 The Mutual Broadcasting System presents The Mysterious Traveler, written, produced, and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Cogan, and starring tonight two of Radio's foremost personalities, Adelaide Klein and Mason Adams, in an original radio drama titled The Visiting Corpse. This is 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, that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable, if you can. As we meet The Visiting Corpse, our story begins late one night in the modest suburban home of Albert Jordan. Albert, a mild-looking man in his early thirties, is tossing restlessly in his sleep, now on any moans and speaks, as if having a nightmare. No, I don't want to hear any more, leave me alone. Oh, we... Oh, you were having a nightmare, dear. You don't want to wake Mother up, she needs a good night's sleep for a trip home tomorrow. Yes, the trip, we... we mustn't let her mess her train, no, we mustn't, dear, here. Oh, but whatever in the world is wrong with you. Only I wish you were already tomorrow, and she were gone. Have everything, Mother? Yes, Louis, dear. Now, don't forget to ship my trunk. I'll be Expressman, I'll be here to pick it up this morning, Mother. Thank you, darling. It's almost nine o'clock, Mother, you'll miss your train. I have never missed a train in my life. You needn't be so anxious to get rid of me, Albert. Oh, Louis, darling, I do hate leaving you alone like this. Really, Mother, I'll be all right. Very well, then, if you say so, I'll go. But I'll be writing to you every day. And if he abuses you, just let me know. Goodbye, darling. Goodbye, Mother, and take care of yourself. And don't forget, Louise, Mother will come back if you need her. Yes, Mother. Goodbye. Louise, if your Mother pays us just one more visit, I'll leave this house and I'll never come back. But, darling, it's only natural that Mother should want to visit me. I'm the only one she has in the world. Yes, but she doesn't just visit as she lives with us. In the past year, she spent eight months with us. She has her clothes here, a key to the house, while she's even listed in the phone book under our numbers. Please, Albert, she's gone now. Let's not quarrel. Yes, she's gone now, but in two or three weeks she can be sure she'll come back to spend a few months with us. Good morning, Louise. I won't be responsible for what happens if she keeps coming back. Let me see. Send off the truck. Well, that's one job I can enjoy doing. Mrs. Heather Roden, one, two, five River Road, Ferndale Peninsula. Oh, that won't be necessary, Albert. What? My trunk can remain here. Mother, what do you want to catch your train? I've changed my mind about going. I won't leave my little girl alone. I'm sure she needs me. Where is Louise? She went downtown. Oh. So you've come back again. You've always wanted to get rid of me, haven't you, Albert, to keep me away from my only child. But I refuse to give her up. I've come back and I'm staying for good. You're what? Yes, and then I'll be sure that Louise is being well-treated. Frankly, I don't trust you. You don't trust me? No. Why, I don't even know your background. You were a complete stranger when you forced Paul or we to elope with you a year ago, and I know you may have criminal tendencies. There's a certain amount of the criminal in all of us. Most people can control their worst instincts. But some can. Exactly. And I'm here to see you with that no one harms Louise. But who's going to look out for you, mother? Albert, why are you looking at me so clearly? Are you sick? Yes, mother, I'm sick. Sick of the sight of you. No, Albert, you must control yourself. I want you to go to your room at once as I down. No, you had to keep coming back, mother, and keep giving me orders. Albert, stop looking at me that way. What? You seem like another person. I am, mother. You wouldn't let what was decent in me live, and now you must take the consequences. Albert, stay away from me. Don't you dare come near me. You would keep coming back, mother, when you came back just once too often. No, Albert, don't touch me! Albert, don't! You should have taken that train, mother. But at least now I know you won't be coming back. You won't come back ever again. You won't, you won't! I didn't want to kill you, but you made me. I've got to get rid of her. They'll catch me. The trunk. Yes, it's large enough. Here in her handbag. Even in death, you're a