 I'm the Whistler, and I know many things before I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. Tonight, my friend, it's the Whistler's strange story, Incident at Chalk Point. It's a tiny strip of land that extends into the Pacific, and at land's end stands Yeager House, a large and gloomy old structure built at the turn of the century. Barely visible now in the swirling mist, the heavy fog that clings to the coast of northern California. And in that fog, stalling casually along the beach, Kay Fallon, young, attractive, a polo coat wrapped tightly around her, shutting out the chill of the evening. And then, suddenly, she stops, peers ahead into the gray shadows. A man. Yes, the figure of a man walking in from the sea, moving through the fog towards you, Kay. And then he staggers and falls on the beach. Wrong. Are you hurt? A ship. But gone. A shipwreck? When did it happen? Where? Up the coast. I hit the rocks. What ship were you on? Schooner, Sparrow, Shanghai. My ship. She's gone. All hands gone. Take me to the house. My house is up there on the point. Your house? I'm going to get back. Get back home. Your puzzle for a moment, aren't you, Kay? By this brave young man who calls Yeager House his home. You've been employed by the owner, Mrs. Yeager, as her secretary companion for over a year now. And you've never seen him there before, nor has Mrs. Yeager ever mentioned it. He's confused, isn't he, Kay? Yes, that's it. The shock of the wreck. And so you helped him along the beach into the house. You leave him sitting in the chair by the fireplace in the study. And then hurry down the path to the caretaker's cottage. Why, Ms. Kay, what's wrong? There's been a shipwreck. I found one of the survivors down on the beach a few minutes ago. You'd better get a doctor and notify the authorities. Sure thing. When does this happen? Well, I don't know if it's certain in the man team days. He did say it was his ship, a schooner, a Star of Shanghai. The Star of...? Well, what's the matter? You sure he said Star of Shanghai? Well, yes, of course. What's wrong? Well, that was the name of Captain Yeager's ship, Miss. The Star of Shanghai, the schooner. She went down over 25 years ago. All hands lost. Back inside the house a few moments later, you stop in the entry hall and stare at the oil painting on the wall. A painting of a pre-masted schooner, Captain Yeager's ship, the Star of Shanghai. An uneasy feeling begins to creep over you, doesn't it, Kate? Yes. And then suddenly you're aware of a buzzer ringing close by. It's Mrs. Yeager. You hurry upstairs to her room and find her, as usual, parked up in bed. A book resting in her life. I've been ringing for quite some time, my dear. I'm sorry, Mrs. Yeager. That's all right, Kate. If you'll be kind enough to bring me my hot milk now. Right away, Mrs. Yeager. Kate? Yes? Is something wrong? Why? Well, no. You seem disturbed. No, no. It's nothing, really. There is something on your mind. Well, in a way... Mrs. Yeager, your husband... his ship was lost at sea some 25 years ago. Yes, that's right. On a night very much like this, one day. Strange, you should ask about it now. Oh, for some reason he's been in my thoughts all evening. It's the fog, I suppose. The horns and all. Where was the ship lost? Not far from here, up the coast. My life ended that night, my dear. I was very much in love with my husband. Have you never seen a photograph of him? No, I never have. The album there, dear. Hand it to me, will you? Here you are, Mrs. Yeager. Thank you, my dear. Here, the captain. This photograph was taken shortly after we were married. Look, Kay, mustn't he have some? You take the album and your hand begins to tremble as you stare at the faded photograph. You can't believe what you see, can you, Kay? The man in the photograph is the image of the man you found on the beach, just a few minutes ago. Why, Kay, what is the matter, my dear? Nothing, nothing at all, Mrs. Yeager. In just a minute, the whistler will continue tonight's story. All of us are proud of our hometowns and rightly so. In this brief moment before we continue with our program, we'd like to offer a salute to one of our hometowns in America, Salt Lake City, Utah. The city was founded in 1847 by the Mormons, headed by Brigham Young, and it became first the capital of the Mormon settlement, and later the capital of the state of Utah. Some of Salt Lake City's most interesting houses are those occupied or inspired by Brigham Young and his family. The Mormon temple was 40 years in construction, and none but Mormons may enter it. However, the Mormon tabernacle with its great domed roof, the largest of its kind in the world, is open to the public. It seats 8,000 people, and the acoustics are so remarkable that a pin dropped at the front of the tabernacle can be heard from the farthest seat. The giant organ containing more than 10,000 pipes is world famous. Much of the history of Salt Lake City is caught up in the threads of the religious atmosphere created by the early Mormons. To some extent, one could almost say that the city was built upon the same motive that brought the first colonists to our shores over 200 years before, the desire to follow their beliefs without fear of persecution. It remains today at the center of the Mormon religion, a modern progressive city with the desert and the great Salt Lake only a few miles away. It is with a great deal of pride that the people of Salt Lake City go about their daily tasks knowing the part their hometown has played in the building of America. And now back to the Whistler. It was a shock, wasn't it, Kay? Discovering the photograph in the album, a photograph of Captain Jaeger lost at sea