said that, uh...

a woman ain't
complete without a man.

- She did, huh?
- Yeah.

Now, it seems to me like
that it would kind of work

the other way around,
too, you know, that...

a man wouldn't
really be complete

without a woman.

Well, it seems to
me that would depend

on what man and what
woman, wouldn't it?

I never gave much thought
to how complete I was.

Of course, I never
did have much family

except for my brother
Magnus and my Uncle Sunday.

You know, Mr. Dillon, when
I'm around Jessica and Lucy,

I just...

well, I just feel
kind of warm inside

like I want to, uh,

take care of them and be
with them and do for them.

Well, you sound
pretty serious, Chester.

Well, they're so
helpless and all,

and when I'm doing
something for them, I just...

well, I just feel good
about it and have a kind of

special kind of a feeling for
it... you know what I mean?

Yeah.

Well, you didn't, by any
chance, propose to her last night

or something, did you?

Well, no, uh...
well, that is, I-I...

I don't... I ain't right sure.

Well, that's something you
better think over, Chester.

Now, that's something
you want to be awful sure of.

Yeah, well, I know
one thing, Mr. Dillon.

What I... what I feel, uh, is...

Well, it's just
different than anything

that I ever felt before.

It's... it's different.

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ The dogs'll get you ♪

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ You better get away ♪

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ The dogs'll get you ♪

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ You better get away ♪

♪ Oh, the rabbit run ♪

♪ And the rabbit flew ♪

♪ And the rabbit
tore his tail in two ♪

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ The dogs'll get you ♪

♪ Run, rabbit, run ♪

♪ You better get away. ♪

Is it time to taste it yet?

Well, it's time for
me to stop grinding.

I can tell you that for sure.

Now, let's see
if we can just get

a little bit of salt
down in there.

That always makes it
taste a little bit better.

Mmm, mmm.

Mmm.

Chester Goode,
I'm surprised at you.

There are such things
as spoons, you know.

Well, she just wanted

to taste it, Lucy.

I know there's spoons.

Here, quit that.

Daddy always let me.

Here, now. Uh, stop that.

Didn't you hear
what your ma said?

Look at the mess you're making.

Well, it ain't quite froze yet.

Oh... I never saw a man

who didn't get rock salt right
in the ice cream every time.

It doesn't have to be
that way, you know.

Well, I know that.

No, put your hand
firm on the top.

That's it, Chester.

Yes, and grind with the other.

Well, Lucy, you act
like I never made

ice cream before in my life.

Well, I hope not this messy.

Well, I never had
ice cream didn't have

a little bit of rock salt in it.

Well, it's much nicer
without it, I'll tell you.

Well, you can just
leave a little bit in for me.

For me, too, Mama.

Uh-uh. Easy, easy.

Easy, even motion, Chester.

- I like to give it a good...
- It'll freeze uniformly.

Yeah, if you give
it a good cranking,

it kind of makes it
better, I always thought.

Oh, Chester.

Daddy did, too.

It was fun when
Daddy made ice cream.

You thought so,
didn't you, honey?

I knew so.

Daddy laughed, and
he made me laugh.

And he got salt in
it like Chester does.

And he let me lick the paddle.

And...

I miss Daddy!

Now, now, now, now,
now, that's all right.

It's all right.

Come on, dear.

Come on.

I'll get you cleaned up.

I like you.

Well, maybe that's
'cause I like you so much.

♪♪

All right, Doc.

Just go ahead and have your
little say and get it over with.

I'm kind of in a hurry.

Well, I'm in a hurry, too.

Yeah, well...

Well...

Will you excuse me, ma'am?

Chester, Chester,
don't move so much.

- Well, it's...
- Stop fidgeting!

I'll just get these few threads
here, and it'll be finished.

I should've carried
that dummy at night.

I wish you had sent
me for it after dark.

Stand up straight, Chester.

There, those shoulders are good.

Not gonna be able to
pitch horseshoes in this.

It's kind of skimpy back there.

Oh, this looks good.

Fine. There.

