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The Whistler - "Meet Mr Death" (Old Time Radio, 1945) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: On April 23, 1945, the CBS Pacific Network carried episode
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: 152 of The Whistler, sponsored by Signal Oil. Tonight's story,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Meet Mr. Death, takes us to New York City in 1915,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: where drugstore clerk Jerry Mason becomes involved in a financial
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: scheme arranged by gambler Herman Arnold. When Arnold is murdered
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: and the money disappears, Jerry and his girlfriend, Laurie Crane,
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: find themselves in a dangerous situation. Howard Duff, Ken Christie,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: and Marvin Miller are heard in the cast. And now,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Signal gasoline.
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: Let every traffic signal remind you, you do go farther
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: with signal gasoline. Yes, you do go farther with signal gasoline.
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: The Signal Oil Company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: you another curious story by the whistler.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Tonight, meet Mr.
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: Death.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: I am the whistler. And I know many things, for
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: in the hearts of men and women who have stepped
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: which they dare not speak. 1915 was a big year
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: for a lot of people in New York City. Herman Arnold,
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: for instance. Herman Arnold, the gambler, was murdered. And because
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: of that, it was a big year for Jerry Mason,
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: drugstore clerk. Yes, 1915 was the year Jerry Mason met Mr.
• 2:10
  Speaker 4: Death.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: You see, just before he died, Herman Arnold persuaded Jerry
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: Mason to embezzle $ 1, 800 from the safe at Thatcher's drugstore
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: where he worked. He was going to double it overnight.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: That's what Jerry told Laurie Crane, his girlfriend. Only then
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: the news came. Arnold was murdered. The money was gone.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: And all Laurie could say was.
• 2:31
  Speaker 5: Jerry, maybe we'd better run.
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: Leave town. Are you crazy? They'd catch us sooner or later.
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: I'll think of something now. Let me alone.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: Yes, if it hadn't been for Herman Arnold and his
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: foolproof scheme for doubling that embezzled money, Jerry Mason might
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: never have met Mr.
• 2:47
  Speaker 6: Death.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: But the meeting was in the cards that night in April, 1915.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: Everything that happened was in preparation for the meeting. Herman
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Arnold's death, Mr. Thatcher's coming back from his vacation, and
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: after Laurie's phone call....
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: Hello? Oh, sorry, I kept you waiting. The phone.
• 3:07
  Speaker 6: Yeah, got some aspirin?
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, sure. There you are, 25.
• 3:13
  Speaker 6: Open kind of late tonight, aren't you? Here.
• 3:16
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I was about to close up when you came in.
• 3:18
  Speaker 7: That's 25 out of... Hey.
• 3:20
  Speaker 6: What's the matter?
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: You gave me a thousand dollar bill.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I know. There's something else I want to buy
• 3:26
  Speaker 6: besides asthma.
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: I can't make change for this.
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: You can keep the change.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Huh?
• 3:30
  Speaker 6: And there are four more just like that one for you.
• 3:33
  Speaker 6: When you deliver it.
• 3:34
  Speaker 4: I don't get it, mister.
• 3:36
  Speaker 6: Were you alone?
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: Wait a minute. Yeah, I was alone.
• 3:41
  Speaker 6: You're pretty hard up for dough, ain't you? Small matter
• 3:43
  Speaker 6: of 1,800 bucks.
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: Who told you?
• 3:45
  Speaker 6: Never mind, I know. There's something we want to buy, Mr. Mason.
• 3:50
  Speaker 6: You're the only guy in town who sells it.
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 3:53
  Speaker 6: This ain't ordinary merchandise, Mr.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 3:57
  Speaker 6: I understand you have a regular customer by the name
• 3:59
  Speaker 6: of Ted Conley.
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: Yeah, the newspaper columnist.
• 4:02
  Speaker 6: What's he buy here?
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: Has his prescriptions filled.
• 4:04
  Speaker 6: What kind of prescription?
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: Chlorohydrate. He can't sleep at night without it.
