Mistake
For Wayne to interfere. Not only did he lose his girlfriend but he created a politician!
shareSad all the way around....
..but there is some sting of vengeance at the end:
Aged US Senator James Stewart on the train(with a sad aged Vera Miles at his side) is acting all fake and pompous with the train conductor ("I'll write a personal letter of praise to the head of the railroad") whent he conductor says he'll get a train sidetracked ahead:
"Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance!"
And politician Stewart just...deflates.
Ouch. Good.