The stage came rushing into North Fork.  "Hey Marshal, give me a hand, I have an ailing woman on my hands," yelled the stagecoach driver.  Micah wanted to send for the doctor but she didn't want one.  She said she would be alright once she got to her room.  As she got up and started into the hotel she collapsed.  She called out my name.  "Lucas, Lucas McCain."  Mark was standing there at the time and ran to get me.  Micah took her into the hotel.

There were two gentlemen on the stage with her when it came in.  One was Chad Morgan, the lady's secret lover.  The other gentleman was Jude Nichols. 

Micah had taken Nora to her room and I went there to see her.  "All this young lady needs is rest and three square meals for a couple of days," said Micah.  It has been fourteen years since I've seen Nora.  I introduced Nora, Mrs. Sanford to Mark.  I told Mark to meet me over at Hattie's later because I wanted to talk to Nora, and see what Micah was saying about her not eating.  She didn't have any money.  It took all the money she had to buy her ticket here.  It was hard to believe things were that ruff for her.  She found it ironic that I wouldn't marry because her folks would have said I was marrying her because of her father's silver mine.  She was without a penny.  I had heard she was married and settled in Denver.  She told me after her father died, John Sanford, her late husband, went hog wild with the money.  He later got killed over a woman in a barroom brawl.  She felt she shouldn't come here.  She felt she embarrassed me and humiliated herself.  We were old friends, and I wanted to help her.  She told me she had heard about Margaret passing away.  She had come here on an impulse.  She just wanted to be near someone who might care.  I felt she needed to rest and I would see her later.

Chad Morgan, Nora's boyfriend, stopped by to see her.  They had a plan.  She wanted to know where Nichols was.  Morgan told her in the saloon.  Nichols didn't know they knew each other, especially their being lovers.  Morgan had a gambling debt of $5,000 that he owed Nichols. He was hoping to win enough money to pay Nichols back.  Chad felt they shouldn't have come out here.  Even with the shipping season, he felt he didn't have much of a chance in winning $5,000 in a small off trail town like this.  Nichols planned on killing Chad if he didn't pay that money back.  "Only North Fork has Lucas McCain," said Nora.  "What does that small town rancher have to do with us any?" Asked Chad.  "That small town rancher is going to save your skin Chad."  She didn't trust to tell him.  "Why do I stay with you Chad?"  "Your so vain, faithless and  weak, everything a woman should despise.  Here I am twisting Lucas McCain's life all out of shape for you."  They kissed.  "I promise I'll never give you any reason to regret it," said Chad. She made him promise he wouldn't go traipsing off with another women like he did in San Francisco.  "I did come back," said Chad.  "Oh Chad Honey. Don't ever hurt me again like that. Don't ever leave me alone, promise me that."  "Sure Nora, sure."

Mark had stopped at Hattie's after school to pick up some baking powder before heading home.  He saw Nora coming out of the hotel.  He went over to see how she was feeling.  He had told Nora that we we're baking a cake. "Say you oughta come out for supper, Mrs. Sanford.  Pa and me, we're good cooks."  "I'd love to!  What kind of a cake are you baking?"  "Chocolate."   "You know, I have a special recipe for chocolate cake."  "Gee, how about coming out for supper tomorrow?"  Asked Mark.  "Tomorrow, I'd love to."  "Thanks Mrs. Sanford, I'll tell Pa.  He'll pick you up.  I'll see you tomorrow night," said Mark. 

Mark came running into the house.  He was excited.  He told me about inviting Nora for dinner tomorrow.  I thought he should have talked to me first.  But he made me feel guilty I hadn't thought of it first.  Mark took his hat off and sat down at the table.  "Pa," he said.  He was serious. "Pa, I like her. I think she's a real lady.  I think I like her like Mrs. Dodd.  Do you think she can make trout flies?"  I didn't know if Nora could make trout flies.  I told him we better get that cake in the oven. He was excited.  He got some new candies to put on the frosting.  Off he went before I could even look at them.  

Nora was outside of the hotel waiting for me to pick her up.  She was flirting with Nichols.  Nichols liked Nora, she was quite aware of it.  This was part of her plan.  When I came into view, she slapped him and made it look like he was bothering her.  I got out of the buckboard and started for Nichols when Nora stopped me.  She hurried me on my.

Nora enjoyed her supper.  She really liked the chocolate cake.  She wanted to help with the dishes, but Mark told her it was his turn to do the dishes and he thought maybe she and I could go for a walk.  As we started out the door I turned to see Mark looking at us with a smile on his face.  He was matchmaking.  I pointed my finger at him, smiled and went on to catch up with Nora.  We walked and talked.  Talked about the past being over and done with.  It's the future that counts.  Nora told me she was afraid of the future.  She said she had no one and she told me how lonely she was.  We got caught up in the moment.  Or should I say, I was caught up in the moment. We kissed.  Nora was being Nora.  Conniving and devious, this was all part of her plan.  She was playing her role quite well.  She had me fooled.

