Brilliant, but Lazy: Played with. Sam Terhune is capable putting enough hard work and charm to make a good impression on just about everyone, and could have a good, fulfilled life if he only let go of his vices. Unfortunately, his gambling addiction keeps getting him from settling on a stable life and has led him to gamble his previous wives' possessions away and then lie about it.
Compulsive Liar: Hester Sue's ex-husband Sam proves to be just this, despite having made a good impression on just about everyone in Walnut Grove and claiming that he was through with drinking/gambling/womanizing. While on a freight run to Sleepy Eye, Sam stops by the local saloon for a drink, then loses all his money at the roulette table; to cover up his wrongdoing, he falsely claims to have been robbed and assaulted, but Charles learns the truth via a letter from freight man Myron Hicks, who happened to have been in the gambling den while Sam lost his shirt. Additionally, on the day of Hester Sue's planned remarriage to Sam, she receives a visit from his second wife, Naomi, who reveals that the two are still legally married!
Plot Twist: When freight man Myron Hicks stops by a Sleepy Eye gambling den in time to witnesses Sam losing the money that was owed to the former, he writes a letter to Charles explaining what he saw, thus blowing up Sam's lie about allegedly having been mugged.
Runaway Bride: The day of Hester Sue's wedding, she learns from Sam's current wife Naomi that the two are still married, as well as the truth of what happened during his aforementioned Sleepy Eye freight run, and calls their planned nuptials off. After sending Sam on his way, Hester Sue then announces the bad news to everyone in attendance, but invites them all to stay for the generous spread of food.
Too Good to Be True: Sam seems a perfect man after seemingly having let go of his vices and capable of doing a good enough job to impress everyone in town: too perfect. As it turns out, he's left his previous wife Naomi, whom he's still married to, after gambling her money away and falls into his gambling again when in possession of a payment for Charles' business.