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: Pretty powerful drug, ain't it?
• 4:09
  Speaker 4: On small doses, I put it up for him in capsules.
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: I see. What about large doses?
• 4:15
  Speaker 4: What do you mean?
• 4:16
  Speaker 6: I mean if he was accidentally to take a capsule... Well,
• 4:19
  Speaker 6: it was loaded with maybe three times as much as usual.
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: Oh, I wouldn't have it. I'm very careful. Eight grains
• 4:25
  Speaker 4: is only.
• 4:25
  Speaker 6: Suppose you accidentally loaded one of them capsules, Mr. Mason.
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 4:30
  Speaker 6: Get it?
• 4:32
  Speaker 4: I see. You want to buy a... murder.
• 4:37
  Speaker 6: It's only murder when you get caught. Now, if Mr.
• 4:40
  Speaker 6: Townley was to be found the next morning... Dead with
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: an overdose of chloral hydrate in him. What would you say?
• 4:47
  Speaker 6: That is, if he was holding the post-mortem. Well, I'd
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: check the rest of the capsules in the box.
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: Uh-huh.
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: And suppose you found them all kosher.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: Then I'd say he took more than one on purpose.
• 4:56
  Speaker 6: Is it worth five grand?
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 4:59
  Speaker 6: Five grand just to load one capsule and slip it
• 5:01
  Speaker 6: in his next prescription?
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: All right, I'll do it.
• 5:06
  Speaker 6: You're smart, Mr.
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: Mason.
• 5:08
  Speaker 6: I'll have the other four grand for you within an
• 5:10
  Speaker 6: hour after Mr. Townley wakes up dead. Good night, Mr.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 5:14
  Speaker 6: $ 5, 000.
• 5:15
  Speaker 4: I'm okay. I'd better close up now. Pardon me. How'd
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: you get in here?
• 5:29
  Speaker 5: I came in through the side door. I've been looking
• 5:32
  Speaker 5: at the magazines over there behind the rack. I'd like
• 5:35
  Speaker 5: to purchase this.
• 5:35
  Speaker 4: How long have you been here?
• 5:37
  Speaker 5: Oh, half an hour or more. I hope you don't mind.
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: That man who just left?
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: Yes, I saw him. I didn't want to interrupt. You
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: both seemed to be so interested. You heard what we
• 5:46
  Speaker 5: were saying? Oh, I didn't pay much attention. You see,
• 5:50
  Speaker 5: I'm quite excited. I'm going on a trip to Europe.
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: I'll take this issue of travel, if you don't mind.
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: It has a remarkable article on Syria. Have you ever
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: been to Europe, Mr.
• 6:00
  Speaker 4: Mason? How'd you know my name?
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: I happened to hear that gentleman call you Mr.
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: Mason. Is that all you heard?
• 6:07
  Speaker 5: What's the matter, Mr.
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: Mason?
• 6:08
  Speaker 5: I'm dreadfully sorry if I eavesdropped, but it was entirely unintentional.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: I see. Magazine's 25 cents. Yes, sir.
• 6:18
  Speaker 5: There you are.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Thanks.
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: I'm so excited about my trip, I can hardly close
• 6:24
  Speaker 5: my eyes at night. It's a good thing I don't
• 6:26
  Speaker 5: do this very often. They say a large proportion of
• 6:30
  Speaker 5: American businessmen die prematurely because they can't sleep at night.
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: What made you say that?
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: Oh, it's true. You know, Mr. Mason, this will be
• 6:39
  Speaker 5: the first time in my life I've left New York State,
• 6:42
  Speaker 5: except for a trip or two to Jersey City, of course.
• 6:45
  Speaker 5: No wonder I'm excited, eh?
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: When are you leaving?
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: May 1st.
• 6:49
  Speaker 5: Say, I wonder if you'd do me a favor.
• 6:52
  Speaker 8: What?
• 6:53
  Speaker 5: Well, the next issue of Travel has an article on
• 6:56
  Speaker 5: English inns. I wonder if you'd be kind enough to
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: put one aside for me.
