The Banner brothers were in town waiting for the stage.  No, they weren't here to meet the stage, they just wanted to make sure they're devilish plan had worked.  They had sent for a mail order bride.....for me!  The only thing about this was.....I knew nothing about it!

As she stepped down from the stagecoach they were pleasantly surprised.  They liked what they saw.  Kelly whistled low.  "Great day in the morning.....will you look at that?" Said Kelly.  "Great day in the mornin'.....I'm lookin'!" Remarked Chavre.

Micah walked up to her.  He tipped his hat.  "Ma'am.....you expecting somebody to meet you?"  "You makin' it your business Marshal?"  "Why no, no.....not if you don't want me to."  "Don't I know you from some place?" Asked Micah.  "You never met me before and you know it!"  "Maybe so.....but askin' a person is one way of meetin' a person," said Micah.  "My name is Torrance.....Micah Torrance."  "My name is Mary Woodson. I've come over a thousand miles from St. Louie.....Someone's gonna meet me.....I've been sent for and he'll be here."  "Now is there anything else
Marshal?"  "No.....no.....I reckin' not. But in case whoever he is doesn't show up, my office is just across the street." "If I can be of any help." He tipped his hat and started on his way.

She noticed the Banner brothers standing outside of the saloon watching her and decided maybe she should ask Micah for some help.  "Marshal!"  "I really do need some information.....you see ah....."  "Just who were you expecting Miss?"   "Well..... a rancher.....a McCain.....Lucas McCain."  Micah was shocked.  "Lucas Mc....."  "What's the matter she asked?"  Micah was stuttering.  He didn't know what to say.  He told her he knew me very well, we we're practically best friends.  She figured that I must have told him, but he had no idea what she was talkin' about.  He thought her to be a relative.  She assured him she wasn't but she might be soon.  He asked her to explain.  "There's nothing to explain.....I'm the bride he sent for!"  With a big smile on her face.  "Your the what?" Asked Micah.  He took her to his office so they could talk private.  The Banner brothers thought this was funny.  They headed back in the saloon to pass the word around.

    Micah asked her to repeat what she had already told him.  He wanted to make sure that I was the one who asked her to marry me.  She told him she had the proof.  She had letters that I supposedly sent her.  She told him I wrote her nice words and told her how lonely I was.  She knew how I lived and she knew about Mark.   He wanted to see the letters but she wouldn't let him see them.  She said they were personal.  She got upset.  She wanted to know what this was all about and why I wasn't out there to meet her.  She wondered if I was trying to back out.  Micah assured her that I was a man of my word.  He told her if I asked her to marry me.....I definitely meant it!  She wanted to go to the hotel and freshen up.  Micah told her he'd walk with her. 

Just as they were walking over to the hotel Mark came out of the barber shop.  "Hi Micah," said Mark.  "Hello Mark," said Micah. She knew who Mark was.  "Mark.....don't tell me.....your Lucas' boy!"  "It is him, isn't it?"  "Mark McCain!"  "Yes ma'am.....this is Lucas' boy."  She claims she knew it was Mark right away from the way I described him in my letters.  Mark was puzzled.  Micah introduced the two of them.  She was a little upset that Mark didn't know anything about her.  But then thought I was just keeping it a secret for now.  "Mark.....Miss Woodson here.....claims your Pa sent for her all the way from St. Louie."  "Why?" Asked Mark.  "To Marry,  that's why!" Said Mary.  Mark was surprised.....no.....shocked!  Micah asked if I was at the ranch.  Mark told him I was and that I was cleaning up.  We we're having company tonight. "You see!"  "Gettin' ready for me!"  Said Mary.  "Oh no!" "Miss Millie's comin' over for dinner!" Said Mark.  Micah sent Mark home to fetch me.  The Banner brother's were just lovin' this. 

Mark rode like the wind.  When he got back to the ranch I wasn't there.  But it wasn't long.....I rode in right after he did.  I had been out trackin' that grey wolf that's been after our calves.  My rifle misfired.  So I started to check out my rifle and see what was wrong with it.  The firing pin was bent a little.  Mark just stood there lookin' at me.  I asked him if something was wrong?  He mumbled something about it must be a mistake.  I asked him.....what was a mistake?  He told me about Mary and what she had said about us gettin' married.  Well it sure didn't take me long to get into town. 

I headed straight for Micah's office.  Mary liked what she saw.  I tried to explain to her that I didn't know anything about this. Just then Millie walked in.  Chavre made it a point to tell Millie.  She wanted to know what was going on and if she was still to come to dinner tonight.  I told her she was and then Mary grabbed me and planted a big kiss on me.  When I told her I wasn't marrying anybody, she fainted. 

