Unknown Broadcast | Jealousy, Keys & Red Marks: Four Old-Time Radio Horror Stories - Weekly Spooky: Horror Stories & Scary Tales

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Well, hello, my dear, So good to have you back.
As they always say, new year, new fear, or at
least I think that's what they say. I hope you've
had a wonderful time, enjoying the food, the fun and

(00:30):
the festivities. I've been doing some reflection of my own,
nothing too devious. But let's get you a seat, Let's
get you something warm to drink. Now that the holidays
are over, the weather really turns cold and uncaring. Sometimes

(00:54):
I feel like when the wind blows that frigid air. Well,
hell hath no fury like that?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Come in.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Welcome. I'm a g Marshall.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
In his Immortal Comedy of Manners, William Congreve wrote, heaven
hath no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell
a fury like a woman scorned. That was over two
hundred years ago. Have matters changed in the intervening centuries?

(01:54):
Judge for yourself in this story which happens today.

Speaker 5 (02:00):
Who is it, dear?

Speaker 4 (02:01):
I thought you were sound asleep all those pills.

Speaker 5 (02:06):
Something woke me for the moment. I don't know why
I came alive to suddenly I'm along belling.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Me, which will never ring.

Speaker 6 (02:15):
You're not going to be alive.

Speaker 5 (02:17):
How are you doing with that?

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Playing a fellow to your destimon of my load?

Speaker 5 (02:20):
No, Marty, you can't be serious.

Speaker 4 (02:24):
Yet I'll not shake you r blood nor scarf that
whiter skin of yours than snow.

Speaker 6 (02:29):
Yet you must die.

Speaker 7 (02:31):
I'll put out the light and then put.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Out the light if I can quench.

Speaker 8 (02:38):
Spee a.

Speaker 6 (02:43):
No more moving.

Speaker 9 (02:46):
Still as the grave, My Wife, My Wife.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Our mystery drama Hell Hath no Fury was written especially
for the Mystery Theater by Ian Martin and stars William Redfield,

(03:23):
Mark Stanton and Emily Lawrence. The Wedding of a decade,
the first a shining light of the classical theater, the
second a new, fresh and lovely star of the screen
who transcended any picture. She illuminated, a public romance shared

(03:44):
avidly by the fans that ranks with Romeo and Juliet,
Eloise and Abelard Desdemona and Othello, and which is destined
to end as tragically. But the starter story one must
have a beginning an ending. So let's go back a
few days before Emily Lawrence's sudden and tragic death, back

(04:07):
to a meeting between Emily's half sister. Elsewe whitmore and
Mark Stanton, who the devil?

Speaker 3 (04:19):
All right, DoD you.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Better get your clothes on and be ready to scoot.
I'll give you the high sign handing my down, will
you whoever it is, they aren't going to quit.

Speaker 10 (04:28):
Thanks to me.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Oh it's you. Where did you get a key?

Speaker 5 (04:38):
Elseweth one of the privileges of the family, even a
half sister.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, come in by ring the bell when you have
a key.

Speaker 5 (04:49):
I wanted to give you time to put your robe on.

Speaker 4 (04:55):
Oh, I was just trying to snatch forty winks.

Speaker 5 (04:57):
Oh do I know her? Didn't You used to go
into the name of tigered to leave the jungle cat.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
Funny, very funny, not to me, or.

Speaker 5 (05:05):
Would it be to my sister? I get rid of remark.
I want to talk to you. I will be in
the living room on the phone, my back to the door,
pretending your matinee curtain isn't coming down early. I don't
think I won't take a look at what's your style?
This month's brother in law be elshus anything stirring, Oh

(05:29):
how much? No, No, it's too low. They've got to
come up with seven hundred. Well let them ste on it.
I'll be back in the office soon plus always No, No,
I was just looking at it would be rising star.
Listen if there's anything urgent. I'm at my sister's apartment.

(05:51):
It's listed under Mark Stanton on the Rolodex, but it's
still my sister's apartment.

Speaker 4 (05:57):
Bye, Well to what do I owe this rather surprising
early afternoon visit?

Speaker 3 (06:04):
I thought agents were always busy during lunch hours.

Speaker 5 (06:07):
Sorry to disappoint you. We take a breather now and then,
don't you ever.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
What does that mean?

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Didn't I surprise you hard at work?

Speaker 11 (06:15):
Now?

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Look, Eleanor brought me a new treatment she wanted me
to see.

Speaker 5 (06:19):
I'll bet she did a screen treatment, a script. Okay, cathanover,
that's enough banter. Are we alone in this joint? Now?

Speaker 4 (06:26):
Oh, don't tell me you want to open old books
between us.

Speaker 5 (06:29):
No, this is a new one. We close the other
when you married.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
My sister half sister.

Speaker 5 (06:36):
Do you have to rub it in? I'm plain, flat
chested and no hardhat ever whistled at my legs. But
I still have brains.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Who needs them when you have Emily's thirty six twenty
four thirty six and even the members of the Union
League club look up from the Wall Street Journal.

Speaker 5 (06:51):
When she moves by, Mark, sit down, I'm about to
kick your feet from under you.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
What are you talking about?

Speaker 5 (06:59):
It's a pity you met me before Emily, isn't it, Mark,
and needed me?

Speaker 3 (07:05):
I beg your pardon.

Speaker 5 (07:06):
So without an agent and one who cared, you were
nothing but a stud. If I hadn't nursed and supported
you through speech lessons, singing lesson small parts and nothing
out of towndown than you.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
I may not have had much education, but I always
had talent.

Speaker 5 (07:19):
Oh, I'll grant you that.

Speaker 7 (07:21):
But you're lazy.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
And once you met Emily and knew she had all
the looks and all the money, it was time to
drop me. But don't forget Emily's money comes from being
a film star, and I made her that.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
Let's forget past history, Mark.

Speaker 5 (07:40):
Since I came back from Europe, I've been going over
Emily's financial position, what right of uta? I happened to
be her manager as well as her agent, and I
don't like what I see. Emily has never made more
in her life. You have never spent more.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
We have a front to keep up as two reigning stars.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
Wash, You're a successful ham who draws suburban ladies with
delusions of culture and dreams of vicarious God knows what.
To the theater. You make teanuts compared to Emily, and
spend the kind of money she makes.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
A temporary loan or two. I have some pictures in
the world.

Speaker 5 (08:16):
Come on, Mark, you couldn't draw flies to a movie theater,
even in an exploitation film. So I have talked it
over with Emily, And as the carried t woman used
to say, the buck stops here.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
What does that mean?

Speaker 5 (08:33):
I'm putting Emily on an allowance enough to take care
of her needs. You can handle the apartment in the rest,
but no more play money, little boy. And that's only
the beginning. The next thing I'm going after is her will,
the one that leaves everything to you. If anything should
ever happen to my sister, I can think of better

(08:54):
causes for her estate to serve than Mark Stanton the
heel of Ham in the elevator. All my efforts to
stay calm and unruffled meeting Mark again dissipated into thin air.
Thank Heaven, I was alone as my knees turned to water,

(09:16):
thinking and dreaming of him as once it had been
between us. By the time I reached the ground floor,
I knew I needed another session with Madam Erech.

Speaker 7 (09:30):
Why do we imagine you can ever fail?

Speaker 12 (09:33):
You are one of us, I have always thought one
of the strongest in the Kovn.

Speaker 5 (09:39):
I never have doubts, except except in one area.

Speaker 12 (09:45):
Every Achilles has his vulnerable hum every witch had.

Speaker 7 (09:49):
Our own weakness.

Speaker 12 (09:51):
We must fight always against the world to hold the
true faith. Common daughter, Let us pray together, draw the
drapes while I light the candles.

Speaker 7 (10:13):
Now step within the magic circle with me.

Speaker 5 (10:18):
Yes or greater reck mother of us, all who crouched
in the black shadow of your wings.

Speaker 12 (10:28):
I conjure thee from the instrument by Lucifer, Prince of Darkness,
by all the stars, which rule by the four elements,
that we may obtain, by the the perfect issue of
all how advires, which also seemed to perform without easier,

(10:53):
without deception.

Speaker 5 (10:58):
We are answered, I know what I'm doing is right,
while it turn out that way, Will you read the
tower cards for me?

Speaker 12 (11:09):
I am your sister, in said, I am at your command.
Sit down while I shuffled the cards. You know what
that means? Without asking the King of coins a sign
of ill omen was the question asked for yourself.

Speaker 5 (11:33):
No, I will ask one for myself now.

Speaker 12 (11:37):
Then the ace of clups. That is a promise of
beauty and fertility for me?

Speaker 7 (11:49):
Why not?

Speaker 5 (11:51):
You are young, scarcely beautiful. One more question, one only
I'm acting it in my mind. The card of death,
the nine of sorts. You know, not my sister, Not

(12:15):
my sister.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
I love you, Emily, I love you Mark.

Speaker 7 (12:26):
Oh, now I feel relaxed and homely.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
Good good Elsbeth was around this afternoon, oh, feeding the
big business manager, saying we were spending too much money.

Speaker 7 (12:41):
She's smarter than we are about things like that.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yes, but is she really putting you on a strict allowance?

Speaker 5 (12:46):
Well, I guess I'll have to go along with her.
She says, I'm starting to spend more than I make. Now,
how is that possible?

Speaker 3 (12:52):
Maybe you need a new business manager.

Speaker 5 (12:55):
Oh, nobody would be better than else. Besides, she's got
to make a living too, And who would I get?

Speaker 11 (13:02):
Well?

Speaker 3 (13:02):
How about me?

Speaker 5 (13:03):
Oh? Telling you you have no idea the value of money?

Speaker 3 (13:07):
Well, I'm old and penniless.

Speaker 4 (13:09):
And if, in his infinite mercy, the man upstairs saves
you from looking at me anymore and snatches you upstairs
for himself.

Speaker 3 (13:16):
Else that tells me she'll be my guardian.

Speaker 5 (13:18):
Well, she does want me to make a new will.
It wouldn't be a bad idea. We're both so stupid
about how to handle what was God and if anything
ever should happen to me.

Speaker 3 (13:29):
Oh, darling, please, I was only kidding. Let's get off this.

Speaker 5 (13:33):
No, as long as we got on it, I think
Elseberok had the right idea. She'd see you didn't throw
it all away. So I agreed. I'm going to remake.

Speaker 7 (13:42):
My will on Monday.

Speaker 5 (13:44):
Now I've got to wash up, and you go tell
the cook to get that dinner on the table.

Speaker 13 (13:48):
I am banished.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
Well that tears it Elsbeth family. One of you has
got to go.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Now, let's see we shall be Which can I get
away with?

Speaker 4 (14:07):
Charming fellow Mark Stanton matinee Idol for a limited audience
of aging women. His main role Romeo, although he has
been seen with varying success critically as Orlando, Bassanio, Lysander,
all Shakespearean lovers. Interesting casting when you think of it,

(14:27):
or as we learn about him, he might have made
a better Claudius, of whom his nephew Hamlet said that
one may smile and smile again.

Speaker 3 (14:37):
And be a villain.

Speaker 4 (14:39):
I'll be back shortly with that too. In a famous
epitaph on a child's grave reads, it is so soon
that I am done for. I wonder what I was

(15:01):
begun for. That might apply to this story of Emily's Stanton,
or at least a plan that is forming in the
mind of her husband Mark. The problem with murder is
not to want to commit it, but how how to
commit it not be caught. One thing, I knew it

(15:22):
would have to be out of the city, and fortunately
we have a place up the Hudson Valley, suitably isolated.
Also by sheer luck, Emily's picture was not shooting that weekend.

Speaker 5 (15:37):
Ooh, what time is it?

Speaker 6 (15:40):
Mark?

Speaker 5 (15:41):
Mark?

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Did you call my lady?

Speaker 5 (15:45):
What on earth are you doing up at five day
in the morning?

Speaker 3 (15:49):
Bringing the woman I adore beyond reason? Her orange juice
and coffee is on the way.

Speaker 5 (15:54):
Oh angel, Thanks welcome. I'm so tired. I don't know
how I'm going to make it the studio today.

Speaker 4 (16:01):
I'll call them and tell them you're not well.

Speaker 5 (16:03):
No, two more days and I have a whole long,
three day weekend off. I'll bounce back then.

Speaker 4 (16:10):
Speaking about the weekend. How about going up to the country.

Speaker 5 (16:13):
No thanks, I want to just slump down here in
bed and sleep and rest and hold in like a
bear for his winter sleep.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
Oh but darling, it isn't winter. It's spring, and I
want to get up to the house that long drive.
You see, I'm worried.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
You know, I've got the whole dug in the fall.
I've got to get that sump pump into the cellar
before the spring waters flood is again.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
You can rest up there just as well.

Speaker 5 (16:37):
I can rest here, and we can get some men
to do the job.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Where were they last fall when we needed them.

Speaker 5 (16:43):
Can't we make it next weekend?

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Well it be too late by then. I'm afraid, all right, darling.

Speaker 5 (16:51):
I never can refuse you anything. Everything I do is
for you. Have is hearous said for letting your Oh
that's just money, because neither of us know how to handle.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
What's it for except to buy things? Well we can
enjoy them.

Speaker 4 (17:09):
I mean, I feel like a fool having to run
to elspit for the rent or something.

Speaker 5 (17:14):
Are you trying to get rid of me?

Speaker 3 (17:16):
Well, of course not, darling. How could you think a
thing like that?

Speaker 5 (17:20):
I don't, so stop talking about it. You don't have
to do that. If I was dead, and I don't
intend to.

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Be, I should hope not.

Speaker 5 (17:29):
Look at the time, I've got his shower and dress
and get out of here.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
How about lunch?

Speaker 5 (17:33):
I can't, Sweetie, I have a business appointments shower. I'm
long on the two or later. I wondered why I
hadn't tell Mark my lunch was with elsewuss. Then I
decided it was better than I hadn't, And I wished
I hadn't agreed to dragging up to the country house.

(17:56):
But he's really so beautiful and so sexy and so persuaded.
If it's also hard to refuse Mark anything. If I'd
only known, I'd picked the wrong thing to ever refuse,
I'd never let else with talk me into what she
called having more backbone. Emily, you can't get into everything
Mark wants or asks.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
He's a selfish child.

Speaker 7 (18:17):
That isn't true.

Speaker 5 (18:18):
Else look, honey, take it from me. I found out
the hard way. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring all.

Speaker 7 (18:24):
That up again.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
I forget it.

Speaker 5 (18:25):
I'd forgotten Mark that way. Plaid us two side by
side and ask any man to choose which way would
it go. Well, I never have come back from the
coast a year ago if I'd known I was going
to bust up a romance between Emily. We've been over
this ground before. You didn't bust up the romance. There
wasn't any to bust up except on my side. That
Mark needed a good agent, and he got me in

(18:45):
more ways than one. So beneath period, I'm still sorry.

Speaker 7 (18:49):
It hurts.