problem, mother, but you won't be for long. There. Now I'll just pack this clothing around you tightly. I don't want to get rid of the trunk. Albert, are you home? Louise, the trunk, I've got to get it closed. Is that you, Albert? Yes, dear. Oh, I see you're locking the trunk. Yes, I, uh, I was getting it ready for the express man. You should be here now. Albert, is anything wrong? What? What do you mean, Louise? I don't know. Your face is so flush. It's, uh, just a little warm in here, that's all. Look, we forgot to pack, mother's robe. I know she'll want it. I'm afraid you'll have to open the trunk again, Albert. No. I mean, I mean, the trunk is full already. We couldn't get anything else in it. Nonsense. When mother and I packed, it was only half full. Please open it. But it's locked and your mother has the key. Yes, you're right. Well, we just have to mail the robe to her. I'll answer the door. It must be the express man. Make sure the tags are on it, dear. Tags? I can't go to her home. Only I had time to think. Wait. Yes, that's the only thing to do. I'll make out new tags. Expressman's backing his truck up the door, Albert. Have you got the tags already? I'm just finishing them. Yep. They're already there. Well, let me see if you have the address right. Sometimes you don't forget. Now, Louise, you needn't bother. Of course the tags are made out right now. Stand aside. I'll carry the trunk to the door. Oh, let the expressman do it, Albert. That's what he's being paid for. And I really do want to check the address on the tag. Now, Louise. Oh, please, Albert. I'm just playing safe. But these tags are addressed to Mrs. William Smith, 345 Wood Street, Las Vegas. They are? They certainly are. What were you thinking of? I don't know, Louise, but I'll change them. You just go on and let me tend to it. Indeed I will not. You let the expressman in and I'll tend to the tags. If I left it to you, Mother's Trunk would probably go heaven knows where he found again. Albert, I'm really worried. Worried, Louise? It's a week now and no word for Mother. She said she'd write every day. No, dear. Maybe she's been too busy to write. Too busy? You know Mother doesn't do anything. No. No, there's something wrong. I see it. Good. You mustn't worry, Louise. I'm sure that she's all right. Oh, I'll answer. I'll come with you. Maybe it's a special delivery letter for Mother. Mother, I've got a trunk for you, folks. What is trunk? Sir, he's here. Be-Albert. Keep me away from my only child. But I refuse to give her up. I've come back, Albert. And I'm staying for good. No. No. What'd you say, Albert? Say, nothing. I had Lady the trunk. Oh, bring it in, won't you, please? Okay. There you are. I don't understand. Why should Mother send a trunk back to us? Well, you might sign it from Mr. Jordan. Oh, yes. Yes, yes, sir, all right. Here you are. Thanks. Bye. Yeah, but I can't understand why mother shipped her trunk back to us. And without even writing a word about it. Well, I'm going to put an end to this guessing. What are you going to do? I'm calling mother. Hello, operator. I want to put through a call to Ferndale, Pennsylvania. The number's 223. Yes, that's right. My number's Riverdale 7745. Thank you. Why bother phoning, Louie? I'm sure there's a letter on the way. I've waited long enough for one. Albert, why do you keep staring at the trunk, so? What? Oh, was I? Wrong with you, Albert. This packed week, you've been so jumpy. Oh, hello? Hello, Sarah, this is Louie's calling. How are you? Oh, I'm fine, thank you. Is my mother there? Are you sure? So that's why you shipped the trunk back? No, thank you, thank you, Sarah. Albert, Sarah says that mother never arrived home. She hasn't been there this past week. Was Sarah the one who shipped the trunk back? Yes, she thought mother decided to stay with us longer and need her clothes. Albert, where can she be? Oh, Louie, I'm sure that she's all right. All right, she's been missing a week. How could she be? I'm going to call the police. Where can she be? 24 hours have gone by and the police still haven't found her. Oh, now dear, it takes time. You must have patience. They're doing everything they can. I suppose they... You mustn't talk like that. Nothing is known yet. Why do you keep staring at a trunk? I don't know. Darling, it's just upset you to see the trunk. It keeps reminding you of your mother. I'd better put it in storage. All right, Albert. Do as you