When Mary came to she was really upset.  She was going to hit me over the head with a bottle.  I told her there had been a mistake.  She wanted to press charges,  Unless I change my mind.  I wasn't changing my mind.  Millie tried talkin' to her but she told Millie to stay out of it unless she wanted to be considered the other woman.  She knew her rights!  She pulled out the so called letters I sent her.  I had Micah and Millie check them to see if they thought it was my writing.  They both said it wasn't.  "Until today.....I've never heard of you and I didn't write those letters."  Who wrote them if I didn't?  Micah asked her if she ever wrote.  She said not, the marriage bureau took care of everything.  She just paid her money and said she'd come out after she read my so called letters.  Being that the post office was in Millie's store, Millie thought she would had noticed any letters from a matrimony bureau.  But Mary told her they used white, plain envelope so it wouldn't be embarrassing.  She had spent all her money to get here, she couldn't go back.  Millie assured her something would come up.  She was embarrassed.  She felt I would be laughing at this for a long time.  She was hurt.  She left.  She went over to the saloon to have a drink.

Sweeney didn't want to serve her.  But of course Chavre had to intervene.  He told Sweeney to give the lady a drink.  She was gettin' tired of everyone calling her a lady.  A lady she ain't, is what she said.  Chavre just came over to rile her up.  He told her that Lucas McCain wouldn't take highly to her drinking so much, being that we were gettin' married.  She said she didn't care what I thought and we weren't gettin' married.  She then ask Sweeney to burn the letters she had in her purse.  Chavre then picked up the letters off the bar.  He told her that we must have had a big fallin' out being that she wanted to burn my letters.  She told him they weren't mine.  He looked at them.  He told her it sure looked like my handwritin'.  Then he called Kelly over and asked him if he thought it looked like my writing.  Of course he said yes.  They stirred everything up again!  Sweeney saw what was going on.  He sent one of the cowboys that was at the bar to go fetch me. She was so riled up that she was heading on her way back to claim me!  By that time I entered the saloon.

"You wanted to see me ma'am?"  You'd think I was talkin' to Chavre.  He just kept goin' on and on.  "Well McCain.....you make it real easy for the little lady," said Chavre.  "This doesn't concern you Banner," said Micah.  "Look at him standing there, he who backs down on his promises," said Chavre.  "Now look.....you heard the marshal.....this has nothing to do with you, either of you." I said.  I tried talkin' to Mary but Chavre interrupted again.  "What do you mean this has nothing to do with me?" Laughed Chavre.  "You oughta be ashamed of yourself McCain."  "Sending away for this woman.....askin' her to marry you.....gittin' it all set up with that matrimony bureau.....she comin' out here full of hope. Never havin' seen ya.....never havin' written to ya.....comin' out here with charity.....love.....romance she never seen."  "And then you throw her down the way you done!"  "You gonna let him get away with this marshal?" Ask Chavre.  I told Chavre that was enough.  I also told Mary again.....that I did not write those letters nor did I send for her.  Whoever did would know that Mary did not write back to me.  I then was looking at Chavre.  He put his foot in his mouth.  Chavre said he didn't write the letters.  By that time Mary grabbed him by the whiskers.  She was hitting him with her purse.  He confessed.  He said Kelly wrote them.  They just wanted to pull a joke on me, not thinkin' of her. 

Chavre grab Mary and held a gun on us.  Kelly tried to talk him out of it and when he wouldn't listen to him, Kelly knocked the gun out of Chavre's hand and hit him.  Kelly apologized to Mary.  "I'm sorry ma'am.....I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore." Kelly told her they were his words.  Kelly apologized to me and then he put his brother over his shoulder and headed over to Micah's office.  "You know somethin' McCain? That Kelly's some kinda man."

With nothing here in North Fork for Mary, she decided to go home to St. Louie.  Mark and I saw her off.  Just then Micah and Kelly came out of Micah's office.  "What's he doin' here?" Asked Mary.  "He said he'd leave town if I left him out of jail.....I thought that was a fair bargain," said Micah.  "Oh.....where are you goin'?" Asked Mary.  "Oh.....I guess St. Louis would be as good a place as any," said Kelly.  They both entered the coach.  Kelly told Micah to tell Chavre he'd write to him. 

"How long does it take to get to St. Louis Pa?"  "Long enough son.....long enough."  Micah and I laughed.