 Suspense presented by Roma wines made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. The world toasts Roma and Roma toasts the world. The wine for your table is Roma made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is the man in black here for Roma wines to introduce this weekly half hour of suspense. Tonight in Hollywood our stars are Mr. Robert Young and Margo. The suspense play which stars Robert Young and Margo and which is produced and directed by William Spear is a tale of ordeal by fire by Cornell Woolridge and so with the night reveals and with the performances of Robert Young and Margo Roma again hopes to keep you in suspense. Tell us the story Mr. Jordan might help to get it out of your system. Yes go ahead Harry. What tell it here Marie in front of you? Sure I can stand it if you can. Well all right I'll tell it from 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 her eyes there was a queer look in them staring at me one minute and avoiding me the next. Well 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 feeling of being alone in the room. I look towards Marie's bed. It's too dark to see. I called Marie Marie there's no answer. I got up and walked to her bed. The quilt was bunched up. I pulled the covers down. The bed was empty in the bathroom. No 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 and looked at my watch. It was two in the morning got dressed and walked out and rang for the elevator. It was nothing of course it was nothing important but my heart kept hammering away. Morning Mr. Jordan kind of late further. Yes good morning Steve. Did you see my wife go down. Yes Mr. Jordan about half an hour ago I'd say. Yes yes of course. Did you see which way she went. Yes she went towards Third Avenue said she was going to the drugstore I guess. Yes that's right. There's one over 96th Street open all night. Thanks that was it she went to the drugstore. 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 towards Third Avenue. I stood on the deserted dark corner and looked up and down the street then I saw her coming. She was walking towards me briskly. Harry what are you doing here. I got up and saw you were going I couldn't sleep I I had a dreadful headache so I decided to go down for some aspirin yes. Yes of course the drugstore on 96th Street. But you were coming from 98th Street I took a little walk I thought some fresh air would do me some good. Yes it is a nice night I've only been gone about 10 minutes Steve says you were going about half hour it was only 10 minutes what time is it now to 35 been out for almost 15 minutes it's more than it was 15 minutes no more than that. Yeah yeah I guess so everything seemed all right still I felt something was wrong we got into our apartment we both went to bed for a minute or so we said nothing you've been working hard Harry don't you think you ought to take a week off and sort of rest up. I feel perfectly all right dear there's nothing wrong with me. Listen a fire a fire yes not far over east a couple of blocks by the river I'd say that's my district fire. Now what. Hello between second and third Mr. Parmeter an apartment building. Okay Mr. Parmeter good night. A fire on 98th Street. Yeah I couldn't see Marie in the dark I knew she was staring at me I was very tired good night Marie good night Harry. This is a story of a husband and a wife in a moment as the story continues we shall learn how they came to know that death was living with them. Tonight the Roma Wine Company of Fresno California brings you Robert Young and Margo as stars of suspense radios outstanding theater of thrills. Somewhere tonight perhaps in Havana Cuba a man and a girl sit at a table in a gay cafe music laughter fill the big room a traffic breeze stirs the palms in the terrace as we watch the young man pours wine into their glasses they raise them in a toast to each other. An excellent wine as pleasant to the taste as your beauty is to the eye. Do you know where this fine wine comes from? It comes from our good neighbor to the north Los Estados Unidos from America his name is Roma. Yes from our own America from our own sunny California come Roma wines made in California for the enjoyment of the world doesn't that tell you all you need to know to make you want to choose Roma wines for your own use? Whether your particular preference is for a nut brown sherry a delicious red claret a full-bodied burgundy when you choose Roma you know you're getting the world's best wine value for Roma wines are America's largest selling wines only through such tremendous popularity can Roma afford to sell so reasonably wines into which have gone all the care and wine knowledge that produce wine masterpieces there is a Roma wine for every taste simply choose the one you like best Roma wine made in California for enjoyment throughout the world and now it is with pleasure that we bring back to our soundstage mr. Robert Young as Harry Jordan and Margo as Marie his wife in the night reveals a story well calculated to keep you in suspense go on mr. Jordan well gentlemen the next morning I went over to 98th Street to inspect the remains of number 340 and to see if there was evidence of anything suspicious about the origin of the fire mr. Parmenter was there well there it is gutted I guess