Speaker 13 (18:50):
I wish I could make up for it.

Speaker 7 (18:52):
Well, you can two ways.

Speaker 5 (18:55):
Draw that will making me executricks of your estate and
let me budget your dope seems unfair to Mark. Listen, Emily,
I don't want you to get your back up, but
I get the word. He has gambling debts, and if
he thinks.

Speaker 13 (19:07):
He has backing, he could go sky high.

Speaker 5 (19:09):
Now, just let me put the brakes on. Okay. I
suppose it's too much to hope that your love for
that muscle bound Greek statue you're married isn't letting up
any Mark. What would make you think a thing like that, Oh,
I don't know, just an irrational hope.

Speaker 7 (19:28):
I guess you still love him, don't you.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
That isn't the point. I love you, and I'm very
concerned about you.

Speaker 10 (19:37):
What do you mean.

Speaker 5 (19:38):
I don't know. You'd only laugh at me if I
told you. It's really funny, isn't it. I mean the genes.
We both come from the same mother, but our fathers
were so different. You blonde, blue eyed, open, uncomplicated, trusting,

(19:58):
and me dark, brooding, sharp tongued. Much of this world and.

Speaker 8 (20:07):
Yet not.

Speaker 5 (20:08):
Now what does that mean? I could never explain that
to you in a millennium. But I am a psychicist.
You mean, like there's funny cards you used to read
and for telling what's going to happen, and things like that. Yes,
things like that happen. Emily, listened to me, this is
a dangerous time for you. Be careful, Just be very careful.

(20:32):
But I don't know what you mean. I can only
see so far. I can only warn you. Just be
very careful. Now you are scary, I mean to well,
it is known to you. It's just that I have
the weekend off and mirk and I was under the country. Ella,
I really don't want to I'm scared of the drive.

(20:52):
Do you mean because of mom and your father?

Speaker 7 (20:55):
Yes?

Speaker 5 (20:56):
Emily, how many times have I told you it wasn't
your fault?

Speaker 7 (21:00):
Cards, I was driving when.

Speaker 5 (21:02):
They were killed and a drunken madman by fatal chance
jumped the road divider and forced you off the road.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
What else could you have done?

Speaker 5 (21:09):
It was not your fault, I know, but I still
have nightmares about it. You're not going to drive, are you.
I'll never drive a car again. It's just I'm afraid
even to get into one.

Speaker 14 (21:21):
Now.

Speaker 5 (21:21):
Excuse me for changing the subject, but you have to
get back to the set soon. I want you to
take a quick run up to my office. What Harry
is there now? I had him drop and you will
for you, and I think we ought to get it
signed right away. Well, I don't know. Marcus sort of
hurt Emily. If anything ever happens to you, I will

(21:41):
take care of him the way he should be. You
know you can trust me.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
For that, Emily. Yes, oh, you had your eyes closed.
I thought you were asleep.

Speaker 5 (21:56):
That's not why my eyes were close.

Speaker 3 (21:58):
Ah, darling, come on, we've got to put things behind us.

Speaker 7 (22:01):
I try, it's just in the first lane.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
It's late. I want to get us home.

Speaker 7 (22:08):
Never traveled in this thing, all right.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
All right, I'm sorry. I'll cut right into the next
nighte as soon as the car behind me passes.

Speaker 4 (22:15):
Now, Please, sweetheart, I want you to relax, Just forget
everything this weekend.

Speaker 3 (22:20):
Just play possible, Play possible.

Speaker 4 (22:26):
Would I have the nerve to do it? And beyond that,
could I really find the howl? As the hum of
the car soothed both of us, and Emily appeared really
to drop off to sleep, other things came to my mind.
That damn cellar flooding every spring, when the surface water
on frozen coming down the hill defeated.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
Every trick we'd tried to keep it out. The sump
pump was the only answer.

Speaker 4 (22:52):
Then, suddenly, at that moment, although it turned my stomach,
there was the answer to my bigger problem.

Speaker 5 (23:10):
Else best you are very early. I know the Covin
does not meet until midnight. I had to come. I
need a special reading. I have intimations of disaster. You
remember all that one of my gifts is total recall.
The last question I asked turned up the Nine of Swords.

(23:34):
I asked about my sister. Oh, now I want to
know how.

Speaker 7 (23:39):
Soon when that is not always divulged.

Speaker 12 (23:45):
But let us tell the gods and find out if
we can. If you want, if I want, Remember, there
is no way of stopping what has been decreed?

Speaker 3 (24:02):
Has there been a good weekend?

Speaker 11 (24:03):
Darling?

Speaker 6 (24:04):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (24:04):
Yes, I feel so rested, so relaxed.

Speaker 11 (24:08):
Good.

Speaker 5 (24:08):
Maybe it's just as well I came. Did you get everything.

Speaker 13 (24:11):
Down in the cell you want?

Speaker 5 (24:13):
Well?

Speaker 4 (24:13):
Yes, I had to do some more digging make the
whole larger, but I have plenty of cement to finish
up tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (24:19):
Tomorrow, that's Monday, right.

Speaker 3 (24:22):
I thought you could drive down tonight.

Speaker 5 (24:24):
You know I won't think of ever driving again.

Speaker 4 (24:27):
All right, darling, All right, I'll drive you in the
morning and then drive back up. Now, come on, sweetie,
I've taken off the phone so we won't be disturbed,
and I'm going to carry you up to bed and
tuck you in for the best sleep you've ever had
in your life.

Speaker 5 (24:45):
I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open,
but some inner, alone, some nonsense voice, kept jogging at
me to stay awake, until I thought, it's so many
attention foolish to me. Afraid I am in my beloved
husband's arms, And how safe can I be? Is she

(25:10):
still in danger?

Speaker 7 (25:11):
Benign of swords, still cluttons?

Speaker 5 (25:14):
But when? How soon?

Speaker 7 (25:16):
I cannot tell her from the cards?

Speaker 5 (25:18):
Maybe maybe I should call the country. Yeah, I use
your phone. Of course.

Speaker 7 (25:27):
What danger can she be in with her husband?

Speaker 5 (25:30):
It's a very long drive. I know what those roads
are like. Oh damn, what head do they signal? At
least it means they got there safely?

Speaker 7 (25:47):
Still wait for the mass tonight.

Speaker 12 (25:50):
Within this circle, more questions are answered than through the cards.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
Be patient, I'll try, but I can steal Jack in
my bones.

Speaker 6 (26:05):
Yes, you must die.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
Put out the light, and then put out the light
if I can quench me? No, no more.

Speaker 9 (26:19):
Moving still as the grave, My wife, My wife.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
I must have been mad emily to have killed you,
because I do love you, only that I love myself
more for money, for the need of it.

Speaker 15 (26:47):
What have I done?

Speaker 5 (26:49):
How do I cover it?

Speaker 8 (26:51):
Of course?

Speaker 4 (26:53):
The car an accident, an accident with a car river
at the devil's elbow. But the body must never be recovered.
Then who could prove anything? The grave is already made.
Can I get away with it?

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Of course I can. I can get away with anything.

Speaker 5 (27:21):
No what you interrupt the mass? But death has occurred,
the death you prophesied.

Speaker 15 (27:32):
I must leave.

Speaker 5 (27:33):
Give me a permission to leave the magic circle.

Speaker 7 (27:35):
If the death is accomplished, What can you do but go.
If you must.

Speaker 5 (27:46):
Now try it again, operator, or get me someone who
can make the connection if it's out of order. This
is a matter of life and death.

Speaker 3 (28:00):
Shame to waste of car I love. On such a
night Troilus climbed the Athenian walls. Madness, The whole thing
is madness. There has to be a reason for Emily's death.

Speaker 4 (28:14):
The car smashing through the guard rail five hundred.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
Feet to the river below.

Speaker 4 (28:18):
The car recovered the body never I will bury that
five fathoms deep and watching anyone question that Emily's body
lies cemented in the well of a new sump pump
plant over a year ago. So goodbye, my favorite car.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
The dye is cast.

Speaker 4 (28:52):
The adversaries established, a murderer and a witch by whom
is justice served?

Speaker 3 (29:01):
Which will prevail if.

Speaker 4 (29:03):
A woman has loved not wisely but too well. Who
can best revenge her the majesty and justice of the law,
or a kangaroo court beyond and outside the law.

Speaker 3 (29:16):
I'll return shortly with that.

Speaker 10 (29:18):
Three.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
Mark Stanton has deliberately murdered his wife, and he has
had what seems to him a very practical means of
disposing of body and suspicion, which may work for normal authority,
but possibly not for his sister in law, since he
has no idea that she is a modern witch. For

(29:51):
the moment, he is involved with simple but furiously necessary occupations.
That looks pretty good, pomp, and it's well cellar floor replaced?

Speaker 3 (30:07):
Who'd ever find Emily or think to look for a here?
What the devil? Three am in the morning? Who damn
light's thrown upstairs? I had better answer? Gotta change first.

Speaker 5 (30:26):
It's all about time. I always seem to be surprising
you in aunt, Sabu.

Speaker 3 (30:32):
What do you expect at this time of night?

Speaker 5 (30:34):
All right, come in, it's about the first polite thing
you've said to me.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
Oh, let's cut the funny talk. What are you doing
up here in the middle of the morning?

Speaker 5 (30:41):
An interesting phrase? Shouldn't it be the middle of the night?

Speaker 6 (30:44):
All right?

Speaker 4 (30:44):
All right, let's bury the New York smart talk. What
do you want to see my sister?

Speaker 3 (30:49):
She isn't here?

Speaker 5 (30:51):
Oh why not?

Speaker 4 (30:54):
She had a five o'clock call on location for sunrise shots,
so she decided to drive back last night and had
the limit scene take her on location this morning. What
made you take a two hour drive on here at
this time of night.

Speaker 13 (31:05):
I'll tell you half of it.

Speaker 5 (31:08):
I was scared. If that means anything.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
To you, girl, it doesn't. What's the other half?

Speaker 5 (31:12):
I won't tell you that yet, although some day you
just might have to learn.

Speaker 4 (31:17):
I won't even pretend to understand that. Oh excuse me? Yes, yes,
that's right, I'm Mark Stanton.

Speaker 6 (31:27):
What where?

Speaker 11 (31:31):
No?

Speaker 6 (31:31):
No, never mind all that?

Speaker 11 (31:32):
How is she?

Speaker 6 (31:34):
No?

Speaker 3 (31:34):
I'll be right down there. What was that?

Speaker 11 (31:37):
Emily?

Speaker 4 (31:38):
Her car went out of control at the Devil's elve No,
she went through the guard rail, plunged five hundred feet
down unto the river.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
The car's a total never.

Speaker 5 (31:46):
Mind the car? What about Emily?

Speaker 3 (31:48):
Whether I haven't found her yet? The car windows were opening.
If she got swept down the river and into the lake,
they may never find her.

Speaker 11 (31:55):
You mean.

Speaker 3 (31:57):
She's dead?

Speaker 11 (32:00):
You don't know.

Speaker 3 (32:02):
What else a plunge like that, but the car totaled?

Speaker 16 (32:05):
What else is there to think?

Speaker 10 (32:07):
Nothing?

Speaker 5 (32:09):
Emily is dead? What?

Speaker 3 (32:12):
That's a strange way to oh else? But I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 (32:18):
This must be terrible for you too.

Speaker 7 (32:21):
It is terrible for me, but not too.

Speaker 3 (32:25):
Huh What does that mean?

Speaker 5 (32:28):
I mean you killed her? How could you.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Think a thing like that?

Speaker 5 (32:33):
I don't think I know, but it isn't going to
do you any good. Hit worth all for nothing.

Speaker 3 (32:40):
I don't know what you mean.

Speaker 5 (32:40):
You will when I'm ready to tell you. Right now,
let's go to the scene of the what should we
call it, mark, let's just say the tragedy.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
Okay, well, here's the crow virus. Get those doors open.

Speaker 16 (33:00):
On the inside, tech neglicure.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
K oh uh, mister Stanton, Yes, yes, that's right.

Speaker 5 (33:09):
I uh, I am sorry about this.

Speaker 6 (33:17):
My wife?

Speaker 3 (33:18):
You do you think she's dead?

Speaker 2 (33:21):
What can I say?

Speaker 3 (33:23):
Fall like that? And then and and what? Well?

Speaker 2 (33:29):
Man, this here shoe one of my men found its
mate washed ashore just before the river emptied into like
a hawkawa. Right down here with the car landed in
the river, we found your sister's pocket book. It don't
look good.

Speaker 5 (33:45):
Can her body be recovered from the night.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
We'll try. But that lake bottom is soft mud or
whatever you want to call it. From all the leaves,
the trees have been dropping for millions of years. It's
like like a quicksand nobody you ever drowned in that
lake ever was scene again? Oh my god, look on't
you go on home, mister Stanton and take take your
sister in law with you. As soon as I'm finished

(34:09):
up here, I'll drive up. There are some questions I'll
have to ask.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
What do you mean was Emily exceptionally tall?

Speaker 2 (34:21):
Well for a woman I met?

Speaker 5 (34:22):
Actually, my sister was quite small, two inches shorter than
I am, and I'm only five four.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
Well, right, yes, Emily was quite tiny. But what difference
does that make?

Speaker 2 (34:33):
The driver's seat was adjusted for somebody as tall as well,
say you, sir?

Speaker 4 (34:38):
Oh, well, it could have been knocked back in the crash, couldn't.

Speaker 3 (34:43):
It, Yes, sir, it could?

Speaker 2 (34:47):
Uh were you're white wearing gloves when she left gloves?

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Why?

Speaker 2 (34:54):
Drivers will had no fingerprints on it?

Speaker 4 (34:56):
I just wondering, Oh, yes, yes, now I remember, yes,
I think, yes, yes, she did have gloves.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
You drive with gloves, Missus Stanton, Yes, yes.

Speaker 4 (35:04):
Usually in the car is on constant maintenance at the garage.

Speaker 2 (35:08):
Yes, sir, Just one more question for now. Were you
all own the house and the accident happened?

Speaker 3 (35:16):
Well, I suppose I must have been.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Well, I was just wondering if your sister in law
was also here.

Speaker 5 (35:21):
I arrived shortly before Emily left. I had planned a
driver into town this morning. We had some business to discuss.
But when she insisted on leaving last night, I was
just too tired to make the trip, and I had
brought Mark and his script. Since Emily was taking Mark's car,
I decided to stay, let him read the script and

(35:42):
we could drive in tomorrow discussing it and return.

Speaker 8 (35:45):
It one time.

Speaker 2 (35:46):
Well, I guess they'll close these things up for me.
Sorry it taking so much time. My condolence is mister Stanton,
I hope we can find your wife.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
She is just as certain of it as I am.
You murdered Emily.

Speaker 3 (36:08):
What are you saying the truth?

Speaker 10 (36:11):
If you believe that?

Speaker 3 (36:13):
Why did you alibi?

