Partners in Time

Soon after elderly Lum Edwards and Abner Peabody of Pine Ridge, Arkansas, begin their business day at their general store, the Jot 'Em Down, they are visited by lawyer Squire Skimp and his client, Gerald Sharpe. The city-bred Sharpe, whose father, Jeff Parker, was reared in Pine Ridge, now claims that his father was adopted by his grandfather, Lucky Parker, and was not legally entitled to transfer Lucky's downtown lots years before. Sharpe insists that his mother should have inherited the land, of which the Jot 'Em Down is part, and, as such, he is now the legal owner. Sharpe suggests that, to avoid a lawsuit, Lum and Abner pay him $500 for the store's land. Although the storekeepers are outraged by Sharpe's demands, Lum is genuinely concerned about his claim. Consequently, Lum sends dim-witted Cedric Weehunt to warn the other downtown store owners about Sharpe, while he goes to discuss the situation with a judge. Fearing the worst, Lum also advises the overly generous Abner not to give out any more store credit and to call in their overdue accounts. Lum later reports that, according to the judge, all of Pine Ridge's store owners may lose their property to Sharpe unless they can prove that Jeff was Lucky's legal heir. After Cedric hands Lum and Abner a legal summons from Squire and Sharpe, the storekeepers realize the threat is real and decide to investigate Jeff's birth. At the same time, Tim Matthews, a young veteran, reveals to Lum and Abner that his engagement to local girl Janet is off because Janet, who has recently been living in the city, doesn't want to move back to Pine Ridge, where he has a farm. Lum advises Tim to do everything in his power to stop Janet from returning to the city, then tells the couple the story of how city-dweller Abner came to Pine Ridge forty years before: On his way to California, Abner stops in Pine Ridge in his new "horseless carriage" and reunites with his former Army buddy, Lum, the town's respected justice of the peace. Abner is immediately impressed with life in Pine Ridge and is especially taken with schoolteacher Elizabeth Meadows, who lives at the same boardinghouse as Lum. Although Lum has a special relationship with Elizabeth, he has not declared his love for her, and consequently, when Abner inquires about her availability, she assures him that she is free. After Lum invites him to become his partner in the just-built Jot 'Em Down, Abner quietly pursues a romance with Elizabeth. Later, during a charity raffle and square dance, Lum is called to the death bed of elderly spinster Miss Rutledge. Back in the present, Lum's story is momentarily interrupted and, while alone, Lum remembers that Miss Rutledge advised him to marry Elizabeth and that he assured her that he was going to propose to her soon. Returning to his tale, Lum tells Janet and Tim that at the store's grand opening, Elizabeth and Abner announced their engagement. A stunned Lum, who was about to propose himself, pretends that the engagement ring he bought for Elizabeth is really for Abner to give to her and wishes the couple well. On their wedding day, Abner gets cold feet and is ready to call off the ceremony, particularly after he learns that their clergyman is stuck in another town. Elizabeth's uncle, "Doc" Smith, however, insists that the wedding proceed and suggests that Lum preside over the ceremony. Although his heart is breaking, Lum marries Abner and Elizabeth. Back in the Jot 'Em Down, Lum sadly concludes his story and convinces Janet to stay with Tim in Pine Ridge. Abner then recalls that Doc Smith had mentioned at the wedding that he had delivered Jeff Parker and that the doctor kept a ledger. Janet and Tim find the ledger in the Jot 'Em Down, and when Skimp returns to the store to demand more money, Abner and Lum show him the entry that documents Jeff's legal birth to Lucky. After Skimp leaves, defeated, Janet asks Lum if he was in love with Elizabeth, but Lum proudly refuses to admit he was.