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: Okay, I'll save you.
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: Oh, I'll come in for it. It should be a
• 7:04
  Speaker 5: week or so, shouldn't it?
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: Or just before the first of May.
• 7:06
  Speaker 5: Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll be going now.
• 7:09
  Speaker 7: Oh, I'm sorry about being so touchy. You know, that
• 7:12
  Speaker 7: other customer, he kind of had me on edge. He
• 7:14
  Speaker 7: kept talking in riddles. You hear what he was telling me?
• 7:18
  Speaker 8: What?
• 7:18
  Speaker 5: Just a word now and then. Enough to... To what?
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: To know it was none of my business. Good night, Mr.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 7:28
  Speaker 5: I'll be back on April 30th for the magazine.
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: Friends, as you sit listening to The Whistler, you hear
• 7:43
  Speaker 6: only sounds.
• 7:44
  Speaker 4: You hear a certain creaking.
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: and in your mind you picture a slowly opening door.
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: Or the sound of a motor accelerating and you visualize
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: a car driving off. All right, here's a test for you.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: See if you can picture in your mind the trademark
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: of the sponsor of this program, your neighborhood signal gasoline dealer.
• 8:04
  Speaker 6: I'll give you two seconds.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Well, you were right.
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: If you visualize a black circle with yellow letters spelling
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: out the words signal gasoline. And, of course, a traffic
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: signal in the center. Which is why we say, let
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: every traffic signal remind you, you do go farther with
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: Signal Gasoline. What's more, that's a mighty good sign to
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: look for these days. Because there you'll find not only
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: Signal's famous go-farther gasoline, but the full line of Signal's
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: specialized lubricants. Really conscientious service, too, by experienced Signal dealers.
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: More eager to please you because they're in business for themselves.
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: So let the black and yellow signal circle be your
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: insurance of the protection your car needs to last out
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: the duration. And now, back to the whistler.
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: Whistling So Jerry Mason didn't close the store that night
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: after the little man had left with his travel magazine.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: He just stood there at the counter thinking for a
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: long time. Then he went back to the pharmacy department
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: and took down a jar of chloral hydrate and a
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: few gelatin capsules. Yes, it could be done easily. Simple
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: as ABC. The easiest five grand he'd ever make in
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: his life. Or perhaps the hardest. That little man with
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: a travel book. How much had he heard? You watched
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: him carefully, Jerry. It wasn't a sign he knew anything.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Go home and get some sleep. Forget about Laurie waiting
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: for you at her apartment. Forget about the little man.
• 9:55
  Speaker 6: Just go home and get some sleep.
• 10:03
  Speaker 9: Sleep.
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: Two o'clock. Forget about the little man, Jerry.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: Just an innocent old fuddy-duddy who happened to stroll in
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: that side door at the wrong time.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: Go on.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: Get some sleep. He knows.
• 10:29
  Speaker 6: He must know. He knew your name, didn't he?
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: If he could hear that, he could hear the rest.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: That is, if he was listening. Wait a minute. Get
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: hold of yourself. Are you going to toss over five
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: grand because of a crazy hunch and go to prison
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: for embezzlement when Thatcher starts looking for that 1800? Are
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: you yellow?
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: Don't be stupid.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: Get some sleep. Yes, get some sleep.
• 11:08
  Speaker 8: Jerry, you look like a ghost.
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: I couldn't sleep all night. I gotta decide right now.
• 11:12
  Speaker 4: Tell him he'll be in here for his prescription any minute.
• 11:15
  Speaker 8: We made a wrong guess, Jerry. About the 1800s.
• 11:18
  Speaker 4: I know, I know.
• 11:19
  Speaker 8: I love you, Jerry. Don't let them drag you down
• 11:21
  Speaker 8: any farther.
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: But what about Thatcher's money?
• 11:23
  Speaker 8: Jerry, it's murder.
• 11:24
  Speaker 7: If I get caught, it's murder. I just can't get
• 11:27
  Speaker 7: that guy with the magazine out of my mind.
