Mark and I had gone into town.  There was a package for him that was to arrive on the morning stage.  He was disappointed when there was no package.  But there was a different kind of a package that got off the stage that surprised everyone.  Leota Carraway and her son, Hab.  Some of the town folks laughed at her and her son.  Especially when Hab took a giant step off of the stage and fell flat on his face.  After Leota brushed Hab off she started to look around the town at the people.  All of a sudden she left out one big scream and fainted.   Mrs. Ramirez rushed over and told me to take her into the hotel so she could unfasten her corset. 

Hab waited outside of the hotel whilin' until his mother was feeling better.  Mark walked up to him and introduced himself.  He asked Hab what he was doing.  Hab said he was making a link chain.  He introduced himself to Mark as Habcuck Carraway.  "Habcuck?" Questioned Mark.  He stopped laughing as Hab looked at him.  "That's what she called me after Pa snuck out on us, Habcuck," said Hab.  "With a name like that you must really have a time in school," said Mark.  "It's normally box fighten'. I can whop lots of grown men if it wasn't my elders," said Hab.

Everyone was outside the hotel waiting to see what was going on with Mrs. Carraway.  "They've been in there a long time. Maybe we ought to go in," I said to Micah.  "Two women with a chance to feel sorry for each other.....it's better than whiskey for 'em," said Micah.  "What do you know about women?" I asked Micah.  "Enough to have stayed single," said Micah.  "I love the little critters for cookin' and washin' my shirts. And that's the way I wanna keep it!"  Just then Mrs. Ramirez came out of the hotel.  "Poor woman. She's had a terrible experience!"  "Injuns?" Asked one of the old towns folk.  "Much worst! A husband!"  Just then Leota came out.  "Come here to your mother Hab. That there is the father who abandon you on your birth night!"  "You said what Ma'am?" I asked. "Norman Ambrose Carraway. My lawful wedded husband and I stood by faithful and true going on sixteen years and gave him a fine son too!" Said Leota as she pointed her finger at Micah.  I wasn't the only one surprised by her accusation.  You should have seen the look on Micah's face.  "Me! She's talkin' about me?" "Why you all know me! My name isn't Norman! I'm old Micah Torrance your elected Marshal!"

"Oh Norman! There ain't no need for you to go on lyin' and purgerin'. In this here bosom your only fine wife forgives you."  Micah insisted he never saw Leota before.  I told Micah I'd do the explaining but first I asked him if he was guilty or not guilty.  Micah explained that it could be possible he was married to Leota.  He was a bit vague about the past twenty-two years what with drinking a quart of whiskey a day and all.  I told Leota that Micah was a bit shakin' about everything and we'd meet the next day at ten-thirty in Micah's office, nice and friendly we'd thrash it out.  She agreed.  I grabbed Micah by the arm and took him aside.  "One thing that's workin' for you Norman is that nobody brought of the subject of lynching.....so far!"

        We went back to Micah's place.  I told Micah that I thought this was a scam.  The way I see it is this woman was an adventurous.  She's cold....she's smart.....and she's routhless!  She picked his name out of a hat.....she rented that boy from an orphanage and she's here to shake the bushes.  Micah didn't agree with me.  He had nothing that she could want.  I felt the Charming Billy thing was a lie too.  Something she made up.  Micah wasn't so sure.  "You know Lucas.....you must try to understand.....there actually are certain men who have this mysterious power over the female sex." As he looked in the mirror. And we don't loose it just because we live to be after forty."

Everybody showed up at Micah's office the next day.  When I say everybody I mean everybody!  I think the whole town was there.  Well even at one point they were ready to hang Micah.  Leota sure had quite a story to tell.  I asked Leota to see the Lone Star marriage voucher.  She told us they were joined in wedlock sixteen years ago come October and their son was born the followin' year, July thirty.  She even had to pay the one dollar for the license!  When Norman left he had set the house on fire and so she had no record of their marriage.  She thought it kind of the towns folk to wanna lynch Micah for her but that wouldn't get her boys Pa back.  She said she wanted to let everything up to Norm's conscience for a few days.  Then if he still ain't got one her and Hab would go away and never bother him no more.  When she went to leave Micah ran over and opened the door for her. 

"Well charmer boy you really have her eatin out of your hand."  "A man must have been a fool to desert a woman like her," said Micah.  "Really wasn't you then huh?" I asked.  "That's what teases me Lucas. As near as I can figure I was in Texas about the time she mentions."  "As near as you can figure?"  "You forget that for almost twenty-two years I never drank less then a quart of whiskey a day.....so my memory of that stretch is a little spotty."  "So you could be her husband?"  "Deserted her to! But as far as settin' the house on fire....."  "I'm glad we can cross that off!" I said.  "Lucas.....if you desert me I won't have a friend left!"  I told him I'd tack up the wanted posters and he went about his duties.