please. Now you're being sensible, dear. I'll take good care of mother's trunk. That very afternoon, Albert took the trunk to the express office. He shifted away again this time to a non-existent address in California. He also gave a false return address. So he was quite sure it would never come back to bother him again. Look, darling, I brought you some flowers. Here's a little present. Thank you, Albert. Very nice. Louie, your mother has been missing five weeks. Now you can't go on this way. You'll have a nervous breakdown. Albert, where can she be? Why can't the police find her? Darling, if she hasn't been found in five weeks, I'm afraid there's no hope. Louie, you must resign yourself to her law. Oh, I'll answer, dear. You just sit here and rest. All right, Albert. Dad, good evening. I've got something here which I believe belongs to you. It belongs to me? Yeah, a trunk. A trunk? Yeah. Ever since it came into the depot a couple of days ago, I've been trying to locate the owner. And they've been having quite a time of it. Did a little checking and figured out it might be yours. You're only child. I've come back, Albert. Do you recognize it? Oh, don't you know where the trunk goes? Yeah, well, no. It's come all the way back from California. Seems there wasn't any such address where this ship to. Surely it had a return address. Yeah, but the rain kind of washed it off. Until all you can make out now is Riverdale, New York. What makes you think it belongs here? Well, I sort of did a little detective work. The initials stamped on the trunk are HLR. And I looked it up in the phone book. And the only person in Riverdale with those initials lives here. I'm sorry, but you must have the wrong place. Where will you take the trunk now? Oh, it'll be put with unclaimed luggage. Then in a few months, it'll be sold for charge. It's unopened. Sold for charge? You'd be surprised what you sometimes find in unclaimed trunks. Sort of like a grab bag game. Well, sorry to interrupt. Wait a minute, wait a minute. What did you say those initials were? HLR. HLR? Why them? My mother-in-law's initials. How stupid of me, of course. But you just said it wasn't your trunk. Well, it isn't. It's hers. Her name is Heather L. Rodin. Yeah, that was the only name in the phone book with those initials. That's why I come here. Well, it was an extremely clever piece of detective work. I suppose there's a collect charge on the trunk. Yep. Comes to $31.50 with the truck. Well, I'll just put the trunk inside for you. Thank you. Well, we'd have headed to lose the trunk. Here's $35 to keep the change. Oh, say thanks. You're right. Tonight, though, you'll come back again, as you said you would. Well, you haven't beaten me yet. But who was it? What? It was a trunk. I thought it was in storage. Well, it was, dear, but they're closing the storage house. They brought it back. Oh, I see. Look, rather worn now, doesn't it? Oh, but how do we know there isn't a letter or something in the trunk that would give us a clue to mothers disappearance? Now, Louise, you know that's ridiculous. There's nothing in that trunk but clothes. Probably right out of it, but just the same. I'm going to open it. But you haven't got the key to it. No, but I have half a dozen old keys on this ring. Possibly, just possibly one of them might open the trunk. Well, here, let me have the keys. I'll see if I can open it for you. Thank you, dear. Here you are. Just wait the time, but if it'll make you feel better. One doesn't work. No, Lord, is this one. Yeah, but you're not even really trying. Here, let me. I tell you, it's no use. Well, let me try for myself. Oh, no, this one doesn't even fit. I told you so. Now, why don't you give up? This one doesn't even. They're only wasting your time. No, this one isn't any good. Perhaps this one will do it. No, none of these keys will open it. But in the morning, I'm going to get a locksmith to open it. I've got to see what's in that trunk. Perhaps it'll lead to our finding mother. So she's going to get a locksmith in the morning, is she? Well, you won't be here when he comes out to eat of that. You got me away from my only child, but I refuse. You're not, dear, here. You're not. You'll never come back after tonight. Never. Pardon me, miss, but you store trunks here, don't you? Well, yes, sir. This is the largest storage house in New York. Do you wish to store that trunk you just brought in? Yes, please. May I have your name? Williams, John Williams. And the address? 