Episode 145It seems we have a new citizen of North Fork, her name is Lou Mallory. She is Irish and quite an attractive looking woman. Miss Mallory has been busy buying up quite a bit of property around North Fork. Everyone was pleased with the deal they had made for their land. Little did they know she was smarter
then they give her credit for. She happened to know something about North Fork that nobody else yet knew. Miss Mallory knew there was a railroad coming to North Fork. She had been buying up all the nearby property to where the railroad will be going in. She had bought a piece of land from Neb Jackman and his sons and they were to meet her in town to sign the papers the next day.
As I got into town the Jackman's were heading over to the saloon hootin' and hollerin'. As I started to tie Razor to the hitchin' post outside of the hotel I heard her say....."Hey Cowboy, you have to tie your horse someplace else!" I was puzzled by what she had just said. "Sorry.....new rules! Once I get this place open I don't want anything blocking the entrance. I'm sure you'll understand!" I was still puzzled by what she had said when I happened to see Micah standing outside of his office laughing. So I took Razor and went over to talk to Micah. I asked Micah who she was. He told me that she was the lady that was interested in buying Millie's store and that she was buying just about everything around North Fork she could get her hands on. I asked him if he knew why, but he had no idea. He also told me she made deal on Tom Grey's farm the day she got here, bought the hotel and just closed a deal for part of Jackman's place. I asked Micah is she was offering good prices. He said that no one was complaining, in fact they all seemed too happy to sell. I then headed over to the hotel to talk to Miss Mallory.
When I entered the lobby I didn't see her. I thought I'd look in the dining area. The curtains were drawn and as I walked thru, I didn't know she was on a chair behind them. She ended up in my arms. I know I startled her and she was quite upset about what had happened. "Do you always go charging about like that?" She yelled. I told her I didn't see her there. "Well the next time.....watch where you're going!" She told me there was a sign on the door to the hotel which read closed and that meant to keep out. I told her I was here to see her on business. The tone in her voice changed when I told her that. She asked if I was Lucas McCain. She knew that Millie had authorized me to sell the store for her at a reasonable price. She asked me if I was ready to make a deal right now. I told her.....if it was a fair deal for Millie. She sure was a business woman, she went on to say it needed some work, paintin', new shelving, and that several of the windows were broken and even the roof leaks. She offered Six hundred dollars. I told her she wouldn't have any problem getting any of those things fixed and then I suggested twelve hundred dollars. She said that price was out of the question. When 
I started to leave she offered me one thousand dollars. She was pretty sure of herself; she already had the bank draft made up for the deposit on the store. She told me to meet her tomorrow morning and she'd pay me the rest of the money. I liked her, she was shrewd, smart and not hard on the eyes, not at bit!
I was pleased with the amount of money I had gotten for Millie for the store. I went over to tell Micah and to boast about it, maybe just a little. He thought I did good, but then he knew I would have been happy getting eight hundred dollars for the store. He told me that Miss Mallory had an idea of what I would take for the store and that he sorta left it slip the other day when he met her at the store. We couldn't figure it out. She sure acts like a smart business woman but yet everybody seemed to be getting the best of her, or so we thought. We thought maybe that was her way to build good will for the hotel. We could hear all the celebrating that was going on from the saloon and since there was reason for us to celebrate, I told Micah I'd buy him a beer. He said it was the best idea he heard all day....."Cowboy!" So we headed for the saloon.
Everybody was celebrating. The Jackman's were more then happy to take her money. Even Eddie couldn't believe the price she paid him for the hotel. He had tried to sell the hotel for years. Eddie approached us and asked Micah if he told me about Miss Mallory being interested in buying the store. Micah told him that she not only looked at it, but she bought it. Micah had told them what she had paid for the store. They all thought what a good deal everyone got and laughing and going on about how they took Miss Mallory. Just then Mark came to the saloon door. He motioned to me. I asked him what he was doing in town. He told me he saw something I might be interested in. He said while he was chasing strays at Choctaw Canyon he saw some surveyors. He tried talking to them but they were too busy. Just then Neb came out of the saloon with a beer for me. I told Mark to continue. He said he heard one of the men say that when they finished leveling Choctaw Canyon, they'd have a real natural grade right into North Fork. He asked if that was railroad talk. That was all Neb had to hear. I went back into the saloon and asked Micah 
if he had a map of this territory. He said he did in his office. So we headed over to Micah's office.
Micah said the last he heard was that the railroad wasn't coming within fifty miles of North Fork. The northline of Tom Grey's land ran smack into the back of the Jackman place. A straight line of properties leading straight into town were all bought by Lou Mallory in the last two days, where she now owns the hotel and Millie's store. If what we figured was true, how was I going to explain this to Millie? How could I tell her I was taken by this smart, or crook of a woman? "Now there's no law that says she had to tell anyone about the railroad, now is there Mark?" Asked Micah. "That's right Micah! And like Pa always says.....never let on if you've got a winning hand," said Mark. I turned and looked at Mark with a smirk, I knew he was right.
