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The Whistler - "Legacy of Death" (Old Time Radio, 1943) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: At the Holliston Plantation, 21-year-old Doreen fears that emotional turmoil
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: may awaken an inherited impulse toward murder. That situation opens
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: The Whistler, Legacy of Death, Episode 40, heard on the
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: CBS Pacific Network on February 14, 1943. Doreen's stepfather and trustee,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Henry Mitchell, says he is protecting her, while Irving Wallace,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the estate's new overseer, grows concerned for her safety. Then
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Henry's brother Clyde arrives and forms a bond with the
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: young woman. John Lake is The Whistler, in a 30-minute
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: sustaining broadcast, written and directed by J.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Donald Wilson. Here is the original broadcast. Have you heard
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: the strange tales of The Whistler? I'm the whistler.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: I no longer see fearful things in the night. All
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: that has changed. Night and the shadows are friendly.
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: Now it is the daylight that frightens me.
• 1:23
  Speaker 5: Another Sunday night and again CBS presents The Whistler. I,
• 1:33
  Speaker 5: the whistler, know many things, for I walk by night.
• 1:36
  Speaker 6: I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the
• 1:40
  Speaker 6: hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows.
• 1:44
  Speaker 6: And so I tell you tonight the unusual story of.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: Legacy of Death.
• 1:52
  Speaker 6: It was ten years ago that Henry Mitchell, formerly a biologist,
• 1:56
  Speaker 6: Married Martha Holliston, the widow of a wealthy cotton grower.
• 2:00
  Speaker 6: Martha continued to direct the business of the plantation with
• 2:03
  Speaker 6: the aid of Henry as overseer. She had one child,
• 2:06
  Speaker 6: a daughter, by.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Her deceased husband. A girl named Doreen.
• 2:11
  Speaker 6: Now the mother lies on her deathbed. She's been ill
• 2:14
  Speaker 6: for almost a year and grown steadily weaker.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: It won't be long now, Henry. There's something I must
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: tell you. Something you must promise to do for me.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: Yes, Martha, I'll do anything.
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: It's about my daughter. Doreen is 21 now. She's a woman,
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: and she'll be thinking of marriage soon.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: I know, Martha.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: I've watched her every move, raised her carefully. I've been
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: stern in my opinions regarding her. And perhaps at times
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: I've seemed too strict.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Yes, Martha, but a mother knows best.
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: Doreen has always been an odd child. You've mentioned that
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: yourself many times. And as she grew older, she became
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: more strange each day. A peculiar, exotic mind. She must
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: still be guarded and handled carefully until she reaches 30.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: What are you trying to say, Martha?
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: Doreen is the last of her father's line. And from
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: that line, she's inherited something horrible.
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: What?
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: You mean insanity? No, not insanity. Not insa... well... But
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: a horrible tendency.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: It skipped her father. If it appears at all, it
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: always occurs in the early twenties. If it doesn't appear
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: by the time they reach thirty, then they're safe.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: But what is it, Martha? What has she inherited?
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: The tendency to murder.
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: Murder? Good Lord.
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: She must be handled delicately, gently, like a flower. Treated
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: as a minor until she's thirty. And if she suffers
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: no emotional upset by then, she's safe.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: Love.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: Deep love paves the way for possible emotional upsets, jealousy,
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: hatred and fear.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: But it may skip her.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: You must promise me that you'll care for her as
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: you would your own daughter.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, dear, I promise.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: According to her father's request, I've left the estate to
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: Doreen with you as trustee and manager.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: At a yearly salary. Yes, yes, Martha, that's very good
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: of you.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: Until she's 30... She must have your consent in every matter,
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: particularly marriage.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: If she defies you regarding marriage, then you must tell
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: her the truth, but only then.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: I understand, Martha. Oh, please, please don't say any more.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: Now that I've told you, I can rest so much easier.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: I'll send Doreen in now, dear. I'll be just outside. Henry,
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: you're a darling.
