This was Dennis Weaver's last appearance as Chester on Gunsmoke. There is no explanation for Chester's leaving Dodge.
Chester's, Dennis Weaver, last line on the series is: "I think maybe I'll take you down to the stage." Spoken to the widow whose late husband had been accused of murder. Chester was a gentleman to the end. And he was the main character and chief investigating lawman of this episode as Marshall Dillon was out of town.
5 months after Dennis Weaver's final episode aired, he starred in his own series as Kentucky Jones which only lasted for 26 episodes.
The character "Bently," for whom this episode is named, does not appear. He is already dead before the story starts.
The distances aren't mentioned, but the Calvin and Wright ranches are close enough to Dodge that Mrs. Calvin and Mrs. Wright, in separate scenes had to run all the way to Dodge.