Just them everyone started out of the saloon and headed towards the hotel. They were all pretty upset. They confronted her about the railroad coming to North Fork. She didn't deny it. They wanted to know how she knew about it before they did. She told them that the Gold Slipper Saloon that she owned in Denver was right across from the railroad office. Their men used to come into drink, to talk, to be friendly, and when their talk became interesting she made it a point to be friendly too. They accused her of stealing their property. She told them she paid very well for what she bought and everyone of them was glad to sell. It was okay when they thought they were taking her. Jackman started to threaten Miss Mallory. "You're gonna do nothing!" Said Micah. 
He asked if we were sidin' with her. Micah said he was and as much as I didn't want to agree with Micah I had no choice. A deals a deal! Micah told them there was nothing they could do about it. Micah told everyone to go about their business.
Miss Mallory turned to us, looking smug as she said....."You know.....my dear departed father use to say, there's no sorrier sight on this whole earth then that of grown people acting like a small child that got the stick instead of the lollipop." "You blame them? These people worked hard for what they had." I said. She said they didn't know what a hard days work really was. And how hard she had to work for what she got. I told her that most of us could accept being out smarted, but if she wanted to make friends in North Fork, she should get that chip off her shoulder. She said she never had time for friends. She's been too busy taking care of herself, because if she didn't, nobody else would.
Jackman and his boys came up with a plan to kidnap Miss Mallory and convince her to marry Halsam. Then everything she owns would belong to their family.
That night they sneaked into the hotel and took Miss Mallory against her will to their ranch. When they told her what their intensions were, that really brought out her Irish temper. She told them they were all out of their minds. They knew they couldn't force her to do anything like that, so Halsam will have to bide his time until she gets used to the idea. Neb told her she could fix them some supper,
feed the chickens and slop down the hogs. Then she could wash and mend the clothes before bedtime. Neb felt this would help her make up her mind about Halsam.
The next day I went into town to get the balance of Millie's money, but Miss Mallory, was no where to be found. I went over to Micah's and asked him if he had seen Miss Mallory. He said he hadn't seen her since yesterday. We both found it strange that she wouldn't be there for this appointment. We then went over to the hotel. We couldn't find her anywhere. Micah found her shoe right outside of the back door. There were fresh buckboard tracks outback too. The only people using a buckboard that she did business with was the Jackman's, so we then headed out to their ranch.
Moss saw we we're on our way to their ranch and he rode in to warn the others. Neb told Bo to take Lou into the barn and told the others not to say anything, just let him do the talkin'. While we were talking to the Jackman's we heard a noise come from the barn. "What's going on it there?" Asked Micah. Neb told us it was the Bo in the barn taking care of a sick cow. "What's wrong with the cow?" I asked. They told us the cow got into some loco weed out in the pasture. We heard the same noise come out of the barn again. I decided to go and turn her loose before she tore up the barn. As I headed for the barn Neb tried to stop me by trying to hit me with the bucket. As he swung at me I hit him with the butt of my rifle, knocking him to the ground. Micah held his gun on the Jackman's while I called to Bo to come out of the barn. He didn't answer me 
nor did he come out. I shot into the air to let him know I meant business. He still didn't come out of the barn so I shot into the air again. He then came out with Lou by his side.
"You didn't make such a good deal this time, did you Miss Mallory?" I said.
Lou didn't press charges on the Jackman's. They admitted they were wrong and they said they'd never do anything like that again. Halsam took his hat off and turned to Lou and said....."If you ever change your mind, I'll be waitin'!"
Lou excused herself and said she had to get back to work. As she started over to her place she turned and said....."I suppose I should thank ya'?" "Not if it's too much trouble," I said. "It's not that it's too much trouble, it's just that.....it's a hard thing for me to say! I've never had to say it before." "Thank you," said Lou.
piddlin' stuff....."Welcome to the McCain Ranch..... Lou!"
Patricia Blair played Lou Mallory, a stunning redheaded, hot-tempered Irish, shrewd business woman with goals of buying up most of the town. Isn't she a beauty? She replaced Millie as Lucas' love interest. I was sorry to see Millie (Joan Taylor) leave the show. But Lou does bring a lot to offer to this last season. Too bad the show didn't go on longer!
I like Lou, at first I thought her to be too brassy for Lucas, but as she mellows I liked her even more.