Speaker 5 (36:14):
I wanted to spite the surgeon's suspicions, at least temporarily.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
What are you up to.

Speaker 5 (36:23):
At the moment?

Speaker 3 (36:24):
Not very much.

Speaker 5 (36:27):
I want to sleep on all of this. Oh, by
the way, don't entertain any ideas of getting rid of me,
you see, brother in law, Dear, I happen to be
exactly what you think of me, a witch, only I
am a real one.

Speaker 7 (36:46):
And because I.

Speaker 5 (36:47):
Am what I am, I can feel her presence in
this house. If I told the police what I know,
they'd search it from top to.

Speaker 4 (36:57):
Bottom because of someone who claims to have yes that'd
write you off with a nuts Mark, you.

Speaker 5 (37:03):
Haven't a leg to stand on. On Wednesday. Last Wednesday,
when we had lunch, I arranged for Emily to change
her will. It was finalized before you drove up here Friday.
I am executric and control everybody. Oh, I'm too tired
to talk about it now. After I slept on it

(37:26):
outside your future, I suggest you get some rest to
prepare for it.

Speaker 4 (37:36):
I wouldn't have better, plug Nickel, I could get any
sleep out of what was left of the night, but
a bottle of brandy and sheer emotionally exhaustion from fright
put me to sleep.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
In the library chair.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
The last thing I remember was a whirling confusion of
surrealistic plots for disposing of Elspits.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
I even finally believed what I'd always thought of her,
that she was a witch.

Speaker 5 (38:05):
I was sick with grief and desperately tired, but I
couldn't go to sleep. Every time my eyes closed, I
seemed to hear as I couldn't stand it any longer.
I got up, went downstairs. I saw Mark passed out
in the life Gary, a brandy bottle in her hand,

(38:26):
and the voice was closer. The voice threw me to
the cellar, and there besides the furnace, I knew it
at least the fresh cement still drying, beautifully blended and
tapered into the old surface.

Speaker 7 (38:48):
Now I knew where my sister was.

Speaker 5 (38:52):
Now I knew exactly what I had to do.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
And I'll pronounce you elsewisz Greik with Moore and you,
Mark Blaine Stanton, man and wife, you may kiss the bride.

Speaker 4 (39:14):
Ah home, sweet home, So you got me at last.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
Else But that's right, Mark, my dear husband, and no
way out for you. One word from me and Sergeant
Harkness would dig up that cellar and you'd spend the
best part of your life in jail for murder.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
I'm grateful to you, of course, but some things I
still don't understand.

Speaker 5 (39:38):
Oh you will, happy, darling. Just give your bride a
few minutes to slip into something fetching and we'll start
to begin our married life. I promise you'll finally all
I told you, I really am be witching.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
I damned her under my breath what she claimed to be.
I found a longing ache for Emily, and what she
into me. I seized at being emasculated, at having to
act like a pet poodle, at the hopelessness of my situation.
I dreamed of the thousandth plot to get rid of Elspeth. Oh,
an idle dream I'd gotten away with it once, never again.

Speaker 3 (40:24):
And then she called me into the bedroom.

Speaker 7 (40:28):
Come love her boy?

Speaker 5 (40:30):
Oh lord, No, you didn't really believe I was a witch?

Speaker 3 (40:39):
Did you go?

Speaker 5 (40:40):
You're Emily? I followed her aspect. Does it please you? Yes?

Speaker 3 (40:47):
I love you. I want you, Oh, emilylove.

Speaker 5 (40:53):
That's mark, not Emily, only her aspect, which you will
live with every moment where at home. Oh, but you
will not touch me, either as myself or my sister
you killed.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
I don't understand.

Speaker 5 (41:10):
I want to be sure you can't get away with it.
A good lawyer, your own natural charm, a long bitter trial,
the possibility of escape, and even if they found you guilty,
there is no death penalty. So my way is better.
No money, no freedom, and the remembrance every day of

(41:30):
the crime you committed, the girl you murdered, to haunt you,
fresh and lovely while you grow old and forgotten. This
is yourself mark, flush lined, perhaps, but more confining than
anything state or government could devise. And I am your jailor,
watching you die a little day by day, year by year.

(41:54):
I've read it in your cards, traced it in your horoscope.
You will have a law hell on earth before the
spirit I worship welcomes you to the real Hell Fraternity.
This is my revenge for my sister.

Speaker 10 (42:11):
And for myself.

Speaker 4 (42:17):
As it was in the beginning, so it is now
and ever shall be heaven. Hath no rage like love
to hate returned, nor hell no fury like a woman scorned.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
For this story, there is no ending.

Speaker 3 (42:36):
A man bought only what he deserved. I'll be back shortly.

Speaker 4 (42:51):
For a while, Mark Stanton's matinee ladies wondered about his
abrupt retirement, but the gorgon who guarded him fiercely. They
finally discouraged their attentions. Not Elspeth alone, his good looks
began to fade strangely, till by the time he was
thirty five, his haunted, gaunt face and emaciated body looked

(43:15):
more like a man in his seventies. He eventually was
committed to a state institution for the insane, and died
there without even an obituary to mark his passing mysteriously
and suddenly. Elspeth died on the same day. Our cast
included William Redfield, Patricia Wheel, Terry Keane and Ken Harvey.

(43:37):
The entire production was under the direction of Hymon Brown.

Speaker 11 (43:43):
Is E. G.

Speaker 4 (43:43):
Marshall inviting you to return to O Mystery Theater for
another adventure in the macabre until next time, pleasant dreams.

Speaker 1 (44:35):
Well, my dear, I hope you're sufficiently chilled, but not
from lack of warmth. I've put two more logs on
the fire, and I've selected something extra for us to enjoy.
What's that? Well, I suppose we'll both just have to

(44:59):
find out, won't we. Now enjoy your teeth, enjoy the chair,
enjoy the roar of my fire, and know that as
time goes on, the dark deepens. Well the Night reveals.

Speaker 17 (45:23):
No Roma Waines r o M a made in California
for enjoyment throughout the world.

Speaker 6 (45:31):
Roma Winds Present Suspense.

Speaker 18 (45:39):
Tonight's Rama Winds bring you the MGM Star Mister Keenan
Wynn as Star of the Night Reveals a suspense play produced,
edited and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear. Suspense
Radio's outstanding Theater of thrills is presented for your.

Speaker 6 (46:00):
Enjoyment by Roma Wines.

Speaker 17 (46:02):
That's our m a Romo 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 winds bring you keenan Wynn in
a remarkable tale of suspense.

Speaker 6 (46:29):
Go ahead, tell us the story, mister Jordan. It might
help to get it out of your system. Yes, go ahead, Harry,
Oh tell it here marine in front of you.

Speaker 13 (46:40):
Sure I can stand it if you can.

Speaker 6 (46:43):
Well, all right, I'll tell it. When I first began
to know for sure two weeks ago, I should have
known before that something was wrong. I should have known
by our eyes. It was a queer look in them,
staring at me one minute, avoiding me the next.

Speaker 11 (47:06):
Well.

Speaker 6 (47:07):
I came home late one Monday night. They were asleep,
my son Johnny and my wife here, Marie. I lay
in bed reviewing my day's work. You see, I'm an
investigator for the Herkimer Fire Insurance Company, and while thinking
about the fire on Second Avenue, I fell asleep Suddenly
I was sitting bolt upright, wide awake, with a strange

(47:28):
feeling of being alone in the room. I looked towards
Marie's bed. It was too dark to see. I called Marie.
Marie no answer. I got up and I walked to
her bed. The quilt was bunched up. I pulled the
covers down. The bed was empty. In the bathroom, oh,

(47:53):
she wasn't there, and not in Johnny's room either. Johnny
was alone. Marie wasn't in the apartment. I put on
the light. I looked at my watch. It was two
in the morning. I got dressed, walked out, rang for
the elevator. It was nothing, of course, it was nothing important,
but my heart kept hammering away. Oh my, mister Jordan's

(48:17):
kind of late for you. Yes, yes, good morning, Steve.
Did you see my wife go downstairs? Yeah, mister Jordan
and bought a half an hour ago. I say, oh, oh, yes, yes,
of course. Did you see which way she went?

Speaker 19 (48:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (48:29):
Sure, she went towards Turdy Avenue. Said she was going
to going to the drug store. I guess, yeah, that's right.

Speaker 20 (48:34):
There's one over ninety sixth Street open.

Speaker 8 (48:35):
On the night.

Speaker 6 (48:35):
You know. Oh, thanks, that was it. She went to
the drug store. I was worried over nothing at all.
I didn't know what to do quite I didn't want
to follow her, but the elevator boy was watching me,
so I strolled easily along toward Third Avenue. I stood

(48:56):
on the deserted, dark corner and looked up and down
the street. I saw her coming. She was walking toward
me briskly.

Speaker 13 (49:04):
Harry, what are you doing here?

Speaker 6 (49:06):
Well, I got up and saw you were gone.

Speaker 21 (49:08):
I couldn't sleep, had a dreadful headache, so I decided
to go down for some asspurn.

Speaker 6 (49:13):
Yeah, oh yeah, of course, the drug store in ninety
sixth Street, but you were coming from ninety eighth Street.

Speaker 21 (49:22):
I took a little walk, thought some fresh air would
do me some good.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's a nice night.

Speaker 13 (49:27):
I've only been gone about ten minutes.

Speaker 6 (49:28):
Well, Steve said, you were going about.

Speaker 21 (49:30):
A half a nightly ten minutes. What time is it now,
I've been out for about fifteen minutes. It's more than
fifteen minutes, no more than that.

Speaker 6 (49:37):
Well, yeah, yeah, I guess so.

Speaker 8 (49:44):
Well.

Speaker 6 (49:45):
Everything seemed all right, but still I felt something was wrong.
We got into our apartment and we both went to
bed for a minute. The soo we said.

Speaker 13 (49:54):
Nothing listen a fire fire.

Speaker 6 (50:00):
Yeah yeah, not far or raised a couple of blocks
by the river. I'd say, hey, that's my district.

Speaker 7 (50:07):
A sire who.

Speaker 11 (50:12):
Hello, Hello, Harry, try to wait in the middle of
the night. There's a bad one over here. You three,
second and third, maybe a total.

Speaker 6 (50:18):
Loss between second and third, mister parmonter on an apartment building.

Speaker 8 (50:22):
Yeah, ninety eighth Street, three four oh East ninety eight.

Speaker 11 (50:25):
I going to because I'd.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
Like you to go there direct first thing in the
morning instead of coming to the office.

Speaker 6 (50:29):
Okay, I'll meet you there, okay, mister Parliament.

Speaker 13 (50:31):
Good night, A sire on ninety eighth Street.

Speaker 6 (50:35):
Yeah, yeah. I couldn't see Marie in the dark, but
I knew, I knew she was staring at me. I
was very tired.

Speaker 21 (50:50):
Good night, Marie, Good night, Harry.

Speaker 18 (51:02):
For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you a star Keenan
Wynn with Kathy Lewis in the Night Reveals by Cornell Woolrich.
Roma Wine's presentation tonight in Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills Suspense.

Speaker 6 (51:22):
Between the Acts of Suspense.

Speaker 17 (51:24):
This is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines Tomorrow and Saturday,
most American households will be busy with preparations for Easter
Sunday dinner, the traditional feast ending the Lenten season. Time
honored accompaniment the gracious Easter dining and entertaining is wine
enjoyed throughout the ages by families and friends for pleasure

(51:45):
and companionship in a sensible, moderate way. A fine wine
that will add good taste and friendliness to you yasterday
is Roma, the wine most Americans prefer and most popular
of all Roma wines as Roma Californias sherry, a light,
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(52:08):
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(52:31):
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O M a Roma America's favorite wine.

Speaker 18 (52:46):
And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood sound
stage Keenan Wynn as Harry Jordan and Kathy Lewis as
his wife Marie. In the night reveals a tale well
calculated to keep you in suspense.

Speaker 6 (53:11):
Go on, mister Jordan, Well, gentlemen. The next morning I
went over to ninety eighth Street to inspect the remains
of number three four Oh, to see if there was
evidence of anything suspicious about the origin of the fire.
And mister Parmonter was there here it is, got it.

Speaker 8 (53:25):
Guess we'll be paying off on this one, all right?

Speaker 6 (53:27):
Yeah, completely burned out. Anyone hurt a few, No one
did like it had just installed anew fire escapes and
just the walls left. Fire. Must have been quite a
sight in the height of its glory. Yeah, cr a
side say, those walls looked pretty bad. Mike leftmost any
time all the building will have to be raised. I
fired at a good job.

Speaker 2 (53:45):
There's a commissioner, Howry Morrel knowing about the fire commissioner No,
not thing.

Speaker 6 (53:52):
Well, we don't have a look.

Speaker 16 (53:53):
I wouldn't go in there, Jordan, there was war.

Speaker 6 (53:55):
I can take care of myself.

Speaker 16 (53:56):
Maybe you better not go inside.

Speaker 6 (53:58):
Don't worry about me. I know fires is as well
as anyone. You stay outside, mister Palmer, I'm going in.
I walked gingerly into the black and ruined hallway and
ashes up to my ankles until I reached the remains
of the stairway. Underneath were several baby carriages, just twisted
pieces of metal. Burning fragment of something felln nearby.

Speaker 3 (54:23):
I'm all right.

Speaker 6 (54:25):
Poked around near the carriages, sifting through the fine, clean ashes.
Something caught my eye, a glomb of yellow metal. I
picked it up and I worked my way out. She's
burned through, isn't you clean through? Nothing left to her?

Speaker 11 (54:43):
You find anything?

Speaker 19 (54:44):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (54:44):
Nothing much? Fires started in the hallway, all right, cellars untouched?
Fire works its way up? What's that in your hand?

Speaker 8 (54:50):
All that?

Speaker 6 (54:51):
Oh, it's just a piece of metal I found here.
It's just picked it up for my kid. He likes
shiny things.

Speaker 22 (54:57):
What do you think, Commissioner, Oh, probably one of those
gadgests they have on baby carriage.

Speaker 6 (55:01):
Yeah, I guess you're right. Yeah, it didn't anything, but
it was something I had run my fingernail across. This
glob of metal looked like gold. I would examine it
and detail at home. Yay, how are you? Johnny?

Speaker 23 (55:23):
Mama says I was bait.

Speaker 13 (55:24):
Jerry. You're home early?

Speaker 6 (55:27):
Yeah, yeah, I got sooner. I got through sooner than
I expected.

Speaker 13 (55:31):
What is it? What is it here?

Speaker 6 (55:34):
You're a locket? You're not wearing it? You never had
it off before?

Speaker 13 (55:38):
My locket? Well, well, don't you remember daddy?

Speaker 23 (55:42):
Can I go to see Davy Taylor.

Speaker 5 (55:43):
For a minute?

Speaker 6 (55:44):
Yes, yes, trying to go ahead?

Speaker 23 (55:46):
All right, thanks Danny.

