Two weeks passed. Shopkeepers and those living along Ralston and Sugar's route found themselves still automatically looking out their doors or windows at 9:00AM, noon, 4:00PM, and 8:00PM. Some would even grab a tidbit of food and maybe an apple until they remembered.
Wilbur Jonas was the exception. He never for a moment forgot.
On a hot Monday morning, Chester and the Marshal stopped by the General Store so Matt could pay the latest bill. While Mr. Jonas went over the items with the Marshal, Chester started wandering around, picking up tools and buckets and bonnets before settling on the large glass candy jars on the side counter.
Glancing up at the sound of glass on glass, the stern shop owner frowned.
"CHESTER! Get your hand outta that jar or I'll charge you for the whole thing!"
The young man jumped, rattled the lid back in place and put his hands down to his sides.
"Wal, I didn't mean nothin'! You know I always git to lookin' 'round…"
"Come on Chester. Let's go get something to eat. See you later Mr. Jonas." The Marshal herded his assistant out of the store and over to Delmonico's.
They ate in a comfortable silence for a while, then Chester paused his forkful of steak midway to his mouth.
"Mr. Dillon. That Jonas has always been kinda, well, prickly, but lately he's turned durn crabbier than a wet cat!"
Matt looked up from his own plate and into Chester's hurt-filled eyes.
"Chester. This may be hard to understand, especially with such a stern man as Mr. Jonas, but I think he is still grieving for Ralston Abbey and old Sugar."
The young, tender-hearted man considered this for a few moments. He admired the Marshal more than any other man, and always trusted and believed him without question. So he nodded his head and then put the fork in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, wondering what he could do to make Mr. Jonas feel better.
Later that night, as Wilber Jonas was taking the trash to the barrel our back, he tripped over a dried-out water bowl he had forgotten about. It had matching ones still scattered around town along Ralston's and Sugar's route.
"%$# &#! Almost broke my fool neck!" The shop owner was about to kick the bowl into the darkness, but paused. He told himself it was foolish to waste a good bowl, but it was something soft inside that made him bend and reach for it with his right hand.
As soon as the man's hand touched the bowl, a small skinny puppy crept out from behind the nearby barrel and hopefully licked Wilbur's hand.
"What the…!" The shop owner flinched back and stared down at the scrawny, dirty, white and black speckled pup with the big brown eyes grinning up at him, tiny tail sweeping the dirt up into a little cloud.
"Well now! What have we here?!"
The stern man felt the first smile in two weeks crease his face as his hidden heart dared to open wide enough for a small dog to get in.
Reaching down again, Wilbur Jonas picked up the little dog who was wriggling in joy. Stepping back inside, he pulled the door shut and locked it.
Holding the puppy with his right arm, Wilbur picked up a small dish, a bottle of milk, and a few crackers with his left hand and headed back into his store home.
End.