 the mysterious traveler the mysterious traveler inviting you to join me on another journey into the realm of the strange and the terrifying I hope you will enjoy the trip and it will be you a little chill you a little so settle back get a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable if you can where are we going we go to join Charles Foster as he takes an excursion into crime I call the story the case of Charles Foster late one evening several years ago when I was practicing medicine in a large eastern city I visited Charles Foster a friend and patient of mine I took with me flush a carcass spaniel he had entrusted to me hello doctor glad you were able to come I see you brought flush hello flush oh boy he's Mr. Charles I've missed him too doctor been quite lonesome without him these past few months I down boy it's a good dog how do you feel Charles oh I'm all right doctor you need to worry about me I'm glad to hear that I suppose you've been quite puzzled about everything that's happened these past months frankly Charles I have even now I find it difficult to believe the few doctor I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone I thought I'd go to the grave with my secret but we've always been friends and I'd like you to know the truth as you wish child strange how little people know of one another for ten years Agatha and I were married and to the outside world we were a happily married couple but in the privacy of our home I found life with Agatha a nightmare I never would have guessed that for ten years I stood her sharp tongue and constant nagging I might have gone on taking it the rest of my life fate hadn't decreed otherwise it was three years ago on a beautiful spring evening that fate stepped in changed the entire course of my life is that you Charles yes Agatha did you remember to buy me some more my cough medicine yes here it is supper ready some men will be more interested in their wives health than their own suffers I'm sorry Agatha but you really don't look sick to me that's because you don't care I'm not well and you know it I work myself to death day in and day out keeping this house clean and it'll thanks till I get told you before I get the if the house is too much for you hire a maid and how exactly can we afford a maid on your miserable bookie for salary if you can't manage it out of my salary there's always the fifty thousand dollars your father left that money is mine and I'm not spending a single cent of it it's up to you to provide a maid all right please that's not course hello how are you care more about that dog you do me you know that isn't true it is sometimes I think the only reason you come home is because of that dirty old dog quiet all he does is eat put his filthy paws on my furniture I want you to get rid of that dog Charles get rid of him yes buy some poison at the drugstore and dispose of him you can't stand to see me have anything that makes me happy can you well I'm not getting rid of him Charles this is my house not yours and I don't want him here come on flush don't think that by walking away that ends the matter Charles Foster had to get out of the house so am I come on boy we're going to take a long walk and go home now flush neither do I pardon me but aren't you child Julia Julia Sanders Charles I thought it was you let me look at you oh Julia you haven't changed a bit you're as lovely as how long has it been since we last saw each other 10 years almost 11 has it really been that long Julia have you ever forgiven me for what happened of course I was so insanely in love with you Julia that I couldn't bear to have other men look at you you know that I didn't mean I thought of that night constantly it's been like a nightmare ever since please Charles it's all past and forgotten you were perfectly justified in breaking our engagement after what I'd done there was nothing else you could do I understand you married Agatha Winthrop a year after I'd gone abroad yes after you left for Europe people kept telling me what a wonderful wife Agatha would make allowed myself to be convinced and married her well I'm sure everything turned out for the best but it didn't Julia almost from the beginning our marriage was a failure these past five years Dagatha and I have merely been living together under the same roof I'm sorry Charles it didn't turn out well nothing turned out well Julia after I lost you I hope things have been better with you these past 11 years oh I can complain I spent a number of years in Paris studying art and working at dress designing I only came back a few months ago you've never married no I'm working now for Morgan's department stores their art director oh really my office is only a few blocks from there look to you why don't we have lunch together tomorrow there are so many things I'd like to know I'd like to Charles but I think it would be much better that we don't now surely Julia there's no harm in two old friends having lunch together is there no I suppose I won't take no for an answer do you know what Drake's restaurant is yes well one o'clock tomorrow be all right yes that's my usual lunch hour good then it's a date strange isn't it doctor the way after 11 years Julia and I bumped into each other if we hadn't what followed would never have happened it's such small things as an accidental meeting that often change the course of one's life yes I know that now but I didn't then I met Julia for lunch the next day and soon we were having lunch together every day for the first time in years life began