we'll be paying off on this one all right yeah completely burned out anyone hurt few but no one dead lucky they just installed the new fire escapes just the walls left that fire must have been quite a sight in the height of its glory yeah quite a sight man those walls look pretty bad they might collapse almost any time and the building will have to be raised and fired at a good job here's the commissioner are you Mr. Meryl you know anything about the fire commission oh no no thing well we'll take a look I wouldn't go in there Jordan those walls are pretty bad I can take care of myself maybe you better not go inside don't worry about me I know fires as well as anyone you stay outside mr. Parmenter I'm going in I walk gingerly into the blackened ruin hallway and ashes up to my ankles until I reach the remains of the stairway underneath were several baby carriages just twisted pieces of metal burned fragment of something fell nearby come on back Jordan I'm all right I poked around the carriage is sifting through the clean fine ashes something caught my eye a blob of yellow metal I picked it up and I worked my way out yep clean through nothing left up you find anything Harry nothing much the fire started in the hallway all right sellers untouched fire works its way up what's that in your hand well that is just a piece of metal I found here I just picked it up for my kid he liked shiny things what do you think commissioner probably one of those gadgets they have on baby carriages I guess you're right it isn't anything but it was something I had run my fingernail across this glob of metal looked like gold I decided to examine it in detail at home hi a Johnny mama says I was bad today Harry you're home early yes I got through sooner than I expected night what is it Harry your locket you're not wearing it you never had it off before my locket well I don't remember can I go over to see David Taylor for a minute yeah yeah go ahead Johnny all right thanks daddy you shouldn't have done that I didn't want him to go he hasn't had his dinner never mind Johnny what did you say happened to the locket well I gave it to you to me yes I I put it in your pocket to have it fixed the catch was loose I don't remember you've been very forgetful lately very forgetful maybe you thought you gave it to me no no I put it in your pocket Harry I forgot to mention it to you I wanted you to take it to the jewelers and get the catch fixed I just put it in your coat pocket while you were shaving when yesterday yes yesterday morning then 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 don't you feel with me no no of course not I'm all right I'm perfectly all right there's not a thing wrong with me you look worried as if you've got something on your mind oh it's nothing I've just been having a headache maybe ought to see a doctor oh no it really doesn't amount to much well I think I'll take another look for the locket which suit did you say you put it in your blue suit I think oh maybe it was the gray though I I don't know I couldn't make it out what had she done with a locket had she pawned it had she given it away then I remembered something I went into the bathroom to lock the door I looked at this shapeless little glob of yellow metal I rubbed the blackened spots away all of it until it was gleaming I studied it turning it over and over I noticed a thin crack was small so I took a nail file 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 pried pried it open tiny fragments of glass and then I saw a piece of scorched paper it was a photograph picture of my son Johnny this glob of metal was my wife's locket I put the locket in the picture in my pocket and walked out the next hour I sat trying to read a book while Marie busied herself first feeding Johnny and then helping him with his homework what's the largest continent in the world it's Asia and the next largest that's easy Africa it's full of jungles that's where Tarzan isn't it time for Johnny to be in bed oh yes I had no idea it was so late run along to your room Johnny I'll be in in a minute all right mother good night dad good night Johnny sleep well he's getting along very well in school except for arithmetic he seems to be having a little trouble oh Johnny'll be all right yes Johnny will be all right I know he'll be all right I watched her she seemed very uneasy I walked over to my pipe rack where I kept several books of matches in a jar 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 what the devil happened all my matches I have a match here let me light it for you did you take the matches out of the jar Marie well I did you yes I I needed them in the kitchen shall I shall I light your pipe for you no I'll light it myself I picked a match out of the booklet it was a clean white match with a green head I struck it against the side the match sputtered up into a yellow flame fringed on the bottom with blue Marie stared at it till I felt the sharp bite of the flame on my thumb would would you like a cup of tea Harry no dear I don't think so I watched her her hand casually brushed along the table and picked up the matches Marie oh leave the matches on the table I need them I'm rather short of matches and the pilot light isn't working is that the only book of matches in the house I'll have to