- Bart has to pose as a repentant gambler as part of a scheme to recover $2,000 for an attractive woman - who initially robbed him at gunpoint.
- Being cleaned out by a female bandit, then kicked out of Gold Flats for beating its mayor at poker, forces Bart to nearby town Brotherly where pretending to be a reformed sinner at least cadges a meal as a guest lecturer at a ladies' social. The comely thief is in the audience, but will Bart turn her in, or do a far, far better thing than he's ever done before?—David Stevens
- At Pearlo's Palace, in Gold Flats, Bart is playing poker and winning big. A woman watches him from the saloon doors, and Bart collects his winnings and leaves. Outside in the street, the woman-Stephanie Malone--robs him from behind at gunpoint. Bart hands it over and Stephanie is disappointed that there's so little in it. She tell Bart that she's considering it a loan, and Bart notices an ornate ring on her hand as she hands his empty wallet back. Stephanie rides off on a horse before Bart can stop her, and he notices a handkerchief on the ground and picks it up.
The next day, Bart goes to Sheriff Murray's office to report the robbery. Murray points out that the town mayor was one of Bart's opponents, and tells him that he's going to be on a stagecoach going out of town, and the town will pay the fare.
Bart follows Murray inside and complains that the sheriff is doing nothing about his being arrested. He figures Murray will have to feed him if he throw him in jail, and Murray says that he's going to send Bart out of Gold Flats to the nearest town of Brotherly. Murray warns that there's a tough sheriff there, and they don't allow gambling.
A local woman brings Murray his breakfast, and tells Bart that he can sit... and watch him eat.
Later, Bard boards the stagecoach to Brotherly. He talks with one of his fellow passengers, Mrs. Hannah Adams, and says that a fellow sleeping passenger is probably the card sharp that took the mayor for his money. Bart keeps silent about who is responsible, and Hannah says that she lives in Brotherly and is going to a ladies aid luncheon. Bert perks up at the word "luncheon". Bart finally tells Hannah that he was once a gambler, and it leads to nothing but unhappiness. He claims that he's spoken at gathering all over the place, and Hannah asks him to speak at the luncheon.
The coach arrives in Brotherly and Hannah takes Bart to the luncheon. The driver calls over Sheriff Hardy and tells him what Bart was doing in Gold Flats. Murray says that he'll keep an eye on Bart, and if he steps out of line he'll go to jail.
At the luncheon at the social hall, Bart has a table in front and notices Stephanie among the ladies. She looks nervously at him, and Bart smiles and nods to her. As Stephanie adjusts her hair, Bart notices that she's wearing the same ring as the robber the other night. He confirms Stephanie's identity from Hannah, and she introduces him to the other ladies. Bart speaks about the "evils of gambling", asking if any of them was a thief. He says that there was time when he was a gambler and thief, until his father told him to work with his hands.
Bart finally finishes his speech, to a round of applause. Stephanie slips off and Bart goes after her, and says that he thinks they've met before. She pretends that they haven't met, gets on her carriage, and starts to ride off. Bart gets on with her and he gives her the handkerchief. Bart shows her the handkerchief and threatens to go to Hardy, but Stephanie figures that he's bluffing. He asks her why she chose to rob him, and Stephanie says that she needs the money.
Taking the reins, Bart drives the carriage out of town. He asks why Stephanie needs the money, and Bart stops the carriage and Stephanie tells him that he doesn't have the money. When Bart threatens to go to Hardy, Stephanie runs off and Bart chases her. She trips and Bart tackles her, and confirms she doesn't have the money on her. She says that she needed the money to save her father from Sherwood Hampton, who owns a saloon over at Hampton Center. All the men in Brotherly go there to gamble, and her father Jim owed $1500 and signed an IOU. Sherwood came to ranch and started to get ugly, so Stephanie decided she had to do something.
Stephanie says that she gave $800 to Sherwood, and he gave her time to get the other $700. Bart flirts with her, and Stephanie says that the ring is an heirloom and only worth $100. He offers to sell the ring and use the $100 to make the $800 back at Sherwood's casino. Stephanie accepts Bart's offer to kiss her.
That night at Sherwood's casino, Bart goes in and finds Sherwood playing poker. He sits down at the game, feigning ignorance of the game, and is soon dealt in. He draws to a full house with Sherwood as the dealing and calls. Sherwood has a pair of aces and raises $200. Everyone else drops out, and Bart calls. Much to Sherwood's surprise, Bart asks for two cards and points out that the rules require that he gets them first. Bart suggests that Sherwood might know what he was dealt, and that's why he was surprised Bart asked for two cards on a full house. Sherwood claims Bart had a good hand because he called, and two of his henchmen at the bar glance over as they overhear the exchange.
Sherwood has no choice but to deal. Bart gets the two aces Sherwood was hoping to get, and matches anything. Sherwood folds and tells Bart that he'll have to come to his office to get the $2,000. The two henchmen follow, and Bart secretly locks the door behind him. Sherwood tells Bart that he's not going to get the money and calls in his men, who discover that the door is locked.