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: Doreen stepped into the room, knelt at her mother's bedside,
• 5:04
  Speaker 6: and a few minutes later, Martha was gone. Now six
• 5:09
  Speaker 6: months have passed, and Henry has hired another overseer, young
• 5:13
  Speaker 6: Irving Wallace, a graduate of Agricultural University. Irving has fallen
• 5:18
  Speaker 6: madly in love with a strange, unpredictable Doreen.
• 5:24
  Speaker 7: Do you realize, Doreen, I almost turned down the offer
• 5:27
  Speaker 7: to take this job. Then something kept saying to me,
• 5:30
  Speaker 7: take it, take it. And I did, darling. I don't
• 5:34
  Speaker 7: know why at the time, but now I know.
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: The night. I love the night and the river and
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: the moon.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: What?
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: Daytime and the sun unnerves me. Never at ease. Never
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: able to think clearly. Till the sun goes down and
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: I see the moon on the river.
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: It is pretty.
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: When I was a little girl, I was always frightened
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: of the dark. I fainted all sorts of horrors waiting
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: for me in every shadow.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: Now in the last year or two, I've somehow lost
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: my fear of the darkness. I no longer see things
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: in the night. Night and shadows are friendly. It's the
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: daylight that frightens me.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: Doreen, what are you trying to say?
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: What?
• 6:17
  Speaker 7: What sort of talk is this? What's happened to you, Doreen?
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: You've changed.
• 6:21
  Speaker 7: You've grown distant and detached. We come down here to
• 6:24
  Speaker 7: the river now, and you just stare at the moon
• 6:26
  Speaker 7: and talk in riddles.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: I don't understand it.
• 6:28
  Speaker 6: No?
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: I don't either.
• 6:31
  Speaker 7: Well, I don't like it, darling. Well, it's not natural.
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: What do you mean by that?
• 6:35
  Speaker 7: Well, I mean I don't approve of such ideas coming
• 6:37
  Speaker 7: from the woman I love.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: You don't?
• 6:39
  Speaker 7: I want my wife to be normal. I don't want
• 6:41
  Speaker 7: her to be afraid of the daylight and come to
• 6:42
  Speaker 7: her senses only at night.
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: What right have you to say what I say like?
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: What do you mean by your wife?
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: What? Doreen, I thought.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Did I ever say I'd marry you?
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: No, but what else would I think?
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: Did I ever say I loved you?
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: You surely gave no indication that you didn't. What's wrong
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: with you, Doreen? Doreen! What? Oh, please, darling, tell me
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: what's wrong. What have I done? Nothing.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Done nothing.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: Do you mean you... you don't want to marry me?
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: I don't know. I'm afraid.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: Darling, if you only knew how I worship you.
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: I'm just afraid. Afraid of old men.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: What an awful thought.
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: Please go. Please leave me alone.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: I can't understand you, Doreen.
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: Please go, Irving.
• 7:25
  Speaker 7: All right. I'll go if you insist. But please don't
• 7:30
  Speaker 7: stay here long. It's almost midnight.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: What?
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: Nothing, darling.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: Nothing.
• 7:46
  Speaker 7: I saw the light in the library, Mr. Mitchell, and
• 7:48
  Speaker 7: I wanted to talk to you. Have you noticed anything
• 7:50
  Speaker 7: strange about your stepdaughter lately?
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Strange? I mean about her behavior, her actions. Not particularly.
• 7:56
  Speaker 7: I just left her down on the riverbank, and she's
• 7:59
  Speaker 7: talking a lot of nonsense.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: Nonsense? What were you doing down at the riverbank this
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: time of night? I may as well tell you. I'm
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: in love with Doreen. I want to marry her. Marry? Yes.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: I knew nothing of this. All right. Suppose it's only natural.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: It's just the way it happens, but... Oh, really, Mr. Mitchell, I...
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: I love her so much that I... Never mind. You
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: needn't say any more. Good heavens. Is it such a shock?
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: After all, she's a woman. What's wrong, Mr. Mitchell? Are
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: you ill? No. No, I'm just....
• 8:34
  Speaker 7: What did you say about Doreen acting strangely? Well, in
• 8:38
  Speaker 7: the last few days, she's changed. She's acting in a
• 8:40
  Speaker 7: weird sort of manner.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: Weird? Yes.