313 Maple Street. What city, please? Baltimore, Maryland. OK. Now, the charge for the trunk will be $4 a month. How many months do you want to store it? How many months? Let me see how much money I have. I've only $8 with me. Well, that'll pay for two months, then. If you want to keep it here longer, you can mail us your check. Yes, I'll do that. OK. Here you are, Mr. Williams. Thank you. Good night. Valvert got rid of the embarrassing trunk at last. There was only one little hitch. Before he could send any more money, he lost the storage receipt. And he forgot the false name he'd given the storage to people so he couldn't pay for additional storage. But he knew they'd keep it at least a year. He was quite sure that it could never, could never be traced back to him. So after a few months, he stopped worrying. Good evening, dear. How are you? I'm all right, Aunt. Fine. Say, I, um, I bumped into George Horton and his wife on the way home. And they asked us to come to a charity auction that's being held tonight. That was very nice of them, Aunt. Why don't we go, dear? Do you a lot of good? You haven't been anywhere for six months now? I know, Albert. And I've been unfair to you, haven't I? You haven't seen anyone in six months yourself. All right, if you like, I'll go to the charity auction tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, now one of my bid for this beautiful antique lamp. You are here $5. Oh, come, come, ladies and gentlemen, look closely at this work of art. Now do I here $5? I bid $5. Now there we have a lady with a real sense of beauty. Now do I here $6? Good evening, George. Hello, Albert. Glad that Louise and you came. How are you, Louise? Quite well. Thank you. It was nice of you to invite us here, Joe. Well, we've missed both of you quite a bit these past months. Well, I hope you'll be seeing more, Albert. You know, you've got quite a crowd here tonight. Yes, we hope to raise a good deal of money. You know that auctioneer is a genius. He can sell the most useless objects, make a team value. Well, we'll have to get in on the bidding. Hey, wait till you see the next item he puts up for sale. It's something I donated. That's going to be quite a surprise. You are all as good at that, George. Come on. Let's move a little closer to the auctioneer. Do I here $12? Do I here $12? All right, I've got $11. Well, you're going to let this remarkable nab go for as little as $11. All right, it's your last chance, ladies and gentlemen. Going at $11 once, going twice, sold to the German in the tweed suit. I'm very fortunate he is. That lamp couldn't have cost more than $3 when it was new. Oh, now here comes something to fail if I donate it. All right, ladies and gentlemen. The next item for sale is something so good that I'm tempted to enter in the bidding myself. Ladies and gentlemen, my assistant will remove that color. And there you have the next bargain. A locked trunk. All right, ladies and gentlemen, study it well. Study it well, ladies and gentlemen. I'll give you a few minutes. Then we'll start the bidding. The trunk? No. No, it can't be. Yet it's the same size. It's the same color. The initials. The initials, that'll prove what a... No. No, they seem to have been rubbed off. Away from my only child. But I refuse to give her up. I've come back, Aldert, and I'm staying for good. You are back. When I didn't send them any more money, they sold the trunk for charges. Now, this is no ordinary trunk, ladies and gentlemen. It was donated to this auction by Mr. George Horton, who bought it at a storage house. He never broke the lark to examine the content, preferring to save that wonderful surprise for the person who purchases this remarkable trunk tonight. All right, who knows what it contains. Perhaps the crown jewels of Russia. Or a better still, five quarts of Scotch. All right, now we'll start the bidding for this mystery trunk. I bid $20. $20 by Madam, this trunk alone is worth 40. Who knows what's in it? Oh, no. Aldert, you look so pale. Is there anything wrong? Well, oh, no, no, everything's all right. Oh, come, come, ladies and gentlemen. The contents of this trunk may be priceless. Do I hear a bid of $30? I'm afraid I'm just as curious as everyone else to know what's in that trunk. I'll bid $30. Oh, we have a bid of $30 for Mr. Horton, the gentleman who donated this mystery trunk. All right, do