Speaker 21 (55:48):
You shouldn't have done that, Harry. I didn't want him
to go. He hasn't had his dinner.

Speaker 6 (55:51):
Never mind, Johnny, what did you say happened to the locket?

Speaker 13 (55:56):
Why I gave it to you?

Speaker 11 (55:57):
Me?

Speaker 13 (55:58):
Well, I put it in your pocket. You have it fit?
The catch was loose.

Speaker 21 (56:01):
I don't remember I put it in your pocket, Harry.
I forgot to mention it to you. I wanted you
to take it to the jewelers, get the catch fixed.
I just put it in your coat pocket while you
were shaving. When yesterday, yes, yesterday morning.

Speaker 6 (56:14):
Oh well, it should be in my pocket now. I
wore this suit yesterday too. Nothing in my pockets, Marie, Well, Marie, yes, Harry,
is anything wrong with you?

Speaker 13 (56:26):
I'm perfectly all right. There's not a thing wrong.

Speaker 5 (56:28):
With me.

Speaker 6 (56:29):
Well, you look worried, as if you had something on
your mind.

Speaker 13 (56:32):
It's nothing. I've just been having a headache.

Speaker 6 (56:35):
Maybe you ought to see a doctor.

Speaker 13 (56:36):
No, it really doesn't amount to much.

Speaker 6 (56:38):
Well, I think I'll take another look for the locket.
Uh which suit did you say? You put it in.

Speaker 21 (56:45):
Your your blue suit? I think maybe it was a
gray though I.

Speaker 6 (56:52):
Couldn't make it out. What had she done with the lockett?
Had she pawned it? Had she given it away? And
then I remember something. I went into the bathroom and
locked the door. I looked at this shapeless little glove
of yellow metal. I rubbed the blackened spots away until
all of it was gleaming. I took a nail file

(57:14):
out of the medicine chest and began to file it.
I kept filing until I had enlarged the crack to
the full length of the piece of gold. Then I
slipped the nail file inside and cried. Pried it open
tiny fragments of glass. And then then I saw a
piece of scorched paper. It was a photograph, the picture

(57:37):
of my son Johnny. This glob of metal was my
wife's locket. I put the locket and the picture in
my pocket and walked out.

Speaker 16 (57:46):
All right.

Speaker 21 (57:47):
Now, now, what's the largest continent in the world.

Speaker 23 (57:50):
I know it it it? And the next largest that
easy Africa? Full of jungles. That's where it.

Speaker 6 (58:01):
Isn't the time for Johnny to be in bed?

Speaker 13 (58:03):
Yes, I had no idea. It was so late. You
run along to your room, Johnny. I'll be in a minute.

Speaker 6 (58:07):
All right, good night, gonight Johnny sleep well.

Speaker 21 (58:12):
He's getting along very well in school, except for arithmetic.

Speaker 13 (58:18):
Seems to be having a little trouble.

Speaker 6 (58:19):
Johnny will be all right.

Speaker 13 (58:21):
Yes, Johnny will be all right. I know he'll be
all right.

Speaker 6 (58:29):
I watched her. She seemed very uneasy. I walked over
to my pipe rack, where I kept several books of
matches in the jar. But there weren't any there. All
this time, I knew she was watching me, watching me closely.
I looked behind the rack. There wasn't a match around.

Speaker 16 (58:51):
What the devil happened all my matches?

Speaker 13 (58:53):
I have a match here. Let me light it for you.

Speaker 6 (58:56):
Did you take the matches out of the jar or well?
Did you?

Speaker 13 (58:59):
Yes? I needed them in the kitchen. Shall I light
your pipe for you?

Speaker 6 (59:03):
No, No, I'll light it myself. I picked the match
out of the booklets. It was a clean white match
with a green head.

Speaker 3 (59:12):
I struck it.

Speaker 6 (59:12):
Against the side. The match sputtered up into a yellow flame,
fringed on the bottom with blue. Marie stared at it
until I felt the sharp bite of the flame on
my thumb.

Speaker 13 (59:23):
Would you like a cup of tea?

Speaker 6 (59:25):
Harry? No, no, dear, I don't think so, Marie. Leave
the matches on the table.

Speaker 13 (59:33):
I need them. I'm rather short of matches. The pilot
light isn't working.

Speaker 6 (59:37):
Is this the only book of matches in the house.

Speaker 13 (59:39):
I have to get some tomorrow. Where are you going, Harry.

Speaker 6 (59:42):
Get a drink of water, I'll get your hair. Never mind, Marie,
I'll get it myself. I went into the kitchen. There
was a paper bag alongside the gas range matches, all
thrown in helter skelter, books of matches and safety matches,
all mixed together. I walked back and sat down in
my chair. Marie, you've been having headaches lately.

Speaker 13 (01:00:08):
I'm just tired. Nothing serious.

Speaker 6 (01:00:10):
Well, I would you like to go away for a
few days, you know, take a vacation. I'll get a
maid to take care of Johnny and me. Do you
want a group.

Speaker 21 (01:00:19):
No, no, I don't need a vacation. There's nothing wrong
with me, but Harry, there is.

Speaker 5 (01:00:22):
Yes, there's nothing the matter.

Speaker 6 (01:00:26):
We were about to say something else.

Speaker 13 (01:00:28):
I've got to go into Johnny's room and see that
he's covered. He always shows the covers all.

Speaker 6 (01:00:34):
I sat there looking at the door, and then I
glanced about the room. There was the pack of matches
lying open on the table. I closed the cover and
my eye caught her purse lying nearby. It was bulging. Harry, Oh,
what's the matter my purse? Yeah, yes, your purse here.

(01:00:56):
Look see the handles loose, and it's full of matches,
a dozen books of them. And these newspaper clippings get
to me. Why are you saving these clippings? Why do
you carry matches with you?

Speaker 13 (01:01:07):
I thought the matches in a store A doesn't advice.

Speaker 6 (01:01:10):
And these clippings fire one hundred and twelfth Street causes
severe damage, and these others. Why are you saving these clippings?

Speaker 11 (01:01:17):
Marie?

Speaker 13 (01:01:17):
There's nothing wrong in dam I'm interested. I'm interested in
your work. I'm trying to keep a file on fires.
It will help you in your work.

Speaker 6 (01:01:26):
That's very considerate, Marie.

Speaker 13 (01:01:29):
Oh, Harry, You're so good?

Speaker 5 (01:01:31):
Why should this have to happen to us?

Speaker 6 (01:01:40):
As far as midnight I went to bed, Marie did
not follow me. I lay in the semi darkness, wide awake,
trying to think what I should do. I couldn't collect
my thoughts. Every time I closed my eyes, I could
see the flame of the match yellow and blue, crawling
along the match stick.

Speaker 13 (01:01:58):
Here drinks, Harry, It will help you sleep.

Speaker 6 (01:02:02):
What is it?

Speaker 13 (01:02:03):
It's Coco. It's very good for you.

Speaker 6 (01:02:05):
I'm not the one that's having trouble falling asleep.

Speaker 13 (01:02:09):
We both couldn't sleep last night. I'm taking some of
this myself as soon as.

Speaker 6 (01:02:13):
I go to bed, all right, leave it on the nightstand.

Speaker 21 (01:02:17):
You'll be sure to drink it while it's hot, Yes.

Speaker 6 (01:02:19):
Marie, I will. Good night, Good night, Marie. Coco. And
then suddenly I knew. I looked around quickly for something
to pour it in. It was the radiator pan that
was empty. I poured the cup of liquid into it,
and then I laid back and waited, waited for her

(01:02:41):
next move. About a half an hour later, I heard
the door open softly, and Marie tiptoed toward my bed.

Speaker 13 (01:02:51):
Harry, Harry, are you asleep.

Speaker 6 (01:02:56):
I didn't answer, just kept breathing evenly. She hovered for
a moment over me, and then she tiptoed out, carefully,
closing the door behind her. I dashed out of bed
and hurried into my clothes quickly. I poured the liquid
from the pan into a bottle and put the bottle
into my pocket. Then I grabbed my coat and followed her.
I rang for the elevator. Showed me a few minutes headway.

(01:03:18):
I'd catch up with the easily, and then well, then
we'd have a show down. Steve looked at me with
controlled amazement. Hello Steve, Hello, mister Jordan. My wife went
down a moment ago, didn't she. Yeah, mister Jordan just
took her down. She went toward Third Avenue, didn't she.
I think so, sir.

Speaker 3 (01:03:39):
She started to stop for a minute, then turned towards
Third Avenue. I had to get back to the elevator
because you were ringing.

Speaker 6 (01:03:47):
When I reached the corner, I looked up and down
Third Avenue. Then I saw her. She was walking north.
I crossed to the other side of the street and
followed her, keeping in the distance. At ninety eighth Street,
she turned east down the middle of the block with
the remains of that last night's fire. She paused in
front of the gutted building for a long time, just

(01:04:10):
stood there looking at it, and then she walked inside. I
waited for a few seconds and then followed her. Was
pitch dark in the burned out hallway. Ahead of me.
I could see the glow of a match, and I
saw what she was doing. She was collecting the charred

(01:04:30):
debris and the baby carriages. How foolish. There wasn't anything
anything that could burn there. Now she lit another match.
I watched the flame light up her face, faced so
intent upon her work that she didn't hear me approach.

Speaker 16 (01:04:47):
Marie.

Speaker 13 (01:04:49):
Who's there?

Speaker 6 (01:04:49):
That's me, Harry, Harry, why didn't you come along, Marie?
We'd better get out of here, police. I took her hand,
and without a word, she came along. We walked home
in complete silence. We both knew. When we came to
our apartment house, I stopped and ranked for the elevator,

(01:05:10):
and the light of the hallway I could see her face,
my wife's face, ashy, gray, her eyes brightened, painful. You
run upstairs, Marie. I'll be along in a minute.

Speaker 13 (01:05:22):
Harry, where are you going.

Speaker 6 (01:05:23):
I'll be right back.

Speaker 13 (01:05:24):
Please, Harry, don't do anything.

Speaker 6 (01:05:25):
You run along, Marie. No, no, I'm only going to
the drug store to get something. I'll be back in
a few minutes. I came home half an hour later.
She was waiting for me.

Speaker 21 (01:05:45):
Did you do it, Harry, Harry, please tell me.

Speaker 13 (01:05:49):
I got to know.

Speaker 6 (01:05:51):
I had the cocoa you gave me analyzed.

Speaker 13 (01:05:53):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 21 (01:05:54):
I had to do it, don't you see I couldn't
help it.

Speaker 6 (01:05:56):
It was very easy for the druggist, especially when I
told him what I thought was in it. That's sodium
stuff that makes you sleep through an earthquake.

Speaker 21 (01:06:03):
Please try to understand, Harry, you must understand.

Speaker 13 (01:06:06):
Yes, Johnny's all right.

Speaker 6 (01:06:09):
Well, I was sorry for Marie. She looked so haggard
and worn. It wasn't her fault. I was sorry for myself.
My head was roaring. I wasn't feeling too well. I
kept seeing sparks in front of my eyes. I closed
my eyes for a moment. Let's go to bed, Harry, Marie.

(01:06:29):
We can do something. Let's burn up every match, every
match in the house.

Speaker 16 (01:06:34):
We'll never bring another match in.

Speaker 13 (01:06:35):
No, no, Harry, we can't do that. No, Harry, not now.

Speaker 6 (01:06:38):
See this is the first book. It's turning black. We'll
do it with every book of matches.

Speaker 13 (01:06:44):
It's no use.

Speaker 23 (01:06:45):
It's no use, Harry.

Speaker 6 (01:06:46):
Grange that this should happen to me, me a fire inspector.
Oh that's funny. Give me the matches, Marie, all the matches.

Speaker 13 (01:06:55):
No, I can't do that.

Speaker 21 (01:06:56):
I won't give them to Please please don't, please, don't
take them.

Speaker 19 (01:07:00):
Do anything you want anything?

Speaker 16 (01:07:01):
Where did you hide them?

Speaker 3 (01:07:02):
Tell me?

Speaker 16 (01:07:02):
Where are they?

Speaker 13 (01:07:03):
In side the range behind the paper brad.

Speaker 6 (01:07:08):
I druck her hand and she sank to the floor
in a puddle, weeping, And I went into the kitchen
and I got all the matches.

Speaker 21 (01:07:17):
Please, please, Harry, don't burn them up.

Speaker 6 (01:07:20):
I know my anger was cooling off. Look, Marie, look up.

Speaker 24 (01:07:26):
See I light each book of matches, one of the
time until we're all gone up in smoke. Yellow flame
licked its way down the matches cover, caught fire and blackened.

Speaker 6 (01:07:39):
I watched to look at the flame with dazed eyes.

Speaker 13 (01:07:44):
Listen, listen, Harry, do you hear.

Speaker 6 (01:07:46):
It's just someone in the hall.

Speaker 13 (01:07:48):
It's more than someone. Something's happened. Something has happened.

Speaker 6 (01:07:52):
You'll take a look.

Speaker 23 (01:07:55):
The house is fire.

Speaker 16 (01:07:57):
Yes, yes, wake up, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. We'll have to hurry.
The flames are coming up the stairs.

Speaker 6 (01:08:02):
There there's an upward draft to the houses.

Speaker 8 (01:08:06):
The fire. The house is the fire.

Speaker 13 (01:08:07):
We've got to get out to lay.

Speaker 16 (01:08:09):
To go down, we'll have to go up through the roof.

Speaker 23 (01:08:12):
I hurt my legs.

Speaker 16 (01:08:15):
She'll come along away.

Speaker 13 (01:08:18):
It's all right, Johnny, go along with Daddy.

Speaker 23 (01:08:20):
I'll follow you.

Speaker 8 (01:08:23):
Hold on my armor, hold.

Speaker 16 (01:08:25):
On, come on, give me your hand, Johnny. Now, don't
be scared. The fire won't hurt you. It won't hurt you.

Speaker 20 (01:08:30):
Flow.

Speaker 6 (01:08:38):
We made our way upstairs, very slowly because of Maurice Sprainackle.

Speaker 16 (01:08:43):
Finally we got to the roof.

Speaker 6 (01:08:45):
There was some fireman on the next roof, about ten
feet separated the two buildings.

Speaker 25 (01:08:48):
I don't get well, rap.

Speaker 23 (01:08:52):
Can you have to jump, Daddy. We'll be able to jump.

Speaker 13 (01:08:56):
All right, Johnny, don't be scared.

Speaker 16 (01:08:57):
Putting a board across the roofs. We'll walk ross all right.

Speaker 5 (01:09:01):
Now, one at a time.

Speaker 25 (01:09:03):
Tyler upright, he come across.

Speaker 16 (01:09:04):
Johnny, you go first. Don't be afraid. There there rup
will hold you in case you slip.

Speaker 23 (01:09:10):
You gotta go.

Speaker 13 (01:09:11):
I'll go right after you, Johnny.