Well, you certainly
wouldn't want

to pitch horseshoes in
a suit like this, Chester.

No, it was just a
matter of speakin'.

I didn't mean it as...

Speaking.

You drop the G's
off all your words.

I don't have no trouble
makin' myself understood...

at all... I...

Any trouble making.

It's close enough.

Oh, Chester, this looks good.

And it fits fine.

Well, yeah, much obliged

to you for making it for me.

Actually, Sunday best
is kind of what it's for.

It's, uh, not a suit you'd
wear every day, is it?

Not every day?

Well, that's why
I made it for you.

Now you'll get a haircut
and some new shoes

and you'll look just fine.

Well, these boots, they's
just as comfortable as can be.

Oh, not with a suit, Chester.

Where's my other clothes?

Ain't seen them around.

Oh, I put them out back.

You won't be needing them now.

Well, I will so, Lucy.

I-I like them clothes.

I-I got my own ways. I
know what I like, Lucy.

Oh, I want you to
look well, Chester,

because I care about you.

Well, if you cared about me,

- you wouldn't be...
- I'm going shopping now.

And if anyone comes by,
tell them I won't be long.

Well, I-I won't be here.

Well, where are you going?

Well, I... I'll go down
to Long Branch.

Well, I'd rather you wouldn't.

Well, I'd just
rather that I would.

I ain't seen Miss
Kitty in a while, and I...

Well, perhaps that's best.

What did you say?

I said, "Perhaps that's best."

Have you got something
against Miss Kitty?

Well, I just think you
could pick better friends

- than a saloon owner.
- Well, I couldn't.

I sure couldn't pick a better
friend than Miss Kitty is.

Well, I'm surprised
at you, Lucy.

Miss Kitty practically started
you out in business here.

She bought the first
dress that you ever made.

I was just making a
suggestion, Chester.

Well, it seems to me like you've
made quite a few suggestions.

You just can't do that.

You just can't make
a body over like that.

It just don't set good. It's...

There's things
that I could change

about you, too, but I don't.

Well, heavens, I-I figure
it's give and it's take.

Oh, Chester.

You're never serious a minute.

Well, I am, too.

I'm going to Long Branch.

They're in there.

Oh, what-what are?

Your old clothes...
She put them there.

Well, what in the
world would she want

to throw them away for?

She did things like that
to Daddy all the time.

Well, even so...

She talks to you,
tells you how to do

just like she did Daddy.

Made Daddy mad.

Well, it's kind of upsetting.

She doesn't mean it bad.

Well, even so, I...

- Know what he'd do?
- No.

Go off fishing.

He would?

For days, off on
the Snake River.

I play like that's
where he is now.

Off on the Snake, fishing.

Well, that's... that's a
good way to play like.

Doesn't make him so far away.

Well, the Snake's
not far, that's for sure.

I reckon that's where he died.

Where, on the Snake?

Last time we saw him, he
was heading for the river.

Well, was he, uh,
sick or something?

Nope, just like always...

He and Mama had a fight.

And after that, he went
away and never came back.

Mama says he never will.

So we reckon
that's where he died.

You reckon?

You mean you don't know?

You like to fish?

Yeah.

Might make you feel
better to give it a try.

By golly, it might.

It just might at that.

You take care of Rainy.

♪♪

I heard you calling.

You in trouble?

Not unless you're
planning to stay, I ain't.

- This here is the Snake, ain't it?
- Huh?

I say this is the
Snake River, ain't it?

It coils all around
through here.

Find your own place.

My name's Chester Goode.

I can't help that.

You wouldn't, uh... want
to tell me yours, would you?

No.

But if you promise to go away...

I'll give you a fish.

A little girl said, uh,
something about her daddy

being down here somewheres.

Oh, no. No, no, you don't.

No, no.

Your name Jess Damon?

What about my little girl?

Well, she needs your
help is what about her.

Her and her mama are
living in Dodge City now.

Oh.

Well, you tell Jessica hello.

You tell Lucy good-bye.

Well, you know
where they're living.

You ought to take
care of them yourself.

