Hootie left the general store with her full bolt of material. She chose something generic - something that she could make clothing from or draperies. With her basket of other smaller supplies, the material was almost too much to handle. She walked carefully back toward Ma Smalley's minding her business and enjoying the sunshine along Front Street. That was until a young masked man rounded the corner and ran straight into Hootie's bolt of material sending him crashing to the ground gasping for air.
Hootie almost dropped everything she was carrying to help the man, until she noted the mask, gun and money bag. She stood over him as he tried to regain his breath. Within a moment, Matt and Festus rounded the corner in a mad charge and stopped in their tracks at the sight of Hootie standing over the robber.
"Aunt Hootie? You all right are ya?" Festus approached cautiously kicking the gun away from the man on the ground while retrieving the money bag.
"This young man ran straight into my fabric! I think he jist winded himself real good. He surely looks like a mean one!" Hootie looked up from the prone bank robber to her nephew's face.
Matt's eyebrows rosed as he looked from Hootie to Festus. "Matthew? I don't reckon you've met my Aunt Hootie."
Matt shook his head no and extended his hand carefully. He was like Doc. Wary of the Haggen curse left from Henry's last visit. "We sure owe you one! If you didn't stop him, he would have gotten away for sure!" Matt reached down and grabbed the man firmly by the arm.
The commotion could be heard in the Long Branch and Kitty, Doc and Sam moved to the doorway to watch. Kitty and Doc held the doors open beside them. "Remarkable." Doc said while watching Matt and Festus take the young man to the jail house. The man's shoulders sagged and his head hung low.
"What's remarkable, Doc?" Kitty questioned.
"Two Haggens in Dodge and everything seems to be working out for everyone. Since Hootie has been here she's found your earring, fixed Newly's back and Sam's hand and now this! She stopped a bank robber in his tracks! Absolutely amazing!" Doc was shaking his head at his own surprise of the situation.
Kitty looked at her old friend. "Ya know, you're right!"
Doc looked back at her. "Of course I am...and that's what frightens me..."
Kitty's eyes and Sam's eyes met with Doc's. "What frightens you?" Kitty was almost too afraid to ask.
Doc twitched his head and swiped his moustache. "Something is gonna give. Dodge can't have that much luck with Haggens..."
Kitty playfully swatted Doc on the shoulder and in turned he flinched. A small smile lay hidden under his moustache.
Sam looked out onto the street. "Sure hope I'm not working when whatever it is, happens..." Rarely did Sam joke, but that one even had Doc chuckling.