Bart draws his gun before Sherwood can, and takes his $2,000. Sherwood points out the only way out is through the door, and Bart unlocks the door. They come falling in, and Bart shoves Sherwood back, goes through, and locks the door. He strolls out as Sherwood shoots the lock out, and he and his men go after Bart as he rides off.
Bart rides into Brotherly, finds Hardy at the saloon, and asks him to arrest him. Bart explains that there are men chasing him, but Hardy says that he can't because Bart hasn't broken the peace. With time running out, Bart shoots the bar mirror and Hardy arrests him for disturbing the peace. Sherwood and his men come in, and Hardy tells them that Bart is his prisoner and won't be out for ten days. The crooked dealer tells Bart that they'll be waiting for him.
Hardy locks Bart up and insists on securing the wallet for safekeeping. Bart reluctantly hands his wallet over and the sheriff puts the wallet in a lockbox.
The next morning, Hardy sees the two henchmen waiting on the street. He tells them that they're wasting the time, and when Hardy moves on one of the thugs tells the other that it beats rolling drunks. Meanwhile, Hardy goes into the jail and Bart complains about the bunk. Hardy tells him about the thugs outside, and says that he can't send them away because they haven't done anything.
Stephanie and Hannah come in, having heard what happened to Bart. Hannah tells Hardy that it's a disgrace to have a "gentleman" like Bart in town, and figures that there's a reason. Bart says that he won the money legitimately from Sherwood, and it's all Stephanie's... if she can get it from Hardy. Hardy refuses, and Hannah demands that Hardy release Bart. The sheriff tells her to let him run his own jail, and Bart agrees rather than get released.
Hannah tells Stephanie that there's something they can do, and leaves with Stephanie. Soon, the Ladies Aid brings food to Bart . He can't think of anything that says them going to Bart's cell to give him the food is illegal. Hardy complains that he has to eat the food from the saloon, and Bart invites him to join him. The two men dig in, and Bart tells Hannah that the ladies can do one more thing for him.
The society soon returns with furniture. The two thugs see them and one goes to get Sherwood. He rides into Brotherly, and the remaining thug tells him that the ladies left but Hardy is inside. Sherwood storms in and Hardy is eating. Bart is sitting in his comfortably-outfitted cell, and Sherwood tells him that he'll be waiting when Bart leaves.
Later, Sherwood and his men capture Hardy at gunpoint when he's patrolling the street, and take his cell keys. They go in the office and Sherwood gets his money. His thugs tie Hardy up, and Sherwood tells Bart that he wants the money rather than Bart. The three men leave, and the next morning Stephanie comes by with breakfast. She unties Hardy, who says that he's going to get a posse and take them into Hampton Center. Bart offers to ride with the posse, but Hardy insists that Bart stay in jail as the law demands.
Bart tells Stephanie to scream and lights a curtain in his cell on fire. She screams on Bart's signal, Hardy rushes in with a pitcher of water, and Bart punches him. Once Bart is outside, he locks the door and tells Hardy that the sheriff should let him ride with the posse no matter what the law says. Hardy gives in once Bart promises he won't try any heroics.
The posse goes to Sherwood's saloon and Bart leads Hardy to Sherwood's office. The door is locked, so they go back to the main room and Bart asks the bartender where Sherwood is. Bart draws a gun on him, and the bartender says that Sherwood went to collect a debt from Jim Malone.
The posse ride to the Malone ranch, and they come across Stephanie in her carriage. She says that she saw Sherwood and her men at ranch, and left before they spotted her. The posse rides to the ranch and Stephanie follows them.
Sherwood and his thugs demand their $700 from Jim. They take Jim to the house so he can sign over his cattle to them, and they spot the posse coming. They bar the barn door and one thug goes up into the loft, while Sherwood dares Hardy to come in. Hardy spends Bart up a ladder to the loft, and knocks out the door and lets him drop into a haywagon below when the thug pokes his head out the door.
Bart crawls in and a chicken flies into him. Bart falls onto the other thug and manages to get the drop on Sherwood. He drops his cigar, which sets the hay on fire, and accidentally disarms himself when he steps on a rake. They all see the fire, and Jim and the thug run over to put out the fire. Sherwood surrenders, and Jim puts the fire out. Bart goes outside and takes his wallet--and the $2,000--from Sherwood, then gives Jim the $700 to give it to Sherwood.
Stephanie rides up and kisses Bart, and he gives her $100 to buy her back. Even Hardy congratulates Bart, and Bart says that he'll take a kiss as "interest" on the loan she took from his wallet. Hardy insists on Bart riding back to Brotherly with the posse, and drags him to his horse.
Back in Brotherly, Hardy locks Sherwood and his two thugs up. Hardy makes sure to put them in a cell other than the decorated one Bart had. He then locks Bart up in his cell, pointing out that he still has seven days to serve. Bart reluctantly enters his cell and hands his gun back to Hardy. Stephanie tells Bart that she'll be back in seven days, promising he'll have lots of interest. Once Stephanie leaves, Bart makes himself comfortable, lights a cigar, and starts reading a good book.
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