 Have you heard the strange tales of the Whistler? Whistler. Take me away from here. I can't stand this lonely place. I'm frightened. It's too quiet here. If you don't take me away, I'll leave by myself. Saturday night and again CBS presents the Whistler. I, the Whistler, know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who've stepped into the shadows. And so I tell you tonight, the amazing story of house of fear. In an apartment overlooking New York City, a young man and a young girl stand facing each other. The girl is calm. The young man is tense with anger. The girl is Lana Wallace, the young man, Paul Garson. Silence reigns for a few seconds then... What? What did you say Lana? I said I was going to be married, Paul. Married? Yes, married. But Lana, you don't know what you're saying. You're out of your mind. No, Paul. I'm quite sane. I thought you were in love with me. That we were going to be married. In all the months I've known you, you've never said a word about marriage until now. You knew I was mad at being in love with you? Yes, Paul, but there was nothing about marriage. Please, Lana, please listen to me. You don't know what you're doing. You'll never be happy with anyone else. Now, please, think it over. Please wait until you're sure. I am sure, Paul. I've made up my mind. Oh, what's the matter with me? Well, nothing is a matter with you. Oh, no. There must be something. Nothing. Oh, then why change your mind so suddenly? There's nothing sudden about it. I've known the man I'm going to marry for some time. Some time? You mean a few days, I suppose. It doesn't matter. It does to me. Who is this man? It doesn't matter. How does it happen? You never told me about him. I didn't think it was necessary. Oh, I see. Playing both ends against the middle, eh? You'd better go, Paul. Do you love him? I said you'd better go. Do you love this man or is it just a matter of... Where do you leave? Is it money you're after? Is he some old duck ready to kick off? Please, you're talking nonsense. Who is he? If you insist on knowing, his name is Gregory Hellman. Gregory Hellman? Yes. And who's Gregory Hellman? He's a manufacturer. Oh, some old duck you're taking for a ride. At least he's not as young and stupid as you are. All right, all right. Go ahead and marry him, but I'll tell you this. You'll be bored with him from the day you marry him. That's my business. Oh, what a sap I've been all this while. What a stupid nitwit. Goodbye, Paul. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the way it goes, I suppose. Well, there's no use crying over spilled milk, is there? No, Paul. Well, so long, Lana. Goodbye, Paul. Oh, I'll run into you one of these days. I'll have one of my shoulders padded, especially for you, for crying purposes only. So long, Lana. Nevertheless, Lana had a mind of her own. A few weeks later, found her married to elderly Gregory Hellman. Now they're on a train following the ceremony on their honeymoon. Well, my dear, are you happy? Of course I am, Gregory. I've never been so happy in my life. You seem a bit solemn. Do I? Yes, you've been staring vacantly out the window for half an hour. What are you thinking about? Nothing. Nothing in particular. Are you wondering if you've done the right thing? No, Gregory, certainly not. I'm really very happy. It's just that... Just what? Oh, I don't know, but for some reason there's something about a wedding ceremony that makes me sad. Sad? I don't know why, but it seems so much like a funeral service. Funeral? Oh, good heavens. I'm sorry, Gregory. I know that's an awful thing to say. Oh, come, come, Lana. Stop thinking about it. Cheer up. Yes, I must get such a thought out of my mind. I must. Just wait till we get to our honeymoon house. You'll cheer up then. Yes. Did you buy a place? Buy? Oh no, I wouldn't buy a place way down here. It's too far from New York. You rented it? Yes, took it for a month. What is it? A cottage? Oh no, it's a villa. Well, what's it like? Well, I've never seen it, but I understand it's on a cliff overlooking the sea. Quite secluded and about eight miles from the town. How on earth did you happen to rent a place way down here a place you'd never seen? Oh, I was looking for an out-of-the-way place and this agent approached me and it sounded like the very thing for a quiet honeymoon. No one around, not even servants. No servants? No, and I doubt very much we'd be able to get any. But we'll get along. In fact, I'd prefer it that way. A villa? Sounds fascinating, doesn't it? That's why I took it. I'm sure you'll like it, Lana. Yes, Gregory. I'm sure I will. You're a darling. You know, I never realized how vacant my life has been the past 10 years. How really lonely I've been since Emma died. No children. No close relations. No relatives, Gregory? No. Oh, I think I have a second cousin somewhere. Well, I'll do my best to make up for those lonely years, Gregory. I'm sure you will, darling. It's strange. Here I am 50 years old and all of a sudden I feel like a youngster again. You think I look 50? Certainly not. You're very young