some 25 years ago. And yet you're certain it's the same man you found on the beach off Chalk Point just a few minutes ago, very much alive. A man who seemed dazed, spoke of the wreck of a ship named Star of Shanghai, the same as Captain Jaeger's old ship. You leave Mrs. Jaeger in a room and hurry downstairs. Doorbell. Here's the documents, Kay. He brought the sheriff with him. Oh, yes. Come in, Dr. Hanselsen, Sheriff. Even Miss Frelin? You know, where is this young man? In there, Doctor. The study. We'll take a look at him. How's the with you, Doc? Miss Frelin, the old day was telling me you said this man mentioned the Star of Shanghai. Yes, that's right, Sheriff. That was the name of Captain Jaeger's ship. It went down 25 years ago. So I understand. Did this man say when the wreck happened? He said something about being in the water for hours and hours. I see. Funny, we usually get a call from the Coast Guard when there's a ship wreck. And you didn't? Miss Kay. Yes, Doctor? The young man. You sure you left him in here? Of course, isn't he? He's sitting right there and wandered down to the beach again. Maybe. I'll have my deputy organize a search party soon as I can get to a phone. Uh, you're a writer, aren't you, Miss? In my spare time. The old Dave tells me you just finished a novel, some sort of a sea story, right? Well, yes, that's right. Why do you ask? Well, I'm just wondering, that's all. What is it, Sheriff? For your sake, I hope this isn't just a publicity stunt, Miss Fallon. Publicity stunt? Now, see here, Sheriff. If Captain Yeager was still alive, he'd have made himself known years ago. But the photograph and Mrs. Yeager's album, it's the same man, I know it. Are you sure? But I tell you, I... Good night, Miss Fallon. Mr. Yeager, what is it? What's wrong? My dear, I heard those talk. It's a strangeest dream. That the Captain had come back. What? It was so real. He was standing here by my bed. Looking down at me. You stare at the floor near Mrs. Yeager's bed. There you see something that sends a shiver to you. Descades, there on the carpet. Footprints. A pair of wet footprints. There's little sleep for you that night, is there, Kay? Your puzzle frightened. The following afternoon, you drive into the village, determined to get at the bottom of this mystery. No, Miss Fallon, we couldn't find any trace of the man. I see, Sheriff. Oh, uh, check with the Coast Guard, too. They don't know anything about a shipwreck. The only schooner called the start of Shanghai they ever heard of went down 25 years ago. Sheriff thinks it's a publicity stunt on your part, doesn't he, Kay? And so does everyone else. You're angry and still a little frightened as you hurry to the parking lot behind the telegraph office where you parked your car. Get in. Step on the starter. As you maneuver out of the narrow parking strip, your back bumper strikes something at the side of the building. Annoyed, you get out and discover that you've damaged a bicycle. You leave a note with your address and then drive swiftly back to the house at chalk point. As you start inside, you grant toward the sea and your heart seems to jump in your throat. A low fog still cleans to the shore in it the figure of a man walking slowly along the beach. You hurry down the path. Your heart's pounding now. It's vanished, isn't it, Kay? Nowhere in sight. Suddenly you hear a familiar voice behind you. Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. That's all right. I'm glad you're here. Just thought I'd come down and take a look around on my own. I'm only the deputy sheriff, but... You mean you believe my story of what happened last night, Kay? That you found a man on the beach? Why, shouldn't I, Kay? But as for it being Captain Yeager, well... Of course it wasn't Captain Yeager. But the photograph on the album, it's the same man. I wonder if he could get that photograph for me. Uh, quietly, that is. We don't want to alarm Mrs. Yeager. Yes, I think so. I'll have to wait till she goes to sleep tonight. I'll bring it to you in the village in the morning. Okay. Oh, uh, got a few minutes now? But yeah, let's walk down the beach, huh? I'd like you to tell me what happened last night. Exactly the way it happened. Every little detail you remember. At last, Kay, you found someone, the young deputy sheriff. A man you feel certain you can trust who will listen to you and believe you. That night, you wait in your room for Mrs. Yeager to go to sleep. And you grant casually through the San Francisco paper you bought at the village. And then suddenly, something you see on one of the inside pages startles you. Photograph of a man. Oh, Tassan. The portagangster shot in gun battle with San Francisco police. The one time Underworld czar who had re-entered the United States illegally was slain. Yes, come in. Evening, Miss Kay. Oh, Dave, what is it? I just saw Mrs. Yeager. Yes? She won't be wanting her hot milk tonight. All right, Dave, thank you. Guess I'll go straight to bed. Good idea. Dave? Yes? Uh, nothing. Never mind. Night, Miss Kay. It suddenly occurs to you, doesn't it, Kay? Where you saw Carl Tassan before. You saw him with Old Dave two weeks ago. You bumped into them accidentally one night as they were leaving his cottage. And you remember how they hurried away when they saw you. You wonder about the whole chalk point setup. And things begin to fall into place for you now as you sit there thinking it out. And quickly you tiptoe down the hall in Mrs. Yeager's room and listen. You hear a voice, a man voice. But you can't make out what he's saying. And then... Miss Kay. Dave. Too bad you were listening, Miss Kay. Now you'd better go on in. Now look, Mrs. Yeager, if you