Speaker 16 (01:09:13):
You go ahead, Johnny, mother will follow you. Oh, don't
turn around, keep walking.

Speaker 25 (01:09:20):
All right, keep saying, how you ready? God slip? Hey, hoy,
one of you guys get on the board. All right,
all right, your mother's gonna.

Speaker 14 (01:09:32):
Be all right.

Speaker 23 (01:09:32):
You tossed the board off, Harry, I saw you do it.

Speaker 16 (01:09:35):
No I did, I didn't.

Speaker 6 (01:09:38):
That is okay, lady.

Speaker 25 (01:09:40):
Just Tyler over on here, don't be afraid.

Speaker 26 (01:09:42):
Don't look down ready, okay, boy, yeah, all right, how
are you a missip? All right, that's right, Tyler overron here,
all said, okay.

Speaker 11 (01:10:01):
On the ground.

Speaker 6 (01:10:02):
We stood there, the three of us, watching the fire.
Sparks were shooting up through the hole where it had
bit through. Great flames shot out, stabbing at the sky.
The top of the roof was burning now. A red
plane crawled along, searching out the inflammable spots.

Speaker 16 (01:10:19):
A wooden pole caught fire and blazed up in.

Speaker 6 (01:10:22):
A long, narrow, curving arc. The wind was helping us,
and all this time Marie was shaking, shaking violently, not
with cold. I pity there. And then she threw up
her hands and shrieked, darling.

Speaker 27 (01:10:42):
Don't.

Speaker 16 (01:10:46):
Don't do.

Speaker 6 (01:10:48):
The police don't know what you're saying.

Speaker 23 (01:10:54):
It's no use hearing officer fires. You're not accidental. There's
a piral maniac, a criminal, I know it is.

Speaker 16 (01:11:06):
You got to arrest the person, all right, lady, all
right now?

Speaker 11 (01:11:13):
What is this?

Speaker 6 (01:11:13):
Who's the piral maniac?

Speaker 23 (01:11:16):
Criminal?

Speaker 4 (01:11:17):
Is my husband?

Speaker 21 (01:11:20):
Harry Jordan's this man here a rescue as.

Speaker 6 (01:11:40):
Well. That's about all there is to the story, gentlemen.
And I was brought here. Must have sounded kind of well,
painful for you to hear it all over again, Marie.

Speaker 13 (01:11:55):
No, it was all right, Harry.

Speaker 6 (01:11:59):
I wonder well I got a cigarette?

Speaker 13 (01:12:03):
Could I No, I'll write it for you, Harry.

Speaker 6 (01:12:09):
You don't have to worry. I won't try and keep
the matches here. She's been awful good to me. Gentlemen,
take care of him, won't you. She tried everything to help.
She hid the mattress so as to keep them from me.
She's been trying to give me sleeping pills so I wouldn't.

Speaker 13 (01:12:31):
It's all right, Harry.

Speaker 6 (01:12:34):
I'm sorry about the locket. Deer must have fallen out
of my coat when I was in that building at
ninety eighth Street.

Speaker 13 (01:12:42):
Hi, it's all right, Harry. You can buy me another one.

Speaker 6 (01:12:47):
Sometimes you can't blame anybody for liking fires. It's not
their fault. Fires are beautiful to watch, so bright and clean,
they burn up all of filth and dirt, and the
magnificent to watch, especially the big ones, the way the

(01:13:11):
flames roar and crackle, lighting up everything around you. The
beautiful fire, the beautiful fires.

Speaker 17 (01:13:21):
Beautiful suspense presented by Aroma Wines r O m A,
made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.

Speaker 1 (01:13:44):
I must admit the air seems to get colder and colder,
as if somehow a draft could penetrate over two feet
of concrete. I don't suppose that's really possible, now, is it. Oh,

(01:14:06):
I'm not worried. I'm not worried at all. I hope
you aren't either. Just relax, there's more joy to come.
There's nothing waiting in the cold dark. There's no one watching, hoping, pray,

(01:14:27):
and not in the spelling you're thinking of. In the dark,
I fear a lady with a key.

Speaker 11 (01:14:39):
And now say hune for the mystery program.

Speaker 14 (01:14:41):
That is unique among all mystery programs, because even when
you know who's guilty, you always receive a startling survive
at the final curtains in the Signal Oil program.

Speaker 20 (01:14:53):
Go whistler er why.

Speaker 14 (01:15:15):
Signal the famous Godfather Gasoline invite you to sit back
and enjoy.

Speaker 8 (01:15:19):
Another strange story by the whistler.

Speaker 14 (01:15:23):
For extra driving pleasure, the signal to look for is
the yellow and black circle time that identifies signal service stations.

Speaker 11 (01:15:31):
From Canada to Mexico.

Speaker 14 (01:15:33):
And for Sunday evening listening pleasure, the signal to listen
for is this whistle that identifies the Signal Oil program.

Speaker 11 (01:15:41):
The whistler.

Speaker 8 (01:15:59):
I am the whisperer, and I know many things.

Speaker 20 (01:16:02):
For I walked by night.

Speaker 8 (01:16:04):
I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of
men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yeah,
I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak.

Speaker 9 (01:16:19):
And now for the.

Speaker 14 (01:16:19):
Single oil company, the whipper Strange story, Lady with a key.

Speaker 8 (01:16:25):
Yes, it was almost midnight when Joe Cannon drove his
car into the parking lot, got out and walked around
to the entrance to the Linden, a small restaurant and
cocktail bar on the Highway a few miles south of
Los Angeles. The Linden was a place he often take fronized,

(01:16:48):
especially when he had a deal loge. Most of Joe's
enterprises were arranged in cocktail bars, restaurants, almost anywhere but
a legitimate business office. But y'all tell them involved in
a legitimate deal inside. Joe nodded at the bartender, then
strolled over to the duke bot. I go coming around lately,

(01:17:13):
having pretty busy peep and a sandwich. You name it right, Hey,
hurry up? When they am on my way to San Diego, min.

Speaker 11 (01:17:33):
Hurry uh yeah, but.

Speaker 19 (01:17:40):
I couldn't help over here. And you tell the Boston
that you're on your way to San Diego.

Speaker 11 (01:17:45):
Uh huh?

Speaker 19 (01:17:46):
What you I was on my way there with my cargo.
I can't got it till tomorrow, and I'll just have
to be in San Diego by.

Speaker 8 (01:17:55):
Morning, and I was wondering if right take you with me?

Speaker 6 (01:18:00):
What you please?

Speaker 22 (01:18:01):
Now, I'm sorry, My surf has to do with business.
My boss wouldn't like it if I mixed business with pleasure.

Speaker 19 (01:18:10):
It's awfully important to me.

Speaker 11 (01:18:12):
I wish I could help you, baby, but I can't.

Speaker 8 (01:18:15):
I see well, I'm fine, so am I together. The
girl walks away, walks to a boot at the back
of the bar. He's attractive, isn't it, Joe? And the
link coach he's wearing is the real thing. You are
almost certain of that, Yet you have a feeling and

(01:18:38):
something pony about her. If you had some reason other
than a small automobile for asking you to drive in
to San Diego, you'll listen to the tune on the
jukebox for a moment, then walk up to the bar.
If you fly onto a stool piece, the bartender places
the sandwich in the bottle of beer before you ude today,

(01:18:58):
eh Man, I am oh. He asked you for a
ride down? You know already asked that couple back there,
the one on the books next to her. They turned
it down. You turn it down.

Speaker 11 (01:19:14):
I don't like her story.

Speaker 2 (01:19:17):
I don't know.

Speaker 11 (01:19:18):
I think she's on the level.

Speaker 8 (01:19:19):
She used the phone a little while before you came in,
talked a couple all like garagie huh. For me, she'd
be very pleasant company.

Speaker 11 (01:19:28):
Jo Hey, you know something. Maybe I was too hot
on the little girl, and to.

Speaker 8 (01:19:35):
Drive to San Diego three hours can get awful.

Speaker 22 (01:19:41):
Sure, yeah, I'll be right back there. Pardon me, miss Oh,
I changed my mind. I'll take it to San Diego
just then want to go?

Speaker 19 (01:19:55):
Oh, I certainly do. It means a great deal to me.

Speaker 22 (01:20:00):
Can you stop by the way er, I finish my
sandwich and peer up a little business of the bartender.
You like a drink or something?

Speaker 11 (01:20:07):
Oh?

Speaker 8 (01:20:07):
No, no, thank you, all right, if you don't mind,
I'll wait in your car.

Speaker 22 (01:20:13):
Oh sure, then the lot far aside black forty nine mass.
I'll be out in a few minutes.

Speaker 8 (01:20:25):
Watch the girl as he hurries out and turning you
catch a glimpse of the couple seated in the next booth,
A young man a woman grinning at you. You shrug,
walk back to the bar and finish your sandwich, and
the bartender joined you. You taking the day?

Speaker 11 (01:20:43):
Yeah, oh, puppy, thanks.

Speaker 8 (01:20:47):
Uh let me be back to my name in point.

Speaker 11 (01:20:54):
To your one. I'm picking this stuff up in San
Diego tomorrow morning.

Speaker 8 (01:20:59):
I figured, and the shipping was about two handling it
the famous only Yeah, and look you can tell Harry
I meet him here with it my night. Okay, okay, usual, okay,
Well I haven't picked yet him. I like I was
telling Ah, I'm looking for a girl Londen sort of

(01:21:23):
tall way to make caught. You feel in here. No, no, no,
I haven't seen her. How about you, mister? No, no, okay, okay,
he must be looking for your girlfriend, Joe.

Speaker 11 (01:21:43):
I'll come. He told him she wasn't.

Speaker 8 (01:21:45):
Here, and I don't know. Maybe I just don't like
his look.

Speaker 22 (01:21:49):
Yeah, I had a hunch about that, Dame.

Speaker 8 (01:21:53):
I think I'm when I play it safe, canceled her
ride to San Diego. Yeah, yeah, maybe you're better. I
see him my night, have pet the time, I'll I tell.

Speaker 22 (01:22:01):
Hands, I should be back here by nine if the
stuff is ready to pick up. I look, let me
use your phone whenever to call San Diego now and
make sure to stuff him instant to your wanner.

Speaker 8 (01:22:21):
In a matter of minutes, you've completed your car to
San Diego. They ain't step out into the parking lot,
and as you walk toward your car, you win footsteps.
It's a quick glimpse of a running feature. By the
time you k your car, he's disappeared into the shadows.
You open your car door and get in. The girl

(01:22:45):
isn't fare a meal catch sight.

Speaker 20 (01:22:48):
Of something on the seat beside you.

Speaker 8 (01:22:50):
You red nize it instantly as the girl's handbang. It's
open and one glance tells you it's full of bills
fifties hundred one two things six oh foma. You don't
wait to count it all, do you, Jill. It's more

(01:23:11):
money than you've had in a long time. You want
to get away or the girl returns. Miles later along
the beach road, you stop, remove the bills past the ground,
handbag into the sea. You put counting the money five

(01:23:35):
thousand dollars jo Quickly, you slip it into your inside
coat pocket. Hurry back to the car. The night air
is chilly, so you decide to get your overcoats from
the back seat, and you open the car door. Breathe
inside your hand preeches in midair. Sudden here grips you
as you stare down at the floor.

Speaker 11 (01:23:57):
The girl.

Speaker 8 (01:24:01):
She's kid.

Speaker 14 (01:24:19):
Tonight's twenty dollars signal gasoline book Coston Nancy Mason of
Los Angeles, California, for this limerick.

Speaker 11 (01:24:28):
Now all gather around.

Speaker 14 (01:24:29):
While I tell why the gas that I use it
so swell takes you farther for less the brand you
can get. It's fell that s I d n A
L no no, no gasp. Tonight's limerick writers certainly won

(01:24:52):
the Spelling Bee when she said, s I D N
A L is a gas from mileages.

Speaker 11 (01:24:56):
That's well.

Speaker 14 (01:24:58):
But in addition you can expect port moments. That's grand
because performance and mile age go hand in hand. Both
are the result of the extra efficiency. Today is great
signal gasoline extracts from your motor so there's no need
nowadays to choose between economy and driving pleasure. You will
be thankful for both when you get a thankful of

(01:25:19):
signals the famous go Farther gasoline.

Speaker 8 (01:25:41):
The events of the past two hours seemed like a nightmare.

Speaker 20 (01:25:44):
Don't think you.

Speaker 8 (01:25:46):
You're leaving with the girl in the costiolane has sudden disappearance,
leaving her handbag containing five thousand dollars in your car.
Then a few minutes ago you found her dead on
the floor in the back of your car. For a moment,
you're too stun to move, just think clearly, and then
quickly you was jumping your car race down the highway. Ever,

(01:26:11):
a mile later, the panic begins to lead you. You
realize you misdispose of the body as soon as possible.
Your hands suddenly grip the wheel in terror to believe
you automatically, you prend down on the accelarior, and then
you realize your mistake. You slow down.

Speaker 11 (01:26:38):
Hard to hitting it up back there, won't you Why
you're in a big hurry?

Speaker 8 (01:26:42):
Oh well, I guess I was driving a little fast.

Speaker 22 (01:26:45):
And I ought to give you a second missus. Lady,
there's hardly any traffic. Guy, I guess I was speeding
without realizing it. Well, I let it go this thing.
Oh thanks, Hey, some minutes. What's the matta edo Mexico? No, no,
san diego.

Speaker 8 (01:27:02):
Sure let me feel like Okay, you struggle to remain calm,
get your hands for shaking. If you turn your wallet
over to the officers, hopefully doesn't look into the back
seat of your car, You wait for what seems hours
before he returns the wallet to you.

Speaker 22 (01:27:20):
Okay, go ahead, but take it easy from now on.
And watch that spinometer. I'd hate to find your car
up the road with a dead body in it.

Speaker 8 (01:27:28):
You watch the police car disappear into the gardeness and
you heave a sigh of relief. And what's close, wasn't
it you? You knock your forehead if you drive on
down the highway. When you find the spot you're looking for,
you pull over to the side of the road, carry

(01:27:49):
the girl's body.

Speaker 11 (01:27:49):
Into the brush and leave it.

Speaker 8 (01:27:52):
Then you're on the highway again for the third time
since you found the girl. You feel face during kover.
Open the glove compartment to get a pack of cigarettes.
Your hand comes to rest.

Speaker 11 (01:28:03):
On an envelope.

Speaker 8 (01:28:05):
Can take it out? Quit me with no finger. The
boat is content, and besides it's a hotel. Set your
puzzle lines because you're curious too, But you realize you
can't take any more chances. You crumple the envelope in
your hand, frosted out the car window. Drive on your
hotel in San Diego. Have a reservation test.

Speaker 11 (01:28:35):
Yeah, I phoned from Los Angeles. Kennon's the name Joe Kennon.

Speaker 8 (01:28:38):
Oh yes, mister Kennon. I put you in the room
three o'w A nice room. I'll show you like it.
You'll find the regista.