• 11:29
  Speaker 10: Townley's a big man, Jerry. They won't pass it off
• 11:31
  Speaker 10: without a question. He knows too much about too many people.
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: Well, there can only be one answer, I tell you.
• 11:36
  Speaker 7: The guy's an addict and everybody knows that people like
• 11:38
  Speaker 7: that die from overdoses every day.
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: I'm a cinch. If that little guy with the glasses
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: is as dumb as he looks.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Morning, Jerry.
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: Oh, Mr. Townley. How's the newspaper business?
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: Rotten, thanks.
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: Oh, this is my fiancee, Miss Crane.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: Miss Crane?
• 11:57
  Speaker 8: How do you do?
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: A word of advice, Miss Crane. Keep him away from
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: the newspaper business. Fate worse than death. How about my chemicals, Jerry? Yes, sir.
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: If you can wait, I'll have it for you in
• 12:11
  Speaker 4: just a minute.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 12:13
  Speaker 6: I really mean it, Miss Crane.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: You do?
• 12:15
  Speaker 10: Yes.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: Maybe she's right, Jerry. Maybe you'd better forget the whole mess.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: And yes, throw away $ 5, 000. More money than you'll ever
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: have if you live to be 100. Townley's a nice guy.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Be ashamed to bump him off. Maybe Thatcher will listen
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: to reason about the discrepancy. Let you off easy.
• 12:42
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: Take that capsule out and look at it for a minute.
• 12:46
  Speaker 5: $ 5, 000.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: Right in the palm of my hand. Five thousand. All right, Mr.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: Townley.
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: There's one for good measure.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: It's done, Jerry. No way of changing it now. And
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: even you're surprised when it pays off only two nights later.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Two more nights without sleep, by the way. It's about
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: midnight when you hear someone at the door.
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: Who could that be at this time of night?
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Yes?
• 13:28
  Speaker 11: You Jeremiah T.
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: Mason? That's right.
• 13:30
  Speaker 11: Sorry to get you out of bed this time of night, Mr.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 13:32
  Speaker 11: I'm Hodges, Homicide Bureau.
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: Homicide?
• 13:35
  Speaker 11: Don't be alarmed. Just making a routine investigation. It hasn't
• 13:39
  Speaker 11: come out in the papers yet, but Ted Townley, the columnist,
• 13:42
  Speaker 11: was found dead in his.
• 13:42
  Speaker 6: Apartment this afternoon. Overdose of sleeping powder.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: Well, come in, please.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: Thanks.
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: Sit down. Yeah. It'll only be a minute.
• 13:58
  Speaker 11: I understand you're employed by the Thatcher Drug Company, where
• 14:00
  Speaker 11: Tom Lee got his prescriptions filled.
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: Yes. As a matter of fact, I usually put them
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: up myself. What was the drug? Chlorohydrate.
• 14:07
  Speaker 6: Uh-huh.
• 14:09
  Speaker 4: How long had he been taking it? Oh, I think
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: about five years.
• 14:13
  Speaker 6: I see. Huh.
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: Excuse me for a minute. Sure, sure.
• 14:17
  Speaker 11: Go ahead.
• 14:19
  Speaker 4: Hello? Mr.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: Mason? Yeah.
• 14:23
  Speaker 6: You did a nice job.
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: Oh, don't apologize, Laurie. You didn't get me out of bed.
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: Inspector Hodges of the Homicide Squad is here.
• 14:32
  Speaker 6: I get you.
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: It seems Townley, the columnist, was found dead in his apartment.
• 14:36
  Speaker 6: I'll address the door to general delivery. Name it Charles Henshaw.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: Got it?
• 14:41
  Speaker 4: Yes, that's it. He got the drug from us. That's
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: why the inspector's here.
• 14:44
  Speaker 6: Take it easy, pal. Remember, they ain't got a thing
• 14:47
  Speaker 6: on you. So long.