to mean something merely seeing Julia for one hour a day made life worth living I understand we'd have lunch together and then we'd go for a walk in the park I sensed at the time that Julia too was lonely and in the need of friendship summer passed swiftly and happily I should have realized that things couldn't go on that way but I didn't you mean you fell in love with Julia fell in love with her I don't think I'd ever really stopped loving her I became aware of how much I really cared for one warm autumn days we were walking through the park together Julia yes what about going to the theater with me tonight I wish you hadn't asked me Charles why because it means we can't go on seeing each other anymore but why shouldn't we go on seeing each other because you aren't satisfied any longer just to see me at lunch and it isn't right for us to walk together at night surely there's no harm in our going to the theater together you're married Charles that's reason enough all right Julia forget I ever asked you but at least we can go on having lunch together can't we know Charles can't you see things can never be the way they were we've become dependent upon each other and we have a right to be we can't go on seeing each other any longer it isn't fair to Agatha but you know that Agatha and I mean nothing to each other we haven't for years never the less she's your wife Julia you know I love you I've always loved you and I can't do without you Charles you're just making it difficult for both of us Julia you do love me don't you yes but can't you see it's no use I remember Agatha only too well she'd never give you a divorce I know she won't I've asked her a dozen times in the past five years but she said she'll never give me one I want to part now Charles right here must we yes goodbye my life seemed to end that day doctor with our parting I went through the motions of living but nothing seemed to matter any longer I can well understand that months went by every day after work I stayed in town unable to face an evening at home with Agatha and I did arrive home late at night she'd be waiting for me is that you Charles yes I guess I'm sorry if I walk no lock you care coming in night after night at all hours leaving me alone in this big house oh don't think I don't know what you're up to I know you're kind Charles Foster better go to sleep a fine chance I have to sleep with you putting on a bathroom light you know I can't sleep when I like on take me a minute to brush my teeth and I'll turn off the light well what is it now this bottle of plastic acid doing in the medicine chest the deadly poison I know that I got it for Mrs. Medley the drug it's like to use it to get rid of an old cap they had when I told her about flush she said it was a thing that about flush I said Mrs. Medley gave me that bottle of plastic acid so I could get rid of flush I'm going to put him out of his misery tomorrow you'll do no such thing you're here if you so much as lay a hand on flush I'll kill you I'll kill you do understand yes yes you'll get rid of that poison tomorrow let's have no more talk of putting flush out of his misery I lay awake for hours doctor unable to fall asleep Julia's breaking off with me and my wife's refusal to give me a divorce the plastic acid she meant to poison flush with and left me all worked up then I guess I began coughing that cough she cultivated for years to give people the impression that she was an infant after she coughed a usual five minutes or so she got out of bed and started for the bathroom as she kept her cough medicine why don't you turn on the light so you can see where you're going I can see perfectly well where I'm going I've done your salary we can't afford to waste electricity I knew there wasn't any use in saying anything more for years I guess I'd gotten up every night and groped away to the medicine chest to her cough medicine nothing could make her change her habits and I'm in bed listening as she opened the medicine chest fumbled in the corner where she always kept the bottle and I heard her groping for her medicine I suddenly thought of the bottle that was standing next to it the bottle of plastic acid without thinking it came to mind if only she'd take the plastic acid instead of the cough medicine she did I would be free free of her constant nagging and whining free to see Julia then I knew it was useless to hope for such a mistake to happen Agatha's cough medicine always stood in the same corner of the medicine chest even in the dark she'd never take the bottle of plastic acid and then what if the bottles were to be switched what if the following night the plastic acid were placed in the customary spot of the cough medicine suddenly it was all very clear to me what I was going to do Agatha Agatha I've been thinking over what you said about flush but I suppose you're right what should be disposed of he certainly should he's old and he's smelly it'll be a blessing for him to be put out of his misery yes of course I'm sorry I shouted at you before I guess there but well I see now that you're right huh when are you going to do it oh wait until Saturday and none too soon either you're sure the plastic acid won't make him suffer nonsense of course it won't this is medley said nothing works faster than plastic acid oh you told her what it was for that's fine very well I guess I just leave everything to me the next night doctor after Agatha was in bed I quietly stole into the bathroom and opened the medicine chest I compared the bottle of cough medicine with that