• 8:43
  Speaker 7: She says that the daylight frightens her and she loves
• 8:45
  Speaker 7: the dark and the moon.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: Tell me, is Doreen in love with you?
• 8:49
  Speaker 7: I certainly thought she was. She led me to believe so.
• 8:52
  Speaker 7: Until tonight. And had you talked of marriage? Not until
• 8:55
  Speaker 7: this evening. I thought the idea was mutual. Then all
• 8:58
  Speaker 7: of a sudden she turned cold. That's why I came
• 9:01
  Speaker 7: to you. Maybe she's ill or something.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Yes. Yes, Irving, she is ill. What? Sit down, my boy.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: You really love her? More than I can tell. You
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: have only her best interest at heart? I do. Thank
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: heaven you told me this in time. I'm going to
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: ask a sacrifice of you, Irving. You must stay away
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: from Doreen. You must say no more to her about
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: love or marriage. Why not? I love her. Then you'll
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: do as I say. Keep out of her way as
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: much as possible. I know that seems hard, but for
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: her own good, you must. What do you mean? What's wrong? See,
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: I have to tell you the truth. Since this has happened,
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: I must tell you. Doreen has inherited something... something that
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: may lie dormant, but which under emotional stress may appear
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: without warning. Are you trying to frighten me? Oh, no.
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: Doreen has inherited a tendency to... To what? To murder. Murder? Oh,
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: I can't believe it. Yes. It's a strain on her
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: father's family. It appears only in the 20s. but if
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: it doesn't appear before thirty, the person is safe from
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: the malady. It just doesn't seem possible. I promised her,
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: dear mother, I'd do my best to protect her from
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: emotional disturbance of any kind until she reached thirty. Now
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: do you understand? Yes, I... I understand you, but.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Well, I... I'm not cold. You say she's acting strangely.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: That may be an indication. And you must do your
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: part to help by staying away from her.
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: Very well.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: I will. If it's for her own good. It is, Irving.
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: Believe me.
• 10:41
  Speaker 6: Irving keeps his word. And difficult as it is, he
• 10:44
  Speaker 6: avoids Doreen. Then a few weeks later, Henry Mitchell's handsome
• 10:48
  Speaker 6: young brother, his only living relative, Clyde Mitchell... a wealthy
• 10:51
  Speaker 6: Hollywood writer whom Henry hasn't seen in years, drops in unexpectedly.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: Well, Clyde, you've been doing very well in Hollywood, haven't you?
• 10:59
  Speaker 8: Yes, indeed.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Hollywood's been good to me. I've made a fortune. And
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: I've handled my money in a better fashion than most
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: of them. Every dollar I get is turned over to
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: a manager and he invests it for me. I couldn't
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: write my name to a check for 500 if I
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: wanted to. Good. I'm glad to hear you finally got
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: some sense. Why did you give up your biological research? Oh,
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: I haven't entirely given it up. I still dabble in
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: agricultural biology. You seem to be doing all right, Henry.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: This is a nice plantation. Nice home. Sorry I didn't
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: get to meet your wife. She had a daughter, didn't she? Yes.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: She's here. Doreen. Strange girl. Most unusual. No children of
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: your own, Henry? None. You and I are the last
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: of our line. We're the only living ones of the family.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: It's up to you to carry on the name, Clyde. Yes. Well,
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: I suppose I'll get around to that sooner or later.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: I'm engaged. Expect to be married this summer. Maybe before.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: Hollywood girl? She lives in Hollywood, but she came from Boston.
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: One of the Harrington girls.
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here.
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: Oh, come in, Doreen. Come in. This is my brother, Clyde.
• 11:57
  Speaker 6: Clyde?
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: I'm glad to know you, Clyde.
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: Doreen. What a charming name. Clyde is a movie writer.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: Been quite successful in Hollywood. Oh, now, don't tie me
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: down to pictures, Henry. I've written a few novels, too.
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: Yes, I know. You wrote Moon in the River.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: Yildy?
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: I was terribly impressed by it. It was... Well, it
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: was out of this world.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: I have a fan.