I hear $40? Aldert, that trunk looks something like mothers, doesn't it? So you've noticed. Surely I hear $40, why any dealer would pay $40 for the trunk alone? That means you'd have the contents for free. Come on, ladies and gentlemen, do I hear $40? $40. Ah, there's a lady with a shrewd eye for a bargain. All right, hold bid $50. I'll say $50. But Aldert, we don't need a trunk. Oh, let him have fun, Louise, after all it is for charity. Besides, you can never tell what's in the trunk. I wish I could bid on this myself, ladies and gentlemen. I now have a bid of $50, which I have convinced is only $0.10, the true value of this trunk. All right, do I hear $60? $60. $70. That's more like it. Now, do I hear $80? $80. $100. Ah, your people are beginning to show real appreciation for this trunk. We'll make it $110. $110. $120. Do I hear $130? $130. $150. Oh, fun's fun, Aldert, but you're going too hard. Leave me alone. Aldert, what's wrong with you? The gentleman has bid $150. Do I hear any more? That $150. Going twice that $150. So, to that gentleman for $150. I never saw anyone go after anything the way you went after that trunk, Aldert. Well, I'm afraid nothing will satisfy the crowd now, but for you to open up the trunk and reveal what's in it. No, no, no. I'm sorry, but I don't intend to open until I get home. Oh, no, no, no. Come on, Aldert. Now don't spoil the fun. It won't hurt to open it. I told you I wouldn't do it. No, no, I'm sorry, George, but well, I haven't a key to open it, and there's no sense in breaking the lock after paying $150 for the trunk. Well, maybe I can help you, Mr. Wharton at some skeleton keys that'll open any lock here. I'll show you. All she needs is always running into locked trunks. Oh, we'll certainly appreciate it. I think this key will do it. Stop! You have no right to touch my trunk. I paid for it, and I don't want it open. Now get away from it. It's mine. Aldert, what's wrong with you? Well, all right. Certainly. That's the way you feel about it. Come on, Louise. We're going home. Aldert, you're acting so strangely. Why do you insist on dragging that trunk away now? Stop talking and come along. Well, all right, Aldert. Now, but that trunk is pretty heavy. Don't you want me to give you a hand? I can manage it alone. Thank you. Open that door for me, Louise. Aldert, don't you think you'd better, George, help you get the trunk down those stairs? No, I'm not going to let anyone touch this trunk. You've always made me away from my only child, but I refuse to give her up. I've come back, Aldert, and I'm staying for good. Don't, Aldert. Do be careful on those stairs. I've come back, Aldert, and I'm staying for good. Be quiet, you old hag. Be quiet. You haven't completed me yet. I'll get rid of you if it's the last thing I... What happened, Mr. Harden? He lost his balance on the stairs. The trunk is too heavy for him. What happened? I'm sorry, Louise. I'm afraid he's gone. Drunk. Crushed his skull. Look, Mr. Harden. The fall broke the trunk over. There was nothing in it but a load of books. To travel again. To enjoy it. Too bad about poor Aldert. Then there are always some mother-in-law who simply can't get away from. They keep coming back like an old refrain. Aldert's now a free man, unless, of course, he's been haunted on the other side. Now, I recall another case in which a young man woke up to find himself dead. Decided that... You'll have to get off here. I'm sorry. But I'm sure we'll meet again. I take this same train every week at the same time. You have just heard The Mysterious Traveler, a series of dramas of the strange and terrifying. All characters in tonight's story were fictitious and any resemblance to the names of actual persons was purely coincidental. In tonight's case were Maurice Taupland, Adelaide Klein, Mason Adams, Bill Keane, and Connie Lemke. Sound was by George Cooney, broadcast engineer, Al King. Original music was played by Paul Taubman. The Mysterious Traveler is written, produced and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Cogan. Listen next week to a tale titled Murder by Proxies. Another strange and suspenseful tale of The Mysterious Traveler. And now here's an announcement of interest to listeners of this program. Mysterious Traveler comic books are now available at newsstands everywhere. Carl Caruso speaking, this program came to you from our New York studios. This is the mutual broadcasting system.