Early the next morning, Matt Dillon was brewing some coffee in his office. He needed the caffeine since he had stayed up quite late last night, but it was a weekend so it was understandable. When the coffee finished brewing, Matt poured himself a cup and stepped outside.
He was surprised to find a man laying right outside the office door. The man had his hat pulled down over his eyes – apparently sleeping.
Matt nudged at him with the toe of his boot. "Hey you! Get up from there."
"Oh Marshal, it's you." Joey sat upright and rubbed his eyes.
"Have you been laying there all night?"
"Wha – Oh. Yeah, well I just sort of wandered over here last night," Joey explained, somewhat nervously.
Matt folded his arms sternly. "Couldn't you find a better place to sleep than right outside my office?"
Joey looked up into the Marshal's eyes and shrugged.
"Don't do it again," Matt said. Then he walked back into his office to get some work done.
"Festus?" he called. "Where you at?"
"Right here, Matthew. Thare somethin' I can get fer ya?"
"Do you know why that Joey character would be sleeping outside my door?"
"Hm, thet's a toughie…," Festus said, scratching his whiskers. "But I know this…thet critter has got somethin' up his sleeve! I can just feel it in m' bones!"
Matt glanced over toward the window. "I'll keep my eye on him."
"Oh Matthew, if you see Merry Florene today, would ye tell her that I'm ready fer my lesson?"
"Lesson?" Matt was cofused for a moment. "Ohh…that lesson."
"Yep!" Festus nodded.
Matt chuckled. "Who's going to be the unlucky victim of practice?"
"Newly."
"Figures." Matt rolled his eyes.
"Oh, but Merry Florene is going to be doing all the ticklin'. I'm just gonna be her lonely ole apprentice…"
Matt raised an eyebrow. "You've got too much time on your hands these days, Festus."
Festus smirked as he put on his hat and left the room, leaving Matt alone with his thoughts.