Unknown Broadcast | When the Veil Won’t Close: Ghost Stories After Halloween

1:01 Radio Mystery Theater presents. Come. In. Welcome. I'm E.J. Marshall. In the musical version of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Captain Hook sings of himself, among other things, as the slimiest slime.

1:44 In the world. In my gallery of vampires, werewolves, murderers, ghosts, and witches, to me, the one who tops the captain's estimate is is the confidence man who plays on the agony and confusion of people who have just undergone a shattering personal tragedy. This is the story, to quote Captain Hook again, of one of the crookiest crooks in the world. My darling. Darling. Tom, it's you. It's your voice. You mustn't worry about me. I am here. talk to you from the beyond whenever you wish.

2:26 Please come every day. I will. But how? Why can't I see you? Everything will be revealed in time. I cannot speak too loud. No. Don't leave me yet. When can I speak to you again? Whenever the Swami builds the bridge from where you are to the beyond. To where I live in the land of the dead. The Dead. Our mystery drama, The Dead Deserve to Rest, was written especially for the Mystery Theater by Ian Martin and stars Jennifer Harmon. It is sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division.

3:19 I'll be back shortly with Act One. It is Robert Burns who said, Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn. Some people, all unaware, seem. Marked for tragedy. Like Letitia Meredith, née Henderson, a bride who never had a chance to be a wife, and who was marked for such tragedy and such haunting interference in her attempt to bind up her wounds and forget that she might have been Electra or any other of those doomed women in a Greek tragedy. The first interference in her life was fate, not man, except accidentally.

4:17 Lord knows what's tied onto the car or what crazy things my friends may have set up to. I couldn't care less. There's nothing anyone can do to touch us now, Tom. We're married. We've got it made, honey, always. Come on, come in. Why don't you go first and ride over to the wheel? Oh, no, ma'am. I helped my bride over the first threshold. Oh, dear. Now I run around and line in to take over. How is she today, Bill? I don't really. Know, Jim.

5:05 They still have her under sedation, and I suppose she's half in shock. At least thank the Lord she had no physical injuries. I don't know how much that'll help when she finally comes to. I'm terrified she'll lose her mind. Oh, honey, I think she has more backbone than that. But when the full realization that Tom is dead. We'll just have to see her through somehow. Not quite the same as the husband she planned to. We are a mother and father. And we love her. But in this awful thing about Jim, how can we help her?

5:46 I know one way I can. I started suit against the driver of that car that killed Tom. What good can being vindictive do? The boy didn't mean it. That boy was. 32 years old. He's been drinking. And with all that ice on the road, he was still driving like a maniac. That boy killed my daughter's husband. Well, isn't it enough for him to have that on his conscience? He's never had trouble before. And clapping him in the jail. I'm not talking about a criminal suit. That's up to the police. I'm talking about a civil suit. What's the difference? Damages. Money. Oh, Tish doesn't need money. You said Tom had insurance, and.

6:29 Anyway, she has us. She's 22, Belle. She had a probable 50 years of support to be expected from her husband. Even $ 50, 000 worth of insurance wouldn't begin to cover that. How much will you do for her? $ 3 million. What? They'll settle for $ 1 million. $ 1 million? I don't think she. This won't help her now, Belle, but someday, maybe, she'll thank me for that. Dad will bring the bags in.

7:09 Do you want to go right upstairs or sit down for a moment? I don't care. Downstairs, maybe. Tired, dear? No, it's just. Right now, I only have one wish in the world. Why didn't I die with him? Why didn't he kill us both? Is that you, Jim? Yes, Bill. It's stopped snowing, has it? Just started in again. Looks like we're due for a real Wisconsin blizzard. How are you, dear? A hothouse plant. I stayed indoors all day. You'd better mix yourself a drink. Don't worry. I'm glad the suggestion came from you. How's Tish?

7:56 I don't know, Jim. Three whole months. She just can't seem. To shake it. You've got to give it time, Bill. I know, but I don't. Think it's going to be here, darling. I think she's got to get away. Away from Milwaukee and all the old associations. And. Away from herself. After today, she's going to be able to go pretty much wherever she wants. She is a very rich young lady. They settled the suit? Mm-hmm. For a million dollars. Oh. To a new beginning, maybe. What's a new beginning? Oh, Tish. I didn't hear you come down. I'm not deliberate. I guess, in a way, I'm a sort of a ghost.

8:39 Oh, Tish. I might as well tell you I'm thinking of cutting and running. Where would you go? What would you do? I was a working girl before Tom and I met each other. But it was here we did meet. I've been thinking if I got away, far away. I mean, with my own savings and Tom's insurance. Honey, let me tell you something. Money's no problem. I have just made a settlement which gives you quite an enormous amount of money Uh, for Tom's death, one million dollars. As recompense? For gross carelessness.

9:20 Would you consider that a fair exchange? Gee, honey, that's a hell of a thing to say to me. I'm sorry, Daddy. Of course it was unfair. That's me these days. I should be grateful. So suddenly I'm a millionaire. What do I do with it? It was the only... Well, best way I knew to help. I know. But getting born all over again depends most on self-help. So here I go. Where, Tish? The biggest, noisiest, coldest. Oh, not cold like poor old Milwaukee, but cold-shouldery. The best place.

10:01 I can think of to be really alone because it's so packed with people too busy with their own affairs. The best place to learn to really tough it out. And a town I can really have something in common with. New York. New York. Oh, hello. Hi, kid. I'm your bunkie down the hall. Can I borrow a cup of sugar? I'm terribly sorry, but I just moved in and I don't even have staples yet. Oh, Nathan, you could always send out. Send out? Baby, this is the village. Anything you want. Pizza, hero sandwich, Chinese, enchiladas, rum cake, you name it. Forget the cup of sugar.

10:47 Just a ploy, honey. A what? A ploy. Gimmick. Like in chess, the gambit? It's an opening move. Sort of. Well, I know you just moved in a couple of days. Ago and you look kind of down in the dumps and lonely. Still, I figured I'd amble over and get us acquainted. I'm Hank Plank. How does that grab you for a name? What's your handle? I'm Letitia Hender. I'm Meredith. Oh, it ain't the. Second name that needs changing. It's the first. Like, my straight name is Henrietta. But I didn't go for dragging that around all my life. So I got it to be Hank. Well, as a matter of fact, everyone calls me Tish. But then, hi. Oh, it's not that bad. I'm only putting you on.

11:28 I like it. Would you like to come in, Frank? I'll tell you what, kid. Let's put it this way. Would you like me to come in? Yes, I. Think maybe you're just what I need. You're funny, and I could use a laugh if you. Well, I'll come in. Listen, when you're 5'2 and 160 pounds like me, you're a bowel of laughs. And that's before I open my mouth even, which, like you see, is as big as my waist. And I'll bet your heart. Well, I dig people as well. All kinds. Hey, that's a nice place you got. So what's the trouble, baby? Money? Yeah. It's the least of my worries. Oh, that's nice. It's the only real one I got. It's a man.

12:12 That's the reason for the mix-up in the last. Names, right? He walk out on you, the bum? Oh, no. He was killed. A car hit him. Right after we were married. As he was getting into our car in front of the church. Oh, holy cow. Well. You want me to move by the window headfirst? Oh, no, no. Please don't go. Oh, Hank, I just want somebody to talk to about him. Come on. Sit on the couch, Tish. You'll never believe it, but I got big ears, too. All the better to listen with. Go ahead, honey. Spill.

12:54 Spill. Yes? You hear that? Oh, I've been. Waiting for you. Listen, let's get this show on the road. I've got a hunch today's going to be a big one. You think we'll get a job? I don't know. I just got five. Something big is going to happen. I hope it's for you. I better land something pretty soon or I'll end up on relief. Don't be silly. You know I have plenty of money. Kid, you're the first solid gold millionaire I ever knew. But don't get me wrong. I'd never borrow a cent. I'd go on a diet first. Hank here owes nobody nothing. But after all you've done for me these last few days, listening to me moping and weeping and carrying on, feeding and looking after me like a mother hen.

13:36 You have to clean out the old system. I just happen to be around. But hear this. What? You are too trusting, Little, now. Don't you go around shooting off your mouth to just anybody. This is a big, bad city with more con men, deadbeats, and. Just plain thieves licking their lips. Waiting for a pigeon to come along. I've never spilled my heart out to anyone like that, Hank. Anyone but Tom. Okay. Close book. Hey, listen, now, make sure that front door closes tight, okay? I will. Okay, let's see if I got a letter telling me I won the lottery. Oh, cupboard is there.

14:16 Aren't you going to open your box? What for? Nobody to write to me. Even Mom and Dad don't know my address yet. You better open it. Looks like there's something there. Oh, all right. Hey, there is something here. A letter. Probably from some local store marked resident. No, it's addressed to me. My married name. Who on earth could. What is it, Mary? I can't. Mrs. Hank, listen to this. My poor, bereaved Mrs. Meredith. No words of mine can adequately express my grief at your deep sorrow. I would hesitate to intrude, except that it is at the request of.

15:01 Your own dear husband. He spoke to me last night from beyond the veil and begged me to reach you immediately and tell. You that he is calling for. You. Here's a startling twist, which is only the beginning of a long, twisted chain of events. Who is the writer of this mysterious letter who apparently possesses supernatural powers. How else in a city. Of eight million could he have reached unerringly to find one girl alone, away from friends or family, none of whom know where to reach her? Unless, could Hank have been the one to let him know? I'll return shortly with some of the answers. shocked and startled almost out of her wits by the incredible content of this strange letter she hands it to Hank to read to her he spoke.

16:19 To me last night from beyond the veil and begged me to reach you immediately and tell you he was calling for you since I realize my words may be confusing and even shocking to you I would like to explain I couldn't reach you by. Phone, so I decided I was bound in. All conscience to write and inform you of your husband's urgent request. I am only the medium in this, but I do suggest you contact me either by phone. Or at the above address. I will be at your service at any time. My work, my duty, and my joy is the service of all mankind. Yours in the service of the eternal spirit, which makes us one.

17:00 Dr. Pavit Krishna Wow. Who is this man, Hank? Who knows? Search me. 91601 Park Avenue. Fancy neighborhood. The Temple of Transcendent Truth. It's me. I don't know. I guess he's, like, not a doctor, but more like a guru or a. Swami, you know? But it's impossible. The whole thing's impossible. What do you mean? How could he know how to find me? I spent three months like a zombie after Tom was killed. Then I made up my mind I couldn't go on like that, so I picked up my skirts and ran, hid out. I didn't want anyone, least of all Dad and Mom, whom I loved, to know where I was.

17:46 How come? Because they, well, they don't realize it, but they've. Always protected me, wrapped me in cotton, given me too much love and not enough self-reliance. That's what I've realized I have to build for myself if I have to have my life. So I came to New York, and God was sure smiling on me to let me find you. Oh, yes, I'm big treasure. You don't realize. I mean, after I blew off steam and you rode out the storm with me, I honestly thought I had a chance. A chance at what? Oh, I don't know. Coming to grips with myself. Making myself a person. Building some real backbones. But this.