looking. Well, I'll keep up with you even though I am twice your age. I'm not falling apart yet. Of course you're not. You know, I think I'll retire from business. I have plenty now. Why should I go on working like a slave when I can forget everything and enjoy life? Give up your business? Yes. We'll find some nice rest, we'll spot somewhere and take it easy from now on. What say? Yes, Gregory. I'd like that. Just the two of us. All right, darling. It's a deal. Two weeks go by. Two lazy weeks. Happy weeks for Gregory. He loves about the villa, reading and sleeping, having the time of his life. But Lana being so much younger is at times somewhat bored. However, she's most tolerant with her elderly husband and does her best to be satisfied with his idea of happiness. Then early one morning, Gregory flies up to New York and returns in the evening. Well, Lana, I'm back. Gregory, so soon. I didn't really expect you this early. No. Well, it's a quick trip by plane. Good weather all the way. How did you find things at the office? Running along as though I'd never left the place. That's good. Well, the business left to run without me from now on, darling. Without you? That's right. I'm through with it. You mean you're not going back? Nope. I've sold out to another firm. Gregory, you don't mean it. I do mean it. It didn't take an hour. I had several good offers, so I took the best one. Closed the deal, signed the papers and said goodbye to the whole thing. And what are you going to do now? Oh, I don't know. Take it easy. Travel around as much as we can and look for a place to settle down. Maybe a farm or a ranch. You'd like that, Lana. A farm? Well, it doesn't have to be a farm, just some place where I can putter about with a few flowers and maybe a little garden. Putter about? Oh, we'll find a place and we'll keep going till we do. Gregory? Yes, dear? What's wrong with this place? This place? Yes, it's secluded. There's plenty of ground for you to grow things and putter about. Why not this place? Well, I hadn't thought about this villa, but I suppose it would be all right. I'm sure it would be the very thing. You may travel the country over and never find another spot so nice as this. Well, maybe not. Do you like it here? Yes, I like the quiet and the sea. It's very restful. Well, maybe it isn't for sale. You could find out. You sure you'd like to stay here? Yes, Gregory. I'm sure I would. Well, then I'll see the local agent in the morning. Yes, Gregory. Oh, by the way, aren't you driving in tomorrow to the hairdressers? Yes. Well, then why don't you see the agent? I? But I wouldn't know how to handle it. Oh, of course you would. If the place is for sale, take an option on it. And perhaps it would be best to lease it for a year with an option to purchase. That's simple enough. I don't know what the place is worth. Well, offer him 75,000. But if it comes to a showdown, I'd be willing to pay 100,000. There's a lot of land here. Very well, I'll talk to him. Who owns the villa? Oh, I don't know. It's part of a huge estate. I don't think anyone lived here very much. You know, at first I was depressed here. There seemed to be something about this villa that made me feel so alone, sort of melancholy feeling. But it's apparently worn off, and I'd like to own the place. Well, then we will, by all means. What did you tell your associates at the office? Oh, I just said so long that they probably wouldn't see me again for a long time because I was just going to travel around the country for a while. That's good. At least you won't have your mind on business from now on. Nope, nothing but rest and putter about in the sun. Well, dinner's ready, if you are. I'm famished, darling. Well, Mrs. Helman, the villa is for sale. It's been up for sale for quite a spell. What do they ask? They haven't set a price. What do you offer? 75,000? Well, that's somewhat in line. I think that would be accepted. Where's the owner? How soon could you contact him? Well, that's trouble. I don't know where he is just now. He's been running around all over the country. Why did you take an option? Well, I'd rather lease the place for a year with an option to buy at any time. Fair enough. Lease for a year with an option to buy. I'll make up the lease and the option. You better put up 10% on the option. That'd be 7,500. Very well. I'll give you a check. Good. I'm sure this will go through because the owner wants to get rid of the place. Hasn't been here in two years. Why does the owner want to get rid of it? I don't know. That's too many other places, I guess. Well, it's yours for a year, anyway. If you're confident, he'll accept. I know he will. Don't you worry about that. Thank you, Mr. Blodgers. Thank you. This will make me a nice commission. I've been trying to settle the villa for several years and this is the first offer I've had. I see. So let's take a few minutes, Ms. Hellman, to draw up the papers. Then six months passed by. Six months during which Lana became more and more bored with her elderly husband and his puttering about in the garden. There were harsh