• 14:49
  Speaker 4: All right. Good night, dear. I'll see you tomorrow. Sorry, Inspector.
• 14:57
  Speaker 4: That's okay.
• 14:58
  Speaker 11: Nothing irregular about the case, of course. Stomach contents analyzed
• 15:02
  Speaker 11: as chloral hydrate. Doctor tells me you'd had trouble with
• 15:05
  Speaker 11: Tom Lee. Said the guy was turning into a regular addict.
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: Well, if there's anything I can do.
• 15:09
  Speaker 6: Ah, forget it.
• 15:10
  Speaker 11: She'll probably close it up. Don't think you'll even have
• 15:13
  Speaker 11: to testify. Well, thanks a lot, Mason. Sorry I had
• 15:16
  Speaker 11: to disturb you. Well, that's quite all right, Inspector. Good night, Mason. Hey,
• 15:21
  Speaker 11: better get back to bed and get some sleep. You
• 15:24
  Speaker 11: look like you've had a hard day.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: Yes, try and sleep, Jerry. You're exhausted. Your arms and
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: legs ache with fatigue and your brain keeps spinning like
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: a top. It's there every time you close your eyes
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: Black and white circles Like a whirling rifle target With
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: a little man in glasses grinning at the center Sleep,
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Jerry Sleep Sleep Well, what's this, Jerry? Could you be
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: dreaming that you're walking in Central Park alone? There's not
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: a breath of air. The leaves of the trees hang
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: limp and motionless. It's too quiet to be real.
• 16:25
  Speaker 6: Oh, Mason.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: Huh? What?
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: Townley.
• 16:29
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: Townley, you can't... Oh, yes, I can.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Here, I want you to meet a friend of mine.
• 16:33
  Speaker 4: Why, you're... No, no.
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 16:36
  Speaker 5: Yes, we've met before, Mr.
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: Townley.
• 16:39
  Speaker 5: I happened in the drugstore on the night Mr. Mason
• 16:41
  Speaker 5: made arrangements for your departure.
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: Mason, I want you to meet Mr. Death.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: Death?
• 16:47
  Speaker 6: Right.
• 16:48
  Speaker 5: Odd name, isn't it? Death, D-E-A-T-H.
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: You see, I've retained Mr. Death to handle my case.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: He specializes in cases of this kind. You know, double crosses,
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: cold-blooded murders, that sort of thing. He's a man of
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: exceptional ability. I was lucky to get him.
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: What do you mean?
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Mr. Death is what you might call a retributionist.
• 17:09
  Speaker 5: Precisely. A retributionist. Deal in retribution. Evening up old scores.
• 17:15
  Speaker 5: Rather uncommon practice. Yes.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: You see, Mr.
• 17:18
  Speaker 5: Mason, we operate on the premise that it's still murder
• 17:21
  Speaker 5: even if you don't get caught.
• 17:22
  Speaker 6: No.
• 17:22
  Speaker 10: No, it isn't.
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: Now, now, now.
• 17:24
  Speaker 5: Relax, Mr.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 17:25
  Speaker 5: You have nothing to worry about. Everything is taken care of.
• 17:29
  Speaker 5: All the details can be worked out before I leave
• 17:31
  Speaker 5: on my trip. You've seen this issue of travel, Mr. Mason.
• 17:38
  Speaker 5: Remarkable article on Syria.
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: You're wrong. I have nothing to do with it.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: We're not angry at you, Mason. For that matter, you
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: did me a favor. I much prefer this to the
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: newspaper business. There's no reason why we can't handle this
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: matter of retribution as a nice, friendly little deal.
• 17:53
  Speaker 5: Of course, of course we will. Now, now, let's talk
• 17:56
  Speaker 5: about your trip.
• 17:58
  Speaker 4: My trip?
• 17:59
  Speaker 5: My one passion is travel, Mr. Mason, and I suspect
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: you have hidden leaning sword at yourself, so I've arranged
• 18:05
  Speaker 5: for you to take a.
• 18:06
  Speaker 6: Trip, too.