Chad and Nichols were in the Saloon.  Chad was at the card table.  Not winning.  He went to the bar where Nichols was.  He told Chad he had until tomorrow night to pay his $5,000 debt to him.  If it wasn't for some promising moment from Mrs. Sanford, he would have done away with Chad before this.

I had gone into town and Micah was just coming out of the saloon when I got there.  He told me Mark's been in town a lot more then usual.  He felt he was trying to play cupid with Nora and I.  I told him not to get any ideas, Nora was just an old friend.  Just then Chad came out of the saloon.  He asked Micah if we had any rich cattlemen around here.  Micah told him that we did, but they all play penny anty in the buck house, that's how they stay rich.  Micah told me how Chad had been gambling steady since he got into town.  He left and then Nichols came out of the saloon. I stood there just looking at him.  "Something on your mind mister?"  "Should there be," I asked.  He then left.  "Something between you two?" Asked Micah.  "Nothing in particular," I said.  We then went to have a cup of coffee. 

I didn't know that Nora was watching the whole time.  She had another scheme on her mind.  She wrote me a note and had Mark give it to me.  She wanted me to meet her outside of town.  She had something important to say to me.  "She kissed me," said Mark.  "She kissed me when she gave me the note.  Right in front of everybody.  Right on Main Street."  "So," I said.  "Well, I don't want you to get the idea that her kissin' me had anything to do with it.  But, well I've been thinkin' it over, it wouldn't be so bad if she stayed in town and you started paying her court."  "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself boy?"  I asked.  "All the other kids have mothers.  I don't see why I should be any different.  Besides you must be awful sick just seeing me every time you turn around.  So.....well, it's alright with me."  "Listen Mark.  First of all I'll never get sick of seeing you around.  As for a woman in the house, Lord knows I've givin' it plenty of thought. But son, you just can't make things like that happen.  They take a little time and a little thinking.  And you shouldn't rush into it."  I told him to get started on his homework.  I went to meet Nora.
    
As I got there I heard Nora scream.  Nichols was there with her.  It looked like she was beating him off of her.  The top of her dress was torn.  "Look out Lucas, he's got a gun, he's gonna kill you!"  I had my rifle drawn.  He had heard of my reputation with my rifle.  He took his holster off.  He wanted to fight man to man, hand to hand.  I handed Nora my rifle and said "alright Nichols we'll do it your way."  "She's makin' a fool out of both of us.  She's nothing but a....."  Nora shot Nichols with my rifle.  I turned and looked at Nora with no understanding to what she had done.  I went to Nichols.  "Why you'd do it?"  I asked Nora.  She didn't answer.  "Nora, why?"  "I don't know what happened. The gun just went off," she said.  "You have to cock the lever before it goes off, Nora."  "I don't know how it happened Lucas.  I was out of my mind."  "Your lying to me," I said.  She started to walk away from me.  I grabbed her.  "Why Nora, why?"   "He was going to kill Chad Morgan over a gambling debt."  "Morgan? You mean that boy who's been gambling at the saloon?"  I asked.  "That boy is gonna marry me."  "How are you gonna explain Nichols?"  "Me, why you killed him Lucas to protect my honor.  It was a fair fight.  He drew first.  If that's not the way you see it, I might be forced to tell the truth."  "The truth," I said.  "Yes, you shot him in cold blood," said Nora. "You were jealous. I'm sure there's a lot of people in this town who knows were old friends.  That we were seriously thinking of, should we say, marriage?"  I pushed her away and headed for the saloon and for Morgan.  .   

Morgan won big time. I walked into the saloon and handed Micah my rifle.  I then grabbed Morgan.  "You got something to tell the Marshal, start talkin'"  I said. He insisted he won the money fair and square.  I told him I was talking about their plan to kill Nichols.  He didn't know of any plan to kill Nichols.  I told him Nora just killed Nichols in cold blood.  He won enough to payoff his debt and more.  Just as he told me about his winning she came in the saloon.  Half laughing and half crying.  She killed Nichols for nothing.  All she was concerned with was that Chad would have all that money to himself and free to find another woman. 

That evening I sat in front of the fire.  My mind wondering.  I can't believe I didn't see it.  Mark came out from his room.  He was disappointed in Nora.  He felt he was a poor judge of character. I told him it's pretty hard to judge a person's character when he only knew her for a short time.  "Remember, I've known Nora for many years.  Sometimes it can be a cruel thing when someone you know changes."  I asked Mark if he still wanted to go fishing in the morning?  "Yeah sure!"  He said.  I told him he better get to bed.  I just sat there wanting to be alone in my thoughts.