18:32 Turned me all to jelly. I don't get that quite. Don't you see? I was brought up to believe in a world after death, but I never thought... I mean, I. Don't think I could believe in communicating between somebody alive and somebody who's dead, huh? You mean you think the doctor here. Is a phony? I don't know what to think. How could he be since he found me? What do you think? I don't see how this guy could be a phony. Or could I hurt to at least give him a phone call? I think maybe I just ought to go there. You couldn't go wrong at that address.

19:14 Want to use my phone to make an appointment? Yes. What have I got to lose? Sure. What are you about to lose? Oh, yes, Madame Meredith. I know the doctor was in great hope that you would answer his letter. He's most anxious to see you. I still don't understand how he managed to locate me. I would not know. I am just his receptionist. You're French? I am from Algiers. My ancestors is mixed. If you'll have a seat, please.

19:55 A gentleman is with the master. I'm a little confused. This is not a medical office? Oh, yes. In part. You wear a nurse's uniform. I am a nurse. And the doctor, as you can see from the evidence and the word, is a licensed physician. But the temple of transcendent truth. That has become his full life work. There are many steps to the truth. Oh, he is here himself now. He will explain. But you're sure you can't help me somehow. Everyone says you can work miracles, Dr.

20:36 Baba Krishna. I work no miracles, Mr. York. For some people, I can show the way. Not for all. Why not for me? Because your heart is not truly open. Because you come in doubt. There is no truth without faith. No bridge that can be built without belief. Excuse me, Mr. Young. The doctor has someone waiting. An emergency case. It's Madame Meredith, Master. I am so relieved. You will please come with me, Mrs. Meredith. We have much to talk about. I don't understand why, when we don't even know each other.

21:17 All will be revealed in time. Please, to follow me. Show Mr. Young out, Sister Maryse. But how did you find me? I know where to find me. Your husband told me when he. Broke through to me. Tom is dead. Ah, death is only another state of the spirit. And the spirit is endless and infinite. But I. When he died, he... Even Tom couldn't have known I would come to New York.

21:59 From Milwaukee? Away from the house of your father and mother, Mr. And Mrs. James Henderson, who live on Summer Street at 125. How could you know about them? Because your husband told me. He is worried about you. There is an evil force gathering about you. He is concerned about the money. I don't care about the money. But what was it Tom wanted. To tell me? I think you should let him tell you himself. Tom? But how can he? Don't you understand? He's dead. He isn't anymore.

22:43 Hush, my child. No one is never anymore. I'm just so confused. There is confusion. Because you do not yet know the light. Listen to my words. Don't fight me. Try to think. Just make your mind a blank. Leave it an open slate to be written upon. And all will be clear. Your eyes are heavy. Heavy. Heavier now. The eyelids will not stay open. They close. There is no light behind them.

23:25 Only the soothing dark and peace, peace, rest and peace. And you are. Asleep, asleep, asleep. So, Maria, Is she under? Yes, completely. Prepare the syringe and bring it back. She must feel well and joyous when she wakes. Yours to command, mine to obey. I wonder. I may rule the others, but you know.

24:06 That I am your slave. You are still in a. Trance, Mrs. Meredith. But you may open your eyes. There. How do you feel? At rest. Splendid. Now you are going to answer me some very intimate questions about your relationship with. The man you loved and married. And he called you Tish?

24:52 No. Everyone else did. Tom wanted his own name. What did he call you? Anne. My full name is Letitia Anne. And did he have a high voice? No. Low? No. Not growly. Like yours a little, but younger. More like this. Yes. Well, not quite. Did he say, Anne, I love you more than anyone else in the world? Yes. Yes, that's Tom. Only he'd say, Anne, I love you a million.

25:35 When you hear this voice you are hearing now, You will know it as Tom's. You will know it as certainly as the sun rises. I will know it as Tom's. Tom left you a very rich woman, a million dollars. It was like blood money. I will never use it only for some worthwhile charity. Would you sign it over to the temple of transcendent truth? I don't know. I don't know what it is. It is a church and a refuge. You could live here in the retreat with all of us who have given our lives to the pursuit of oneness.

26:25 I don't know. Would you if Tom told you to? I don't know. I'd have to ask him. Then you shall ask Tom. Yes, I mean it. Listen to me, Mrs. Meredith. What I am going to tell you, you will remember when you wake. Everything else you will forget. Remember only one thing. Ask Tom what to do with the money and obey him as your husband. You understand? Yes.

27:06 I will ask him and do as he tells me. She has been difficult. You know that even under hypnotism, I cannot force anyone against his will. You have the high power. Yes. Good. Give it to her now, so she will feel the joy and release when she leaves. Then I will wake her, and we will bring her to the sanctuary. Oh. I'm hungry. I'd choose if I fell asleep or something. This is what we call the sanctuary. Here the outside world disappears like the illusion it is.

27:48 And the truth is all. The oneness of the spirit. The bridge from life to life. Why did you bring me here? To this dark place? To talk with your husband. Call. Call your husband. Tom? Tom? Anne. Anne, darling. It's you. It's the voice. Listen to me, Anne, my darling. You mustn't worry about me. Only about all those around you in your physical life. I am here to talk to you from the beyond whenever you want. Whenever the good doctor builds the bridge.

28:36 But it would be easier if you stayed here. In the retreat. Is that what you want me to do? That is up to Dr. Pavakrishna. This is nasty. That is enough for one day. Maris, please, open the door. You will rest a minute now. Before you go home. Oh, excuse me, miss. Jesus, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling very well.

29:18 Well, I wouldn't bother you except that we have seen each other before. We have? Yeah, in Dr. Father Kushner's office. I came out while you were waiting to go in. Oh, yes, yes. Linda, I'm sorry. Whoever you are. Oh, uh, Jerry. Jerry Young. I just can't talk at the moment. I'm too. Oh, please let me go. I only wanted to ask you, did he, uh... Did he bring you any relief at all? I don't... I mean, I. Oh, could you get me a cab, please? I think I'm going to pass out. Oh, uh, yeah, sure. Just give me your address. I'll see you at home. There you are. You want me to open the door for you?

30:06 Oh, if I could just find my keys. Hi, Chase. Hey, what gives you this? I went to see. Oh, this gentleman was nice enough to see me home. You know her? No. Okay, gentlemen, thanks, and blow, okay? I'll take over. Bye-bye. Hey, you still here? Yeah. Listen, I don't know who you are, mister, but you're looking for passing. Don't take me on. You make one wrong move, I just assume it touches your heart. Hey, hey, hey, hey, tiger down, down. No sweat, no problems, and a little advice for you later. But first, the credentials.

30:52 You get the message? Police? Detective Young, first homicide. Now. You want to put that carving knife away and let's you and me talk turkey. Now that the twisted, complicated chain I talked about is forged, remember. The slimiest slime in the world. The crook who feeds on human grief and loss and far too often gets away with it. Usually this greedy grub stays just inside the law and never steps over the line. If you want to know if he manages to get away with it this time again, why don't you join me after these short messages for Act Three?

31:51 The mystery at the core of this story It's still how Dr. Pavit Krishna could have divined the information he had to begin with, unless he is a true psychic. Any suspicion of Henrietta as an informant has long since laid to rest. And even doubting the authenticity of Detective Gary Young's badge and credentials, there is no way he could have. Known who Henrietta. Is or what connection she has with Tish. So, let us proceed to the proof. the pudding. What you're telling me is that this crook preys off old. Women and widows and ladies off the go. He's a big number one phony, right?

32:33 In my book. So why haven't you nailed him sooner? Because we can't get anyone to testify against him. I can't prove it, but at least two older women have left money in their wills to his temple died. Kind of very convenient. You mean he's a murderer? The whole setup smells. Now, I tried to con my way in as a broken-hearted son looking to reach his mother, but somehow that spider smelled me out. What I'm trying to say is, your little Mrs. Meredith, after the sad story you told me, and if she is worth all that money, is just the kind of pigeon that's made for his racket. Well, what do you want me to do about it? Hang on to her. Hold her back till I get a chance to do a little research on all you've told me.

33:18 With a little luck, we can set a trap to pin that bald-headed eagle to the wall. Hello? Mrs. Henderson? Yes. This is Detective Gary Young, New York Police, calling. Oh, no. Something happened to me. No, no, no. There's nothing wrong with your daughter, Mrs. Henderson. I just talked to her within the last hour or so. She's fine. But. Well, there are a couple of questions I wanted to ask you. Of course, as long as Tish is okay, ask anything you want. Have you received any calls about her during the last week?

33:59 Why, yes. There was a call from a man. I never did. Get his name quite straight, but he said that he. Had a job for my daughter, but didn't have her New York address. I was. Quite upset. In fact, I didn't have it either. The best I could do was suggest she might have located my old neighborhood. And where would that be, ma'am? Oh, years ago before I was married and settled down, I had an apartment in Greenwich Village. Silly romanticism, maybe, but when Tish took off for New York, I thought she'd be safer and happier there than anywhere. But how would you know she had gone to New York?

34:41 Or to call Well, Mrs. Henderson, the tragic circumstances of her husband's death made all the wire services. I dug that out of back newspaper files. And the big settlement for damages was another big story. Detective Young, is Tish in trouble? No, nothing I can't handle. You leave it up to me, and don't worry. I'll call on you if I need help. I think you're kind of trapped in a big-time con game. How? I told you, Tish, there was nothing supernatural. This guru-schmuru picked up your story in a country-wide press release. Oh, right. Perhaps he could have. But how could he know my address, personal things like what my husband called me, all that?

35:27 Don't ask me, but why don't you give Jerry Young a. Chance to explain? Oh, you. You just went hook, line, and sinker for a good-looking cop, and he can make you believe anything you want. I wish that was the truth. I wouldn't have to be asked to give in. You can wake up now, Pierce. Are you awake? Yes. Would you like to talk about the money? No. But you do want to talk to Tom. Oh, yes. That money preys upon your mind, does it not? Yes. Then why not let Tom suggest what to do with it?

36:08 Yes. I would do what Tom asks. That would be right. Very well, then. That is arranged. We shall go to the sanctuary to meet Tom. Marry Give her the injection before I bring her out of the hypnosis. I can't get anywhere with her, Mr. Young. I mean, when she comes back from that temple, like she calls it, it's like she was hypnotized. She probably is. And I wouldn't put it past him to use drugs. The worst part of it all is she's talking about moving into the house with all the other creeps because. Then she can talk to Tom whenever she wants. How can he fool her like that?

36:51 She's not dumb. Post-hypnotic suggestion. Stimulants to make her feel on a high after her supposed talks. The letdown when they wear off that drags her back. And then he has her hooked? He knows he's being watched. That guy has the intuition of a cat. Maybe he does have some really SP. I figure he's after one big score and then blow. And your friend Tish has just the kind of stake he and his girlfriend need. We've got to figure something desperate. I mean, time is running out for us.