words about it and so they closed the villa. Gregory left and Lana took a plane for Mexico City and there she ran into, of all people, young Paul Garson. Why, Lana, what on earth are you doing in Mexico City? Oh, nothing in particular. Well, I'm certainly glad to see you. Oh, you poor... Yes. And now I, I guess now is the time to apologize for the way I acted when you ditched me. You don't need to apologize, Paul. I wish I had listened to you. What? Didn't you and marriage work out right? No. Oh, what happened? Oh, I just couldn't stand it any longer. I was bored within an inch of my life, so I up and left him. Left him? Well, no, no, no, not exactly that. He left me too. We just left each other. He went away and I came down here. Well, why down here? To get a divorce. Oh, Lana, a divorce? Did you get it? I did. What happened to your husband? I don't know. He, he was notified, but he didn't contest it. He didn't even answer the charges. Incompatibility? Yes. Did you ask for a property settlement? No. Well, why not? Well, because he'd already signed over half his cash assets to me and several other articles, so I felt that was enough to take care of me for a long while. I, I just couldn't go on, Paul. I just couldn't. No. He was so much older than I. He was ready to settle down in an armchair and sit the rest of his life away. I just couldn't do that. I understand, dear. You're wide awake, Lana. You're just starting. I know how it must have been. Oh, he was nice enough, but I just couldn't go on. I just couldn't be 50. Lana, dear, can you forgive me for saying the things I did? Yes, Paul. I was so much in love with you that, well, I thought I couldn't live without you. But you have, Paul. Haven't you? No, Lana. No, I haven't. I've banged around all over this hemisphere since you turned me down, and I haven't been happy one single moment. Haven't you, Paul? No, dear. No, not until, until this very moment. Oh, I'm sorry. So sorry. I made a big mistake. You did? Yes. I should have married you. Then why didn't you? Well, I'll tell you, this is a confession. As a child, I lived in poverty. Everything I had was a hand made down. My father never earned his salt. My mother was always in need. So I made up my mind that love wasn't worth it, that I would sacrifice love for the things I felt I deserved. So you turned me down for this man, Helman, because he could give you the things you've always wanted. Yes. Well, how did you know that I couldn't have given you those things? How did I know you could, you didn't indicate that? Oh, I took you to cheap little cafes. I was apparently penny pitching, but it wasn't necessary. What? No. Why, every girl I knew was after me for my money. That's why, when I found you, I acted as though I didn't have an extra dollar. I never dreamed it was money, you wanted. Oh, I loved you, Paul. I still do. But I made up my mind that I wouldn't marry a poor man. Understand? Yes, Elana, I understand. And I sympathize with you. I see now what it must have meant to you. But I have money, Elana, plenty of money. I admire you for your sacrifice you've made. You do understand, really? Yes, I do. You still love me? Yes, Paul. Then why not marry me? No reason. I'd love to if you still want me. Oh, wonderful, darling. We'll be married as soon as possible. We can be married tomorrow. Then tomorrow it is, darling. Yes, Paul. And where should we go for a honeymoon? Where would you like to go, Elana? Oh, I don't care anywhere. I'll leave that up to you. Oh, all right, darling. I know just the place. You'll love it. Cuba? No, no, not Cuba, but quite like it. Wherever you say, Paul. Oh, darling, darling. I feel as though I've been born all over again. I feel like a new man. I'm happy. Paul, what a fool I've been. I should have known better. Oh, from now on, darling, I'll see to it that your life is filled with surprises. Never a single monotonous moment. Yes, Paul. Paul and Lana are married. And set forth on their honeymoon. Paul owns a lovely place by the sea. And there he takes Lana. But from the night they arrive, Lana has been ill. Some strange melody has come upon her. Just what no one seems to know. A doctor stands beside her bed as Paul slips into the room. How is she, doctor? Still the same. I haven't the slightest idea as long with her. But I've just given her a sedative. Are you supposed it's a climate? Oh, it could be. A sunny tropical here. Yes. Well, there's nothing more I can do. Well, run along now. Yes, and thank you, doctor. Lana. Lana. Oh, Paul. Lana, dear, what is it? What's wrong with you? Why don't you tell me? Well, I don't know what it is. I just said I want to cry all the time. I can't help it. Cry? Yes, I don't have been here. I've wanted to cry. But why, darling? I don't know, but I can't help it. Don't you like it here? I don't know, Paul. I don't know what it is. I'm afraid. Afraid of what? I don't know. Nothing in particular, but I'm afraid. You mean you'd rather leave here? Yes, well, I don't want to stay here. This is such a nice quiet place, dear. It's so restful. Where could you go