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: Are you staying for a while?
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, a few days. I like it here.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: Do you?
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: I'm glad. I.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: Well, I'll leave you alone now. I know you want
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: to talk. Good night.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: Nice girl. I said she's a nice girl. Hmm? Oh, yes, yes,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: she's gorgeous. I've never seen such red hair, such strange eyes. Why,
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: they're almost... they're hypnotic. Red hair and green eyes. What
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: did you say? I didn't say anything, Clive. Why have
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: you brought me down here tonight, Doreen?
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: The river, Clive. The moon and the river. Look at it.
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: The stream of silver and gold flowing on and on.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: Down to the sea. To the melting pot. To eternity.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: Yes. It's very beautiful.
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: That's your river. The moon and the river. You need
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: to be conscious of that, Clive. It breathes and lives.
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: That's why I've come to love the night. I hold
• 13:38
  Speaker 3: no fear of the dark.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: You mean you're at ease in the dark?
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: Tonight I'm through.
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: When the moon fills me. The moon and the river.
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: And they mean the same to you.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: The same?
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: They must. Or you could never have written this, you dear.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: You and I are the same, Clyde. We stay alike.
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Look at me, Clyde. Yes? Yes. Why don't you say it?
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: I know what you're thinking.
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: Say it. Doreen, I.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: You love me.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: No, no, don't turn away.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: Look in my eyes and say it. I love you.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: I love you, Doreen. I love you, darling.
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: Oh, Clyde, dear. If you only knew what it meant
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: to me, you're coming here two weeks ago. You saved me, Clyde.
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: Saved me.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: But you don't understand, Doreen. It's all wrong. Everything is wrong.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Look at me, Clyde. Look.
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: Everything is right. Just as it was intended.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: Isn't it? But you must listen. Hold me close, Clyde.
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: Listen.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: Doreen, darling, I... Yes, dearest.
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: What are you trying to tell?
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: I don't know. I can't remember. I can't think.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: Nothing else matters. Nothing is real but our love. And
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: the moon and the river. And you won't leave me, Clyde, ever.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: I won't let you.
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: Doreen, please. This can't go on. It isn't right. I've
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: got to get away. You won't leave.
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: You can't leave me because you love me.
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: Yes. Yes, help me. Help me. I must be mad.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: But I do. I do love you. But I just
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: can't seem to... Don't say a word, dear. Just us.
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: And the moon. And the river.
• 15:36
  Speaker 9: Oh, Clyde.
• 15:40
  Speaker 6: Yes, Henry?
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: I've been to the library. I've just been talking with Irving.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Said you were walking down by the riverbank a while ago. Yes,
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: I was.
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: That is, I.
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: What's wrong with you, Clyde? What's happened? I don't know, Henry.
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: I'm leaving in the morning.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Leaving?
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: I must. I've got to get back to Hollywood. I'm
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: getting married, you know. Next summer, you said? Did I? Well,
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: I've decided to get married as soon as possible. Clyde,
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: I know where you've been. You've been with Doreen. Irving
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: told me. Yes. I was with Doreen. I don't know
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: what's happened to me since I've been here. But I
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: do know I mustn't stay another day. I'm leaving in
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: the morning. Have you fallen in love with Doreen? I
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: don't know, Henry. I don't know what's wrong. Is she
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: in love with you? Is that it? Yes, she is.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: I tried to fight it off, but... Well, it's just
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: I lost all sense of logic. Doreen is a strange creature, Clyde.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: I'm certainly aware of that. It seems to... I'm powerless
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: to keep away from her. I mustn't stay longer. I'm
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: leaving the first thing in the morning. I'm sorry to
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: see you go, Clyde. I hoped you'd stay longer, but
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: perhaps under the circumstances it's best. I only wish I
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: were free to go with you. You can come along
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: if you want. No, I... I can't leave, Clyde. Because
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: of Doreen. Is that what you're trying to say? Yes, Clyde.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: I can't leave her alone for a single moment. What's
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: wrong with her? There's something odd about her, and you
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: know what it is. Does she know you're leaving? No.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: I tried to tell her. I see. I'd better tell her. Yes.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: Good night, Henry.