Speaker 11 (01:28:46):
There's a quiet room. Isn't the can use sleep?

Speaker 19 (01:28:48):
Oh?

Speaker 20 (01:28:48):
It is quieter. Had a tiring trip, you can say
that again.

Speaker 8 (01:28:53):
Night driving tires me out completely. I'm that trip from
Los Angeles down here. Well, it's so dull. Did I
find it?

Speaker 11 (01:29:01):
Tell?

Speaker 8 (01:29:01):
Don't you go?

Speaker 11 (01:29:04):
And not always?

Speaker 8 (01:29:05):
No news leap until afternoon then awake, completely refreshed, unworried,
the addressed, Go downstairs, buy a newspaper. It's all there
it Miss Joe. The story of the murder, the finding

(01:29:26):
of the dead girl's body by the highway, strangled to death.
Her name Mary Cotney. We wander into the hotel coffee shop,
read the table in the corner.

Speaker 11 (01:29:37):
Read on.

Speaker 22 (01:29:39):
According to Giles Winthrop, well known Los Angeles thought feelers.

Speaker 11 (01:29:43):
Ms Cotney had been in secretary for the past year.

Speaker 8 (01:29:47):
The winter bought on form police and ms Cottney had
left his office two days ago and had failed to return.

Speaker 11 (01:29:54):
Last night.

Speaker 22 (01:29:55):
He had discovered she had taken five thousand dollars from
office space.

Speaker 8 (01:30:00):
Oh but it's feet taken. No, no, it's your Yeah,
you're there, your whole man who slides into the seat
across the table from you, it's the same man who
came into the bar last night in Los Angeles, the
one who asked you if you've seen the tall blonde

(01:30:20):
in the mean coot, the murdered girl the papers have
identified as married content. You drank that five grand yet him,
I don't believe I follow you show your dough chump.
I try to sell me. You haven't got the door.
I saw you pick up the name Pantacs. You left
it in your car.

Speaker 11 (01:30:38):
I love beat it, will you. I don't know what
you're talking even all about.

Speaker 8 (01:30:40):
It in the papers.

Speaker 11 (01:30:41):
Huh.

Speaker 8 (01:30:42):
You see where they got your description?

Speaker 11 (01:30:45):
My description? Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:30:47):
Here, allow me to see your paper. Yeah. Police report
no trace of the money was found on the girl's
body for here to missus. Ultrom Grims eleven thirty four
pot drive along Beach identified Miss Gottney from newspaper photographs
as the same woman who asked them for a ride
last night in a bar on the outskirtch of Los Angeles.

(01:31:09):
The informed policeman overheard Miss Cottney except the man's offered
a driver to San Diego. The man is described as
dark head, about thirty years old, attired in a light
sports coat and gray trousers. Curt enough, chump is a
little more.

Speaker 11 (01:31:28):
I've heard that.

Speaker 8 (01:31:30):
I see you were kind of a tough spot. Now,
why don't you come along with me? Say up to
my room where we can talk this over, Chump, I
should have You wouldn't want me to tip off the cups, would.

Speaker 20 (01:31:42):
Okay, that's off stairs.

Speaker 8 (01:31:51):
You'd forgotten about the couple sitting in the back boot
of the bar last night, hadn't you Joe now on
this man's sitting across from you want to dunk food
thing over? You follow after him as he needs the
coffee shop. You're certain he's Marry Contney's murderer. Then he
was the man you saw running away from your car
last night while it was posted in the lot next
to the Linden Bar. If your sudden appearance prevented him

(01:32:15):
from getting the handbag containing the five thousand dollars, you
pick things paper back into your pocket without finishing the audience.
Upstairs in a man's room, he takes a gun from
his pocket, places it on the table with an easy rout. Ouck,
get chum, let's get down of business. I know you've
got the five grand you can keep at chicken. See

(01:32:38):
what I'm interested in is a package?

Speaker 11 (01:32:40):
Package?

Speaker 8 (01:32:41):
Got package? Mary Cottony had it with her, A painting,
an original. Don Thatddie. It's worth one hundred frands. I
don't know a thing.

Speaker 11 (01:32:48):
A pottet. I never even heard of it.

Speaker 8 (01:32:49):
Lett. I'll get back to you in a minute, shum
and call it bax. Second, while I'm taking it, you
better remember where you're put back painting. Yeah, oh yeah,
mister Robertson, here it is much sure, sure, everything is said.
I'll have the painting, I promise God. Yet it didn't.

(01:33:12):
I the interruption gives you time to think with Joe,
and suddenly you remember something. The envelope with the name
Anne Whitney written on the envelope you pounded the glove
compartment of your car. You're certainly contained a hotel. No
wonder what they did though, Mary Courtney was kneeling into

(01:33:32):
an accomplice named Anne Whitney. Whether the key has any
connection with the valuable painting, sure, mister Robert. Sure, tomorrow
morning at ten. All, look, since we've never met, you
better pick the painting up here at my hotel room.
It's a lot of simple that way. Okay, see you tomorrow.

(01:33:54):
I shall I get back to you.

Speaker 22 (01:33:55):
Huh.

Speaker 11 (01:33:55):
I told you before, I don't know anything about a painting.

Speaker 22 (01:33:58):
But yes, but I did find an envelope in the
car and it over. I didn't want any evidence around
after I got rid of the girl's body, so I
threw the envelope away.

Speaker 8 (01:34:06):
And you didn't even know it was a hotelthy, I
couldn't be mistaken. I could feel with see you tossed
it away. I can find it again. I know where
I throw it. All right, jump, let's go. I hope
for your sake you'll find that key and no once more.

(01:34:29):
Though you're along the highway, it's time driving the noise
back toward the place where you tossed the envelope out
your car window, and your plan is beginning to take
shape in your mind. You glance at the man sitting
beside you been down at the gun in his hands
pointed directly at you. He's not taking any chance. You

(01:34:51):
drive carefully, chump, and in the right direction.

Speaker 11 (01:34:56):
Hey, you don't mind clearing up something to me?

Speaker 20 (01:34:59):
Do you what?

Speaker 8 (01:35:01):
I just killed?

Speaker 11 (01:35:02):
Mary cut me? I didn't you wait till she turned
the painting over before you?

Speaker 5 (01:35:08):
Uh?

Speaker 8 (01:35:08):
I didn't intend to kill her. I was only trying
to scare her. But I I guess I pressed just
a little too hot. Yeah, and she grabbed the painting
and duck out of me. He's got to contact Roberts
herself and cut me out of my share of the
fifty grand. Fifty grand, that's right. And now that I've
filled you in under the tails, let's keep the conversation

(01:35:29):
at a minimum. Huh sure suit me? Oh yeah, it
suits you, doesn't it, Joe? You want the time to
think things out. Shortly before night saw you within a
few miles from the place where you dropped the envelope.

(01:35:50):
And then up ahead you see a side road. You
slow down, you turn your car into it. What you
said you thought that envelope off the highway? I did
part from here.

Speaker 22 (01:36:01):
I'd always better park the car somewhere along here under
the trees while we look for it.

Speaker 8 (01:36:05):
All right, got the car, sure, sure, And you slag
on the brake so sudden stops hoosing against the windshield.
An old trick, Joe, but it works. The yard stuns
him for an instant. The gun in his hand putters
to the floor. Quickly, you scoop it up.

Speaker 22 (01:36:22):
Okay, get out and start walking, I said, start walking
over there under the trees.

Speaker 8 (01:36:30):
Hell, look, chump, But let's let's talk this over half.

Speaker 11 (01:36:34):
And don't talk about keep moving.

Speaker 8 (01:36:35):
I've got you in on the fifty grand.

Speaker 11 (01:36:37):
We'll split it.

Speaker 8 (01:36:39):
I want a whole fifty grand for myself. You let
her get away with it.

Speaker 14 (01:36:42):
That's where you're wrong. I heard to tell this guy
Roberts over the phone to drop into your hotel room tomorrow.
So what so he doesn't know what you look like.

Speaker 8 (01:36:51):
I'll be there when he shows up. I'll turn the
painting over and.

Speaker 14 (01:36:54):
You know you'll find a painting a key busty at
hotel here for away last night. You've got a hurtry
to leave me.

Speaker 11 (01:37:02):
Right to it? All right?

Speaker 6 (01:37:04):
This?

Speaker 8 (01:37:05):
Yeah? Alright? So well, what are you game by popping
me off here?

Speaker 22 (01:37:09):
Too dangerous to be floating around in the loose. You
know too much about me. You might tip off the cup.

Speaker 8 (01:37:17):
Sorry, chum. You wipe the gun three your fingerprints, drop
it on the ground next to the body, and hurry
to your car. You drive back to the highway, find
the spot where you drop the envelope and pass. You've
got to find it, Joe, before nightfall, and that doesn't

(01:37:39):
give you much time. You look around, walk up the
side of the road for several hundred feet and things
you see. It's the envelope A drinks to end with me.
You rip it open.

Speaker 11 (01:37:52):
It is a hotel v Joe, and.

Speaker 8 (01:37:54):
You're sure what you read on the tab gives you
the answer to everything. Any hotel, Los Angeles. Early that evening,
you stroll into the lobby of the City Hotel in
Los Angeles. Buy a paper and drop into a chair

(01:38:16):
near the stairway. You glance at the familiar headlines of
the Marry Cotney murder, and then sit back and pretend
to read. But you don't read beyond the headlines. Do
your joe instead. You're on the alert. Your eyes sweep
the lobby from one end to the other. You've got
to play it safe. You smile as you take out

(01:38:37):
the house detective lounging against the desk. You're certain the
murder of Mary Cotney is the least of his worries.
You've got to be sure off one thing before you
go upstairs and roll seven eleven is really and Whitney's room.
You hurry out of the lobby and into the drug
store on the corner, or you make a phone call.

Speaker 11 (01:39:00):
I'd like to sink with miss Ann Whitney, please room
seven to eleven.

Speaker 19 (01:39:15):
And I'm sorry she got.

Speaker 11 (01:39:19):
No no, tell me?

Speaker 8 (01:39:22):
Do you have any idea when she'll be in?

Speaker 22 (01:39:24):
Oh, she didn't leave any way.

Speaker 8 (01:39:26):
I'm sorry. I'm not sorry baby one bit.

Speaker 14 (01:39:42):
If you had to wear heavy winter clothes right on
through spring, you wouldn't feel very peppy, would you, Well,
that's just how your car feels about tired old winter
motor oil and gear loub Now that spring is here, Yes,
if you want to put spring into your driving, it's
high time you were treating your car to a spring
changeover at a signal service station. First step is to

(01:40:03):
drain your motor and refill with signal Premium compound at
motor oil, the extra duty signal oil that does so
much more than just lubricate. Next step is fresh signal
gear loube for transmission and differential, and a signal double
checked lubrication for the chassie. At the same time, your
signal dealer will be glad to check those other points

(01:40:24):
that need attention every five or ten thousand miles, such
as front wheel bearings, oil filter, or air cleaner. Hey,
a car just can't help feeling peppier after a spring
tonic like this, So for extra driving pleasure all summer,
see your signal dealer this week for a signal spring changeover.

Speaker 8 (01:40:56):
It's working perfectly.

Speaker 22 (01:40:57):
Isn't it.

Speaker 8 (01:40:58):
Joe, and your certain in your pocket to sea the
Anne Whitney's rooms will lead you to the painting worth
fifty thousand dollars and you won't have to share any
of it with Mary Cotney's murderer. He's dead. You'll killed him,
and you're sure no one can connect you with his dead.
And now you've only to pick up the painting returned

(01:41:19):
to San Diego, turn it over to mister Roberts, and
receive the money. You stroll back to the hotel casually.
Miss Whitney isn't in her room, the hotel operator said,
But you're in no hurry, are you? You know she'll
never return because she's dead. It's all clear, as Mitchoe,
you're certain is when Mary Cotney decided to double cross

(01:41:41):
her partner Merkell, she registered as Anne Whitney and hid
the painting in hotel rooms seven eleven. You move across
the hotel lobby, then up the stairs. Finally at the
door to room seven eleven, you stripped the key into
the rocks. You turn it, step inside. Everything is going perfectly,

(01:42:02):
isn't this, Joe? It could take only a few moments
to find the painting. You turn on the lights. There's
fighting what you came for? Fellow?

Speaker 11 (01:42:11):
Who are you? Attendant?

Speaker 22 (01:42:13):
Storm and Amoside Cargan manrews oh Well it must become mistaken.
Look at this key, Well, I I kind of founded
you made a bad move coming here, and he've been
waiting for someone to show up waiting.

Speaker 11 (01:42:27):
I don't know what you mean.

Speaker 22 (01:42:28):
I girl, and Mary Cottney was murdered last night. The
hotel clerk here identified her is a girl who checked
into this room several days ago under the name of
Ann Whitney's.

Speaker 8 (01:42:37):
On that look, I don't know what this is all about.
I also told us the girl took the key to
this room.

Speaker 11 (01:42:41):
With her when she left. When we found the stolen.

Speaker 22 (01:42:44):
Painting here, we had a hunch that Mary Cottney's killer
would have her key to seven to eleven, and our
hunch was right.

Speaker 11 (01:42:51):
He did.

Speaker 14 (01:42:52):
Wait a minute, I told you I found that arrest
for the murder of Mary Cottony, But I didn't kill
Mary Cottony.

Speaker 8 (01:42:58):
Hey not Wait a minute. Yeah, there's a lot of
money to be carrying around.

Speaker 22 (01:43:05):
And let's see that money in mm hmmmm, let's clinches it.
You killed Mary cotton No, I didn't. Oh, yes, you did.
The serial numbers of these bills, check your number. That's right,
mister Winstor furnished us with the serial numbers of the
bill's Mary Cottey stole from him. It tells all about
it right on the front page of that newspaper you're carrying.

(01:43:27):
You should have read it before you walked in on it.

Speaker 11 (01:43:30):
Come on, let's go.

Speaker 14 (01:43:50):
Let that whistle be your signal of the Signal Oil program.
The Whistler et Sunday night at the same time talk
to you by the Signal Oil Company. Marketers are Signal
Gasoline and Motor oil and fine automotive accessories. To all
you friends who have been sending in limericks, Signal has
asked me to say thanks for the spirit in which
you've played the game. Next Sunday is the last time

(01:44:13):
limericks will be used on the Whistler, because Signal will
soon announce something new and important that you will all
be interested in. Read it in Tonight's story where Gerald Moore,
Francis Robinson, and Mary Dobkins. The Whistler was produced and
directed by George w Allen, with story by Edward Bludworth,

(01:44:34):
music by Wilbur Hat, and was transmitted to our troops
overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. The Whistler is
entirely fictional, and all characters portrayed on the Whissler are
also fictional. Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons
living or dead is purely coincidental.

Speaker 1 (01:44:52):
My dear, you do seem a bit peak it. Take
a deep breath with me, well, sort of. It's all right.
We're here to enjoy ourselves, not just in this room,
in each other's company, but in the broadest of senses.

