On our way into town Mark and I decided we'd stop by and meet our new neighbors, the Owens. Just as we rode in Fay Owens was mounting her horse. Suddenly her horse reared and she fell off of it. Mark and I rushed to help her.
I helped her up and was helping her to the house when her husband, Jake came out of the house carrying a shotgun. "What's your business mister?" Ask Jake. "No need for that gun. I'm Lucas McCain.....this is my son Mark. We're your neighbors. We just stopped by on our way to town to say hello." "Alright you said hello.....now clear out!" "Please go," said Fay. Mark and I left. "And stay away from my wife!" Yelled Jake. Fay got upset with him. She didn't like his actions. This was the third time they have moved in one year. He accused her of flirting with every man she met. He was a extremely jealous man. She was tired of it.
When we got into town I told Mark that I wanted to talk to Micah. I told him he could go and pick up the mail and I'd meet him at the barber shop. "Barber shop!" Exclaimed Mark. He conned me into waiting another week for a haircut.
Micah asked me if I met my new neighbors yet. He told me I'd like Jake and his wife, they were nice people. I asked Micah how well he knew him. He told me he knew Jake about as well as he knew me. That he hadn't seen him for four or five years. He told me that Jake was a former marshal from Webbers Falls. He gave it up to become a cattle rancher. He was glad they moved here. He asked me what I thought of Jake. I told him that maybe Jake had changed since he knew him. As I was talking to Micah, Jake and his 
wife rode into town. I left to go over to the Boot Maker's.
There was two strangers in town. Andy Travis and Simms. They were watching from their hotel window as Jake went into the saloon. Travis was an old nemesis of Jakes. He had made a play for Jake's wife but she had turned him down. Jake was always jealous of Travis. It was torturing Jake. Travis saw to that. Travis was the reason Jake gave up his badge and left town. Jake had put a bullet in Travis leg. But Travis wanted revenge. Simms was hired by Travis to take care of Jake.
As I was heading back to Micah's to meet Mark I literally ran into Fay. Knocking her packages to the ground. We stood their and talked for a while. I ask her what a women like her was doing in North Fork. I told her she didn't fit the pattern living on a ranch. I told her it was like a thoroughbred pulling a plow. She thanked me for the compliment and told me she was originally from the east. Just then Jake walked out of the saloon. He saw us talking. He approached us angry and upset. When Fay tried to explain he told her to shut up. She then told him he was making a scene and to please take her home. He then shoved Fay. I threw the packages at him. "You call yourself a husband?" I said. "It's my wife McCain and the next time I have to tell you that will be with a gun in my hand." Just then Micah saw what was going on and he stepped in. "Jake.....Jake.....what's the matter with you?" "What's the trouble?" "Ask him.....he's an old friend of yours!" I said as I walked away. "Micah.....how well do you know McCain?" "As good of a friend I have in the world and a man you can trust." "I don't trust any man where my wife is concerned! Keep him away from me Micah!" "What's wrong with you Jake. What's happened between you and Fay?" "Nothing that concerns you," said Jake. Jake walked away and Micah went after him. "Jake.....look at me! Jake!" Yelled Micah. "I always knew you were jealous of Fay but I never thought I'd live to see the day you'd treat her like
you just did!" "I don't want any trouble with you over McCain!" Said Jake. "Any trouble will be of your own making!" Micah said. "And hers.....the minute my back is turned. McCain's a friend of yours.....keep him away from me and a long way from my wife!"
Travis was happy with what he saw. He had accomplished what he had set out to do. He convinced Jake he had married an incurable flirt. It was driving Jake berserk. He was making both of their lives miserable. Travis had it all figured out. If Jake kept antagonizing me – "The Rifleman" – he would not be long for this world. Simms got upset. If that was the case Simms made the trip for nothing. Travis told Simms it didn't matter who the executioner was Simms or McCain. He just wanted Jake Owens dead!
The next day I was loading some stuff into the buckboard to take along with me when I went out to the north line to fix the fence post. I told Mark he better get moving or Mrs. Pritchard would be putting him to work chopping wood for being late. Mark seemed to have something on his mind. When I asked him about it he suggested staying home from school today and helping me. I knew what was on his mind. He was worrying about the north line being so close to the Owens Ranch. I told him about an old saying that goes like this....."Things we worry about most never come to pass, so with that in mind why don't you start riding and try and beat that school bell?" "You mean if I keep on worrying about being late then it won't come to pass and I'll be early?" "You can try it, but you can also try hurrying just to 
play it doubly safe. Now get going." He laughed and rode off.
When I got out to the north line Fay was already there. She had seen me fixing fence post yesterday and so she came out today to apologize to me for her husband's actions. I told her he was just a man doing some early day drinking. She knew I was a widower. She ask me if I had ever doubted my wife. "I loved her!" "And you believed her when she told you she loved you?" I nodded. "Lucky man," she said. She rode off. I didn't know that we had an audience. Travis and Simms were watching and planning. They headed into town to spread rumors about Fay and me.