• 17:07
  Speaker 6: Clyde climbs the stairs and goes to his room. Henry
• 17:11
  Speaker 6: stands in the door of the library, lost in thought.
• 17:13
  Speaker 6: A few moments pass and Doreen comes into the hallway
• 17:17
  Speaker 6: from outside and starts.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: For the stairs. Doreen?
• 17:21
  Speaker 7: Yes?
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: Come in.
• 17:23
  Speaker 7: What is it?
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: I've just learned that you've become infatuated with my brother.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: And before it becomes more serious, I... I want to
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: warn you that it'll be a mistake for... Well, for
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: you to fall in love.
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: What do you mean? Why shouldn't I fall in love?
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: Well, don't you think it'd be better to learn more
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: about a man before you allow your emotions to carry
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: you off your feet?
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: I don't understand you. Why should I wait?
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: It.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: It'll be better if you do. Please believe me.
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: What's the reason back.
• 17:52
  Speaker 7: Of all this?
• 17:52
  Speaker 8: Well, I.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Lorene, I hate to tell you this, but.
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: Why don't you say it?
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: What is it? You have.
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: You're making a fool of yourself. I mean, Clyde is
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: making a fool of you.
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: That isn't what you were going to say.
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: Yes, that's exactly what I was going to say. I
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: know my brother better than you. He isn't serious about you. Why,
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: he's never been serious about any woman. He never will be.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: He isn't the type. Believe me, he doesn't love you.
• 18:14
  Speaker 3: I don't believe you. I know he loves me. I know.
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: And I'm going to marry him.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: Marry him? Yes. You poor girl. I'm terribly sorry for you.
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: Clyde was here a few minutes ago. I asked him
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: about you and he told me that he wasn't in
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: love with you. You see, my dear, he's engaged to
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: another woman. He's going back in the morning to be married.
• 18:39
  Speaker 8: Married?
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: If he had been serious, he'd have told you the truth.
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry this had to happen to you. I have
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: tried my best to keep you from falling and.
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: What did you say? Go on, finish.
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: I said that Oh, please, Doreen, don't become upset.
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: You tried to keep me from falling in love. That's
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: what you were going to say.
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: Doreen, you must.
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: Why didn't you want me to fall in love?
• 19:03
  Speaker 7: Why?
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: Now, now, now, Doreen, control yourself.
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: Do you know what I'm thinking?
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: Doreen.
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: I despise you. I hate you.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, you don't understand.
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: You don't want me to marry Clyde. You don't want
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: me to marry anybody. And I know why. You're lying
• 19:17
  Speaker 3: to me. You told him something to drive him away.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: I've told him nothing, and I'm not lying to you.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: I'll find out in just a moment.
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: Wait, Doreen, wait. I... I didn't want to tell you,
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: but I see now that I must. You see, my dear,
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: you've inherited a complex, something that lies dormant and may
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: be brought into action under emotional stress.
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: Inherited a complex?
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: Yes. A tendency to murder. Murder? And that's why I've
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: tried to keep you from falling in love, from subjecting
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: yourself to emotional stress.
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: So that's what you do.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Him.
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: Another lie.
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: Oh, no.
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: So I've inherited a desire to kill. Does anyone else
• 20:00
  Speaker 3: know that? I.
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: Yes, I had to tell Irving.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: I see. Good night.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: Oh, I... I beg your pardon, Mr. Mitchell. Oh, no, no, no.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: Come in, Irving. Come in. I wanted to talk to
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: you about... Hello, Doreen. I said, what's the matter with you, Doreen? Nothing.
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: Nothing is the matter.
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: You look as though you... Doreen, what is it? Are
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: you ill?
• 20:27
  Speaker 7: Yes.
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: Yes, I am ill. Haven't you heard?
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: Doreen!
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: Good night. Both of you.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: What's wrong with her? I've never seen her like this.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: Do you suppose... I had to tell her, Irving. I
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: had to. Then it's happened. She snapped. I can tell.
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: I don't know what to do now. I just talked
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: to Clyde. I told him he had to leave at once.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: The sooner the better. And I... I told him why.