of the plastic acid they were both smaller bottles almost identical in size I removed the cough medicine from where it stood in the corner of the chest and replaced it with a poison and I went to bed and waited impatiently for Agatha to start coffee can I get you a glass of water or something water won't do any good what I need is my cough medicine why don't you turn on the light because I can see perfectly in the dark besides someone's got to be kind of mine on the electricity in this house listening to her open the door the medicine pounded in my ears I heard her from the bottle would you feel the slight difference in the bottle when she picked it up I was able to breathe I waited I quickly got out of bed turned on the lights and went into the bathroom she was lying on the floor quite dead was an agonized look I returned the bottle of cough medicine to its proper place and then I phoned the police now you'll say Mr. Foster that your wife was in the habit of going every night to the medicine chest for a few drops of her cough medicine yes that's right and she never turned on the lights when she went to the medicine chest oh no sir wasn't that a bit unusual well I always used to tell her to turn on the lights but she said it was a waste of electricity I see you say your wife it was her who placed the bottle of plastic acid in the medicine chest makes a cough medicine I'm yes sir I'd never touched the bottle of plastic acid you see it was my wife who procured it and yes yes mr. Smudler the drug is testified that his wife gave it to your wife Mr. Foster are you familiar with the contents of your wife's will dated ten years ago I yes I am then you know of course that your wife left her entire estate to the home for the agent home to the age oh yes yes I fought to keep my face expression to prevent him from learning that I hadn't known all the years we've been married Agatha had given me to understand that all her money would go to me now I knew that she'd been lying her will had been made out in favor of the home for the agent for years I began to feel angry at the way she cheated me but a moment later I was grateful that she had frankly mr. Foster your wife's death occurred under very suspicious circumstances to say the least the years she'd gone to the medicine chest every night without mishap and yet on the second night that there was bottle of plastic acid in the chest she met her death where it not for the fact that your wife had left her entire estate to the home for the agent I might be inclined to go further with investigation as it is I'll instruct the coroner's jury to bring in the verdict of death through accident that's all mr. Foster I walked out of the district attorney's office a free man a few days later I moved out of the house which had been Agatha's and took up quarters elsewhere six long and uneventful months past I made no effort to contact Julia for fear that the police might still have the suspicions and then I could stand it no longer I called on her Charles when I told you were waiting to see me I could hardly believe it I'm so glad to see you again thank you Julia it's good to see you again too Charles you don't look well at all these past few months have been something of a strange journey but I'm all right now I was tempted so many times to get in touch with you then I thought perhaps you didn't want to see anyone I didn't see you Julia but I was afraid it wouldn't be quite I understand Charles let's not say anything more of the past with the present and the future Julia do you think we might try to pick up where we left off last autumn we can try Charles Julia and I doctor began to see each other night after night life for me became exciting and wonderful the way it had been 11 years ago before Julia and I had broken our engagement didn't you ever stop to think of what you've done you mean Agatha yes no doctor they say the murderer is ever haunted by his crime but that isn't true hmm at least it wasn't in my case to me Agatha was part of another life in the dim past I rarely thought of the past only the present and the future now if I had any fears at all it was the fear that something would spoil the happiness that Julia and I had found together but nothing did in a few months later we were married with you as my best man yes I remember my second marriage was everything that my first hadn't been the first time in my life I knew what true happiness meant Julia and I were poor but that didn't matter we had each other the months swiftly passed and as our first anniversary approached it was hard to believe that we'd been married almost a year Charles before you leave for work reassigned check for me who's it for dear never you're mine mr. Foster you just leave a signed check I'll fill in the amount in the party it's meant for Mrs. Foster you're acting very mysterious well wife has a right to act mysterious once a year darling I suspect you're going to use this check to buy me an anniversary present well whatever you get me please don't make a necktie well I'll have you know I have very good taste in necktie I know you do there but I have to wear them you're an ungrateful wreck very well I won't get you time then I'll sign the check for you and please bear in mind that you can't make this check out for more than three hundred and twelve dollars and fifty cents that's all we have in the bank oh I'll leave you at least the fifty cents you'd better leave a good deal but we won't be going up to Lake Ellis Charles will be going up to Lake Ellis slipped out and