After leaving the telegraph office with no news in hand, Marshal Dillon
headed for the hotel. It was high time he have a chat with Mr. Bo Hopkins.
Matt walked into the lobby, and found Hopkins sitting in one of the chairs,
reading a newspaper. Dillon removed his hat.
"Howdy. Mr. Hopkins, isn't it?"
The man looked up, "Why yes, it is.....not that it's anybody's business. And you are?"
"Marshal Matt Dillon."
Hopkins looked him over carefully, and kept his voice cool, "I see."
Matt took a chair, "I thought we might have a little chat."
"About what?"
"Your business here in Dodge. What exactly is it?"
"I'm sorry Marshal....Dillon is it? I don't see how my business concerns you."
"As long as you don't break any laws in Dodge, it doesn't, I suppose."
"Well I haven't, so, good day."
The man was slick, and Dillon could just sense that he was an operator, or a con-man; in either case, the marshal didn't want him in Dodge, but he couldn't just throw him out. However, there was something treacherous about the man. Not like a killer; even killers didn't shoot their opponents in the back. But this man... Matt knew there was no honesty in him at all, and in the marshal's professional opinion, that made Bo Hopkins more dangerous than a gunfighter.
"I just like to get to know the folks who are passing through. That is what you're doin' ain't it?"
Hopkins was losing his patience, "I am here on personal business, Marshal, and yes, I will leave when it is concluded."
Dillon stood, erecting himself to his fullest possible height, allowing Hopkins to see how truly large a man he was.
"Fine, fine. If you need any assistance, my deputy and I can be found at the Marshal's Office on Front Street."
Dillon put his hat on his head and walked out of the hotel, heading for Ma Smalley's. He knew his deputy would have a lot to say about it later, but for now, the mystery of Bo Hopkins' personal business, and how it may or may not be connected to Rose Sullivan was foremost on his mind. A terrible twinge of misgiving hit Matt as he stepped up on the porch of the boarding house; how much did Festus really know about Rose Sullivan? He knew she was from Denver, but Matt wondered how much beyond that. It was not in his deputy's nature to be suspicious, but it was in Dillon's. His belly felt tight. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Festus, and something deep inside him told him his prying would do just that.
He stopped on the porch, about to knock. His hand dropped back to his side. Maybe he should just let this one go. Dillon closed his eyes: he couldn't let it go. He had a responsibility to the citizens of Dodge, and he could sense that Bo Hopkins was a dangerous man. He didn't yet know how, but he could feel it, and his instincts were rarely wrong. He knocked on the door, and Ma Smalley answered. He removed his hat.
"Afternoon, Ma."
"Why Marshal Dillon...what brings you by?"
"I was wonderin' if I might speak with Rose Sullivan for a moment."
"I don't rightly know. The poor thing came home from work sicker than a kitten out in the snow. But come on in to the parlor, and I'll go up and see if she can come downstairs for a few minutes."
"Much obliged, ma'am."
Dillon entered the parlor, and sat in a chair. A moment later, Rose appeared. She looked frail and vulnerable somehow. Matt stood and nodded to her.
"Afternoon Miss Sullivan."
"Marshal."
The two of them sat down, and Matt fidgeted in his chair.
"Was there something you wanted to see me about Marshal?"
"Well, yes. Bo Hopkins."
Her voice turned frigid, "I told you earlier, I don't know the man."
Dillon kept his voice calm, "All due respect ma'am, but I don't think you're bein' entirely truthful with me."
"Does Festus know you're here?"
"No. I thought this little talk should be just between us..... and anything you tell me will stay between us, unless you decide otherwise."
Her eyes raised to meet his, but still, she said nothing. Dillon smiled at her.
"I know you're very fond of Festus--"
"--Fond? I'm in love with him, and I'll thank you to leave my feelings for your deputy out of this. Using a girl's emotions against her, Marshal, isn't right."
"I'm not trying to do that Miss Sullivan, I promise you." His voice grew cold, "But I don't want to see Festus Haggen hurt in anyway." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "If you know something about this Bo Hopkins, I'd appreciate hearing it."
She looked at him, and knew that she could trust him, that she needed to trust him for Festus' sake.
"Bo Hopkins was my husband."
"Husband?"
"Festus knows that I was married, and that my husband....." She swallowed hard before she continued, "He beat me, Marshal. Bo Hopkins married me for my father's land, and he turned out not to be at all the man I thought I was marrying. So I left him."
"And Festus knows about all this?"
"I said he did, didn't I? He just doesn't know that it was Bo Hopkins. Oh please, Marshal, if you care about Festus at all, you won't tell him. If he finds out, I'm afraid--"
"--You're afraid of what he'll do."
Her voice was a mere whisper, "Yes. You didn't see his eyes when I told him that my husband beat me. It was a fierceness in him that isn't usually there. If he knew that Bo was here to take me back, well.... I'm afraid he'd try and kill him."
"And you're certain that Hopkins is here in Dodge for you? You didn't tell him where you were goin' didja?"