that would be better for you? I don't know, but I'd rather leave. Why? I don't know why. But there must be a reason, darling. I'm frightened here. I hear things. You hear things? What things? Chainsaw and noises. I've heard nothing strange. I have. I hear them all night, and at times I have seen things. What things? Seeing things, and I won't stay here another day. Oh, Lana, I think you're just hysterical. You're letting your imagination run away with it. I'm not. I'm sick, terribly sick. But the doctor doesn't know what's wrong with you. Paul, please take me away from here. I don't like this lonely old place. I've always been frightened of being lonely. That's what it is. It's too quiet here, too alone. If you don't take me away, I'll leave by myself. Now, now, now. Don't get yourself so excited. Please. The doctor has given you a sedative, dear. Now go to sleep. You'll be all right in the morning. And then we'll take a walk over to the estate. Now, please, darling, please try to sleep, Lana. All right, Paul. I'll try. I'll try. Apparently, you are allergic to big houses, big, silent houses. You felt somewhat like this once before when you were with Gregory. Remember? That house made you feel sad and melancholy. Now the night has passed and the morning has come. Paul has a visitor in the library. I've been trying for many months to get in touch with you, Mr. Garson. I heard you left the state. Yes, yes. I was in Mexico City. I'm surprised you learned you were back here. Oh, why surprised? Well, although no one's been living here for several months, the party holds a lease on the place. Oh, I didn't know that. Yep, they took an option to buy it. They did? Yes, sir. So who you can see that you're sort of trespassing. Oh, well, no one is being inconvenienced. Not exactly. What did the party offer for the place? 75,000. Well, that's fair enough, but I don't want to sell. What? No, no, I've changed my mind. I want to keep the place. Keep it? But Mr. Garson, I have practically made the deal. Well, you can call it off. Oh, did the party make a deposit? Yes. Then return the deposit with my apologies. But I've worked hard for two years or more trying to sell this place, and now you back down on it. Well, what would your commission have been? Well, 3750 dollars. Very well. I'll give you the 3750, but call off the deal. I prefer to retain ownership. Yes, yes, yes, of course. Thank you very much, Mr. Garson. That's my kind of you. Oh, yes, sir. Well, what is that hammering? Is that noise? Hammering, my dear, why? That's the workman. Workman? Yes, I'm having the place completely renovated, darling, from the garret to the seller and all for you. Well, you'll love it when it's finished. I see. You should be in bed, darling. Oh, yes, Paula. Well, the hammering made me so nervous, sir. I wondered what it was. I'll run along. Sorry to disturb you. Well, Mr. Project, I think that you'd better... Mr. Project? What? Well, what's wrong with you, sir? I... I... You're as wide as a sheet, man. Are you ill? Who... who is that woman? What? That's my wife. You're her wife? Yes. Well, I... How long have you known her? Oh, for a long time, several years now. I see. What? What are you trying to say? Mr. Garson, I... I don't understand it, but that is the woman who wants to buy this house. What? Do you know what you're talking about? She's the one who took the lease and an option to buy. Oh, you must be out of your head, my wife. That woman lived here for seven months. With her husband. With her... Live... here? Yes, sir. And they closed the place up and she came to me and... said they were leaving for a while, but to go ahead with the deal. Are you sure? Yes. What was the woman's name? Mrs. Gregory Hellman. I see. Well, you've got to run along now, Mr. Project. I'll see you in a day or so. Oh, yes. Yes, sir, of course. Good day, sir. Yes, good day, Mr. Project. Good day, Mr. Project. Lana, what are you doing? I'm packing. If you won't take me away from here, I'll go alone. But Lana, why should you leave? I won't stay here another minute. Why not, darling? Why not? I don't know. I have no real reason, but I... Well, I just don't like it here and I won't stay. I don't understand you, Lana. It doesn't matter. I'm leaving now. All right. All right, Lana. If you insist, you may go. Sorry, Paul, but I... Yes? Oh, Mr. Garshan. Mr. Garshan. Yes, yes, yes. What is it? We've been working in the cellar. Yes? You better come down there, Mr. Garshan. Why? Three years. We just uncovered a body. A buried body? Yes, buried in the cellar floor. Body? You better stay here, Lana. I'll not be long. Yes, Paul. Yes. Paul accompanies the workman to the cellar. Examine the body buried in the dirt floor. Call the police. And several hours later, he's talking with a detective in the living room. Well, there's no doubt about it. It's the body of Gregory Hellman. Oh, no. No. What do you mean, no? Well, it can't be. How could it be? Mr. Blodgett, you were the agent for this estate. Did you ever rent this house to Mr. Hellman? Why, uh... Go ahead, Blodgett. Go ahead. Tell the