37:34 I feel it. We must figure something out. I know, I know, but for some reason I cannot break her down. How do I get that million dollars from her? Where is it? In Milwaukee, in a safe deposit box. In real money? Better than that. What is better than money? Diamonds. Diamonds? Her father is in the business. When she did not want the money for herself, he persuaded her to invest. And he bought for her diamonds. Perfect for us. Untraceable. Good as or better than gold. In South America... We could live like kings. If we have them. We are going to get them. And we are not going to wait. Get everything packed and ready for us to leave.

38:20 But how are we going to get into the safe to pass it back? She is going to do that for us. Under hypnosis. At her ghostly husband's suggestion. And then? I cannot keep her hypnotized forever. It will be like the other two. She will have to die. You can't be serious. Fish, baby, give Detective Lennon a break. Listen to him. You've got to listen. It's all a big con game. But how could the doctor have gotten my. Address without Tom? Well, the same way I did. I called your mother in Milwaukee.

39:01 But Mother doesn't know my address. She gave me enough of a lead. She said Greenwich Village. So I called your real estate agent. She confirmed what I suspected. Someone called her ten days ago saying he had a job for a Mrs. Meredith but couldn't locate her. See, honey, it's like Gary says. Once the doctor knew the village, he just kept calling agents until. He found the right one. No, I can't. I won't. Now, listen, I'm going to tell you something else. Has he been giving you any injections? You know, is that medical man. No you mean you don't know here come over to the mirror roll over we'll roll over sleep what are you doing to me just want to show you something you see those puncture marks on the back of your arm I've never been more... Be, probably, some kind of amphetamine to make you feel good.

39:49 No, I don't believe it. I can't let go of me. I want, I want to talk to Tom. What? That's the bait to keep dragging you back. Okay, Tish. I'm going to call you that because we're all in this sink or swim. You'll go back. But not until you sweat a lot of things out of your system. Where the devil is she? This is the second appointment. She has missed. Well, we can't call her. She doesn't have a phone yet. Shall I go to the apartment? No. We'll give her one more day. Then we will have to make a move.

40:39 Okay, Gary. I've been a stupid, romantic, gullible little fool. I should have realized, remembering Tom, that he'd never have gone with this. No matter where he is. I think I owe him something for making him out as foolish as me. Okay, let's get busy setting houses in order. What do I do? It's simple. And, I hope, not too dangerous. Now, they're hungry for money. I think we can catch them off guard. The first thing is this. Nobody can be hypnotized if they don't want to. Now, it's really a trick which is guaranteed that it won't work. Then, after that, do everything he wants to. Pretend to agree. Try to get him to lay out everything he has in mind. Now, you'll have the radio transmitter in your pocket, no bigger than a pack of cigarettes, and a mic is here. You see in this brooch? We'll have the house covered. If you get in any real trouble, press here against the pack.

41:39 That's an alarm. And if not, go with it. And trust me. Mrs. Meredith, I have missed you the last two days. I'm sorry. I was thinking. What were you thinking? About the money you asked for. For the temple. You may have it, if that is what Tom wants. Did you bring the safe deposit key as Tom asked you to? Yes. Does anyone know where you are today? No. Splendid. And you are ready to do exactly what I say, as your dear husband asked you to? Yes.

42:28 Then sleep for a moment. Rest. Rest, my dear. I heard it all. Now? Now. We'll pack the cars in front. You have the plane tickets. We take her to Milwaukee. Once she has opened the box, she has to die. It is almost dark. Come. There is much to do. I am quite sure I have her under. But hold her tight, Maryse. We take no chances. Put her in the middle, between us.

43:09 Mrs. Meredith? Yes? Climb into the car, my dear. That's right. Now you, Maurice, and I will go around to the driver's side. All right, doctor. Hold it right there. What? Who? Police. Police. Don't move. You're covered. Look out, you crazy person! Doctor! Doctor, watch it! You all right, Tish? Yes, I think I've saved it. What happened to the doctor? He was killed. Crazy madman who came in that car from nowhere.

43:51 Did you find him? No, he turned a corner and disappeared into thin air. Just like the man who killed my Tom? No. No comparison. This wasn't much loss. Not we'll find a car just like the Milwaukee police found the man who... Don't. The past is really dead now. And somehow, Gary, I don't think you ever will find this driver. Because I saw him just before the car hit. Oh? Could you recognize him if you saw him again? Yes, only I never will. I told you the past is dead. The man behind the wheel was Tom.

44:45 Well, there's poetic irony for you. Or is it? Was it only an illusion in the brain of a tired and tortured girl? Or could Dr. Pappit Krishna, meddling in powers beyond him, the powers of darkness and evil, have raised up from the supernatural the instrument of his own death. We'll never know, because Titch was right. The driver of the mystery car was never found. I'll be back shortly.

45:32 There's little more to add. Louise is no longer in the country, shipped out as an undesirable alien. Tish, being young, and Tyne being the best of healers, found the best of use for those diamonds. They equipped and staffed a halfway house for young people to escape and shake. Their individual drug habits. She has found another doctor, the head one at the clinic, and this one she will marry soon. She doesn't go often to New York, but when she does, it's to visit her best friends, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Young. That's the ex-Hank Plank, who has shed an uncomfortable name and 35 pounds along with it. Our cast included Jennifer Harmon, Russell Horton, Martha Greenhouse, William Redfield.

46:25 And Terry Keene. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Browne. And now, a preview of our next tale. I was led to the edge. Of the forest. The Forbidden Forest. By my teacher and sponsor. Death. Are you frightened, Gold? No? Say the truth. Well, yes. Remember what I taught you. Yes, I remember. They're very good fighters inside.

47:08 Never let a woman get close enough to use her dagger. I remember. Oh, you won't remember. In the heat of the fight, you do what's in your heart. I wish I knew what was in my heart. Before this night is over... You may find out. This is E.G. Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.

48:40 Fed up with shoveling snow? Can't shake that cold of yours? Want to get away from it all? We offer you escape. You were alone in a remote village on the Welsh border, surrounded by silent townspeople who were watching. and waiting for you to decide to lose your soul.

49:23 Escape, produced by William N. Robeson and carefully contrived to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. Today we escape to a remote section of Wales and a strange village between two worlds. As Algernon Blackwood described it in his eerie story, Ancient Sorceries.

50:08 I had spent a week's vacation in Wales and was returning to London by train when it all began. It was late afternoon. We'd left the Welsh mountains and crossed the border into Western England, passing through a countryside which appeared singularly empty, deserted of life. Over the soft hills and the valleys between hung a faintly perceptible haze, giving to the whole landscape a feeling of enchantment and unreality. The train slowed at length to stop at a tiny wayside station. As it did so, a sudden thought occurred to me. Why not leave the crowded train with its irritating noises and spend the night in this peaceful spot, then take a slower and emptier train in the morning?

50:53 On the impulse, I rose from my seat, and the man sitting opposite me said, Why, say, sir, we only stop here for a minute or two. If you were thinking of walking about a bit. No, I... Matter of fact, I'm getting off here. I thought you were going to London. I'll go on in the morning. I'm going to stay here for the night. I strongly advise you not to. I beg your pardon? This is the village of Malton. Malton? I've never heard of it. Few people have, outside. But if you place any value on your soul, you'll not spend the night here. What are you talking about? Why not? Because of the sleep. And because of the cats... That's all I can tell you. You're insane. I'll take my bag now, if you don't mind.

51:35 You're making a terrible mistake. You may not even get the chance to regret it. Don't leave this train. I know what I'm talking about. Oh, what utter nonsense. Don't. Don't, I tell you. Goodbye. I stood there on the embankment as the train pulled away. What was the matter with the man anyway? Cats, sleep, his words made no sense. I picked up my bag and started walking up the long hill toward the village, and suddenly, for no reason at all, I shivered. Hello? Hello, is anyone here?

52:29 Yes. Oh, I didn't see you at first. Is there something I can do. For you, sir? Why, yes. I saw your sign outside the Inn of the Golden Bough. I should like to get a room. You're planning to stay here? Why, yes. Very well. You may sign the register. Here. Thank you. I'm going to catch another train and go on in the morning. Yes, of course. There we are. Arthur Llewellyn. Llewellyn?

53:10 Yes, from London. Arthur Llewellyn. You've been a long time coming back. What? But now that you're here, you'll find there are some things that never change. Madam, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. You rang, madam? Don Rere. The gentleman would like a room for the night. His name is Arthur Llewellyn. Aye, so it is. Welcome back to Malton, sir.

53:54 I knew I'd never been here before. What was it all about? First the men on the train, and now these people. Were they crazy, or was I? Well, I left the inn and walked along narrow cobbled streets, beneath quaint gables leaning out from the silent shuttered houses, through dappled pools of light and shadow. As I walked, it gradually dawned upon me that the village of Malton was centuries old, older than any town in England ought to be. and the people I passed now and then were dressed in the fashion of another day. They paid no attention to me, went silently about their own business. Yes, that was it. That's what I'd been noticing.

54:40 Silently. As I walked, I noticed they came and went with only soft padding sounds to mark their passing, as though they walked in shoes with soles of velvet. When I stopped, there was no sound. The silence was unbroken. I hurried through the streets and came at last to the far side of the village, to a place where the hill broke away sharply from a low, flat wall of stone, perhaps a rampart once. I sat down upon it, and the dreamy tranquility of the place stole over me. Presently, I don't know how much later, I became aware of the sound of weird music. rising out of the veil below me. I looked down from the rampart. The sunken plain at the bottom melted away into a sea of gathering shadow, blurred into a swirl of thickening mist. I thought of dead trees swept by the night wind, of animals with half-human voices singing to a white moon, of the wailing of cats on the roof tiles at night.

55:52 of unearthly creatures far off in the sky calling to one another in chorus. I felt my heart beat faster and faster, felt the vague stirrings of some urge inside of me trying to answer the awful call of that music. I fought against the feeling, fought against myself, and even as I did, I found I was staring down into that valley, peering desperately into the dark mist, trying to see I... I don't know what. And then suddenly. The music ended. I stood on the rampart alone, dusk fallen about me, and the early night wind moaned with a chill breath. Quick terror rose up in me. I turned and ran on through the darkened streets, ran with heart pounding, dodging its shadows, through one demalle after another, and arrived at last panting and almost breathless at the door of the golden bough.

56:53 You've been a long time returning, Mr. Llewellyn. It's past seven. Yes, I. Guess I walked farther than I meant to. I didn't realize it was so late. You heard the music, didn't you? Yes. Yes, the strangest music I've ever heard. How did you know? Who plays it, anyway? Then you didn't remember it? No. Why should I? The thing was becoming irritating, this quiet insistence that I was someone else. I went into my lonely dinner and ate as quickly as possible. Then, taking the candle Dandreri gave me, I crossed the lobby, climbed the stairs behind the desk, and walked past silent doors down the long, empty hall that led to my room at the end. I was halfway to my door when suddenly...