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: No, no.
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: It'll be a much more interesting trip than mine, I
• 18:10
  Speaker 5: assure you. I don't have the itinerary as yet.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: No, go away. Go away! Go away!
• 18:21
  Speaker 5: No, no, go away.
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: Go away. It was a dream. It was only a dream. Laurie. Laurie,
• 18:39
  Speaker 4: I have no idea what it was like. They both
• 18:41
  Speaker 4: grinned at me and talked about retribution and a long trip. Well?
• 18:45
  Speaker 6: What?
• 18:46
  Speaker 8: I shouldn't say I told you so.
• 18:48
  Speaker 6: I guess.
• 18:48
  Speaker 4: There was no other way out, Laurie.
• 18:50
  Speaker 8: I know.
• 18:51
  Speaker 10: I suppose I'm as guilty as you are. You just
• 18:54
  Speaker 10: aren't a murderer, Jerry. You haven't got the right kind.
• 18:57
  Speaker 8: Of a mind.
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: This was so real.
• 18:58
  Speaker 10: You've got to get hold of yourself. It's done, and
• 19:01
  Speaker 10: there's nothing we can do to change it. Now, where's
• 19:05
  Speaker 10: the money?
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: Here.
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: I picked it up at the post office this morning.
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: Small bill. Good.
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: I'll return it to the safe.
• 19:12
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 19:13
  Speaker 8: Thatcher might get in early.
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: You'll have it all ready for him.
• 19:16
  Speaker 8: I'll be back later this afternoon. Now, you've got to
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: get some sleep.
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: I know, but every time I close my eyes, I
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: see him.
• 19:21
  Speaker 8: Forget him, will you? I told you, it's only your imagination.
• 19:27
  Speaker 4: All right. I'll go to sleep. Oh, before you go,
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: fix me another bromide, will you?
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 19:51
  Speaker 5: Who is it? Hello there, Mr.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 19:55
  Speaker 5: I'm sorry to intrude, but there are still a few
• 19:58
  Speaker 5: things we should discuss. Go away. You're not real. You're
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: just like all the others.
• 20:05
  Speaker 4: The others?
• 20:06
  Speaker 5: Yes, I suppose it's just one of the problems every
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: retributionist has to put up with. Nobody believes he's real.
• 20:14
  Speaker 5: Purely a philosophical problem, of course. What? Depends on what
• 20:17
  Speaker 5: you mean by real. But that isn't getting us anywhere,
• 20:20
  Speaker 5: is it? Now, let's see. Mr. Townley left me several instructions. Oh,
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: by the way, by the way, he sends his apologies.
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: He wasn't able to come this afternoon.
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: What do you mean, instructions?
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: Oh, of course. I haven't had a chance to explain
• 20:36
  Speaker 5: how retributionists operate, have I? No, well, we are like architects, Mr.
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: Architects?
• 20:44
  Speaker 6: Precisely.
• 20:44
  Speaker 5: You see, we get a general picture of the client's needs.
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: Then we present a plan.
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: Plan for what?
• 20:52
  Speaker 5: A blueprint for retribution, of course. You see, I have
• 20:55
  Speaker 5: yours right here.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 20:57
  Speaker 5: Townley has approved of it, by the way.
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: Suppose I don't approve.
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: That won't affect it one way or the other.
• 21:06
  Speaker 8: You see, Mr.
• 21:06
  Speaker 5: Mason, once the plan is prepared and approved, the subject
• 21:12
  Speaker 5: has nothing to do but wait. I've taken such an
• 21:17
  Speaker 5: interest in your case, I've prepared a rather original plan.
• 21:23
  Speaker 5: If I do say so myself.
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?
• 21:27
  Speaker 5: Oh, nothing is more certain than retribution, Mr. Mason. Now,
• 21:33
  Speaker 5: let's see. Oh, yes. I wanted to discuss the time
• 21:39
  Speaker 5: element with you. It's been rather important in your case.
