Possession 2: Chapter 5, "Unlocked Doors and Bruised Lips"

This chapter contains a bushel of dialogue and plot from the Gunsmoke episode Daddy-O, Season 2 (June 1, 1957) written by John Meston. 

“Well, Matt, you wanna hear the news?  I’m leavin’.  I’m goin’ back to New Orleans.  I decided this afternoon.”

Matt sat at a table in the Long Branch with Kitty and her father Wayne Russell, stunned senseless at her announcement.

He asked incredulously, “You mean that?”                                                                     

Kitty beamed happily, “Bill Pence is buying back my share of the place for cash…”  Matt noticed Bill standing morosely at the bar with a particularly hang-dog expression on his face, dispiritedly watching the three of them as they talked.

Kitty’s father fairly crowed, “We had a long talk this afternoon, Marshal.  Kitty finally made up her mind.  She’s going to do what’s right.” 

“I’m gonna’ put the money in my father’s freight business, Matt.”  Matt found the adoring smile she was giving Wayne Russell hard to stomach.

Her father declared, “We’re gonna’ be great partners, we two.  I’m mighty proud of my daughter.”

Matt thought Kitty had lost her mind for sure when she acquiesced, “You know he’s right, Matt.  This isn’t any place for a lady.  This is my last night in any saloon ever.”

“Your last night?” Matt exclaimed.

Kitty pointed out, “Well, there’s no sense in putting it off.  We’re gonna’ leave tomorrow.” 

Matt felt crushed.  Last night?

As Matt ruminated on the import of Kitty’s pronouncement, Russell’s voice was a distant nattering in his ear, “Oh that reminds me…the tickets.  Will there be anybody at the stage office at this hour?  Well if you’ll excuse me I’ll go take care of it.  I’m a proud man…a proud, happy man.”

Matt was vaguely aware of Russell sympathetically pounding his shoulder as he departed in triumph to purchase their tickets to New Orleans.

With a forlorn expression, Matt gloomily asked, “So he finally convinced you, huh?”

She gave Matt a watchful smile, “Well, he’s a pretty smart talker when he really tries.”

“Yeah, I guess he is,” Matt grimaced.

“What’s the matter, Matt?  Don’t you like him?”  Kitty eyed him cagily.

“It doesn’t matter whether I like him or not.”  Matt admitted, “The point is I don’t trust him.”

Kitty’s expression altered when Matt confirmed her suspicions.  “Now we’re gettin’ someplace.”

“What?”

“I don’t trust him either.  And I’m gonna’ need your help.  Let’s go someplace where we can talk.”  Kitty led him upstairs to the privacy of her bedroom.

jljljljljl

Matt strode into the bedroom close on Kitty’s heels.  He backed her into the door, a troubled frown creasing his eyes, “Now, let’s get one thing straight…you’re not really leaving, right?”

Kitty gulped as she looked up at him.  “Of course not, Matt!”

“Dammit, Kitty, you nearly scared me to death.”

“I’m sorry, Matt.  That act was for my father’s benefit.”

“Yeah, but you coulda’ warned me first!”

“I didn’t have time…”

“Holy smokes, I thought you were really leaving.”

Kitty coyly gazed at him through sweeping lashes, “You mean you don’t want me to leave, Matt?”

“Of course I don’t want you to leave, Kitty!  For Pete’s sake!”  He grabbed her and kissed her hard, so hard Kitty figured she’d have the bruises to show for it the next day.  She didn’t care.  She blissfully kissed him right back, wholeheartedly gratified that he’d been so thoroughly unsettled at the thought of her moving back to New Orleans. 

When he finally came up for air, she murmured breathlessly, “I’m sorry, Matt, I didn’t mean to upset you so.  But I really do need your help.”

Matt grunted as he reluctantly released her and put some distance between them, the better to discuss her predicament in an undistracted fashion.  He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair.  “What can I do to help you?”

“I want him to show his true colors, Matt.  Tomorrow afternoon, I want you to meet him at the stage depot and tell him I’ll be along shortly…”

Another pressing thought struck Matt as Kitty spoke mid-sentence.  “And another thing…I want you to start locking your door, Miss Russell!”

“Locking my door?  But…”

“Yeah, anybody could walk in here…and you could be…takin’ a bath or…somethin’.”  He cleared his throat noisily.  

“Alright, Matt, I’ll start locking my door, I promise.”

He glowered at her, “You’d better…”

“Or what?” she asked with delicately raised brows.

“Or what?” he repeated.

“You said ‘you’d better’ and I said ‘or what?’  She smiled coquettishly at him.  “What would happen?”

He growled and wrapped her in an enormous bear hug.  “Don’t argue with me, young lady, or I’ll turn you over my knee…”

“Promise?” she bit her lip and arched one eyebrow at him.

“Kathleen Russell, why I oughta’…”

Kitty squealed as he swept her off her feet and across his lap in the blink of an eye.  “Matt, don’t you dare!” she protested as he raised his hand threateningly above her backside.

“Mr. Dillon!”  A familiar voice called plaintively from the other side of the door.

“Oh hell…“  Matt swiped a hand over his face in complete and utter frustration.  He bellowed, “WHAT, CHESTER?” as his red-headed prisoner squirmed away.

Kitty snorted in an unladylike fashion and collapsed onto the bed in silent giggles as Chester called, “We got us another unfortunate quandary with ol’ Tater and Smarty...”

Matt stalked toward the door while Kitty hissed at him, “Wait a minute, will ya’?” jumping up to straighten her dress.

She stood behind a morose Matt, peeking over his shoulder as he jerked open the door.  “Hi, Chester!” she exclaimed nonchalantly, blowing an errant curl off her forehead. 

“Well, hello there, Miss Kitty, aren’t you looking lovely and rosy as ever?  Oh, is that a little bruise you got there on your lip?  What on earth happened…?”

“Chester!” barked Matt.

“Yes sir, Mr. Dillon…well, it seems the wives have started in on each other now.  There was a terrible incident involving frying pans and rolling pins and what-have-you…and even some week-old bacon grease, from what I hear.  It was not a purty sight.  Maybe you can come along with me, Mr. Dillon, and I can explain the rest along the way…”

Kitty sighed and surreptitiously gave Matt’s backside a covert squeeze.  He gave a little yelp and hopped through the door, turning back to shoot her a look.  She simply arched a brow at him and smiled slyly in reply.

“You okay, Mr. Dillon?”

“Yeah, Chester, I’m just peachy.  I’ll see you later, young lady,” he said pointedly.  “And we’ll discuss that…matter…that we didn’t get around to discussing…before.  I promise.”

ljljljljlj