get them tomorrow where you going Harry get a drink of water no no I'll get it for you Harry 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 books of matches and safety matches all mixed together I walked back and sat down in my chair she sat a few feet away torturing a handkerchief she looks so helpless and terrified that my anger passed away Marie you've been having headaches lately perhaps you ought to see a doctor you haven't been looking too well I'm just tired it's nothing serious look how would you like to go away for a few days take a vacation I'll get a maid to take care of Johnny and me it'll do you a lot of good no no I don't need a vacation there's nothing wrong with me but Harry there is yes there's nothing the matter with you were about to say something else I I've got to go into Johnny's room and see that he's covered he always throws the covers off I sat there looking at the door and I glanced about the room there was the pack of matches lying open on the table I closed the cover and my eye caught a purse lying nearby was bulging Harry well what's the matter my purse yes as your purse here look see the handles loose and it's full of matches a dozen books of these newspaper clippings give it back to me why are you saving these clippings why do you carry matches with you I bought the matches in a store they were a dozen for five cents these clippings look here fire on 112th Street causes severe damage and these others why are you saving these clippings Marie there's nothing wrong in that I I'm interested interested in your work I I intend to keep a file on fires it'll help you in your work well that's very considerate me oh Harry you're so good why should this have to happen to us towards midnight I went to bed Marie didn't 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 close my eyes I could see the flame of the match yellow and blue crawling along the matchstick then Marie came in with a cup of steaming liquid drink this Harry it'll help you sleep well what is it it's Coco it's very good for you I'm not the one that's having trouble falling asleep we both couldn't sleep last night I'm taking some of this myself as soon as I go to bed all right leave it on the nightstand be sure to drink it while it's hot yes Marie I will good night darling good night Marie Coco then suddenly I knew I looked around quickly for something to pour it in there was a radiator pan it was empty I poured the cup of liquid into it and I lay back and waited waited for her next move about a half hour later I heard the door open softly and Marie tiptoed towards my bed Harry are you asleep I didn't answer but breathed evenly she hovered for a moment over me 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 it into my pocket then I grabbed my coat and followed her I rang for the elevator she had only a few minutes headway I would catch up to her easily and then we'd have a showdown Steve looked at me with control amazement hello Steve hello mr. Jordan my wife went down a moment ago didn't she yes mr. Jordan just took her down she went towards 3rd Avenue didn't she I think so she sort of stopped me for a minute and then turned towards 3rd had to get back to the elevator because you were ringing I reached the corner I looked up and down 3rd Avenue and I saw her she was walking north I crossed to the other side of the street and followed her keeping at a distance 98th Street she turned east down the middle of the block was the remains of last night's fire she paused in front of the gutted building for a long time just stood there looking at it and she walked inside I waited for a few seconds and then followed her was pitch dark in the burnout hallway ahead of me I could see the glow of a match then I saw what she was doing she was collecting the charred debris near the baby carriages how foolish there wasn't anything that could burn there now she lit another match I watched the flame light up her face a face so intense on her work that she didn't hear me approach Marie who's there me Harry Harry why did you come along Marie we better get out of here the police I took her hand 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 rang for the elevator the light of the hallway I could see her face my wife's face ashy gray her eyes bright and painful you run upstairs Marie I'll be along in a minute Harry where are you I'll be right back please Harry don't don't do anything you run along Marie you're not going to know I'm only going to the drugstore to get something I'll be back in a few minutes home a half later she was waiting for me did you did you do it Harry Harry please please tell me I've got to know I had the cocoa you gave me an ally I'm sorry I I had to do it don't you see I couldn't help it was very easy for the druggist especially when I told him what I thought was in it sodium amatol that's the stuff that makes you sleep through an earthquake please try to understand Harry you must understand is the kid asleep yes Johnny's all right I was sorry for Marie she looks so haggard and worn wasn't her fault I'm sorry for myself my head was roaring I wasn't feeling too well kept seeing sparks in front of my eyes I closed my eyes for a moment let's go to bed Harry Marie we can do something let's let's burn up every match every match