Mark came in as Micah was leaving.  "What are those Pa?"  "Don't you start teasin' me that you want to tack these up on the bulletin board."  "Are those wanted posters?" Asked Mark with some excitement.  "Yeah!'"  "Oh gosh Pa.....why not. Let me hang 'em up please?"  I agreed.  I handed him the hammer.  I thought I had tricked him into hanging up the posters but he made me well aware that he knew what I had done.  "And.....uh.....now you can sit back and catch your forty winks in Micah's arm chair."  He then went out to hang up the posters.  I set back in Micah's arm chair and was relaxing when suddenly I heard Mark yell....."Pa.....Pa.....come here hurry!"  "What's the matter? Did you smash you thumb?"  I hurried out.  "What is it?" I asked.  He had his back to the poster.  When he moved, he motioned me to look at the poster.  It was Micah!  I mean Walt Hacklock Alias Wilbur Dickey, Dick Hickey, Major Rantoul, and 'Charming Billy' Carraway.  I tore the poster down and tucked it inside my jacket. 

When Micah got done with his duties he went home.  He was pleasantly surprised to find Leota there.  She had cleaned his place which definitely needed it.  And like they say....."The way to a man's heart is thru his stomach."  She even made him his favorite meal—spring lamb stew.

That evening Mark and I stopped by Micah's place.  Hab was setting on the steps whitlin' away on that link chain.  I asked him if the marshal was around.  Hab then call for Micah calling him Pa.  Mark and I just stood there looking at each other.  As Micah got to the bottom of the steps Leota came out of Micah's place shaking the table cloth.  I grabbed Micah by the arm and took him aside.  I told Mark to go tend the horses.  "What are you up to here?" I asked Micah.  "You were right there with me, the whole town insisting that I'm husband and father.....what's my opinion against so many? And the conditions aren't so bad."  I asked him if he knew a gun slapper named Walk Hacklock.  He said he did, by reputation.  He said that he was under the impression that he was working Stud City recently.  He said that he was old and passed his prime.  He just stuck to shavin' cards and petty gamblin'.  The law basically leaves him alone.  He said if North Fork needed any law tonight they will find the marshal in the spare jail cell.  I told him that was a good place for him.

I decided to head for Stud City.  I had to know if that guy on the poster was Micah or not.  Mark said he didn't mind staying alone.

When I got to Stud City the first place I headed for was the saloon.  I found Hacklock alright.  I was totally amazed how much he and Micah looked alike.  He was gamblin'  I just stood there in amazement.  "I'm looking for Norman Ambrose Carraway alias Walt Hacklock."  "And whom might you be.....you long, lanky, ornery lookin'....."  I told him I was the fella holding this gun on him and it's loaded.  Everyone scrambled to get away from the table.  I set down to talk to Norman.  He was a shady character.  I had to keep my eyes on him at all times.  He asked me what made me think I could deliver him.  I then took my rifle used the bottle of booze as shootin' practice.  He said I just used my last bullet.  I told him if that's what he thought then he should draw.  I had convinced him to go to North Fork with me. 

  Leota and Micah were getting along quite well.  They both like things the way they were.  Even Hab gave his Pa (Micah) his link chain.  But I had to do this.  I had to bring Norman back to Leota.  It was the right thing to do.  Micah and Leota were setting on the porch when Norman and I rode in.  I yelled to Micah.  I told  him I brought someone for him to see.  I'm lucky Leota didn't scream or pass out when she saw him.  And the resemblance.....unbelievable!  She apologized to Micah.  She wanted Micah to be her Norma that she imagined he was him.  Norman told Micah he didn't take to a galoof takin' to his wife the minute his back was turned.  Micah hit him and knocked him down the steps.  Just then Hab run out of the apartment and ran to his father.  Leota told Micah that she still prays that Hab will be like him when he's grown.  Norman didn't even know his own son.  He didn't like his name so he decided to call him Tom.  Norman told him it was nice seeing him but he had to be on his way.  Hab told him he wasn't going no where.  He told him that this time he was staying and doing his fair share of listening to Leota.  Norman started to leave and that's when Hab punched him on the nose.  He hugged his son.  "I was blind drunk when you was born. Been loosin' my wits for three days and when I heard ya' squalling inside I.....I just took off. I must have rode twenty miles through the dark night. When I woke in my saddle I knew there was something wrong. I was afraid and I thought.....'What am I doing here?' I'll go back to him. But that wasn't it and suddenly it came to me, somethin' about knockin' a lamp over. I turned and I run from it boy! And I kept on runnin'. And even when I found out you were both alive and trailin' me I just couldn't pull up no ways.  Hab felt it was better to have him for a Pa, then none at all. 

That morning Leota, Hab and Norman headed out of town.  Micah just stood there looking on.  He seemed sad and lonely.  I know I did the right thing.....but for who?