• 21:42
  Speaker 5: We usually work over a period of years, but it
• 21:46
  Speaker 5: happens that I want to take advantage of an unusual opportunity.
• 21:53
  Speaker 5: Your date has been set at April 30th.
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: That's tomorrow.
• 21:58
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: The blueprint. Let me see it.
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: Oh, I'm sorry.
• 22:03
  Speaker 6: I'm very sorry.
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: That's out of the question. Oh, it's not a plan
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: at all. It's a travel magazine. Give it to me.
• 22:10
  Speaker 5: I said you can't touch it, Mr.
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: Mason.
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: Oh, no. All right.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Try.
• 22:19
  Speaker 5: You see? You can't touch the plan, Mr. Mason.
• 22:24
  Speaker 12: All you can do is wait. Just wait.
• 22:34
  Speaker 8: Jerry?
• 22:35
  Speaker 5: What?
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: Jerry, Jerry, it's me, Larry. Open the door.
• 22:45
  Speaker 8: Jerry, Mr. Thatcher's back. About an hour after I put
• 22:48
  Speaker 8: the money in the safe. I told him you were sick.
• 22:50
  Speaker 4: April 30th, he said. Tomorrow.
• 22:53
  Speaker 8: Well, what's the matter?
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: Nothing to do but wait, huh?
• 22:57
  Speaker 7: Tomorrow, he's coming back for that travel magazine, the one.
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: I saved for him.
• 23:02
  Speaker 8: Well, you're out of your mind.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: I'm okay.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: Listen. Listen.
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: Go back and tell Thatcher I'm going to work all
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: day tomorrow. Tell him to stay home and unpack anything.
• 23:10
  Speaker 8: What are you going to do?
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: I got a date, Laurie.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: A date with Mr. Death. A date with Mr.
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: Death.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: But remember, you were dreaming, Jerry. But now the dream's
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: getting all mixed up with reality. That's the way your
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: mind gets, all mixed up. You're going on your nerves now...
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: Five days without sleep. Five days on double bromides. Your
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: muscles ache and there's a throbbing pain at the base
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: of your skull. And though you don't sleep the rest
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: of the night, Mr. Death's still there, grinning at you
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: from the center of the black and white rifle target,
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: waiting for tomorrow. He doesn't know you're not going to
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: take it lying down. That there's something you can do
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: besides wait. Something he might not expect when he comes
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: in as he promised. He would pick up the new
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: travel magazine. You stagger through the next day, and finally,
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: just as before, the door opens at about closing time.
• 24:13
  Speaker 5: Hello there, Mr.
• 24:14
  Speaker 10: Mason.
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: Oh, it's you.
• 24:16
  Speaker 5: I hope you remembered about the travel magazine.
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: Yes, I remembered.
• 24:21
  Speaker 6: Here you are.
• 24:22
  Speaker 5: Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr.
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: Mason.
• 24:24
  Speaker 5: Twenty-five.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: Say, where do you live?
• 24:28
  Speaker 5: Up on East 78th Street, near the river. I.
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: I'd live up that way. I'm about to close up now.
• 24:35
  Speaker 4: I'll take you home.
• 24:37
  Speaker 9: Oh, fine, fine.
• 24:54
  Speaker 5: Why are you stopping here by the river, Mr.
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: Mason? All right, Mr.
• 24:59
  Speaker 4: Death.
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: It's April 30th.
• 25:03
  Speaker 5: What do you mean?
• 25:03
  Speaker 4: You heard what we were talking about that night, didn't you?
• 25:06
  Speaker 4: Got the whole works. Lean back and wait, huh? Just
• 25:10
  Speaker 4: sit around and wait for you to spring the works
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: on the cops. Tell them I killed Ted Townley. Did
• 25:15
  Speaker 4: you have that in mind for April 30th, huh? Tonight, maybe?
• 25:20
  Speaker 10: I didn't.
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: Oh, yes, you did, Mr.
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: Death.
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: Retribution, huh?
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: Well, maybe this is something you forgot to put in
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: your blueprint.