57:55 The flame of my candle went out. I stood stark still in the pitch blackness, fumbling for a match. And at that moment I knew that someone or something was there with me in the darkness. I held my breath and listened. There was no sound, no movement. I reached out and found the wall and moved along, feeling my way in the inky blackness. It was then I touched it. Near my face another soft, warm yielding. And alive. Who? Who is it? It is I, Ilsa. Who? Ilsa. Don't you remember me, Arthur? No.

58:35 No. But wouldn't you like to remember me? Don't you want to see me again? To look at me? Now? I. I don't know. But not tonight, Arthur. Perhaps tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. I stumbled blindly through the door of my room and shut it behind me. I lit the candle and flung myself across the bed. The room was small with one shuttered window and the light of the flame flickered on the walls and ceiling. I stared at the hand that had touched her out there in the dark hall. I lifted it to my face and smelled the barbaric scent that still clung to my fingers. It was evil and maddening.

59:40 The candle sputtered and burned and the melted minutes dripped away. Who was I? Who were these people? Who was Ilsa? I fell asleep finally and dreamed of soft moving creatures. and the silence of life in a dim, muffled world devoid of all feeling but ecstasy. And I dreamed, too, of cats. You slept quite late this morning, Mr.

1:00:21 Llewellyn. Morning, Dundree. I felt as though I'd been drugged. The night air here in Malton is very conducive to sleep. I'd meant to catch the morning train to London. Now it's too late. What a terrible shame. Yes. Oh, by the way, D'Andrea. Yes, Mr. Llewellyn? Do you... I.... I mean, I was wondering if you'd know anyone by the name of Ilsa. Ilsa happens to be my daughter, Mr. Llewellyn. All right. I didn't hear you come in. I hope you. Were able to sleep well, without unpleasant dreams.

1:01:03 I guess so. I'm so happy to hear it. Perhaps then you may decide to stay with us for a long time. That's very kind of you. No, it's not kindness, Mr. Llewellyn. But all of us are hoping that you may decide soon. Decide? Decide what? It was no use. None of them would answer my questions. They seemed to think I should know already. I left the inn as soon as I'd eaten, walked around the streets of the village. I began to notice I was never completely alone. If I turned down an empty street, someone always stepped from a doorway or entered from the opposite end. Wherever I went, within five minutes, a dozen people were strolling near me. And I realized these people were watching me, tensely, as a cat watches a mouse, or another cat.

1:02:12 The End. It's quite fortunate you came back early, Mr. Llewellyn. Your dinner this evening is a rather special one. Special? What do you mean by that? You are to have a guest. Oh, who? An old friend. She's coming now. The girl who came toward us across the room was lithe and slim. She moved with the sinuous grace of a young panther. She was lovely. Exotic and terrifyingly beautiful.

1:02:55 May I present Mr. Arthur Llewellyn, Miss Ilsa. He's been with us for two days. Yes, I know. My mother told me. May I sit down, Mr. Llewellyn? Oh, yes, please do. Here, permit me. Thank you. You may serve us, Dundreary. Thank you, Miss Ilsa. Then, you're Ilsa? Yes. Don't you remember me, Arthur? From last night. It was you last night, wasn't it? Yes, and other nights. Can't you remember all the other nights?

1:03:36 No. No. Then we shall have to try that much harder. It's been such a very long time. Please, Ilsa. What is it all of you talk about? I don't understand any of it. You will, Arthur. Unless you leave, of course. Weren't you planning to take a train to London in the morning? Yes. No. No, I've changed my mind. I'm glad you did. We'll try to make you happy here, my mother and I. And then perhaps you'll stay a long, long time.

1:04:19 No. I must leave for sure in a day or two. Suppose we wait and see. And meanwhile, if there's anything you want, all you have to do is ask me. All right. Why don't you tell me about. Yes, Arthur. About what? No. No, I don't want to know. I don't want you to tell me. Suddenly I realized I was afraid to know. I was afraid. I should leave now, but I couldn't leave. It was Ilsa.

1:05:03 She attracted, repelled, fascinated and horrified me, all in single flashes of blasting emotion. I felt the presence of a great grey curtain ready to roll back at any moment and leave me on the brink of an awful adventure. And I knew the village held its breath, watched and waited. And then on the evening of the fifth day... The whole ghastly secret exploded into hideous life. After dinner, Ilsa had asked me to walk with her. It was the first time I'd been outside the inn after dark. We walked through the village in the moonlight, saying very little, and came finally to the stone rampart above the sunken plain.

1:05:50 We were quite alone. Look, Arthur, it's a full moon tonight. Do you know what that means? Yes. It means I can see more clearly how beautiful you are. Do you really believe that? Do you think I'm beautiful? Like a soft, sleek leopard in a warm jungle of shadows. But wait, I'll see you even better in a moment. Arthur, what are you doing? These dry leaves by the wall. They'll make an excellent bonfire. There. There, you see? Now. No. What's wrong? The fire. No, Arthur. Put it down. All right, Ilza. Don't worry. It's all right.

1:06:31 There. Didn't even get a chance to get started. There, you see? It's out. Yes. I see. Why did it bother you so much? Don't you remember? Don't you remember the fire? No. What fire? No. Don't talk of it. Look at me instead. Look at me, Arthur. Yes, Ilsa. Arthur, do you love me? Yes. Yes, Ilsa, I love you. I'm glad. That means you'll come back to us then. I don't know what you mean, Ilsa. You can know everything tonight, if you want to.

1:07:15 Yes, I do. I do, Ilsa. You must know a part of it already, down inside. You must remember some of it, don't you? Yes. It's like something buried for centuries deep inside of me. Now it's beginning to come alive. Let it come alive. Don't fight against it. You belonged to us once, long ago, and you still belong. Yes. I seem to know that. That's why you came back. You heard me calling. You heard them calling. And you came seeking the old life again. Yes, but. Ilsaia. I'm afraid.

1:07:56 Are you afraid of me? Look at me. Ilsa. Will you live the old life again? With me tonight? Yes. Yes. Oh, I've known that you would because I own you, Arthur. You belong to me. And I want you to come with me. I shall never let you escape from me again. Yes, yes. Go back to the inn then. Wait for me, Arthur. I shall come for you. Tonight. Back at the inn, I paced the floor of my room.

1:08:37 A tense, uncontrollable excitement driving me along in a nervous frenzy. The dry crypt of the memory had broken open and all the things I'd hidden away for centuries poured into my consciousness. I knew now why I'd come here. I knew what I was going to do. And I knew that I was lost. I sensed the rising stir of movement throughout the inn and outside in the courtyard below my window. I knew what to expect when I threw open the window. From every window of the inn and from those of the houses about the court were leaping great monstrous beasts with soft dark fur and eyes that gleamed with eerie phosphorescence.

1:09:20 Cats! Cats of human size! This was the secret of Molten. Lycanthropy. The witchcraft of centuries long dead and buried. The half-human cries floated up to me, and the moon cast their dark shadows on the ground as they padded across the courtyard and vanished through the narrow streets of the village, heading for a hideous rendezvous. This is what I'd been. This is what I wanted to be now. I scarcely heard the door of the room open behind me. Are you ready, my love? Shall we join them? Yes. Here, Arthur, the sacred bomb... made of her vein and mistletoe and blind things out of the sea. Remember?

1:10:08 Yes. Yes, I remember. Take it. Use it. We'll change now. Transform. Leap from the window and join them. Lead us again, Arthur. Yes, but not here, Ilsa. Not yet. Wait until we get there. Then we'll change. If you wish. Come then, Arthur. to the stone wall above the grove. That's where we'll change on the stone rampart. In the grove on the sunken plain beneath the wall, insane shadows writhed in the moonlight and postured in the luminous mist. A thousand of the devil's own were dancing in the unearthly music born from the harmony of the black sacrifice. crying out in delirious abandon, calling to the thing that now lived inside of me and struggled screaming in my skull, trying to answer them back. I fought against them, fought against Ilsa, pleading and clinging with her soft arms about my neck.

1:11:10 Now, now, Arthur, come with me now if you love me. I love you, but I can't do it. I can't do it, not again, Ilsa. Yes, my love, only an instant to change and then we'll live forever. Is it living without a soul? Does it matter when I'm here? No, no, once before I escaped. but I could never escape again. This time there'd be no turning back. Am I not worth it? Look at me, look at me, my love. I clung to the very edge of sanity, thought that I'd not be lost and damned forever. And at that very moment, I knew, knew what I could do. Wait, what are you doing? I found a match in my pocket, struck it, dropped it into the dry leaves that lay banked along the whole length of the stone wall. No, no, Arthur, don't.

1:11:51 I can't come to you through the fire. You're driving me away. Yes, go, go into the valley, Ilsef. Goodbye, Elsa! Goodbye! You fool! You fool! You fool! I turned from the wall of flame that for a few minutes would shut me off from the valley, ran through the moonlit streets, not back toward the inn of the Golden Bar, but down the long road that led away from that cursed village of Malton.

1:12:35 Well, Mr. Llewellyn, I find this one of the most interesting cases of hallucination I've encountered since I began the practice of psychiatry. I tell you what really happened, Doctor. And having investigated your story a bit during the past week, I'm in a position now to answer most of the questions that have been worrying you since you. Came back to London. What do you mean, investigated? I went up to Hereford and looked over some of the old records there. And then I motored over to Malton for a couple of hours. Well, then you know it's all true. You saw it. You know I was there. There's no question but what you were there, Mr. Llewellyn. The lady who runs the inn showed me your name in the register. Said you'd left quite suddenly without taking your luggage or paying your bill.

1:13:16 She was really quite put out. I see. Well.... What about the records, Doctor? The ones you spoke of? I think they really explain the whole thing, Mr. Llewellyn. It seems that during the 14th century, the village of Morton became a kind of headquarters in that part of the country. For the practice of witchcraft. Yes. Go on. Numerous trials were held there in the late 1300s, and a great many men and women were convicted of sorcery and burned to death. Yes. In the records of a trial in 1372, I found the name of. An Arthur Llewellyn, and of Ilsa and her mother.

1:14:01 That proves it, then. It proves a clear case of hallucination. You knew that story before you went there, not consciously, but somewhere down in your latent memory. I knew nothing of it before. That man was an ancestor of yours. The story must have been known in your family. When you arrived in Malton accidentally, the association of the name just pulled the trigger, and your imagination did the rest. But, Doctor, my... My parents died when I was four. I've never been around any of my family. No matter. You see, a childhood memory is amazingly persistent at times. Yes. Yes, I suppose it is. I knew then what I had to do. The only thing I could do... There'd be no use in talking further with the doctor. He'd find some phrase of science to cover everything. He'd even try to explain away the mark I still carried across my shoulder where Ilsa had thrown her arm about me in those last mad minutes on the rampart. A mark that was covered with a soft grey fur like the fur of a cat. Yes, I knew now what had to be done. It must be done while I still retain my sanity. One last act, final and irrevocable. An

1:15:32 act that begins by walking into the railway station at Charing Cross. Good evening, sir. May I help you? Yes. I'd like a ticket to Malton. Malton? Malton? I don't believe I have. It's a village on the Swansea line near the border of Wales. Oh, yes. Yes, here it is. I don't believe I've ever sold a ticket to Malton before. I don't doubt it. Let's see now. Four and six. Single fare. First class. Did you wish a return?