• 20:51
  Speaker 7: I told him about Doreen. I begged him to go
• 20:54
  Speaker 7: for her sake. He only laughed at me. Told me
• 20:56
  Speaker 7: to tend to my own business. Well, Clyde tells her
• 20:59
  Speaker 7: the truth, which he will. She's liable to snap completely.
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: But what can we do? I know what to do.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: When Clyde tells her, she'll turn violently against him. He's
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: got to leave on the first train in the morning, but...
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: Tonight she may do something. I'll change rooms with Clyde
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: after she talks to him. Can I do it? Nothing, Irving.
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: Just try to forget it. Oh, you can get me
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: some coffee. I've got to stay awake tonight. Doreen. What
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: is it?
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: I want to ask you something, Clyde.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: What?
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: Are you leaving in the morning?
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Well, yes, Doreen, I am.
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: Why?
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: I have some business to attend.
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: Why are you leaving me, Clyde? Why don't you take
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: me with you?
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: Take you? I can't do that.
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: Well, it came up all of a sudden. Oh, did it?
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: What did your brother tell you about me?
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: He didn't tell me anything. No?
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: I love you, Clyde.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: But I.
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: I can't leave without me.
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: I can't take you with me, Doreen. It's impossible.
• 21:57
  Speaker 8: Why is it?
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: Because... Well, because I'm going to be married.
• 22:01
  Speaker 6: Married?
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: Yes. I wanted to tell you, but.
• 22:03
  Speaker 8: Married? Married.
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: I thought you loved me, Clyde.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: No, Doreen, I can't stay here any longer. I can't
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: go on like this.
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: Why didn't you tell me you loved someone else?
• 22:13
  Speaker 7: Why?
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: I don't know. I really don't know.
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: Are you afraid of me?
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: I'm leaving in the morning, Doreen. That's definite.
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: Good night, Clyde.
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: Doreen, I.
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: Goodbye, darling.
• 22:32
  Speaker 6: Now, the next morning. Breakfast is set early since the
• 22:36
  Speaker 6: first train leaves at 8.30. At 7, Doreen, her face pale,
• 22:41
  Speaker 6: deep shadows under her green eyes, comes slowly down the
• 22:45
  Speaker 6: stairs to the sunroom.
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Doreen. Morning. Sit down, Doreen. Did you rest well? No.
• 22:52
  Speaker 7: I didn't sleep so well either. I guess the storm
• 22:54
  Speaker 7: disturbed me.
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: Was there a storm?
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: Yes, an electrical storm. Didn't you hear it?
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: I don't remember. What time does the train leave? 8.30.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: 8.30. Clyde will be down in a few minutes. Mr. Mitchell. Yes?
• 23:07
  Speaker 5: Mr.
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: Bolton would like to see you.
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: Oh. Tell him to come in. Morning, Mr.
• 23:12
  Speaker 6: Mitchell.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: Morning, Bolton. This is Mr.
• 23:13
  Speaker 8: Davis, my assistant. This is Dr.
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: Upton.
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: How do you do?
• 23:16
  Speaker 8: How do you do?
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Doreen, and this is my superintendent,
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: Irving Wallace. Yes, I know.
• 23:21
  Speaker 8: How are you, Irving?
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: What are you doing here?
• 23:25
  Speaker 8: May we see the body of Mr.
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: Mitchell? Yes, Sheriff.
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: Sheriff.
• 23:29
  Speaker 5: Body?
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: What's happened? Clyde has been murdered. Clyde?
• 23:33
  Speaker 5: Murdered?
• 23:34
  Speaker 6: Where?
• 23:35
  Speaker 8: Murdered?
• 23:36
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: During the night.
• 23:38
  Speaker 6: Cried?
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: Come along, gentlemen. Upstairs.
• 23:48
  Speaker 6: The sheriff and his deputy make the routine inspection of
• 23:51
  Speaker 6: the room and the body. And after the coroner completes
• 23:54
  Speaker 6: his examination, they return to the breakfast room.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid I'm to blame for this unfortunate circumstance. My
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: wife begged me to keep her from emotional upset. I
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: did my best, but... I'm afraid it wasn't enough. I
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: never dreamed she was falling in love with Clyde. When
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: I learned about it, it was too late. I made
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: a mistake by telling her. It only upset her the more.