"No, of course not. But if he's here, it's because he knows I am. Promise me you won't tell Festus who he is, please Marshal."
Matt's lips pressed into a hard line, "I'm inclined to agree with you that for his own good, we shouldn't tell Festus. But that does leave us with a problem."
"Yes, how do we explain my need to go into hiding."
"Exactly." Matt thought for a minute, "I think I may have a solution. You know Kitty Russell over at the Long Branch?"
"I know who she is, yes."
"I'll go speak to her, explain what's going on--"
"--No, please. Please don't tell anyone else. If Festus finds out--"
"--Miss Sullivan, you can trust Kitty, believe me. I'll arrange for her to keep you in one of the rooms upstairs. No one will know about it. You'll pack your things and tell Ma Smalley that you're leavin' town, that way if Hopkins comes lookin' for ya, he'll think you already left."
"But what about Festus?"
"I'm afraid in order to protect him, we're going to have to keep him in the dark."
"Marshal, he'll think I've run out on him."
"Better that than dead. If this man Hopkins is as dangerous as I think he is, I know he wouldn't hesitate shooting Festus or any other man in the back. You do what I told ya, and I'll be back to get you over to the Long Branch in an hour."
He stood up to leave, and her voice stopped him.
"Marshal..... what will you tell him?"
"Don't worry, I'll think of something gentle."
Matt put his hat on and left Ma Smalley's, feeling sick to his stomach. He was going to have to hurt Festus, there was no way around it. He just had to remind himself: better a broken heart than a broken neck. And in the end, if they were able to call out Bo Hopkins, then all would be well, and Rose and Festus could get married. He shuddered to think what the other alternatives were....
***********
After explaining the situation to Kitty, and listening to her argument for telling Festus what was going on, and making her promise she would say nothing, Matt went back to Ma Smalley's to pick up Rose. He quickly spirited her off to the back entrance of the Long Branch, inquiring what Ma's reaction to her sudden departure had been. Rose told him that she gave Ma the sick relative in Wyoming excuse, and that the old woman seemed to accept it. The two of them tactfully avoided any discussion of how Festus was going to react to the news when Matt told him.
Kitty helped Rose get settled into a room upstairs in the Long Branch, and the only people to know she was there were Kitty, Matt, and Sam; but the latter had always been one of the most tightlipped people in Dodge, so the marshal wasn't concerned. Kitty was going to Delmonico's to tell Flo that Rose had to make an emergency trip to Wyoming, while Matt had the unpleasant task of talking to Festus. Dillon kept telling himself that it was for Haggen's own good, and that even though it was difficult, it was for his own protection.
Still, it left him with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Howdy. Mr. Hopkins, isn't it?"
The man looked up, "Why yes, it is.....not that it's anybody's business. And you are?"
"Marshal Matt Dillon."
Hopkins looked him over carefully, and kept his voice cool, "I see."
Matt took a chair, "I thought we might have a little chat."
"About what?"
"Your business here in Dodge. What exactly is it?"
"I'm sorry Marshal....Dillon is it? I don't see how my business concerns you."
"As long as you don't break any laws in Dodge, it doesn't, I suppose."
"Well I haven't, so, good day."
The man was slick, and Dillon could just sense that he was an operator, or a con-man; in either case, the marshal didn't want him in Dodge, but he couldn't just throw him out. However, there was something treacherous about the man. Not like a killer; even killers didn't shoot their opponents in the back. But this man... Matt knew there was no honesty in him at all, and in the marshal's professional opinion, that made Bo Hopkins more dangerous than a gunfighter.
"I just like to get to know the folks who are passing through. That is what you're doin' ain't it?"
Hopkins was losing his patience, "I am here on personal business, Marshal, and yes, I will leave when it is concluded."
Dillon stood, erecting himself to his fullest possible height, allowing Hopkins to see how truly large a man he was.
"Fine, fine. If you need any assistance, my deputy and I can be found at the Marshal's Office on Front Street."
Dillon put his hat on his head and walked out of the hotel, heading for Ma Smalley's. He knew his deputy would have a lot to say about it later, but for now, the mystery of Bo Hopkins' personal business, and how it may or may not be connected to Rose Sullivan was foremost on his mind. A terrible twinge of misgiving hit Matt as he stepped up on the porch of the boarding house; how much did Festus really know about Rose Sullivan? He knew she was from Denver, but Matt wondered how much beyond that. It was not in his deputy's nature to be suspicious, but it was in Dillon's. His belly felt tight. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Festus, and something deep inside him told him his prying would do just that.
He stopped on the porch, about to knock. His hand dropped back to his side. Maybe he should just let this one go. Dillon closed his eyes: he couldn't let it go. He had a responsibility to the citizens of Dodge, and he could sense that Bo Hopkins was a dangerous man. He didn't yet know how, but he could feel it, and his instincts were rarely wrong. He knocked on the door, and Ma Smalley answered. He removed his hat.
"Afternoon, Ma."