1:16:12 Or one way? What did you say? Oh. I'm sorry. Make it. One way. Escape. Produced by William N. Robeson and directed by Norman MacDonald. Today brought to you Ancient Sorceries by Algernon Blackwood. Adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield, with Paul Freese as Arthur Llewellyn, Kay Brinker as Ilsa, Anne Morrison as Madam, and William Conrad as the Doctor. Music is conceived by Cy Feuer with Eddie Dunstetter at the console.

1:17:07 Next week. After you've had a hard day at the office or bending over a hot stove, next week at this time when your problems seem too much for you, We offer you. Escape! Next week, we bring you another exciting story of high adventure. Goodbye, then, until this same time next week, when once again. We offer you... Escape! Escape!

1:17:49 This is CBS, where 99 million people gather every week. The Columbia Broadcasting System.

1:18:46 Thank you. Now, the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California presents. Suspense! Tonight, Roma Wines bring you Miss Mildred Natwick and Mr. Don DeFore as stars of The Furnished Floor, a suspense play produced, edited, and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear.

1:19:38 Suspense! Radio's outstanding theater of thrills is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines. Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live, to your happiness and entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of everyday meals. Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma Wines bring you a remarkable tale of suspense. And with The Furnished Floor, a new study written for suspense by Lucille Fletcher, the author of Sorry, Wrong Number and other distinguished radio plays, and with the performances of Don DeFore as Mr. Jennings and Mildred Natwick as Mrs. Hawkins, Roma Wines hope indeed to keep you in suspense.

1:20:31 Sit down, rest yourself a minute, Ms. McIntyre, and take a cup of tea. I got some news for you. You'll never guess it in a hundred years. Do you remember that Mr. Jennings, you know, my nice tenant that moved away last year? A tall, thin fella, the one with the pretty little wife, Mabel, who died so sudden last October. Oh, sure, you know him. Most devoted husband I ever seen. Always bringing her flowers and billing and cooing. He moved out upstairs about two weeks after she died. So heartbroken he was. Sold every stick of. Furniture, got rid of the canary and the piano, and just skadood. I expected any day to hear they'd fished him up out of the river, but no. This morning, while I'm cleaning down the stairs, who do you think should ring my bell?

1:21:23 Hello, Mrs. Hawkins. Remember me? What? It's Mr. Jennings. Oh, my, Mr. Jennings, you sure give me a turn. I never expected to see you around this neighborhood again. Well, here I am. How's the upstairs floor? Just as you left it, Mr. Jennings. I haven't rented it to a soul. Well, I want to rent it again. You, Mr. Jennings? That's right. I'm setting up housekeeping again. Well, if that don't beat getting married again, Mr. Jennings. In a way. Let's run up and take a look, shall we? Okay, if you say so. Only, won't it make you feel kind of blue to see the old place again?

1:22:05 Blue? Why should it? Well, memories, you know. That's just what I want to find. Memories. Everything just as it was. I hope you've left it just the same, Mrs. Hawkins. No painting or new wallpaper? Not yet. Thought I'd fix it up to please. The new tenant. Well, leave it just as it was. Please, for me. Well, here's the keys. Maybe you'd like to go in and look around by yourself. No. Do come in, Mrs. Hawkins. You were always so very kind. More a friend than a landlady. Oh, how beautiful it looks, even bare. The sunshine always was so warm up here. And the trees. I'd almost forgotten how close the trees were. And there's the marks our sofa made against the wall. And the square shapes of our picture still on the wall.

1:23:01 Well, it could stand a good cleaning, of course. Do you remember how Mabel used to sit here up on evening and sing? The upright was over there and over at the Maxfield Parish. And over near the bay window, above the ferns, the canary sat in his cage. And when she sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, he'd always sing with her. Oh, come now, Mr. Jennings. You'll be getting yourself all fretted up. Oh, no, no, I... I assure you, Mrs. Hawkins, it's very important. You see, I'm going to have it again, just as it was. That so? I've made a list, but in a year, so many details escape one. Like those ferns, for instance. Well, I'd almost forgotten how she loved ferns. Oh, yes, and there was something over in that corner. What was it?

1:23:52 A rocker. Her mother's old rocker. It used to squeak over a loose board whenever anybody sat in it. You mean you're going to try and find all them things again, Mr. Jennings? Yes. But you sold all them to junk dealers. You gave them away. But you scattered them every which way when you. Broke up your home. I've already been looking. I've collected a lot of things. It isn't so hard. You see, our furniture wasn't very precious to anyone but us. Well, of course you know what you're doing, Mr. Jennings. It's none of my business, I suppose. Will two months' rent be enough in advance, Mrs. Hawkins? I won't be moving in for another couple of weeks, but from time to time, I'd like to have things delivered.

1:24:33 Well, two months will be just dandy. I'll make you a special bargain price, too, seeing you don't want no redecorating. You're sure your lady. Friend won't want none either, Mr. Jennings? I hardly think so. Well, I hope you'll both be very happy here. It's nice to have you back in the neighborhood. It's good to be home. Now, Mrs. McIntyre, what would you have done in my place? I admit it'd give me a funny feeling, you know. You would think a man had more respect for the dead and her dead only less than a year than to...

1:25:18 Bring a new wife. Plumb back to the same floor and the same furniture. And I say, what kind of a woman is she, too, to stand for that kind of nonsense? But, of course, it ain't really none of my business. Besides, two months' rent. Two months' rent. Oh, gosh. Oh. Oh, Mr. Jennings, what are you doing here this time of night? I'm moving in. Moving in? I intended coming much earlier, but I had so many last-minute things to do, like picking up Dickie and. Oh, now, don't tell me that's your old canary, Mr. Jennings. Yes, it's little Dickie. I found him in a pet shop on 3rd Avenue, in his old cage. He looks pretty chipper, doesn't he?

1:26:05 Well, aren't you the one? I'd have thought he'd have died of lonesomeness ages ago. Did all my furniture and things get here, Mrs. Hawkins? Just about. They've been delivering off and on for the last week. You sure got everything back, Mr. Jennings. Well, pretty nearly everything. A couple of rugs are missing and our old kitchen table and... Oh, I got the piano. I bought the old upright back from the Sunday school. Boy, I've been more than lucky. Miss Hawkins, you won't mind, will you, if I start moving some of it into place tonight? I'll be very quiet. Tonight? Well, it's pretty near midnight, Mr. Jennings. Yes, I know, but... I'd have to work all day tomorrow and the next day. You see, there's so little time.

1:26:46 Oh, you're expecting her soon? Very soon. Oh, well, if you don't get it done in time, I'll be glad to give you and her a hand when she gets here. Oh, no, no. It's got to be already before she comes. Otherwise, she won't come. You don't say, Mr. Jennings. So, if you don't mind, it'll only be for a few nights. And I won't move any of the heavy pieces after midnight. If you only knew what this means to me, Mrs. Hawkins, how I've waited for months. Is that so, Mr. Jennings? Well, I'm sure glad you found somebody to make a home for you again, and I hope she's the right girl for you and is going to make you happy. Oh, she will, all right.

1:27:28 Of course, there are some people I know say a man ought to wait a couple of years, but, well, I was only saying yesterday, certain men are natural-born husbands, and Homebodies, they need a home and a woman to look after them. Yes, yes, that's true. Well, good night, Mrs. Hawkins. I'll try not to disturb you. Good night, Mr. James. Come in, Mrs. McIntyre. No, it's okay. He's at the office. He'll never know we come up. Yeah. Yeah.

1:28:08 Take a look around. Ain't it something? Everything fixed up down to the last knife and fork just exactly as she had it. Don't it give you the creeps? Yep, that's the same canary singing in his cage just like it used to. And look, Mrs. McIntyre, come here in the bedroom. He's even got her clothes hung up in the closet. Now, I'm asking you, Mrs. McIntyre, where do you think the second Mrs. Jennings is going to say they're back?

1:28:49 Mr. Jennings? Oh, hello, Mrs. Hawkins. Well, I've been beside myself with worry, Mr. Jennings. Where you been all this time, if I may ask? Right here. Right here? What did you... Didn't you hear us come in? I've been to work all day, of course, but last night, a little after one. Perhaps you were sleeping. Us? You mean you and. Well, yes. She's come. You mean she's been upstairs all day? Certainly. I haven't heard a sound. Probably she's sleeping. She was very tired. The trip was more exhausting than I'd dreamed. Well, you might have stopped by and told me on your way to work this morning, Mr. Jennings... Of course, it's none of my business, but I could have at least introduced myself to my own tenant and maybe even helped her out.

1:29:37 Oh, it's all right. She doesn't want to see anybody just yet. Oh, no? Well, of course, I wouldn't intrude on your privacy for anything, Mr. Jennings, although I'm sure when the first Mrs. Jennings was alive, we were all friends here. Oh, no, no, it isn't that. It's only that in these first few days, everything is so new and strange. She's not quite herself. Okay, Mr. Jennings. You know best. But if you should want me, you just call down the dumb waiter, and I'll be right up. Thanks, Mrs. Hawkins. Thank you. But on no account are we to be disturbed. On no account. The End.

1:30:34 For suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you as stars Mildred Natwick and Don DeFore in The Furnished Floor by Lucille Fletcher. Roma Wines' presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense. Suspense. Between the acts of suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. Happier days are here again. People are entertaining more and more, inviting friends over often, enjoying friendly visits in simple, sensible ways. One such way is to serve Roma, California sherry. In the words of famed hostess Elsa Maxwell, I serve my guests Roma sherry. There is nothing so friendly, so heartwarming... as delicious, glorious, golden amber Roma sherry, rich in nutty, mellow taste goodness.

1:31:32 Serve cool. When I invite friends in, I always serve Roma sherry as first call for dinner. And Miss Maxwell might have added, Roma sherry is most enjoyable later in the evening, too. In fact, any time. Roma sherry, like all the famous Roma wines, reflects the heritage of carefully selected grapes, freshly gathered at flavor fullness from California's choicest vineyards, quickly but gently pressed, then by a process as slow as time, brought to liquid perfection by Roma's ancient winemaking skill, and bottled at Roma's famed wineries. Enjoy Roma wines regularly. They are always unvaryingly good. Remember, because of uniformly fine quality at reasonable cost, More Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine.

1:32:30 R-O-M-A. Roma Wines. And now Roma Wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage Don DeFore and Mildred Natwick in The Furnished Floor. A play well calculated to keep you in suspense. Now, don't get me wrong, Mrs. McIntyre. The last thing in the world I am is a busybody, but, well, you know, I don't go out much on account of my heart, and our two floors are kind of close.