• 24:12
  Speaker 6: Say she inherited this tendency to kill from her father?
• 24:15
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: Her mother made me promise to guard her carefully until
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: she was 30. You see, it only appears in the
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: early 20s, if at all. It lies dormant and may
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: be brought to the fore by emotional stress. Oh, I see.
• 24:25
  Speaker 8: Too bad. Did you leave your room last night, miss?
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: No, that is... I don't remember.
• 24:32
  Speaker 8: You were in love with him. And you didn't know
• 24:34
  Speaker 8: about the other woman?
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: I loved him. I didn't know about the other woman
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: until last night. I didn't kill Clyde.
• 24:40
  Speaker 8: You have no recollection of leaving your room?
• 24:42
  Speaker 6: No, I.
• 24:43
  Speaker 8: Will you come to town with us, miss?
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 24:45
  Speaker 8: Oh, we just want to talk to you.
• 24:47
  Speaker 6: Wait.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: Wait, I can't stand this any longer.
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: Doreen.
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: Why, she didn't kill Clyde. I know. I killed him. You? But.
• 24:54
  Speaker 8: Here we go again, Doc. You're trying to protect her,
• 24:57
  Speaker 8: I mean, because you love her.
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: I do love her.
• 24:59
  Speaker 8: Sure you do. Where's the gun?
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: Gun? There's no gun. Clyde wasn't shot. No? No. I
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: killed him with a sickle.
• 25:07
  Speaker 7: A sickle from my tool shed.
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: Now, do you believe me? Has he seen the body, Mr.
• 25:11
  Speaker 6: Mitchell?
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: No, and I didn't say how he was killed, but Irving...
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: I killed him.
• 25:16
  Speaker 7: I knew about Doreen, and I wanted to save her
• 25:18
  Speaker 7: because I was jealous of Clyde.
• 25:20
  Speaker 8: Well, he was killed with a sickle, all right.
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: Yes, my sickle, from the tool shed. Now, do you
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: believe me? Do you know what you're saying, Irving?
• 25:28
  Speaker 8: I think he's shooting in the dark.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: No, and I can prove it.
• 25:31
  Speaker 7: If Doreen had entered that room and stabbed anyone, she would.
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: Have killed Henry. Not Clyde, but Henry. Why?
• 25:35
  Speaker 7: Because Henry was afraid of what might happen during the night.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: So he changed rooms with Clyde. And I was the
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: only one who knew that. Doreen would have killed Henry.
• 25:43
  Speaker 8: Is that true, Mr.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: Mitchell? Why, yes, we did change rooms, but she didn't
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: know that. Well, I don't know how she could have
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: known it, but she must have discovered the switch.
• 25:51
  Speaker 9: You know, I think Irving knows too many details to
• 25:55
  Speaker 9: be lying.
• 25:56
  Speaker 8: I think he's telling the truth.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: I am. I killed him.
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: He didn't. Irving didn't kill him. He is trying to
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: protect me. I remember something now.
• 26:05
  Speaker 8: Remember what?
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: If you killed him, Irving, what time was it?
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: It was 4 a.m.
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: Have you established the hour of death, Doctor?
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: I have.
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: Wait, I'll tell you. It was at midnight, 12 o'clock.
• 26:18
  Speaker 6: What time was he killed, Doctor? About 12 o'clock last night?
• 26:20
  Speaker 6: Couldn't possibly have been before.
• 26:22
  Speaker 8: How did you know that?
• 26:23
  Speaker 4: At midnight, I went to Clyde's room to talk to him.
• 26:25
  Speaker 4: I was awakened by a horrible dream. It frightened me,
• 26:27
  Speaker 4: so I went to his room. Clyde wasn't there.
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: No one was there.
• 26:30
  Speaker 4: So if Henry was occupying that room, and he was
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: not there at midnight, Henry must have been in Clyde's room.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: What?