I meant it as an anniversary surprise that's wonderful when are we going this Friday afternoon I've entered the cabin and there's more motorboat on Lake Ellis for the weekend darling what an exciting surprise Charles you're sure it won't be too expensive nothing can be too expensive for our first anniversary darling I've never been so happy this looks like a nice place to fish I'll see what I put that beat here it is dear thanks darling I is a nice fat dimpled word well if you can't stand to see me beat him just turn the other way well it take me a minute Charles look it's all coming out of the engine hatch yes you're right fire they're flame shooting out fire extinguishers at the other end of the boat I should never make it you'd be burned yes you're right besides even the extinguisher wouldn't do much good now the fire is too big what are we going to do oh the heat is becoming unbearable only one thing we can do to you that's go over the side we're almost in the center of the lake I can't swim I can't hear I'll manage to keep us above water somehow well all right darling I'll do whatever you say you'll come through this Julia now don't be afraid now I'll slip over the side of the boat first and you follow all right I'll hurry Julia let yourself down into the water I'll keep you afloat yes Charles I have you don't be afraid darling you see it's no trouble keeping you above water I just relax dear when I swim with you a bit we've got to get a good distance from the boat it makes bold no but someone's bound to see the fire and come to our rescue until they do we must have courage aren't you now don't worry dear I can keep us afloat for a long time yet someone must surely have seen that boat burning it just seems long darling can't be more than 10 minutes just for a moment you you slipped away from me just a mill stone around your neck what are you saying I should we both drown Charles save yourself save myself let go of me let go of you no no never you're too tired to keep no no darling either we're both safe or we're both drowned I won't have you throw your life away Julia Julia stop trying to break loose Julia darling don't I can't live without you Julia stop struggling we saw it all hey Mike he's passed out get him before he goes under all right all right any son of his wife got it she's going skimmer too bad well if it's the last thing I do I aim to see just a stand of this fella she never had a chance to see him shovel under was murder that's what it was you'll claim that as they approached you and your late wife in their boat they saw you struggling with it you admit this yes yes but I tell you I was trying to save her not drown all you were trying to save her but both the witnesses testify they saw you push her head under they're wrong I wasn't pushing her under I was trying to bring her to the surface you must believe me you maintain that you are rescuing your wife not drowning yes is it true mr. Foster that you were engaged to your wife 11 years ago and that she broke the engagement yes that's true would you mind telling the jury why she broke the engagement we had a misunderstanding a misunderstanding you call shooting the woman you're engaged to just a misunderstanding you must let me explain it's true that 11 years ago I did shoot Julia but I've been drinking I didn't know what I was the faster you don't admit shooting and warming her yes yes have you ever seen this before yes that's the insurance policy I took out for Julia and myself exactly and who was this policy taken out but a month ago on 15th to be exact and what's the policy mr. Foster well if either my wife or myself died provided $10,000 for the survivor yes mr. Foster if either you or your wife died a natural death it provided $10,000 to the survivor but there's also a double indemnity clause in this policy isn't there yes but I one that provides you with $20,000 if your wife died an accidental death such as drowning yes that's true but I swear I didn't drown my wife I tell you I'm trying to save her save her that John you must believe me you must that doctor is exactly the way everything happened strange isn't it the way justice works itself out I committed murder and escaped punishment now I'm paying with my life for the death of the one person I really loved it's time to go for all right wooden goodbye doctor and take good care of flush with you of course Charles goodbye all right wooden I'm ready let's go this is the mysterious traveler again you enjoy our little trip too bad about Charles Foster wasn't it as he was strapped into the electric chair there was an ironic smile on his lips but he was being executed for something he had not done but as Charles himself said justice has a strange way of working itself out I knew another man once who thought it would be a simple thing to dispose of his wife unfortunately oh you're getting off here I'm sorry but perhaps we'll meet again soon I take the same train every week at this time you have just heard chapter 64 of the mysterious traveler a series of dramas of the strange and the terrifying in tonight's story the case of Charles Foster Humphrey Davis played Charles Foster Nancy Sheridan played Julia and Joan Shea played Agatha the mysterious traveler is written Bob Arthur and David Cogan and original music is played by Henry Silver and the entire production is under the direction of John McGregor listen next week to a tale titled money another tale of the mysterious traveler is presented by W.O.R. mutual from the W.O.R. studios in New York this is mutual