truth. No, I didn't. I never saw Mr. Hellman. The house was rented by another agent in New York. But it was rented to Gregory Hellman. You never saw Mr. Hellman? No. But, uh... But why? I... Well... Go ahead, Blodgett. I knew Mrs. Hellman. Mrs. Hellman? And where is she? That woman is Mrs. Hellman. This woman? But I thought she was Mrs. Garson. She used to be Mrs. Hellman. She came to me and wanted to buy the place. Took a year's lease with an option to buy and made a substantial deposit. That right? Yes. That's true. I did. I... I was Mrs. Hellman. But I was divorced in Mexico. Divorced? Why did you get a divorce? Because Mr. Hellman and I decided to separate. We couldn't get along together. He said he was going to New York. I left first and went to Mexico. Are you sure you left here first? Well... I guess, of course, I'm sure. Why did you try to buy the place? Well, because my husband, Mr. Hellman, asked me to. Why didn't he attend to it? Well, I... I don't know. He asked me to see to it. Did you get part of the estate through this Mexican divorce? No. Mr. Hellman had given me considerable cash and property before that. Are you telling the truth, Marna? Are you? Yes. I don't believe you. From the day you arrived here, you wanted to leave. You became ill. You said the place depressed you, frightened you. Paul. Now I know why. Why you were so upset. Why you wanted to get away because of what was buried in the cellar. No, Paul. No. You told me yourself that you were bored, that you couldn't stand him any longer. Then you went to Mexico. He was dead when you divorced him. No wonder he couldn't contest the case. Paul. Paul, please, please listen. I don't know who killed him. What did you say? I don't know who did it. Then you admit he was murdered. Well, I... I didn't say that. You know he was murdered. You just admitted that. Yes. Yes, but I didn't do it. I didn't. Well, lady, you might as well tell the rest of it. Yes. Yes, but I... Well, I found him dead in his room. In his room? Then who buried him in the cellar? I did. You did? Why? Why didn't you call the police? Because I was afraid. Afraid they'd think I did it. Well, why would you be afraid of that? Because of... Well, if... if they found out about me. Found out what? My... my record. Well, Mrs. Helman, or Garson, we know all about your record. Record? What do you mean record? She served the term in the state penitentiary for... I swear I didn't. I buried him. I admit that. That's why I wanted to buy the place. But I didn't kill him. I didn't... I think you did. That's why you wanted to leave here. Oh, please. Please believe me. I wanted to buy the place so no one would ever come here. So no one would ever know. But I didn't kill him. I swear. I'm sorry, Donna, but I don't believe you. Mr. Garson, where did you meet this woman? In Mexico City. Really? Didn't know her before then. What? You heard me? Oh! You didn't know her before she married Helman? Why, yes. You know her? What are you stalling about? Well, I... Yes, I did know her. That's what I thought. And you were in love with her. I wanted her to marry you. But she turned you down for Helman. What are you talking about? Are you trying to accuse me of killing Helman? That's possible. You had a motive. That's ridiculous. I didn't even know the man. Murphy. Oh, yeah? What did you find out about Paul Garson? Well, his financial affairs weren't in any... Too good a condition. He's been trying to dispose of a lot of white elephants like this villa. I see. Well, you know what I think, Mr. Garson? I think you and Miss Lana Wallace know what this is all about. I think you're in this together. So I'm going to take you down and book you both on a charge of murder. And that's just what the officer did. Booked Lana and Paul on a charge of murder. And the case came up for trial. And Lana was convicted. And so was Paul. Yes. Paul was convicted as an accomplice. The evidence piled up against them. Lana admitted that she buried Helman's body but denied that she killed him. Paul couldn't prove where he was when Helman was murdered. And so he was convicted as an accomplice and accessory. Poor Lana. Poor Paul. They are now awaiting execution in the state penitentiary. But don't feel too badly about them because I know the truth. I know what really happened. When Paul learned that Lana was marrying Helman, he arranged for an agent to contact him and offer his villa for a honeymoon house. Paul himself killed Helman hoping to have the blame placed on Lana. But when nothing was heard of Helman's death, Paul followed Lana to Mexico City and enticed her back to the villa to find out what had become of Helman's body. And he found out much to his sorrow. CBS has presented The Whistler. Original music for this production was composed and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. The Whistler is written and directed by J. Donald Wilton and originates from Columbia Square in Hollywood. Next week, same time, I, The Whistler, will return to tell you another unusual tale. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.