• 26:38
  Speaker 3: Henry must have killed Clyde.
• 26:40
  Speaker 6: What?
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: Why would I kill my own brother?
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: For the same reason you killed my mother.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, nonsense.
• 26:46
  Speaker 3: I've been suspicious of you ever since Mother died.
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: What?
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: I know you've looted my estate.
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: No.
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: That's why you didn't want me to marry. And you
• 26:53
  Speaker 4: were your brother's only heir. He was wealthy, and his
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: money could save you. You knew I was suspicious of you.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: Why, this is ridiculous.
• 27:00
  Speaker 4: So you killed Clyde for his money and tried to
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: blame it on me because you knew I'd be suspected.
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: That's why you told Irving about my hereditary tendency.
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: Why, she's crazy, gentlemen. Completely insane.
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: Examine my mother's body. Check the account.
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: She's mad. Mr.
• 27:15
  Speaker 6: Mitchell, do you believe she inherited this tendency to murder?
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: Why, certainly. Her mother warned me of all this.
• 27:22
  Speaker 8: You're a biologist, aren't you, Mitchell?
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: Oh, yes.
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: Yes, I was. Still are, Dr.
• 27:27
  Speaker 8: Henry Mitchell.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Well, I still dabble in biology, only as it concerns agriculture.
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: I recently read an article.
• 27:34
  Speaker 6: You wrote a few years ago in which you proved
• 27:36
  Speaker 6: the one thing that was not hereditary was a criminal instinct.
• 27:39
  Speaker 6: That such tendencies were the result of environment.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: You proved that. Well.
• 27:43
  Speaker 8: And you knew.
• 27:44
  Speaker 6: From the beginning that the mother was merely a victim
• 27:45
  Speaker 6: of a false belief. But you used that belief to
• 27:48
  Speaker 6: suit your own purpose. It all adds up against you, Mitchell.
• 27:52
  Speaker 9: We'll just follow through with the girl's advice about your
• 27:54
  Speaker 9: wife's body. I wouldn't be at all surprised by the
• 27:58
  Speaker 9: results of the autopsy. Let's go, Doc.
• 28:05
  Speaker 6: And they did follow through on Doreen's advice. And they
• 28:08
  Speaker 6: did find her estate rifle. And they found traces of
• 28:10
  Speaker 6: poison in the mother's body.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: So Henry confessed.
• 28:14
  Speaker 6: If it hadn't been for Doreen's psychic powers, he'd have
• 28:16
  Speaker 6: gotten away with everything. Oh, yes, Doreen was definitely psychic.
• 28:20
  Speaker 6: Because she said she went to the room at midnight
• 28:22
  Speaker 6: and no one was there. But she did not go
• 28:25
  Speaker 6: to the room. But she did wake up at the
• 28:26
  Speaker 6: start of midnight. She knew something terrible was happening, but
• 28:30
  Speaker 6: didn't know what it was till this morning. She put
• 28:33
  Speaker 6: things together and knew the truth. And Irving knew about
• 28:36
  Speaker 6: the sickle because he missed it from its rack, and
• 28:38
  Speaker 6: he was merely guessing. But it all worked out to
• 28:42
  Speaker 6: a successful conclusion, and Doreen need have no further worry
• 28:46
  Speaker 6: about her so-called inherited criminal tendency, because there is no
• 28:53
  Speaker 6: such thing.
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: I know. I know.
• 28:56
  Speaker 7: CBS has presented The Whistler.
• 29:32
  Speaker 5: Original music for this production was composed and conducted by
• 29:35
  Speaker 5: Wilbur Hatch. The Whistler is written and directed by J.
• 29:38
  Speaker 5: Donald Wilson and originated from Columbia Square in Hollywood. Next week,
• 29:45
  Speaker 5: same time.
• 29:45
  Speaker 6: I, the Whistler, will return to tell you another unusual story.
• 29:51
  Speaker 3: Good night.
• 29:58
  Speaker 5: This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: We leave the Holliston plantation after the Whistler, legacy of death.
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: This is Victor Sterling. Until next time, good night. Follow
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: the Whistler for more classic broadcasts.