1:33:10 Downstairs in my dining room, you can hear most everything that goes on upstairs. Now, Didn't you have thought there'd have been something last night? Some talking or footsteps or dishes rattling? Well, I'm telling you, I sat there till midnight, and there wasn't a thing. Nothing at all, except along about half past twelve, I hear the dumb waiter come rumbling down the shaft. Well, I just stole a peek, and there, going by with his claws sticking up in the air, was that little yellow canary. Dead.

1:33:51 Good morning, Mrs. Hawkins. Good morning. And how's Mrs. Jennings today? Wonderful. Feeling a bit better now? Oh, yes. Of course, she's still very weak, but every day I'm sure will make her stronger. I have high hopes for her recovery. You had a doctor in to see her yet? Dr. Rubenstein, my doctor, is very good. No. I'm afraid a doctor wouldn't help her. No, no.

1:34:35 Mrs. Jennings. Mrs. Jennings. It's Mrs. Hawkins. The lady downstairs. I heard you were sick, and so I got a little bit of lunch for you, Mrs. Jennings. It's just a little bowl of homemade chicken broth, but it's nice and rich. You sleeping, Mrs. Jennings? Okay, then I'll just slip in quietly with my own key, if you don't mind, and leave it right beside your bed. Oh, that's funny. He must have bought a new kind of lock. He didn't say anything to me. Mrs. Jennings! Mrs. Jennings!

1:35:35 Mr. Jennings? Good evening, Mrs. Hawkins. You've got a minute, Mr. Jennings. I'd like to speak to you, if you don't mind. Well, Mrs. Jennings is waiting for me upstairs. It's about Mrs. Jennings. She's still poorly, you say? Well, she is confined a good deal to her bed. Well, why don't you get someone in to look after her? I know a good woman. Mrs. McIntyre goes out nursing by the day. No. Oh, no. Well, I don't like it, Mr. Jennings, locking her up like that every morning so not a soul can get in. Suppose something happened. What could happen? What could happen? Anything could happen. A fire. Oh, that doesn't worry me. Or she could get worse and maybe even die.

1:36:17 Oh, no. Everybody's got to go sometime, Mr. Jennings. I wouldn't take no chances. Yes, I know. But not her. Not her? Whatever do you mean, Mr. Jennings? Because she's immune. Immune? Against... She ain't got no contagious disease up there, has she? Oh, no, no. It's nothing like that. Oh, Mrs. Hawkins, please, please don't worry or be uneasy. It's worked out so beautifully. It's nothing that can do you any harm. And we're so happy. So wonderfully happy. Oh, Mr. Jennings. I'll be up in about one hour with the plumber. The plumber? I'm sorry to disturb you at supper time. But there's something gone wrong with the pipes. And we think it's upstairs in your floor.

1:37:03 You can't come in. Mrs. Jennings will be sleeping. Plumber says it's the only time he can come. Unless he comes tomorrow afternoon while you're at the office... You want to leave me your key, Mr. Jennings? No, no, I can't. Well, he'll have to get in there sooner or later, Mr. Jennings. The water downstairs is all black and discolored. It's out of the question tonight. I'll discuss it with you in the morning. Okay, Mr. Jennings. Well, now, Mrs. McIntyre, how would you feel? Your own house going to rack and ruin. You can't even do nothing about it.

1:37:47 I ask you, what kind of a thing's he got up there that nobody can see? I tell you, just sitting here in this silent house night after night gives me the creeps. And with my heart, what is? Well, anyway, his two months rent's up tomorrow, and I got my mind made up. I got my mind made up. Oh, good evening, Mrs. Hawkins. I didn't know you for a minute standing there in the dark. Well, I didn't want to miss you this time, Mr. Jennings. No? I got your money this morning for next month stuck under the door.

1:38:29 Oh, yes. yes. I had to leave early. I hope it is all right. No, it wasn't all right. I'm sorry, but the floor has been rented, Mr. Jennings. Rented? To a young serviceman and his wife from the fourth. They took it sight unseen this morning. Oh, but you can't... They're living in a crowded room on 81st Street. It's very crowded. I told them I figured you could probably get most of your stuff out in a week. A week? I never told you I was going, Mrs. Hawkins. I'm sorry, Mr. Jennings. If it's a matter of a little more rent, I'll be glad to pay and sign a lease, any kind of a lease you want. It's not a matter of rent or a lease, Mr. Jennings. It's just I want my four back, that's all. But Mrs. Hawkins.

1:39:09 I like. Neighborly people upstairs, Mr. Jennings. I'm home a lot. I like people I can trust. I don't want no mysteries in my house. New locks on the door so no one can get in and sneakings in and out at night. Mrs. Hawkins, I swear you it's all right. Perfectly all right. All this business about Mrs. Jennings. Never a face at the window. Never a footstep on the floor or a dish rag hung out on the line. Mrs. Jennings is ill. She's not like other people. He's... I tell you, I won't go. You've got to let me stay. Here's your rent back, Mr. Jennings. I haven't any place to go. This is my home. It's all I have. I staked out of everything on being here. Everything. Are there other floors vacant in this neighborhood?

1:39:51 No, no. It's got to be this one. This particular floor. Mrs. Hawkins, if I could buy the house, the whole house. Buy the house? Yes, yes, if it's for sale. Perhaps you never thought of selling it, but I'd give you a good price. I'd scrape the money together somehow. This house ain't for sale. It happens to be my home, too, Mr. Jennings. Oh, I know, I know, but you're all alone now that Mr. Hawkins is... Oh, I mean, it's a heavy responsibility. A big house and all those stairs to keep clean and the repairs and all. Oh, Mrs. Hawkins, if you'd only reconsider. I'd do anything. No, it's too much for me. I don't understand it.

1:40:32 Why can't she see me and talk to me? Why can't she invite me in for a cup of tea and explain? Because she can't. What's the matter with her that she can't? Is she so ugly or so beautiful or so crazy? Who is she, anyway? I can't tell you. Okay, Mr. Jennings. Then that's that. Mrs. Hawkins. Mrs. Hawkins. Yes?

1:41:25 I'm here, Mr. Jennings, at the dumbwaiter. Mrs. Hawkins. Yes, Mr. Jennings. What is it? I'm sending you down the key on the dumbwaiter. She wants you to come up. She? Mrs. Jennings. Okay? Got it? Yes. She wants me to... Come up now, Mr. Jennings? That's right. Well, it's kind of late if she ain't so well. That's all right. She's feeling much better tonight. She wants to talk to you about the floor before it's too late.

1:42:15 Okay. I'll be right up. Okay, Mr. Jennings. I, uh... I'm here. Come in. You have the key. Okay. Oh.

1:43:04 Where's your lights, Mr. Jennings? I can't see a thing. I'll light a candle in a moment. Mrs. Jennings prefers the dark. But you know this floor so well, Mrs. Hawkins. Come in. Where are you, Mr. Jennings? Right in here, in the parlor. Sitting on the sofa. That's just the wind. There's always a little draft blowing in here. But. Won't you sit down, Mrs. Hawkins? No, thanks. I'm only going to stay a minute, just long enough to meet Mrs. Jennings. Oh, but you've already met her.

1:43:45 Already met her? Don't you remember? Five years ago, a rather chilly day, the rain was falling. She rang the bell to ask about the upstairs floor. And you invited her in for a cup of tea. I'm afraid you're mistaken. That was the first Mrs. Jennings. That's what I mean. Oh. Oh, no, Mr. Jennings. Now do you understand, Mrs. Hawkins? Now do you know why we couldn't ever go away? We? But there couldn't... Well, the first Mrs.

1:44:26 Jennings, it's... I know. I know. You saw her coffin in this very room, didn't you, Mrs. Hawkins? You saw them take her away. I think you even followed out to that cold, dark cemetery. Well, but. But she couldn't stay away. She pleaded with me in my dreams to bring her back, and... I brought her back. Oh, no, Mr. Jennings. Don't say such things. If everything were the same as in the past, she said, we could have the past. If I furnished our old floor... We're the same things. She'd live here, too. Excuse me, Mr. Dennings. I'm afraid I've got to. Oh, no, no, no. Don't go yet. There's nothing frightening about it. Would you be afraid to look at a forsythia bush that had been asleep all winter? Or a tulip?

1:45:14 Or a tree? I. I ain't afraid, Mr. Dennings. I only. Listen. What? You don't hear it? In the bedroom? No. The rocking? No. Mabel. Mabel. Don't. Don't call her. I hear it, Mr. Jennings. Oh, but she wants to meet you. She's always loved you so much. I really. I just assumed... Some other time, Mr. Jennings. The door's locked. It snapped shut behind you. Really, Mrs. Hawkins, you don't know...

1:45:57 She'll be in in a moment. There. There. She's coming down the hall. Now, let me out of this. Do you hear? Let me out. My heart won't stand. Oh. Oh. Here she is. There. Standing in the doorway. Smiling. Oh, my darling. My darling. I don't see nobody. Mrs. Hawkins... She's going to sing for you. Sing for me? This is the first night she's been able to. Do you remember the old song she used to sing of an evening? Swing low, sweet girl.

1:46:39 I don't want to hear it. Oh, please, please, Mrs. Hawkins. She's very timid. You'll frighten her. The dead can't come back. They'd never want to live on this earth again. Go on, Mabel, dearest. Don't mind. You're looking very beautiful tonight, my darling. I like that dress. Do you remember when we bought it? On our first wedding anniversary. Why don't they all come back then? Why couldn't my poor old John? Sit down, dearest. There. Now it seems like old times again. The flower in your hair. The canary singing in his cage. No, it can't. I. Oh. Oh, I told you. My heart won't get a doctor quick.

1:47:23 Your voice. Your voice was always like a bird's to me. Oh. I'll never forget the first time I ever heard it. On an evening in spring at the Calvary Baptist Church. Doctor! Play, dearest, play. Doctor! Go on, dearest. It's all right. Sing.

1:48:07 Swing low, sweet chariot. Come and for to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me.

1:48:54 Roma Wines have brought you Mildred Natwick and Don DeFore as stars of The Furnished Floor. Tonight's study in Suspense. Suspense. This is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines, the sponsor of suspense. And here's a hint on how to make better cocktails. Make them with zestful, full-flavored Roma vermouth. The vermouth of almost a hundred rare herbs. Made and bottled in the heart of California's famous vineyards. Yet surprisingly low-priced. Try Roma vermouth soon, won't you? Mildred Natwick will soon be seen in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production Yolanda and the Thief. Don DeFore is currently being seen in the Hal Wallace production You Came Along, A Paramount Picture.

1:49:36 Next Thursday, you will hear Miss Myrna Loy, a star of Suspense, radio's outstanding. Theater of thrills. Presented by Roma Wines, R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

1:51:00 Wait a minute. Have you heard the strange tales of the whistler? I'm the whistler. John was here in this room. I saw him and talked to him. He had a message for me. And while he was here, the room was filled with the odor of musty roses.

