Ruth McCausland and Butch “Monster” Dugan

Ruth McCausland and Butch “Monster” Dugan were longtime acquaintances whose connection joined Haven’s public life to a quieter, personal affection. Dugan had been Ruth’s husband’s partner before her husband died, and he spoke of Ruth with a tenderness that made clear she mattered to him beyond their shared history in town.

Shared History in Haven

Dugan’s place in Ruth’s life was described indirectly by Benton Rhodes, who recalled discussing her with Dugan the previous spring. Dugan had known Ruth well, and their connection extended back to her marriage: he and her husband had been partners before the latter’s death. This history helps explain why Dugan’s knowledge of Ruth’s habits and interests carried the intimacy of long acquaintance rather than casual town gossip.

Ruth’s Dolls and Public Life

Dugan told Rhodes that Ruth owned perhaps a hundred or two hundred dolls. They were her only hobby, and she had once exhibited them in Augusta. According to Dugan, Ruth took more pride in that exhibit than in any of her many contributions to Haven, though she worked constantly apart from her collection. The dolls thus offered a glimpse of a private interest belonging to someone otherwise remembered for her sustained work for the town.

Dugan’s Affection and Ruth’s Death

Rhodes sensed from the way Dugan spoke that Dugan had been sweet on Ruth. The feeling is presented as Rhodes’s impression, not as a declared relationship or a confirmed romance. Rhodes also anticipated that Dugan might have to be told of Ruth’s death and warned that he should not be mocked or treated lightly. In his private thoughts, Rhodes regretted that he had not been able to call her Ruth himself, a small acknowledgment of the closeness and respect that surrounded her. Dugan’s affection gives the account of Ruth’s civic life a personal counterpoint: she was not only a tireless presence in Haven but someone cherished by a man who had known her across many years.