(01:45:18):
Don't let fear hold you back. Don't let doubt keep
you from seeing what you truly want. Don't allow anything
to keep you away from your dreams or from the
Red Mark.

Speaker 28 (01:45:41):
Tired of the everyday routine, ever dream of a life
of romantic adventure, want to get away from it all?

Speaker 29 (01:45:52):
We offer you escape, escape designed to free you from
the four walls of to day for a half hour
of high adventure.

Speaker 11 (01:46:08):
To night.

Speaker 28 (01:46:09):
We escape to the prison island of New Caledonia and
to the murderous conflict between one of the prisoners and
the monstrous Monsieur Deneux official executioner. As John Russell tells
it in his terrifying story The Red Mark.

Speaker 30 (01:46:41):
We breathe in, breathe out, inhale and exhale, and we
are therefore considered officially as living privately, however, and always
with a snarl deep in our throats, we call ourselves
the living dead. We sleep without resting, wake without desire,

(01:47:02):
reat without pleasure, and work without hope. Some of us
work in the mine, summon the copra sheds. I myself
am a barber. But all of us wear the same
straw sandals and the same rough canvas jackets. And we
are never allowed to forget that this is the penal
colony of New Caledonia, we are convicts, and that France

(01:47:27):
is on the other side of the world.

Speaker 16 (01:47:29):
Hello, do you mind?

Speaker 30 (01:47:30):
Well, I'll be sure. You startled me.

Speaker 6 (01:47:33):
I didn't hear you come in.

Speaker 15 (01:47:35):
You were a daydream.

Speaker 30 (01:47:36):
Ah, you know how it is.

Speaker 15 (01:47:38):
I know how it is for you, But do you
mind for me? The dreams are at an end. My
life is a convict is an You have your ticket home?
Of course I have my ticket. I've only eight more
days to go. Eight days, three weeks on the ship
and then France, Freedom, wine, music, the theater up. Oh, sorry,
do you mine?

Speaker 30 (01:48:00):
You are my friend, my very good friend, but don't
talk to me about France.

Speaker 15 (01:48:05):
I'm really sorry.

Speaker 30 (01:48:06):
You're leaving in eight days, but I will be here
for thirteen more years. I know, I assume you wish
to be shaved. If you'd be so kind, be seated.

Speaker 15 (01:48:17):
Ah uh uh, do my, look right out the window
there coming across the compound.

Speaker 30 (01:48:24):
Ah, yes, Monsieur don't know, and his ugly little assistant
bomb beast the vultures.

Speaker 15 (01:48:33):
That's no matter for concern. If one has a prison,
one must have an executioner.

Speaker 30 (01:48:37):
Oh carefu that so Monsieur don't know is neither flesh
nor fowl, neither a convict or an official master of
the guillotine.

Speaker 15 (01:48:44):
He's a dog, a pig, but such easy work. If
one has a strong stomach for merely pulling the cord
on the guillotine only three or four times a year,
he's permitted a house of his own, even a wife.

Speaker 30 (01:48:56):
He's a corpse. He should be buried with a steak
through his heart.

Speaker 6 (01:48:58):
I hate him.

Speaker 8 (01:49:00):
Oh ignore him.

Speaker 15 (01:49:01):
He's nothing, an old bag of bones.

Speaker 30 (01:49:03):
He's the devil himself, devil.

Speaker 15 (01:49:05):
Eh do my, if he were the devil, he would
not be the stupid fool that he is. Ignore him,
I tell you I do.

Speaker 30 (01:49:11):
Ignore himn It can't be done careful with that razor.

Speaker 15 (01:49:16):
Hah ah, I'm sorry, Are you trying to become an
executioner yourself?

Speaker 30 (01:49:22):
Be sure there's something you know about monsieur, do not
tell me what it is?

Speaker 6 (01:49:27):
Look do mine?

Speaker 15 (01:49:28):
You will say nothing until next week, until I've sailed nothing.

Speaker 30 (01:49:32):
I swear it all right, I trust you.

Speaker 8 (01:49:36):
You know his wife?

Speaker 19 (01:49:36):
Of course?

Speaker 15 (01:49:37):
You mean that little girl, yes, from the fishing village
down the coast, Zilly your name is?

Speaker 6 (01:49:42):
What about her?

Speaker 15 (01:49:43):
Do you not agree that she's beautiful?

Speaker 30 (01:49:45):
That marriage is a sacrilege?

Speaker 15 (01:49:46):
True, but you can't blame her. Monsieur de new bought
her from her family's disgusting of course.

Speaker 10 (01:49:53):
But is she not beautiful?

Speaker 30 (01:49:55):
I am, I don't pretend to be a judge of
these things.

Speaker 11 (01:49:58):
You know she is? Well? What what about her?

Speaker 8 (01:50:01):
You ask?

Speaker 15 (01:50:02):
Do I have my tickets to France?

Speaker 8 (01:50:04):
Yes?

Speaker 15 (01:50:05):
Yes, but not just one. More than that, I have
two tickets two. Zelli is going with me?

Speaker 30 (01:50:11):
Be sure you're out of your mind?

Speaker 15 (01:50:12):
No, but I would be if I left here without her.

Speaker 30 (01:50:15):
But can you not imagine what that man will do
to you?

Speaker 15 (01:50:18):
He will do nothing because he knows nothing. He's a
stupid fool.

Speaker 30 (01:50:21):
But my friend, you are young and you've forgotten France, Paris,
the world outside is full of beautiful women. That it's
foolish to run this risk for Zelie when there will
be others waiting.

Speaker 27 (01:50:30):
What do mind?

Speaker 30 (01:50:32):
I love her, you love her, and she loves me.

Speaker 15 (01:50:37):
I'll try to make her happy, make her forget. She's
never been happy to mine, and she's a girl who
ought to be very, very happy all the time. Now,
if your hand is steady again, get on with my shave,
will you.

Speaker 30 (01:50:55):
I saw that my little friend Bijo was in dead earnest,
right or wrong. Foolish as he might be, he meant
every word he'd said, And suddenly I realized how much
alike they were, he and Zelli, the child bride of
the executioner. They were both small and slim, with lively
eyes and mouths that were quick with laughter. Why they

(01:51:17):
even looked alike? Across the compound, d'uneaux was talking with
his jackal of his servant as they promenaded a gaunt
black monster. He was the only convict among us who
never wore the shapeless gray canvas clothes. I glanced at
the two of them now and then as I went
on shaving, Bijore, wondering what they talked about. But they

(01:51:39):
dared to talk about in the bright clean light of
the sun, that hideous pair of devils.

Speaker 3 (01:51:46):
Master, where is it, BAMBI.

Speaker 7 (01:51:48):
Say the little one who smiles too often?

Speaker 27 (01:51:51):
Besure?

Speaker 2 (01:51:53):
What about him?

Speaker 7 (01:51:54):
In the barber's there he's being chaved?

Speaker 27 (01:51:57):
Do you assume the fact to be of some interest
to me? I only mentioned it un necessary. I was
already aware the Vijo was there in the barber's hut
being shaved.

Speaker 6 (01:52:09):
I'm sorry, Master.

Speaker 27 (01:52:11):
In fact, I am aware of several things that stupid
little Bijo thinks our secrets being shaved?

Speaker 3 (01:52:18):
Is heh?

Speaker 27 (01:52:20):
We have a blade that could give him a closer shave?
Eh bombys, Yes, it's so close that he would never
need another one. Interesting idea, very interesting. I think Vijo
was made rather a serious error, not realizing my cleverness.
A mistake. It may very well prove fatal.

Speaker 16 (01:52:53):
Zell.

Speaker 5 (01:52:54):
Who is it?

Speaker 27 (01:52:55):
Your husband, my little one, your old old husband? You
were expecting someone else?

Speaker 8 (01:53:03):
Perhaps?

Speaker 5 (01:53:03):
No, of course not.

Speaker 13 (01:53:05):
But you're home early?

Speaker 27 (01:53:06):
Did I surprise you?

Speaker 19 (01:53:08):
Well?

Speaker 27 (01:53:09):
I enjoy surprising you, my dear. Do you mind?

Speaker 5 (01:53:13):
No?

Speaker 13 (01:53:14):
But theyn won't be ready for another hour yet, I'll start.

Speaker 27 (01:53:17):
It at once an hour. What is an hour when
we have a lifetime together as any? Yes, sir, even
though I'm an old man, old enough to be your er,
your father.

Speaker 2 (01:53:32):
Eh, you do not answer me.

Speaker 5 (01:53:35):
I I don't consider you old, sir.

Speaker 6 (01:53:39):
Thank you.

Speaker 27 (01:53:40):
Then we will have many more years together. No, but
of course, sir, and we must make good use of
those years. We must do things.

Speaker 13 (01:53:50):
Eh, anything you wish?

Speaker 27 (01:53:51):
And why not begin with a small trip up the coast.
I can easily get permission.

Speaker 5 (01:53:58):
Whatever you say.

Speaker 31 (01:53:58):
Good, Then we shall leave the first of next week.
Next week, yes, my dear, why not? But next week
eight days from not the boat stops here.

Speaker 27 (01:54:12):
Well, I had forgotten about it. But what could that
possibly have to do with us?

Speaker 19 (01:54:19):
Well?

Speaker 5 (01:54:19):
Letters, there may be letters for you from France, and
your papers.

Speaker 15 (01:54:23):
You know how you love your papers?

Speaker 27 (01:54:25):
Er, you were so considerate of my welfare's eli try
to be sir. You must love me very much. I said,
you must love me very much. Oh, of course say it?
What say that you love me very much?

Speaker 5 (01:54:49):
I love you very much, sir.

Speaker 3 (01:54:53):
Pretty.

Speaker 27 (01:54:55):
It's so unfortunate you must always address me, yes, sir
much too.

Speaker 11 (01:54:59):
Former.

Speaker 5 (01:55:00):
It means nothing, It's only a habit.

Speaker 27 (01:55:02):
You must do something about that habit. I'm going out
while you prepared dinner. Silly, I must see Bombast about
a little matter.

Speaker 5 (01:55:10):
You'll be back soon.

Speaker 27 (01:55:11):
But of course, how could I bear to be away
from you, not to see you or touch you, for
even one single night? Good bye, silly. I'm beast, yes her?
Oh eh, hey, yes, Master, I'm beast. Are you aware

(01:55:34):
that we've not worked in some time till?

Speaker 7 (01:55:37):
Not for a long time?

Speaker 8 (01:55:39):
Too long?

Speaker 27 (01:55:40):
Eh, Bombies, Oh, yes, Master, much too long, I'm beast.
In view of that treaty between the government of the
jungle tribes, the prison officials might be very displeased if
a native should be murdered.

Speaker 7 (01:55:54):
But of course the officials are leaning over backward to
avoid trouble.

Speaker 27 (01:55:58):
And what do you think would happen to a man
who murdered the native? Chunk surgery precisely?

Speaker 7 (01:56:07):
Has somebody killed a Canack?

Speaker 27 (01:56:08):
No, Beast, not.

Speaker 6 (01:56:10):
Yet, not yet, Bombast.

Speaker 27 (01:56:13):
Do you happen to know where our little friend sleeps
at night, handsome Beejo?

Speaker 7 (01:56:20):
I think it is in Barrack number twelve.

Speaker 27 (01:56:24):
Would you find his bed in the dark?

Speaker 6 (01:56:27):
Yes, master, But.

Speaker 12 (01:56:29):
If it is a matter of slipping a knife between
his ribs, there are much better places than the barracks.

Speaker 27 (01:56:35):
Why not in the jungle where it may seem that
a native please bombast or, I'm sy master, you are
not going to slip a knife between Bijou's ribs. In fact,
my little Bombastite the contrary.

Speaker 32 (01:56:50):
Well, we got we got to mine quiet visual, be sure,
what do you want?

Speaker 11 (01:57:10):
Why are you awake?

Speaker 30 (01:57:11):
Do my something has happened.

Speaker 6 (01:57:13):
I'm not sure what it is. Oh, what do you mean?

Speaker 15 (01:57:16):
I woke a moment ago some some sound, I think
to my I have something here to show you?

Speaker 6 (01:57:21):
What? Oh?

Speaker 30 (01:57:22):
What is a visual?

Speaker 6 (01:57:23):
Wait?

Speaker 30 (01:57:24):
Let me strike a matchic look. He was holding a
convicts jacket in his hands, made of gray cotton canvas.
The number on the pocket was two two three two
be show's own number, and the whole front of the
jacket was splattered with bright red blood.

Speaker 29 (01:57:53):
In just a moment, we will return with the second
act of escape. But first, most people like to know
what to expect. But on at least one CBS show,
a great part of the fun is in what turns
up on the spur of the moment. That show is
Grouto Mark's Great Quiz You Bet Your Life, heard every
Wednesday night on most of these same CBS stations. Now

(01:58:14):
we return you to the second act of escape.

Speaker 30 (01:58:26):
The brief time before the match flared and went out
seemed like minutes. I grabbed the show by the arm
and lay still, listening in the darkness, straining to hear
whether anyone else may have been awakened.

Speaker 3 (01:58:38):
There was no sound.

Speaker 15 (01:58:39):
The other men slept on my sandals, feeling they're wet. Yes,
they'd been worn outside somewhere within the last hour. And
do my My knife has blown on it too.

Speaker 30 (01:58:53):
Be sure, Tell me quickly, where have you been?

Speaker 10 (01:58:56):
What have you done?

Speaker 5 (01:58:57):
Nothing?

Speaker 15 (01:58:58):
I've been asleep.

Speaker 30 (01:58:59):
You've not been out of the bed.

Speaker 15 (01:59:00):
No, I swear it to Why what is this?

Speaker 30 (01:59:03):
What does it mean, bijore? I think it means that
someone is more clever than you. Wait, what is it
the prison docks? Listen, Yes, they're coming this way, do you?

Speaker 15 (01:59:16):
Why are they after me?

Speaker 3 (01:59:17):
Who else?

Speaker 5 (01:59:19):
What am I going to do?

Speaker 6 (01:59:20):
Well?

Speaker 30 (01:59:20):
First, we must dispose of these bloody clothes in the jungle.
I think we You're going to help me, of course,
my friend. Come, I have a plan. Quietly, now, be
sure and quickly. We threaded our way among the sleeping
convicts to the rear of the barracks. Near the back door,
I saw a pair of old worn rope sandals. I

(01:59:41):
grabbed them and took them with me, And then we
raced across the herd beaten earth of the compound, cursing
the bright moon overhead, and plunged under the black thicket
of leanna and mangrove and fern into the jungle. For
half an hour or more, we smashed our way through
the soggy tangle of undergrowth, crashing into trees, tripping into

(02:00:04):
vines and roots, sprawling full length on the swampy loam.
But always we staggered to our feet again and ran
on and on and on to mine.