insist... Dave! What's the idea? She was outside the door, ma'am. Getting in here for her. Well, well, Miss Fallon. We've met before, haven't we? Yeah, that's right. On the beach last night you rescued me from the service. Captain Yeager, that's me. No, really? I find that a little hard to believe. So the police, huh? You'd planned the whole act to discredit me. Oh, Mrs. Yeager had planned it. I preferred more violent action. Mrs. Yeager? Yes, Kay. I didn't want you to get sick. And all this because I happened to see a man outside of Dave's cottage two weeks ago. A gangster you'd smuggled into the States, Carl Tassen. That's it, isn't it? That's right. After Tassen got himself knocked off, we figured you'd probably see his picture in the paper. Maybe go to the police. But after what happened last night, they wouldn't believe the story about Tassen either, huh? Right. In your case, a little girl who cried wolf once too often. Very clever, Mr.... Norton. Captain Norton, master of the freighter Edward Carlton. Well, that's how you get your client to the States, huh? We've got a great set up here, Miss Fallon, and... You're not going to spoil it. What are you going to do, Captain? Well, I should have done a long time ago, Mrs. Yeager, instead of going through that crazy routine of yours. No. I won't allow it. Oh, you won't allow it, huh? As long as I'm a partner and you're using my house as a rendezvous. What I say goes. Not anymore. I'm running this, and you'll do as I say. You're in pretty deep, Mrs. Yeager. Don't forget that. Now listen to me. Save your breath. All right, Mr. Fallon, suppose the two of us take a nice little stroll on the beach. He's going to kill you, isn't he, Kay? Yes, because you know too much. As you walk through the downstairs hall, you grant at the clock a few minutes after nine. You move out of the house, Captain Norton, right behind you, a gun in his hand, and the two of you go down the path to the beach. Now, and this is as far as we go. Listen to me, Captain. Like I told the old lady to save it. You know, you're a nice-looking doll, Kay. I really sort of hate to do this. Well, you got to think of that easy dough I'm making. Those suckers will pay five grand to have me ease them into the space. Please. I wouldn't tell anyone. Oh, sure. Yeah. I bet you wouldn't. Sorry, baby. Sorry. Be half right. Use you, Safi. For example, if you're interested in furniture building, do you know the difference between softwood and hardwood? Would you say the only difference is in the nature of the wood? No, that's only half right. Brush up on your botany. Tell your I and E officer you want to study with the United States Armed Forces Institute. Use Safi. It's easy. It's simple. If you don't want to be half right, use you, Safi. And now back to The Whistler. Seems like a nightmare, doesn't it, Kay? The strange man staggering out of the scene is completely disappearance. The realization that chalk points at the headquarters of a criminal smuggling range. But even your employer, Mrs. Yeager, is a part of it. And then the walk to the beach with Captain Norton, the head of the organization, is the decision to kill you. Yes, your mind is spinning when suddenly you realize you are lying on the couch in the study of Yeager House. Your friend, Jess Williams, the deputy sheriff, is standing close by, looking down on you, smiling. Hi, Kay. Feeling all right? Hi. I think so, Jess. How did I get here? What happened? You fainted. But Captain Norton... Now, he's in the other room handcuffed to old Dave. Dave gave me the whole story of the racket, including Mrs. Yeager's part in it. Captain Norton had a gun. It's gonna shoot me. I know. I spotted the two of you when you left the house. When I saw you had you covered with a gun, I followed. Looks like I fired just in time. You saved my life, Jess. Yeah. Funny the way it happened, too. I wasn't intending to see you till tomorrow morning. When I was cruising around the village in the squad car a little while ago and ran into Frankie Holden. The youngster to telegraph all this? Yeah. He had a telegram to deliver out this way, and his bicycle was broken, so I gave him a lift. I mean, a certain hit-and-run artist named Kay Fallon smashed Frankie's bicycle, left a very thoughtful note on it. It's like he did, too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have picked up Frankie. Been out here tonight. Question. Did you know that the expression, stayed to the bitter end, was originally a naval expression? On the early sailing ships, to stay meant to secure anything by means of thick ropes called stays. A bit was any vertical timber such as a mast, around which the stays were secured. For example, when sails were hoisted, the tail end of the rope which was tied to the bit was called the bitter end. Thus the expression, stay to the bitter end, meant simply to play out a length of rope and secure the end of it to a bit. This is one of the many interesting facts which can be found in the history of your United States Navy. Featured in tonight's transcribed story were Bill Foreman as the whistler, Gene Bates, Lamont Johnson, Fred Howard, Vivi Janus, Jack Moyle, then Bill Boucher. The whistler, directed by Gordon T. Hughes, with music by Wilbur Hatch, is produced by Joel Malone and transmitted overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. This evening's story was by Adrian John Doe. The whistler was entirely fictional and all characters portrayed on the whistler are also fictional. Any similarities of names or resemblances to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This is George Walsh speaking and reminding you to listen again next week a strange tale by the whistler.