"Why Marshal Dillon...what brings you by?"
"I was wonderin' if I might speak with Rose Sullivan for a moment."
"I don't rightly know. The poor thing came home from work sicker than a kitten out in the snow. But come on in to the parlor, and I'll go up and see if she can come downstairs for a few minutes."
"Much obliged, ma'am."
Dillon entered the parlor, and sat in a chair. A moment later, Rose appeared. She looked frail and vulnerable somehow. Matt stood and nodded to her.
"Afternoon Miss Sullivan."
"Marshal."
The two of them sat down, and Matt fidgeted in his chair.
"Was there something you wanted to see me about Marshal?"
"Well, yes. Bo Hopkins."
Her voice turned frigid, "I told you earlier, I don't know the man."
Dillon kept his voice calm, "All due respect ma'am, but I don't think you're bein' entirely truthful with me."
"Does Festus know you're here?"
"No. I thought this little talk should be just between us..... and anything you tell me will stay between us, unless you decide otherwise."
Her eyes raised to meet his, but still, she said nothing. Dillon smiled at her.
"I know you're very fond of Festus--"
"--Fond? I'm in love with him, and I'll thank you to leave my feelings for your deputy out of this. Using a girl's emotions against her, Marshal, isn't right."
"I'm not trying to do that Miss Sullivan, I promise you." His voice grew cold, "But I don't want to see Festus Haggen hurt in anyway." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "If you know something about this Bo Hopkins, I'd appreciate hearing it."
She looked at him, and knew that she could trust him, that she needed to trust him for Festus' sake.
"Bo Hopkins was my husband."
"Husband?"
"Festus knows that I was married, and that my husband....." She swallowed hard before she continued, "He beat me, Marshal. Bo Hopkins married me for my father's land, and he turned out not to be at all the man I thought I was marrying. So I left him."
"And Festus knows about all this?"
"I said he did, didn't I? He just doesn't know that it was Bo Hopkins. Oh please, Marshal, if you care about Festus at all, you won't tell him. If he finds out, I'm afraid--"
"--You're afraid of what he'll do."
Her voice was a mere whisper, "Yes. You didn't see his eyes when I told him that my husband beat me. It was a fierceness in him that isn't usually there. If he knew that Bo was here to take me back, well.... I'm afraid he'd try and kill him."
"And you're certain that Hopkins is here in Dodge for you? You didn't tell him where you were goin' didja?"
"No, of course not. But if he's here, it's because he knows I am. Promise me you won't tell Festus who he is, please Marshal."
Matt's lips pressed into a hard line, "I'm inclined to agree with you that for his own good, we shouldn't tell Festus. But that does leave us with a problem."
"Yes, how do we explain my need to go into hiding."
"Exactly." Matt thought for a minute, "I think I may have a solution. You know Kitty Russell over at the Long Branch?"
"I know who she is, yes."
"I'll go speak to her, explain what's going on--"
"--No, please. Please don't tell anyone else. If Festus finds out--"
"--Miss Sullivan, you can trust Kitty, believe me. I'll arrange for her to keep you in one of the rooms upstairs. No one will know about it. You'll pack your things and tell Ma Smalley that you're leavin' town, that way if Hopkins comes lookin' for ya, he'll think you already left."
"But what about Festus?"
"I'm afraid in order to protect him, we're going to have to keep him in the dark."
"Marshal, he'll think I've run out on him."
"Better that than dead. If this man Hopkins is as dangerous as I think he is, I know he wouldn't hesitate shooting Festus or any other man in the back. You do what I told ya, and I'll be back to get you over to the Long Branch in an hour."
He stood up to leave, and her voice stopped him.
"Marshal..... what will you tell him?"
"Don't worry, I'll think of something gentle."
Matt put his hat on and left Ma Smalley's, feeling sick to his stomach. He was going to have to hurt Festus, there was no way around it. He just had to remind himself: better a broken heart than a broken neck. And in the end, if they were able to call out Bo Hopkins, then all would be well, and Rose and Festus could get married. He shuddered to think what the other alternatives were....
***********
After explaining the situation to Kitty, and listening to her argument for telling Festus what was going on, and making her promise she would say nothing, Matt went back to Ma Smalley's to pick up Rose. He quickly spirited her off to the back entrance of the Long Branch, inquiring what Ma's reaction to her sudden departure had been. Rose told him that she gave Ma the sick relative in Wyoming excuse, and that the old woman seemed to accept it. The two of them tactfully avoided any discussion of how Festus was going to react to the news when Matt told him.
Kitty helped Rose get settled into a room upstairs in the Long Branch, and the only people to know she was there were Kitty, Matt, and Sam; but the latter had always been one of the most tightlipped people in Dodge, so the marshal wasn't concerned. Kitty was going to Delmonico's to tell Flo that Rose had to make an emergency trip to Wyoming, while Matt had the unpleasant task of talking to Festus. Dillon kept telling himself that it was for Haggen's own good, and that even though it was difficult, it was for his own protection.
Still, it left him with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.