"Pa I've been thinkin'" "I guess that a good sign your schoolings paying off." "No.....I've been thinkin' about a way dishes could wash themselves. Suppose you had a box.....I mean a box that didn't leak water and you put the dirty dishes in it." "I guess that could be arranged," I said. "The rest would be simple.....you'd just tie the soapy water box on the back of a horse and jog him around the house a few times." He stood there lookin' at me and I sat there lookin' at him. "Oh.....I guess that wouldn't be too practical, would it?" "No I don't think so son." I told Mark that after I got the wire cutters sharpened I was going out to the north line and replace some fence post. Mark said he'd have his chores all done till I got back. Just then we heard someone ride up. It was Micah. He asked to talk to me alone. Mark said he would go and hitch up the wagon for me. "What's going on between you and Fay Owens?" "What are you talkin' about?" I asked. "Is it true that you two had a meeting at your north fence this morning?" "What do you wanna hear, that I've been seeing Jake's wife?" "Well.....have you?" "Not the way you mean!" "It there another way?" Asked Micah "You know there is!" I yelled. "Fay Owens is an unhappy woman. No man has the right to treat her the way Jake does!" "I agree but after all they are man and wife! What's between them should be settled between them!" Said Micah. I ask him who told him about our meeting. He said he didn't know who started the talk but it was all over town. He thought it had started at the saloon. I told Micah I felt sorry for her,
that was all. He said he didn't know what has happened to Jake. "I'd stay away from him Lucas and from Fay
too!"
Jake had been in town and at the saloon and had heard the gossip. He hurried home to confront his wife. He was drunk. The first thing he did was strap on his gun and then he poured himself a drink. When Fay entered the room he told her he heard about her meeting me at the north line. She didn't deny it. She told him that she had gone to apologize for his actions. He asked her about today. He wanted to know if I needed another apology today. "The betting in town today is that McCain will be fixin' fence today with you right there helping him." She told him this was ridiculous and not to start with this unreasonable jealousy again. "What about Andy Travis and all those times I saw him riding from our house?" "I will tell you again there was nothing between us! He was never in my house! I never saw him anywhere near the house!" She told him Travis was a braggart. He bragged because he was rejected. "You shot him for his bragging! Nothing else!" Said Fay. "Jake.....your jealousy is destroying us. It's already robbed you of the most important thing in your life, your job as a lawman!" "The most important thing in my life is you. And I intend to fight for you!" "You don't have to fight for me. I'm your wife, I love you." Jake grabbed her. "Mr. McCain is expecting a visitor at the north line.....we don't want to disappoint him!" He then shoved her and rode off.
Travis and Simms was at the north line waiting for Jake to show up and confront me. They were waiting for me to do their job for them.....kill Jake. They had it all planned out. They would kill whoever was left. No loose ends. Just then Jake rode in. He was ready to draw on me. He reached for his gun. I shot him. I then went over to him. Just as I reached him shots came flying from out of the bushes. I managed to kill both Travis and Simms. Fay then rode in. She told him who they were. He said Travis followed her here. He thought that with him out of the way Fay would go to him. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She turned and walked away. "You're a fool Owens," I said. "This fellow Travis.....do you think he just wanted you dead? That could have been easily arranged. Ambush.....no witnesses. Are you so blind that you can't see that he just wanted your jealousy? Your sickness to call your death. You are a fool." It finally sunk in. When I left, Jake was talking to Fay. Hopefully this will end all their troubles.
Mark and I were doing the supper dishes. He handed me a plate back. "This one isn't too clean Pa." "Well I guess the best dish washer is still a woman.....huh?" "I guess so," said Mark. 
"Ma was as pretty as Mrs. Owens wasn't she?" "Yes she
was!" "Were you ever jealous over Ma like Mr. Owens was?" "Oh maybe a little while when we were courtin'. But not after we were married." "You know son.....being jealous.....it's when a man doesn't really trust himself. And he doesn't trust his wife to know her own mind when she says she loves him. Your Ma always knew her own mind!" "Yeah," said Mark with a big smile. "Say Pa. About that dish washing box idea. I've been thinkin' about it. Suppose we had a little windmill. We could attach a shaft to a rockin' chair and every time the windmill turned the rocker would go back and forth and rock all the dishes clean." That's a good idea but how about the days the wind doesn't blow?" I asked. "Oh I never thought about that." "Hey Pa. Tommy Hamilton once left his dog lick his plate clean and his Ma never knew the difference. So what if we had one of those old farm dogs with one of the big old lapin' tongues who's always hungry.....why he....." Once Mark thought about it he realized how unsanitary it would be. That's my boy! Always trying to get out of the dishes!
Marshal Frank Tallman. 