1:51:43 Another Sunday night, and again CBS presents The Whistler. I, the whistler, know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. And so I tell you tonight the unusual story of Apparition. In the midst of a circle of tall, moaning pines spreads an old mansion. On the second floor, a low light burns in a large bedroom, the bedroom of Elizabeth Kemper, the elderly mistress of the mansion.

1:52:28 Mrs. Kemper's husband, John, died suddenly a year ago and left his entire estate to his wife, Elizabeth. Shortly after John's death. Elizabeth brought her husband's sister, Bertha, and Bertha's daughter, Celia, to live with her. Since John's death, Elizabeth's health has gradually failed and she has taken to her bed. In the meantime, Elizabeth's only sister, Mary, has come to live in the great house and Mary's son, Herbert. Now, long past midnight, Elizabeth tosses in her bed and mumbles. John. John. What is it? What do you want? Why don't you say it?

1:53:10 Suddenly, Elizabeth's door bursts open and Bertha moves into the room and stands beside the bed. Elizabeth? Elizabeth? Huh? Elizabeth? It's Bertha. Oh. Bertha. Oh, yes, Bertha. Why did you scream? Scream? Did I scream? Yes. Just as I came in the room. You must have frightened me. Were you dreaming? No, I... I don't think so. But I don't know. I... I thought John was here. John? You thought John was here? Yes. Standing there beside the bed. Elizabeth?

1:53:53 Elizabeth? I saw him, too. Just a moment ago. What? In my room. Oh, but that's nonsense. Why should he always appear to you? I'm his sister. Yes. Yes, of course. John was trying to tell me something. Something about you. What? He was trying to tell me that you should listen to him. Listen to him? Something about the property. What about the property? He says he made a mistake. Mistake? He says he wasn't killed accidentally. He did it deliberately. He committed suicide. Suicide? Why should he have done that? He hasn't explained that. But he says now he knows the truth about everything. He knows that his reason for hating me and cutting me off in his will was unfounded.

1:54:41 And he's sorry. He's been trying to reach you, but you aren't receptive. You claim you've seen John every night since the day he died. I have, Elizabeth. I swear I have. I've seen him many times in my dreams. But why doesn't he tell me what he wants? Some night, Elizabeth, John will reach you in your waking moments. Then you'll believe me. I can't understand it. He didn't like you when he told me so. Why should he change now? Perhaps it would be best if Stevie and I left you. Why should you want to leave all of a sudden? You have your own sister and her son, Herbert. You won't be alone. I only knew what John was trying to say to me. I've told you what he's been saying to me. Mother, is anything wrong? We heard someone scream. At least I thought I did. No, nothing's wrong. Go back to bed.

1:55:21 Elizabeth, Elizabeth, what is it? What's what, Mary? Oh, dear me, I heard someone scream. What was it? Are you all right, Elizabeth? Yes, Mary, I had a nightmare, that's all. Oh. Well, I was worried. Better go back to bed, all of you. I'll be all right. Yes. Yes, come along, Eve. I'll see you in the morning. Good night. But, Mother, why do you keep frightening Aunt Elizabeth by telling her about Uncle John? I'm not frightening her. She should know the truth. But she is frightened. Why, she's getting worse and worse. Are you sure you have seen Uncle, really? Do you dare suggest that I'm lying?

1:56:02 Is that what you mean, Celia? No, no, Mother. I didn't mean that honest. That's better. And don't you ever say such a thing again. But why doesn't he appear to Aunt Elizabeth? She only dreams about him. That's something that can't be answered. There are those who are gifted with the powers to see those. Who have departed. See them and talk with them. I'm one of those so gifted. Do you understand? Yes, yes, Mother. John is trying to get a message to Elizabeth about me... And because he finds it difficult to reach her, he's chosen me as the medium. What is the message? He left me nothing in his will because he hated me and thought I hated him. But you did. I did not.

1:56:43 It was his imagination. But now he's learned the truth. Now he knows I had nothing but his best interest at heart. He's trying to tell Elizabeth to leave all the estate to me. And he will continue to return to this house until his mission is accomplished. Then his soul can rest in peace. I'm frightened, Mother. I don't want to stay here another day. I can't stand it here. You stay here until I'm ready to leave. Do you hear me? Yes, yes, Mother, I hear. Now stop this nonsense and go to bed. Yes, Mother, I'm sorry. You'd better be.

1:57:27 In another part of the great house, Herbert is talking with his mother Mary, Elizabeth's own sister. Now, now, Mother, get hold of yourself. Oh, I'm terribly frightened, Herbert. Why should you be frightened? Nothing can harm you. What have you to be afraid of? Oh, there's something awful in this house. I can feel it. I don't want to stay here any longer. We must leave before it's too late. I'll admit that strange things are going on, but I'm not ready to leave here. Not just yet. We don't belong here. Aunt Elizabeth is your own sister. I don't think John wants us here. You really believe that John's spirit is walking around this place every night? Well, what else? Then why doesn't he say what he's trying to say and get it over with? Well, I can't stay here much longer. I'll lose my mind. I can imagine John's not wanting Bertha here, since he stipulated in his will that Aunt Elizabeth... must never give Bertha a dollar of the estate. But what's he got against you?

1:58:14 Nothing. He didn't say that Elizabeth couldn't leave you a part of it. All I want to do is get out of this house. Well, I don't feel that way about it. Why should you walk out and leave everything to Bertha? Well, that's why John's staying around here. He doesn't want anyone here. Well, ghost or no ghost, I'm not walking out at a time like this. Then I will. I'm leaving here tomorrow. Oh, no. No, you're not leaving. We're both staying until... until Aunt Elizabeth makes her will. You're staying here whether you like it or not. You hear? Yes, Herbert. But nothing good will come of it. I'm convinced of that. No? Well, we'll see about that. Good night, Mother.

1:58:55 Good night. An hour later, Mary has finally dropped off to sleep. Then, as the clock strikes three, a figure in white slips into Mary's room and stands beside the bed. Slowly, Mary opens her eyes and stifles a scream. Who is it? What do you want? I want to talk to you, Mary. Yes, I have a message for you. A message? Yes. John is here. Standing beside me. I don't see anyone. He is here. What? What is the message?

1:59:35 John says that Elizabeth is planning to leave the estate to you. But he's learned the truth. He knows that his dislike for me was unfounded. He wants the estate left to me because it's rightfully mine. And he'll never be able to rest in peace until that is accomplished. Oh, I don't want it. I don't want any part of the estate. Then if you want to escape this torment, you must convince your sister that John made a mistake. If you accept any part of it, John will never let you rest. Do you understand? Yes. Yes. Yes, I understand. Very well. We'll leave you now. Good night.

2:00:19 Elizabeth. Elizabeth, wake up. What? Wake up. Oh, Mary, what's wrong? You're shaking like a leaf. He was in my room. Who? John, he was in my room. Mary, what are you saying? He had a message. He said you were planning to leave the estate to me, according to his will. But he made a mistake about Bertha. He wanted you to leave it to her, so he can rest in peace. Mary, are you out of your mind? No, no, you must believe me. I don't want any part of the estate. Oh, please, promise me. Leave it to Bertha and have done with it. I refuse to accept it. Get control of yourself, Mary. I'm leaving here in the morning. I'm frightened. And if you had any sense, you'd leave too. If you stay here, you'll go mad. Very well, Mary.

2:01:04 If that's what you call gratitude, you can go. Oh, I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I won't remain another night. Are you sure you saw John? No, no. No, but he was there in my room. Did you talk with him? No. No, that is I. Then how do you know he was there? Well, Bertha told me he was there. Bertha? Was she there too? Oh, yes. She told me what he wanted. He said he couldn't reach you. Why should John appear to everyone but me? I don't know. But I know he was there. I could sense it. I tell you, there was someone in the room with Bertha. It must have been John. Oh, let Bertha have the estate or something terrible will happen to all of us. Oh, please, Elizabeth. Go to bed, Mary. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Yes, Elizabeth.

2:01:53 Next day, Herbert goes into town and pays a visit to Henry Wentworth, Elizabeth's attorney. Wentworth was also John's attorney for many years and was familiar with the family for two decades. Mr. Wentworth, you drew John Kemper's will. Yes, I did. Have you any idea why. He cut his sister Bertha off without a dollar? No, but in the last five years, John turned against Bertha, turned against her violently. Why? I don't really know. She was his only sister and he had no brothers. It was very strange. What happened to Bertha's husband? Well, he died about five years ago. Committed suicide. He worked for John at one time. Then John set him up in a business of his own. Thought he went to the wall in the crash of 29 and lost every penny. Just couldn't take it, so he killed himself.

2:02:36 He left nothing? Nothing but an insurance policy to his wife, Bertha. Didn't amount to much. Five thousand, I think. Were John and Bertha's husband on good terms? Apparently the best of friends. How did Bertha's husband die? Took poison. Overdose of sleeping tablets. Oh, I see. But from the day Bertha's husband died, John, her brother, seemed to turn against Bertha. And shortly changed his will, cutting Bertha off. I was the only one who knew about it until the will was read. Have you any idea why he changed the will? No. Whatever. Whatever. It was none of my business. Ah, yes. Well, thank you, Mr. Winkler. I appreciate your telling me this. Good day.

2:03:23 Then Herbert pays another visit. A visit to Dr. Martin, formerly John Kemper's physician. Dr. Martin is at first reluctant to talk, but finally answers a few questions. Uh, doctor. You were John Kemper's physician for many years. Yes, that's right. Was there anything wrong with him? You mean, was he unbalanced? No, no. Did he have any severe ailments? Well, no. No, the last year or so, he seemed to change considerably, though. Became a bit morose. Anything wrong with his heart? Well, yes and no. Yes and no? Well, he began to suffer from severe headaches. Took to using a lot of aspirin. Of course, too much of anything's bad.

2:04:04 He was killed in a car wreck. Yes, he'd been to the city and was driving back home late at night. Drove off into the ditch. Did you attend him? I saw the body shortly after the wreck. He'd been dead about an hour. Badly smashed up. Was it his heart? Oh, could have been, but I think he went to sleep at the wheel. Was there an autopsy? No, it was obvious how he died. His skull had been crushed in. Who had he visited in the city on business? No, I never thought about it. Where is John Kemper buried? In the family vault at the edge of his own estate. Didn't you know that? Huh? Oh, yes. Yes, yes. I'd forgotten. Well, good day, Doctor. And thanks for the information.

2:04:51 Then later that night, the household prepares to settle down to sleep. And by one, the lights go out in the various rooms. Now only that in Elizabeth's room remains. Will there be anything else, ma'am? No. No, Higgins. That'll be all. Has everyone gone to bed? Oh, yes, ma'am. They've all retired. Is the milk warm enough? Yes. Good night, Higgins. Good night, ma'am. I hope you rest well tonight. Thank you, Higgins. The moon bathed the estate in its eerie glow... The big clock strikes off the hour. Then, in the distance, there. Is the howl of a dog. A mournful howl of impending doom. John's dog crying in its loneliness. Across the lawn from the family vault walks a haggard figure in the moonlight. A figure with long white hair walking toward the house. And a few moments later, the weird figure appears in Mary's room, stands in the shadows and points at Mary.