- They eating?
- Yeah.

- Got a roof?
- Well, yeah.

Good-bye.

Well, having a roof and eating

ain't the only
thing that counts.

Mister, you're
standing on my fish.

You ought to take
care of that little girl.

You want to fight?

Well, if I thought it'd pound

any sense into
you, I sure would.

You watch out for Lucy, now.

She'll eat you alive!

You just as same as
told me that he was dead.

- He is.
- Well, he ain't.

Oh, he is.

I put Jess Damon out
of my mind, out of my life.

He's dead, as far
as I'm concerned.

I don't know, Lucy.
Maybe you could do that.

Maybe you can
do it. I don't know.

But how you can let little
Jessica think he's dead

- is something I can't understand.
- Chester, it's best.

Her father's a
drunkard You saw him.

He doesn't care about
her, and she adores him.

- It's kinder this way.
- Well, what about me?

What about me? I
believed you, too.

Well, it's just as
true for you, Chester.

He's gone, entirely
gone, and you're here.

Well, I know that. I
know that I'm here.

And we both want
you here, Jessica and I.

You lied to me. You just
out-and-out lied to me.

Now, what's everybody gonna say?

I'm gonna just get
laughed right out of town.

He deserted me, Chester!

Yeah, and I'll bet you he
had good reason to, too.

You may say he's dead,

but somebody don't die
just on somebody's saying so.

CHESTER and JESS: ♪
Walking down the road ♪

♪ Pack on my back ♪

♪ Pack on my back,
pack on my back ♪

♪ A-walking down the road
with a pack on my back ♪

♪ Getting along
to Californ-i-a ♪

♪ I left that woman
and I went away ♪

♪ Went away, went away ♪

♪ I left that woman
and I went away ♪

♪ Getting along to Califor... ♪

Oh!

That is one mean woman.

She's an incomplete mean woman.

You know, Lucy just
can't let a man be.

No.

You know...

once Lucy's landed you...

and you quit flopping
around on the end of the line...

she takes that
hook out real easy.

And then, you know what?

Have another drink.

The first thing you know,

she starts prodding
you with her hook.

The rest of your life.

"Go here. Go there."

"Do this and do that."

"And clean up."

And, "Why'd you go there?"

And...

Oh.

We are definitely
discussing the same woman.

Well...

Course, uh...

I do feel awful sorry
for that little girl.

That poor little Jessica.

Oh, Lucy loves her.

Don't never worry about that.

Oh, well, I know that.

She loves her right enough.

It just worries me
to see a little girl

growing up with a...
a-a woman like Lucy.

Taking on her ways and...

You don't want to say that.

Well, I don't want
to; no, I just have to.

Are you trying to tell me

that Jessica's
getting like Lucy?

Oh, every day and every way.

It's just a-a fright.

Well, that-that ain't right.

It just ain't right.

Oh, no. The poor little thing.

The-the little girl is
just running out of her.

She's just gonna be
another Lucy, for sure.

I can't let that happen.

I'm gonna save that little girl,

no matter what you say.

Look at you. You
haven't changed a bit.

- Daddy. Oh, Daddy.
- Now, why did you come back?

Daddy.

I came back to save
little Jessica, that's why.

The fact that I'm earning
a good living didn't have

anything to do
with it, I suppose.

Oh, Lucy, you wouldn't
know a good living

if it come out and
smacked you in the face.

I wish you'd stayed
out there on the Snake

and fished for the
rest of your life.

Well, maybe I'll do just that.

Are you gonna fight
and leave again?

I'm gonna tell you
something, Lucy.

Probably won't believe it.

If you say it, I
won't believe it.

I got homesick.

Well, you can't
fish all the time.

Can't drink all the time.

You know?

Luce?

Mommy?

Chester, this is all your fault.

Well, I just made a suggestion.

Jess, you know
what Chester says?

Well, I know some
of what he says.

He says, "You
can't change a body.

It don't set good."

Well, it don't.

It sure don't.

It's most like it
used to be, Chester.

Thank you.

You just don't let 'em fight.

♪♪