To quote Patricia Blair....."Chuck was a great big wild Irishman, who was brimming with life and life-force – he was just fantastic!" She goes on to say....."Chuck was very exciting to work with – he was a very exciting man. When he was wearing those tight jeans, and those rolled-up sleeves, he was one SEXY man! He was a walking sex machine. He was really quite bright, and well-read. but he could be extremely
volatile – and that made him exciting."
Take from Chuck Connors....."The Man Behind the Rifle", written by David Fury
I wish they would have done an episode with Lucas thinkin' back about his beloved Margaret. Wouldn't this have made a great episode?
Peter Whitney has appeared in nine episodes of "The Rifleman." 'Eddie's Daughter' as Tracey Blanch. He's the big dude. 'Mail Order Groom' as John Jupiter. He was the 'Mail Order Groom' ~ the one that Jess Profit (John Anderson) kept picking on. 'Heller' as Andrew Bechtel ~ the mean stepfather. 'Strange Town' as Ott. 'The Queue' as Vince Fergus - again he was the bully. 'Long Gun From Tucson' as John Holliver ~ 'Gun Shy' as Vantine and 'Lou Mallory' and 'Which Way'd They Go?' as Neb Jackman. He played the same character in those two episodes.
Another guest star on the "Untouchables." He was on just about everything back then. From "Superman" to "In the Heat of the Night."
Conlan Carter played Halsam Jackman. He was the one who Lou was to marry. He played this character in two episodes 'Lou Mallory' and 'Which Way'd They Go?'
He was a regular on the 1954 TV series "Lassie" ~ "The Law and Mrs. Jones" and "Combat."
While attending Matthews High School, he became Missouri State champion in the Pole Vault (1951-52) and was named to the All-State Track Team. In college, he was conference Pole Vault champion. Currently a corporate pilot working in Florida for a large corporation.
Thomas Carney played Moss Jackman. He was the shorter of the brothers and a little pudgy.
He has done several movie. One you may remember is "It! The Terror from Beyond Space." He has done lots of TV shows such as "Gunsmoke" ~ "Dragnet" ~ "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" ~ "M Squad" ~ "Bat Masterson" ~ "Felony Squad" and Barnaby Jones" to name a few.
Mel Carter played in several episodes of "The Rifleman." 'End of a Young Gun' as an outlaw ~ 'The Safe Guard' as Walkerman, one of the guys who help rob the bank ~ 'The Challenge' as a cowhand ~ 'The Woman' as Jed Healy - he was the one who shot his Pa ~ 'The Journey Back' as Arnie Grady - He was one of the brothers that Will Temple thru off his ranch - he never got off his horse ~ 'Outlaw's Shoes' as Jeems. He was George Vale's partner and the one who shot Lucas and grazed him in the head in beginning of this episode.~ 'Lou Mallory' as Bo Jackman and 'Death Never Rides Alone' as Mark Jones.
Gee.....does this set any records? He later appeared with Chuck in "Werewolf."
It looks like "The Rifleman" was where he got his break.
Bill Quinn as Sweeney the Bartender.
Charlie La Franchise as Eddie Halstead. He played the owner of the Hotel Madera.
Charlie had a kids show on KPTV in Portland, Oregon
Be sure and check out Charlie's page to see him as "Uncle Charlie"
What happened to our regular Eddie????? (John Harmon)
I would like to thank Tim Hollis for his time & all the information he had provided me with and a special thanks for introducing me to Benny Carle!
Thanks Tim! Cowgirl
Tim is a writer and has written many books such as Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records—Hi There, Boys and Girls: America's Local Children's TV Programs—Florida's Miracle Strip: From Redneck Riviera to Emerald Coast—Glass Bottom Boats & Mermaid Tails: Florida's Tourist Springs—Birmingham Broadcasting (Images of America)—Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Fun—Contemporary Authors: Biography— Birmingham's Theater and Retail District (Images of America)
For more information on Tim's books, go to Amazon.com
'Lou Mallory'—Lucas & Lou were to meet the next day to finalize their business deal for Millie's, General Store. Lucas goes looking for Lou when she's no where to be found. When he first goes into the hotel, notice how he slowing approaches and peeks thru the curtains, not the the day before when he just entered them, catching Lou in her arms before she fell. But when he comes back with Micah to look again for Lou the curtains are partially opened.
'Lou Mallory' & 'Which Way Did They go?'— The Jackman's characters appeared in these two episodes, but check out the pictures of the Jackman brothers, they had changed. Pa Jackman is still played by Peter Whitney & Halsam Jackman played by Conlan Carter. Love that Peter Whitney! He sure was one of the greatest character actors. "The Rifleman" sure had it's share of them character actors! "What say U?"
This script for 'Lou Mallory' was originally named 'Ellen O'Toole'
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
Quiet Night, Deadly Night
Waste