Speaker 8 (02:00:13):
Where is it?

Speaker 15 (02:00:14):
Where's that stream?

Speaker 30 (02:00:16):
We must be very close now. I saw it here
somewhere last spring.

Speaker 15 (02:00:20):
But this is not last spring.

Speaker 30 (02:00:22):
Streams do not move about.

Speaker 15 (02:00:23):
Keep on, we'll never find it.

Speaker 16 (02:00:26):
In this darkness.

Speaker 30 (02:00:26):
There will be a path of moonlight. The trees are
open above the stream. No, bi, sure, go on, what
do mine? It's no time to stop now.

Speaker 15 (02:00:34):
Wait listen, I think the dogs are closer.

Speaker 30 (02:00:39):
No, but they soon will be.

Speaker 11 (02:00:41):
Come on to mine.

Speaker 15 (02:00:42):
We must find that stream.

Speaker 30 (02:00:46):
And then minutes later we did find it. Dead, tired,
and dripping with sweat from the steaming heat of the
tropic night. We stumbled over a low hummock and saw
the blazing white path of moonlight ahead of us, almost
at our feet.

Speaker 6 (02:00:58):
We slid down.

Speaker 30 (02:00:59):
The shallow dropped to her knees, and then all our
brave hopes died out of us.

Speaker 11 (02:01:06):
Do my.

Speaker 6 (02:01:09):
Do?

Speaker 15 (02:01:09):
Why the stream is dry?

Speaker 8 (02:01:10):
Be shore?

Speaker 30 (02:01:11):
I tell you last spring it was a torrent that
filled these banks so high, higher than my head's Try.

Speaker 15 (02:01:18):
Not a trickle, bess her. They're coming closer. Run do
my run while you still can't.

Speaker 30 (02:01:26):
No, look, I brought another part of sandals from the
barrack here.

Speaker 11 (02:01:29):
Put them on.

Speaker 30 (02:01:30):
The dogs will not have the scent of this pear. Quickly.

Speaker 15 (02:01:33):
Now you'll put on those saddles and then circle back
to the barrack.

Speaker 5 (02:01:36):
They'll never know you.

Speaker 15 (02:01:37):
Let I can run no farther.

Speaker 6 (02:01:40):
I'll wait for them.

Speaker 8 (02:01:41):
Be shure.

Speaker 30 (02:01:42):
I cannot leave you here.

Speaker 15 (02:01:43):
That don't be a fool. But on those sandals, hurry
numberfore us too late and later There's something I'd like
for you to do for me. Here the tickets to France.

Speaker 1 (02:01:55):
Give them to Zell.

Speaker 15 (02:01:57):
I'll get away from it.

Speaker 6 (02:01:59):
If only there was some way to kill him. With nothing.

Speaker 11 (02:02:03):
To go to the.

Speaker 30 (02:02:06):
Leon, they will take care of her all right. Is
there nothing else that you know?

Speaker 11 (02:02:14):
Then?

Speaker 30 (02:02:14):
Goodbye bi Shore, good bye my friend.

Speaker 15 (02:02:18):
Tell her I love her very much.

Speaker 30 (02:02:29):
Being a convict, I was of course not permitted to
attend the trial of my friend Bijou for the murder
of a native. There were two convicts present, however, two
star witnesses who palmed the Bible reverently and swore to
having seen Bijo commit the murder, two demons from Hell,

(02:02:50):
Monsieur d'neaux and Bombast. The trial was over in less
than two hours. The verdict was not surprising, the sentence inevitable.

Speaker 28 (02:03:02):
Convict Bijaux, you arise and face the council. Have you
anything more to say in your defense?

Speaker 15 (02:03:10):
Nothing I haven't said before. I've killed Noah.

Speaker 28 (02:03:16):
Then this Council of the penal Colony of New Caledonia,
sitting as a special court of the Republic of France,
finds you guilty as charged. As commandant of this prison,
I order you to be taken to the compound of
the camp at daybreak of the second morning following, and

(02:03:36):
there in the presence of your fellow convicts to be guillotined.

Speaker 30 (02:03:51):
I the night before the execution, I stood outside Bijau's
cell rose cigarettes and handed them to him through the
barred window. The guard dozed somewhere on the other side
of the hut. After all, my friend was to die
in the morning. No one could escape from this place,
and there was no reason for caution.

Speaker 15 (02:04:09):
Sillie, how did she take it? Is you all right?

Speaker 30 (02:04:11):
I could only see her for a moment. It was dangerous.
I gave her the tickets, but she says she will
not leave you.

Speaker 15 (02:04:15):
It's I who will be leaving in the morning at daybreak.

Speaker 30 (02:04:18):
Does she expect a miracle? Probably because she is in
love with you. She's very upset, of course, Nellie out
of her mind, poor little silly.

Speaker 15 (02:04:27):
I hope it goes well with her. France, Bijore.

Speaker 30 (02:04:30):
Is there nothing at all I can do for you?

Speaker 8 (02:04:32):
Some song?

Speaker 11 (02:04:33):
Nothing?

Speaker 15 (02:04:34):
The Republic has been very thoughtful in all the details.
In a bottle of red wine with my last meal
or the vintage was atrocious, Bijou. And look they've even
left me the black hood which I wear to the guillotine.
I suppose I'm to make sure of the size or
get used to wearing it or something? My friend, which
you like for me to send for the priest? He
was here, but I sent him away. I thought he

(02:04:55):
would need a good night's sleep, since he's supposed to
accompany me in my ordeal, not of course, to the
extent of getting his head cut off. You understand, bijou?

Speaker 30 (02:05:03):
How can you make jokes about a thing like this?

Speaker 20 (02:05:05):
My friend?

Speaker 15 (02:05:05):
How can I do anything else? The game is over?
Should I pound my head on the wall and scream
like a madmanner?

Speaker 9 (02:05:11):
Quiet?

Speaker 30 (02:05:12):
Someone is coming? Mishare it is Sally?

Speaker 3 (02:05:16):
What Sali?

Speaker 8 (02:05:19):
Are they here?

Speaker 23 (02:05:20):
Who is it?

Speaker 8 (02:05:21):
You mind?

Speaker 27 (02:05:23):
Come here by the wall?

Speaker 5 (02:05:26):
You mind? Does not waste time?

Speaker 15 (02:05:28):
Go away from here quickly before they find you.

Speaker 5 (02:05:30):
Be quiet, dear.

Speaker 15 (02:05:32):
Here the key to was Selima.

Speaker 5 (02:05:34):
The guards a sleep. Where did you get this from
my husband after he went to sleep?

Speaker 30 (02:05:38):
Hurry please, but it will help nothing, only cause trouble
for you.

Speaker 5 (02:05:41):
There's no time to argue. Hurry.

Speaker 30 (02:05:45):
I took the key and slipped around to the entrance
of the hut. The fat guard dozed in a chair
with his hands folded on his paunch. I moved past him,
tiptoed to the door of Bijou's cell, fitted the key
in the lock. I held my breath, but nothing stirred.
Bishow came out of the cell without a word. We

(02:06:07):
slipped past the guard and met Celi by the wall
of the hut. The three of us skirted the moonlit
compound with a grim black shadow of the guillotine in
the center of it, without erasing any alarm. We finally
reached the edge of the jungle. Zellie clung with a
desperate grip to Bejou's hand and wept sometimes, but gradually,

(02:06:32):
it became clear to all of us that there was
no answer, no escape. Bijow might swim to the ship
lying in the harbor, but with a prisoner at large,
it was sure to be searched before it sailed. The
coast in either direction was too well guarded, and that
left only the jungle in the hills beyond hills, swarming
with savages who were quite aware that the head of
an escaped convict delivered to the commandant was good for

(02:06:56):
a bolt of bright red calico.

Speaker 11 (02:06:59):
But I spare.

Speaker 30 (02:07:00):
The jungle seemed to offer at least some forlorn hope,
and so it was decided Bijou would try to reach
the western side of the island and from there Australia,
while Zelle would sail on the ship when it left
in the morning and wait for a word and leave on.
One thing was fortunate she had brought the clothes. Bejaure
had planned the word to France. We could leave his

(02:07:21):
convict Garb and his cell and stop in a trail.
This time there would be no dogs. Three hours before dawn,
after a long kiss for Zelly and the hand grip
for me, Bijau turned and struck into the jungle, and
Zelle broke in the tears.

Speaker 33 (02:07:39):
He has no chant when there's a bond, find him
and kill him, monsieur, you might.

Speaker 5 (02:07:43):
You know he has no chest.

Speaker 30 (02:07:44):
He's very clever, zelly and brave. Of course, there's a chance.

Speaker 5 (02:07:48):
I think he knows to kill him. Think he's only
being kind to me.

Speaker 30 (02:07:51):
You're only speaking foolishness. You must be brave too, you know.

Speaker 5 (02:07:54):
Pray I could do anything for Michaud except losing.

Speaker 30 (02:07:59):
Well, you're likely to do that if we stay here
any longer. It's too near dawn now, and we have
to take those clothes back to the cell. You must
go home and be ready to slip aboard.

Speaker 5 (02:08:06):
The boat only a few days ago. I was so happy.

Speaker 33 (02:08:10):
For the first time in my life, Monsieur, we were
going away on that boat, little Bijo, and I now
in your mind, I cannot go on living without him.
I cannot bear to live without him.

Speaker 30 (02:08:30):
As was the custom in those days, we knelt bareheaded,
over four hundred of us, on the hard packed dirt
of the compound, facing the guillotine. The morning sun bursts
suddenly over the eastern rim of the sea. It's blood

(02:08:50):
red color, fitting for the business at hand. The commandant
of the prison stood only a few yards from me,
and just beyond him fussing over their hideous machine, those
two vultures of evil, Monsieur d'uneux and bombast. The stage
was set, the audience was ready, and only I knew

(02:09:12):
that the star actor would not make an appearance.

Speaker 28 (02:09:15):
Is everything in readiness, Monsieur Danneux.

Speaker 27 (02:09:17):
Quite in readiness, Monsieur le commander.

Speaker 3 (02:09:20):
Very well, bring out the prisoner.

Speaker 30 (02:09:25):
I looked toward the cell hut and waited, keeping my
face as blank as all those around me. And then
a priest and a guard stepped out of the hut
and came toward us, and walking between them, wearing the
gray convict's uniform and the black hood of the condemned,
was my little friend bijhore one moment of Shark, and

(02:09:47):
then I suddenly understood his apparent agreement with our plans.
A few hours earlier, he had reasoned that by this
time Zelle should be aboard the ship that had waited
only for the tide to sail. She would not know
of the execution for months, a year or more of
a but then she would be settled safely in France.
And so be Shore had come back to place his death.

Speaker 25 (02:10:09):
Romas raised the condemned prisoner.

Speaker 9 (02:10:12):
On the rack.

Speaker 30 (02:10:13):
Yes, master of all of us in the compound that morning,
the man who was to die seemed the least afraid
and the least concerned of any So the hideous black
hood covered his face and head to the shoulders. No
hood nor prison clothes could hide the almost jaunty swagger
of his walk. That swagger spoke a reproof to the

(02:10:36):
justice of the prison court, sneered at the blood stained,
evil soul of d'uneux and gave courage and hope to
us who knelt on the ground.

Speaker 25 (02:10:47):
I am ready to proceed, monsieur le commandant.

Speaker 27 (02:10:51):
Is it your order that this prisoner he executed?

Speaker 28 (02:10:55):
It is proceed, Monsieur dannux.

Speaker 25 (02:10:58):
Rommay here's the knight. I sink to the very top,
to the top Master.

Speaker 30 (02:11:09):
The eyes of all of us officials and convicts alike
followed the heavy blade, moving slowly up the guides fascinated.
Some of us snarled or cursed, some of us trembled,
But only Monsieur d'unaux smiled to him sudden, So intent

(02:11:30):
was my gaze that I hardly noticed the native who
pushed past me carrying a leaf wrap bundle and walked
up to the commandant.

Speaker 8 (02:11:36):
Here, what is this?

Speaker 11 (02:11:38):
What are you doing here?

Speaker 15 (02:11:39):
They bring him pella head? Hala sami. You gave him
one piece of calico.

Speaker 28 (02:11:44):
We've had no escape here long time fella here, no.

Speaker 15 (02:11:48):
Chop chop bush Halai bring him onpella head.

Speaker 30 (02:11:51):
You look, monsieur do not holding the release cord of
the guillotine and his hand smiling, still had not noticed.
The native fumbled with his package and souddenly out rolled
a human head, one that was impossible.

Speaker 11 (02:12:05):
To mistake you.

Speaker 30 (02:12:08):
But but this is the head of the convict.

Speaker 6 (02:12:11):
Bijore.

Speaker 30 (02:12:11):
Than who in the name of heaven was the prisoner
on the rack.

Speaker 16 (02:12:14):
Monsieur du stop.

Speaker 30 (02:12:16):
No stop, Monsieur, that was not Bijore.

Speaker 20 (02:12:24):
Here is his head?

Speaker 6 (02:12:25):
Lowk not beho, Who is it you have killed?

Speaker 27 (02:12:31):
Pull off the hood and sea No, No, I'm afraid,
Monsieur d'aneux.

Speaker 20 (02:12:38):
Remove that hood.

Speaker 5 (02:12:42):
Hm hm hm hm.

Speaker 30 (02:12:47):
And then suddenly I knew it was not necessary for
me to see whom Monsieur d'arneux had executed. Little Zelie
had taken the place of Bishore on the guilloty and
now had joined him in death.

Speaker 29 (02:13:17):
Escape is produced and directed by William N. Robson to
night we have presented The Red Mark by John Russell,
freely adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and Mannigrotnik. Beatured
in the cast were Bill Conrad as Domai, Harry Bartel
is Viigo, will Gere is Monsieur Deneux, Barbara Whiting as Zelli, Junius,
Matthews as Bumbeast, and Paul Freeze as the Commandant. Special

(02:13:40):
music was arranged and conducted by Del Castilio.

Speaker 1 (02:13:47):
Ah, the night has come to its natural conclusion. It's
time for you to go home and for me to
return to. Well, let's not go there just yet. Please
enjoy your sojourn as you go through the woods and

(02:14:12):
over the river, and way down deep and way up hard.
But as you enter the threshold of your beautiful house,
as you lay your head on that wonderful down pillow
and your eyes blink heavier and heavier, take just.

Speaker 11 (02:14:32):
A moment from me.

Speaker 1 (02:14:35):
And be thankful for what you have, and I'll be
right here waiting. I'll be seen here.

Speaker 20 (02:14:45):
Come along and learn, my Emily Dacum, like beak into falling.

Speaker 8 (02:15:00):
Don't bring your wrong bring your mumbling pilate, think of breakage.

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Unknown Broadcast | Jealousy, Keys & Red Marks: Four Old-Time Radio Horror Stories

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Unknown Broadcast | Jealousy, Keys & Red Marks: Four Old-Time Radio Horror Stories