The Mother-in-law Incident by Diana L. Pierce…alias…..Dee Grainger No copyright infringement intended

One afternoon, Doc Adams walked into the law office in Dodge City. "Mat, I think you need to see this feller I got up in my office. He's been shot, Mat. But he won't tell me who shot him." The marshal gets up from his desk, "Maybe he'll tell me." The two head to Doc's office.

At the doctor's office Marshal Dillon begins to question the man. "Mind telling me your name, mister and who shot ya?" The frail middle aged man looks at the marshal, "My name is Henry Thompson, sir. I'd really rather not tell you how I got shot if it's alright with you sir. Anyhow the Doc said I'll be fine in a day or two." The lawman doesn't understand but he respects the man's rights and leaves the office.

A few days later the marshal runs into Henry on the street, "How's the shoulder there Henry? Looks like you got you a hum dinger of a shiner since I saw you last. You know you can tell me who keeps hurting you. Maybe I can get them to stop." The man looks up at the marshal and says, "Oh, it's nothing to concern you Marshal, I'm just prone to accidents tis all." The marshal is really curious now about what is going on with Henry but he doesn't question him any further and goes about his business.

Later that day, Marshal Dillon and Doc Adams are sitting in front of Mat's office visiting. Doc says, "You know that Henry Thompson stopped into pay me this morning for taken the bullet out of him. My land, you know he had one heck of a black-eye. Someone's been getting the best of him quite often lately." Mat says, "I saw him, Doc. He said he's prone to accidents. No need for me to concern myself, he said." Doc shakes his head, "I noticed a lot of bruises on him when I got the bullet out of him that day. It's hard to figure. You know he lives with his wife and mother-in-law, a few miles outside of town, but never seen him with any friends or neighbors. He's a bit of a loner. They only moved here a few months ago. Reckon he don't know many folks here. Can't figure who'd treat him like that." Mat shakes his head, "That explains why I never met him before. Think maybe I'll ride out there. Maybe his misses will tell me something. Keeps this up the little fella won't last long."

The next day Marshal Dillon takes a ride outside of town to Henry's place. Henry's wife is busy hanging clothes on the line when he gets there. "Ma'am, you got any notions as to who has been causing Henry harm?" She looks at him, "Marshal, he just runs into things and even shot himself tripping over his own feet." The Marshal asks, "Did you see him do these things, ma'am?" She says, "Well, no I didn't see him do them things, Marshal. But he told me that was what he did, run his eye into a doorknob and before that he tripped and shot himself in the shoulder." The Marshal sees Henry's mother-in-law coming from the barn. The big strong looking woman's sputtering as she reaches her daughter, "That husband of yours is getting on my nerves big time today, Sally. Oh, hello, Marshal. What brings you out this way?" He nods his head, "Ma'am I'm worried about Henry and all those accidents he's been having lately. Suppose you know anything about them?" She screams at him, "Just what's that mean? Ya, accusing me?" He glares at her, "Now wait just a minute, ma'am. You must think I got cause if you're thinking that way. Where is Henry anyways?" Sally, Henry's wife yells, "Henry! Oh, Henry. Where ya at!" They all begin to look for Henry.

The marshal looks in the barn and finds Henry on the floor with puncture wounds that looks like those made from a pitch fork, "Sally, come quick." Henry was breathing but was not making any sounds and was bleeding badly. Sally says, "Help me, get him in the buck board Marshal. Think he'll make it to Dodge, if we leave now?" The marshal shakes his head, "I hope so, Sally. I hope so." Mat goes looking for Sally's mother who had just left there on the back of a mule. And Sally heads to Dodge City.

The marshal doesn't take long catching up to the mule which he finds chewing on some grass without his rider. He looks around, "Ma'am, it'll make things easier if ya just give yourself up." He notices a bush move near him and reaches in and grabs the woman. She struggles and kicks at him, "I ain't hurt anybody Marshal. Henry fell a whiles he was pitchin' hay. He's a clumsy man. You sees how's he always hurts his self don't ya now?" The marshal manages to get his hand cuffs on her and lifts her up onto the mule. "We'll see what Henry says. Hope he lives to tell us. He didn't look good. You better hope he lives. You know you'll be charged for murder if he doesn't" He leads her toward Dodge City with her protesting the whole way.

Later at the doctor's office, Doc is looking over his patient and tending to the wounds in his side. "Sally, I think he'll survive, we'll have to wait and see. You say, Mat thinks your mother did this?" Sally sobs, "Yes and can't help but think she could have, too. She doesn't like Henry much. We lived south of here near the Texas border in a little town called Summersville. My daddy died last spring from pneumonia. Momma said she needed to leave there, too many bad memories. She asked us to move up here with her to help with the little farm she bought. But Henry never did farm work before. We ran a mercantile. We sold it just to make her happy." Just then there's a knock at the door. Doc opens the door and the marshal walks in. "How's he doing, Doc?" Doc answers, "We have to wait and see. I've done everything I can for him. He hasn't come to yet." Sally cries, "Where's momma. Did she say she did this, Marshal?" He shakes his head, "No, she won't admit to it. I think she did it. I locked her up until Henry can tell us something." Henry begins to moan and he opens his eyes, "Sally, don't cry. I'll be okay." She wipes her tears and kisses him on the forehead, "I've been so worried. Did momma do this to you, Henry?" He nods, "Guess, she thinks you'd be better off without me." Marshal Dillon asks, "She was responsible for the bullet wound and the black eye, too. Wasn't she, Henry?" He sighs, "Yes, sir, she was. Made me nervous to be around her." The marshal assures him, "She's in jail. She can't hurt you now." Henry says, "Marshal, I don't want her in jail. I just can't live with her no more. Sally we got to get our store back or find a place to open another. I ain't no farmer and I ain't sure why I thought I could be." Sally smiles. "Okay, Henry, whatever you want to do."

A month later, Sally and Henry have opened up a brand new business right there in Dodge City. A mercantile much smaller than they had before, but they were happy. Mrs. Yates, Sally's mother went back to Summersville. They are standing outside the store preparing to open when Marshal Dillon and Chester stop and visit. Chester says, "Sure is a nice morning isn't it ma'am?" Sally grins, "It sure is. Thank you so much, Marshal. See how good Henry looks now. I can't believe what momma put him through and I never noticed." The marshal smiles, "Glad it worked out the way it did. I was scared for Henry myself. Sally sometimes we just see what we want to see. Don't fret over it. Life is too short for that. Welcome to Dodge, hope you're here for a long time. We need folks like you here." Henry turns the sign over in the window that says open as he enters the store. The marshal and Chester continue to walk down the street.

THE END