in the house we'll never bring another match in here no no Harry we can't do that you don't want to know Harry not now see this is the first book it's turning black we'll do it with every book of matches no use it's no use Harry strange isn't it that this should happen to me me a fire inspector that's funny give me the matches Marie all the match no I can't do it I won't give them to me please please please don't take them I'll do anything you want anything where did you hide them tell me where are they inside the rage behind the paper bag I dropped her hand and she sank to the floor in a huddle weeping then I went into the kitchen and got all the matches by now my anger was cooling off look Marie look up see I'll light each book of matches one at a time until they're all gone up and smoke yellow flame licked its way down the matches the cover caught fire and blackened I watched her look at the flame with day's eyes listen listen Harry do you hear just someone in the hall oh it's more than someone something's happened something has happened I'll take a look fire yes Marie wake up Johnny Johnny Johnny we'll have to hurry the flames are coming up the stairs there's enough with draft the house is on fire we've got to get out Johnny come on it's too late to go down we'll have to go up to the roof I've heard my leg come along Johnny she'll come along no I want to wait for mother it's all right Johnny go along with daddy I follow you hold on to my armory come on give me your hand Johnny don't be scared the fire won't hurt you it won't hurt you at all you're safe with me we made our way upstairs very slowly because of Marie's brain ankle finally we got to the roof there was some firemen on the next roof about 10 feet separated the two buildings we'll get you off safely how are we gonna have to jump across daddy because mother won't be able to jump her foot it's all right Johnny don't be scared they're putting a board across the two roofs we'll just walk across all right now under the time come across Johnny you go first don't be afraid there the rope will hold you in case you slip go ahead Johnny another volume don't turn around keep walking shooting up through the hole where it had bitten through great flames shot out stabbing in the sky top of the roof was burning now red flame crawled along searching out the inflammable spots the wooden pole caught fire and blazed up the long narrow curving arc wind was helping all this time Marie was shaking shaking violently not with cold I pity her then she threw up her hands and shriek darling don't go on this way please don't need to not the police you don't know what you're saying you what is it you better calm down now you officer please don't use officer these awful fire they're not accidental there's a pyromaniac criminal and I know what is this who is the pyromaniac the criminal is my husband Harry Jordan this man here arrest him officer that's about all there is to the story gentlemen then I was brought here info for you to hear it all over again Marie no it was all right Harry I wonder I got a cigarette could I know I lied it for you Harry you don't have to worry I won't try and keep the matches here she's been awfully good to me gentlemen you'll take good care of her won't you she tried everything to help she hid the matches so as to keep them from me she even tried to give me sleeping pills so I wouldn't it's all right Harry I'm sorry about the lock of dear must have fallen out of my coat when I was in that building 98 street I it's all right Harry you can buy me another one sometime you 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 the filth and dirt and they're magnificent to watch especially the big ones the way the flames roar and crackle lighting up everything around you the beautiful fire and so closes the night reveals starring mr. Robert Young and Margo tonight's tale of suspense I want you to know that the distinguished Roma California wines include the most enjoyable types for every possible occasion dry table wines red and white appetizer and dessert wines and also champagne and sparkling burgundy nothing can add more downright pleasure to your meals or to your entertainment of friends and no enjoyment could be more economical but not only are they supremely delicious Roma wines are America's largest selling wines and they cost only a few cents a glass the vast quantities regularly purchased and enjoyed by wine lovers the advantageous locations of the great Roma wineries in the favored wine districts throughout California these things permit truly modest prices that make Roma wines the world's outstanding wine values Roma R. O. M. A. Roma wines are true to type Roma wines are faithful in flavor Roma wines are sound of character Roma wines are reasonable in cost made in California for enjoyment throughout the world this is Robert Young it's been a great pleasure for me to appear tonight on suspense one of my very favorite programs and I know you'll want to be listening next Thursday when my friend and colleague at Metro Golden Mayor mr. Charles Lawton will be your star don't forget then next Thursday same time for Charles Lawton in suspense presented by Roma wines R. O. M. A. made in California for enjoyment throughout the world this is the Columbia Broadcasting System