• 25:27
  Speaker 10: No, no, no.
• 25:38
  Speaker 3: The Whistler will return in just a moment with the
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: strange ending of tonight's tale.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: Meantime, a question.
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: If you could have your gasoline tailored to order, just
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: what characteristic would you consider most important? Well, today, under
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: gasoline rationing, the chances are you'd say mileage, which explains
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: why so many drivers have been changing to the West's
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: most famous longer mileage motor fuel, Signal Go-Farther Gasolines. You see,
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: for years, drivers who have kept a careful record of
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: gasoline mileage have found they do go farther with signal gasoline. Now, naturally,
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: with certain gasoline ingredients reserved for war, no gasoline today
• 26:21
  Speaker 3: can give you all the zip and anti-knock quality you
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: found in pre-war signal gasoline, and which you'll be enjoying
• 26:28
  Speaker 3: again in even further improved signal post-war gasoline. But this
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: much you can be sure of. just as they've been
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: doing for the past 14 years. Signal Oil Company is
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: still producing the finest gasoline that can be made today.
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: And the famous Signal formula still places the emphasis on mileage.
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: So to make sure you're getting the most miles from
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: every ration coupon, stop at the station wearing the black
• 26:54
  Speaker 3: and yellow Signal circle and get your best buy today.
• 26:58
  Speaker 3: Signal Go Farther Gasoline.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: And now... Back to the whistler. There's nothing to worry
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: about now, Jerry. Mr. Death is out of your life
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: for good. Deep in the river with a hundred pound
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: chain around his neck. And there are no prying friends
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: or relatives to inquire for him. You can sleep now
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: and it's wonderful, isn't it? No more leering faces. No
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: more blueprints. Just a good, solid black velvet of sleep.
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: 24 hours of it, just like a baby.
• 27:39
  Speaker 6: The old bounce is back the next night, and you
• 27:42
  Speaker 6: can smile again.
• 27:44
  Speaker 8: Jerry, you're sure it wasn't... Don't worry, baby.
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: They'll never find him. Oh, man, I feel like a
• 27:50
  Speaker 4: million bucks. Oh, by the way, I'm going on a trip. Mr.
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: Thatcher told me I needed a vacation.
• 27:57
  Speaker 8: Trip?
• 27:58
  Speaker 4: Where? Well, look what I found in Mr. Death's pocket.
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: Complete grand tour. First cabin all the way.
• 28:05
  Speaker 8: But you can't use that ticket to me.
• 28:07
  Speaker 4: Oh, you don't know me, baby.
• 28:08
  Speaker 8: But what about passport?
• 28:10
  Speaker 6: Took care of that, too.
• 28:11
  Speaker 8: Oh, you're taking a chance, Jerry.
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: Oh, no.
• 28:14
  Speaker 4: I wouldn't miss this for the world.
• 28:17
  Speaker 7: After all, Lori, it isn't every day a guy picks
• 28:20
  Speaker 7: up a free ride on a boat like the Lusitania.
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: Yes, you really got yourself a free ride, Jerry. But
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: perhaps that was part of the blueprint, too. The luxury
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: liner Lusitania and that German torpedo off the coast of Ireland.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: Next Monday at 9 o'clock, The Whistler will bring you
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: another strange tale. The Whistler is broadcast for your entertainment
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: by the marketers of Signal Gasoline and Motor Oil and
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: fine quality automotive accessories and by your neighborhood Signal dealer.
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: This program directed by George W. Allen with tonight's story
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: by Harold Swanton, music by Wilbur Hatch, is transmitted to
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service.
• 29:34
  Speaker 3: This is Marvin Miller speaking... and suggesting that you let
• 29:37
  Speaker 3: every traffic signal remind you... that you do go farther
• 29:41
  Speaker 3: with Signal Gasoline. Yes, you do go farther with Signal.
• 29:51
  Speaker 3: This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: Our time with The Whistler and Meet Mr. Death has ended.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: Follow The Whistler for more classic broadcasts.