2:05:57 What do you want? Who are you? I am John. John? Oh, good heavens. I've come back to talk to you. You must hear me. I hear you. I made a great mistake in life. I hated my sister, but I know all things now. Bertha's a good woman. I'm doomed to walk this place without rest until I've made amends. Do you understand? Yes. Yes, I understand. If Elizabeth refuses to listen to my pleas and leaves this estate to you, you will never rest a moment under this roof. For I can never leave. It rightfully belongs to Bertha. And to her it must go. I don't want it. I don't want any part of it.

2:06:38 I won't stay here. I promise. Just let me alone. I will. If you and your son leave here at once. We will. We will. I. Where are you? John? Are you here? John? Mary gasps and suddenly falls back on her pillow. Poor Mary has fainted dead away. From the darkened stairway, the great clock chimes out the hour. Three o'clock. Elizabeth.

2:07:18 Eyes closed but still awake. Senses a presence and slowly opens her eyes. Standing close beside her is the white-haired figure, its face hidden in the shadows. No, no, Elizabeth. Don't turn on the light. Who. who is it? You wouldn't want to see me. I've been out there too long. John! John! At last I've reached through to you. Oh, I must be dreaming again. I. Why. Why are you whispering, John? I'm not whispering, Elizabeth. Can't you hear me? Yes. Yes, I can hear you. I.

2:07:59 What is that odor? Odor? Yes, a strange odor. Like. like the smell of flowers. A musty odor of roses. Why, I've just come from the. Vault, Elizabeth. John! John, what is it? What do you want? You're going to make your will tomorrow. Yes, yes. Only you can right the wrong I've done. Wrong? My father left this estate to me with the understanding that I should leave it to burn. Yes, I know. I suspected her of wrongdoing and cut her off and. Instructed you to do so. Yes. But now I know that I was wrong. You must leave the estate to her. You must right my wrong so that I can go on to my rest.

2:08:43 Yes, yes, John. If you fail to do this. I shall be doomed to walk this place throughout eternity. And all those who come here shall not know a moment's peace. Yes, I understand, John. If you fail me, you too shall suffer my torment with me forever. Yes, I. I'll do it. I'll do as you say, only. I. John. Your heart, Elizabeth? Yes, I. You haven't much time, Elizabeth. You'll be joining me soon. I know. John, where are you? I promise, John. I promise.

2:09:33 Elizabeth clutches at her heart, gasping for breath. A few moments pass and she revives sufficiently to reach for the stimulant on the nightstand. She pours a dose. And as she swallows it, she glances out the window over the moonlit grounds. Across the lawn moves the white-haired figure, gliding toward the family vault at the edge of the estate. John! John! Elizabeth drops the glass and falls to the floor. A few seconds later, Bertha hurries into the room. Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Mary! Herbert! What happened, Mother? Hurry! Good heavens! Is she all right? Elizabeth? Elizabeth?

2:10:14 Oh. She's dead. She's dead. Who screamed? Must have been Elizabeth. Had another attack. She's still breathing? Put her on the bed. There's her medicine. I'll get another glass. You stay here, Mary. I'll get the glass from the bathroom. What do you suppose happened to her? Maybe. Maybe it was. Was what? I don't... I don't know. What's wrong with you, Mother? You're white as a sheet. Am I? What are you trying to say? I saw it, too. Saw what? What did you see? I saw him. John. He was in my room a while ago. I talked to him. You talked to him? Yes, Cindy. He talked to me. I heard him and I saw him. What did he say? Stop whimpering and tell us. He said. He said.

2:10:55 Mother, mother, stop it. Stop it. I won't stay. I won't stay. I won't. Come back here. Grab her, Cindy. Elizabeth's coming, too. Aunt Elizabeth. Aunt Elizabeth. Oh, but I. Here. Here. You're all right now. Just take it easy. Yes. Yes, I'm all right. What's wrong with Mary? She says she saw John and talked to him. I think she's imagining things. No, no. She isn't imagining things. I know. I saw him, too. He was here. He talked to me. Oh, now, look at Elizabeth. The whole thing is... No, no, no. He was here. It was no dream. I saw him walk through the garden toward the boat. When? It can't be very long ago. There was a strange, sickly odor in the room all the while he was here.

2:11:38 It smelled like musty roses. Oh, be quiet, Mother. Now maybe you believe what I've been telling you. What did he say? It was about his will and my will. And he talked about Bertha. About me? Yes. He said he was wrong about you. Wants to make things right through me. He knew I intended to make my will tomorrow. And he told me just what to do. Yes, that's what he said to me. To you? Yes. Why, this is the strangest thing I've ever encountered. Why should he talk to you? Well, he did, I tell you. And Elizabeth must do what he wants. Otherwise, something will happen. What will happen? Well, I don't know. I want you to call Mr. Wentworth, the lawyer, and have him here first thing in the morning. I want to draw my will, as John tells me.

2:12:20 Very well. I think I'll have a look around the grounds. Never go back to sleep now, anyway. So, good night, Aunt Elizabeth. Good night. Herbert wanders about the grounds for a while and finally goes to Higgins, the butler, and after some persuasion, obtains the keys to the family vault. The next morning, the lawyer, Wentworth, visits Elizabeth. In her room. Well, how are you this morning, Elizabeth? Much better, Mr. Wentworth. You had a bad night. Yes, I guess I had another attack. Oh, so? Mr. Wentworth, I want to draw up my will. I should have done it long ago, but... Well, something held me back.

2:13:07 I see. Well, I'll take down the data and have it typed, then bring it back for you to sign. I'll be in court all day, probably through the evening, so I'll have to come around 11 tonight. Very well, as soon as possible. Good. Now, let's have the particulars. Yes. To my sister, Mary Wilton, I leave the five-room cottage in Danbury. To my nephew, Herbert Wilton... I leave $ 1, 000 in cash. Yes? And to my husband's sister. Bertha Mallory, I leave all other property, personal and real, amounting to some. $ 400, 000. What? Please. Amounting to some $ 400, 000, according to my late husband's wishes.

2:13:49 What do you mean? John stipulated that you leave not a penny to Bertha. John has changed his mind. When did he change his mind? Since his death. Don't you think we'd better... Postpone this until you feel better. I want my will drawn just as I have told you. But what do you mean by saying John has changed his mind? How could he? He told me so. Last night. You know what you're saying. Yes. I saw John. I talked to him. He was wrong in his attitude toward Bertha. Oh, this is... This is ridiculous. I want it done as I say. Very well. I'll draw it up this way. But I certainly think that.

2:14:31 You think I'm insane? Well, since you bring it up, yes, I do. So did I at first. But I'm not. I'll be expecting you around 11 tonight, Mr. Wentworth. Yes. Yes, of course. I'll be here. Now it is shortly after 11, the same night. The lawyer has returned to the will, and Elizabeth has called her three relatives to her room. Very well, Mr. Wentworth. This is drawn the way I want it. You mean as John wants it? I mean just that.

2:15:11 I'm leaving the property that was mine before I married John, the small cottage, to you, Mary, and $ 1, 000 to Herbert. All else, I am leaving according to John's directions to you, Bertha. That's the way John wants it, and that's the way it shall be. You must do as you think best. I'm doing as John wishes. Hand me the pen, Wentworth. There you are. And I hope you all understand. I don't. Thank you, Elizabeth. Well, now that you've got it, Bertha, what good is it going to do you? What do you mean? How much chance do you think you'll have to use it? What happiness do you think it'll bring you? More than it would you. Isn't it rightfully mine? Is it? That's the way John wanted it.

2:15:51 Oh, no, Eddie. The way you are. I had nothing to do with it. John made a will. He's never wanted to change it. Elizabeth knows better than that. Elizabeth knows nothing of the kind. This is my house now, and the sooner. You leave, the better. You'll be leaving sooner than I will. You and your spooks. You don't believe in ghosts, and you never saw one. I saw John. Night after night, everyone saw him. Everyone but me, because I'm not a dumb. Your own Mother Mary saw him and talked to him. Oh, gosh. John is dead in his coffin out there in the vault. I saw him. But I did see him. So did I. We wouldn't know if you did see him. We would. We've seen him. Then turn around. Turn around, all of you. And look. John. Good Lord. It's him. Is that John? Is it? Yes, yes. Take off your wig. Higgins. Yes, the butler. There's your spook.

2:16:32 I'm sorry, ma'am. I. You can go, Higgins. I'll explain everything. Yes. Bertha hired Higgins to impersonate John. That's a lie. Higgins would never have done it if he'd known about the murders. I trapped him into it. He confessed everything. Murders? What do you mean? I got wise to the whole thing. I investigated the whole story about Bertha's husband. And John's accidental death. They were both murdered. You're lying. I have the bodies exhumed and examined. They both died of an overdose of sleeping tablets. The very same purchased by a brother at a certain drugstore. He's crazy. He's crazy. I can't even listen. She put the tablets in her husband's aspirin bottle. She was the one John visited. That night he had the wreck. She must have drugged him. That's why he went to sleep at the wheel. I didn't. I didn't. She killed her husband for his insurance. And John cut her off on his will because he suspected that she killed her husband.

2:17:14 It's a lie. A lie. I tell you. John never wanted his will changed. I have proof of the whole thing. And the police are waiting outside now. You haven't a chance, Bertha. You're guilty. The police. Oh. What good will all this do you? Where is your fortune now? They'll hang you. Oh. Oh, yes. Yes, I did. I did it. I don't know why, but I did it. I gave him the tablet. Did Higgins know that? No. No, he didn't know. I... Bertha, she's fainted. Mother! No, she hasn't fainted. What's wrong? With her? She's dead. Mother! Mother!

2:17:55 Hand me that will, Mr. Wentworth. I want to draw up a new one in the morning. Well, there you are. The story. John never wanted his will changed, and for good reason. He really knew the truth. But wait a minute. How did you figure this one out, Herbert? You didn't really have those bodies exhumed, did you? I didn't have them exhumed. And if I had, there would have been no traces of sleeping tablets left. And there were no police waiting outside. I was bluffing, working on pure hypotheses.

2:18:43 But it did work. Yes, it worked, Herbert. And it afforded me a very nice story indeed. Thank you, Herbert. You're welcome. CBS has presented The Whistler. Original music for this production was composed and conducted.

2:19:33 By Wilbur Hatch. The Whistler is written and directed by J. Donald Wilson and originates from Columbia Square in Hollywood. Next week, same time, I, the Whistler, will return to tell you another weird tale. Good night. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System. The melody is like a ghost that sneaks around from post to post.

2:20:36 Coming, I'm coming, coming. I hear his laughter. In the stilly night he sneaks into your very brain and screams. I want you, come on I'll haunt you. What is the opposite? I'm a musical mosquito, I'm another Monty Cristo. All this ragtime. Will belong to me. Cheers! Thank you. Thank you. I feel, I feel.

2:21:30 I feel, I feel. I feel, I feel. I feel, I feel.