Quarantined in Cabins

Originally Aired: January 24, 1940 Lum #248, "Quarantined in Cabins," Lum faces a matrimonial disaster when Mrs. Franz Forrest Beaumont, a wealthy widow, arrives in Pine Ridge with seven unruly children in tow after Lum rashly proposed marriage through a newspaper advertisement. The red-headed widow never mentioned her large family in her ad, and now she's telling everyone around town that she and Lum are getting married, while her wild children wreak havoc in the tourist cabins, burning stove wood in bonfires and throwing rocks at passersby. Desperate to escape both the marriage and the constant teasing from townspeople calling him "Papa," Lum turns to Squire Skimp for help. Squire Skimp offers to make Lum appear so ridiculous that Mrs. Beaumont will leave town voluntarily, guaranteeing success for twenty-five dollars. However, Lum worries about what humiliating scheme the Squire has in mind, while also fearing a breach of promise lawsuit if he simply refuses to marry the widow. With Abner already over at the cabins trying to talk sense into Mrs. Beaumont, Lum must decide whether to trust Squire's mysterious plan or face the consequences.