 Personal notice, dangerous my stock and trade, if the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. Standard of California, on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west, invites you to let George do it. The Rose Petal Staircase, another adventure of George Valentine. My dear Mr. Valentine, once again I take pen in hand despite the fact that you have not answered my first letter. Since that time, my tireless genealogical search has led me to the little town of Coliver, named as you perhaps know after the once eminent senator Coliver. Here in the senator's very house lies the tragic object of my search, guarded faithfully these many years by the senator's two surviving daughters. The ways of fate are strange and death wears many hats. However I do not believe that I will require your assistance as anticipated. I can manage women, particularly spinsters. I can make them see the light. And amid the cobwebs and jealous ruins of this house is a marble staircase, which I am sure will lead me not only to the object of my search, but to the resolution of the future as well. Yes, I am sure I can trick them all. Sincerely, Professor Fulton. Well, George, we never got a letter from him. Trick them all. Funny thing to say. And it says, P.S., it's too bad that you couldn't have seen this wonderful staircase, Mr. Valentine. It's a delight to the eye, made of solid marble, but exactly the color of faded rose petals. Yeah. Brooksy, I wonder what it was that Professor Fulton was searching for that he found there. A genealogist, huh? Yeah. Something to do with a person, probably. Or a dead person. Anyway, I'm curious about a rose-pedal staircase set in cobwebs. But indeed, this is not an imposition, Mr. Valentine. My sister Beth and I often receive callers who are passing through. No, mister, it's going to cost you two bits. What's that, driver? To get her to show you the local ruins, it'll cost you two bits. Mr. Valentine, I'm sure you could dismiss your taxi driver there for the time being. Oh, relax, Claudine. I'll hang around and wait for them. I got no other question. Oh, you must excuse Johnny. He's our town character. So how some of the nicer people have endured him as the only taxi driver these many years? Yes, sure, of course I understand. Here, I have 25 cents. Oh, thank you. Naturally, we only collect it for the local historical society. Every penny of it. Oh, naturally. And now, now if you'll excuse the hostess who leaves the way. Pardon me a moment. Almost three o'clock. I'm sure your watch is fast, my dear. This charming gentleman is Mr. Valentine. And this is Miss Brooks. Oh, how do you do? How do you do? The house is a mess. There's dusting I can't reach. There's even cobwebs. I've got a bad heart. I want you to know it's all I can do. I'm sure they understand the difficulties of the servant problem nowadays. And scarcely expect two ladies to sacrifice their other activities. Not to mention the skin of their hands. The skin of whose hands? Where's that? Oh, look, please. We just heard about the staircase. Oh, all right, all right. I don't care. Whatever you want, Claudine. But I warn you, my watch isn't fast. And if you're going... Oh, nonsense! As all the famous people and handsome young gentlemen in their evening clothes came up to our doorway and in through this hall a footman stood ready to throw open the doors of the ballroom like this and there beyond. Really is the color of rose petals, isn't it? Oh, it's beautiful. My father said he stole it from the color of my cheeks. The marbles from Italy. But the design is my own father's. He built it for us for his girls. Rose-colored marble for the color of my cheeks. I was the oldest, the most beautiful, he said. But there were three of us. Three of you? We had a younger sister. Her name was Esther. Oh, but I don't say what these... No, please, let me... There was music then. Music all the time. And dancing and young men by the score. And before his death my father used to tease me over who would be the first to come down in his arm. Did the rose petals annoy in flathons? And the young man of choice who'd be waiting below with the minister? Oh, there were many young men, Mr. Fallon. But it wasn't I. Though I had many an opportunity. And it wasn't poor Bertha who was never very attractive. Claudia? No. No, it was the youngest, little Esther who came floating down dressed in white to the arms of her groom. Esther was married. Claudia, stop it! Please stop it! That's why we're still spinsters, Mr. Valentine. Our misfortune dates from then. From 15 years ago. Our responsibility. What do you mean? Esther and her handsome strapping husband left the house by automobile. And the automobile overturned. And Esther was killed. Oh. But I don't understand about it. Oh, Claudine, look what time it is. Claudine, get them out of here and get them. Three o'clock. George, a bell. A tiny bell. It's from upstairs, isn't it? Up the staircase. Our responsibility, Mr. Valentine. For 15 years. Ever since Esther's death. Don't be frightened. Perhaps you'd like to carry a bed tray upstairs. It's from in here. Man's face in the mirrors. Look at all the mirrors. Oh, there he is. Over there in the bed. Oh, yeah. Hello there. I brought you a tray up one. George, he can't speak. He just looks at you. And that's the bell. Hanging from the bed springs. It's paralyzed. What? It moves just enough to make the bell ring. He could see you, though. Oh, yes, of course. He can hear, too. Can't you? Poor guy. Six months ago, the doctor said he might even walk again or even talk. He tries to sometimes, but then he gets all upset and can't. He'll be this way forever, I guess. But how long? 15 years like that, you heard her. 15 years and us running up and downstairs for him. It's Esther's husband, that's who it is. She was killed in the accident, but he wasn't so lucky. And neither were we. Oh, please, if he can hear you. I don't care what he hears anymore. It's what other people hear and say. He's the man, they say, the only man the Colliver Girls could ever catch. And they couldn't have caught him if Esther hadn't died and he hadn't been paralyzed. Miss Colliver, stop it, please. Come on, Angel. I think we'd better get out of here. Yes, George. He would, too. Please, I said. Don't die, Mr. Fulton. Don't die. What did you call him? You but Fulton. That's his name. Fulton. He, uh... He isn't any relation to a man I met once, is he? A Professor Fulton? Oh, get out of here. Get out of here right now with your gossip, your gossip! George. Poor, poor guy. Well, Mr. Valentine, you ready to go back to the train? Oh, hello, uh... Johnny, everybody calls me Johnny. Everybody, huh? Well, listen, Johnny, you run the only taxi around here. There's a guy I want to find and talk to right now. His name's Professor Fulton. I know. He mentioned your name to me once. He did? He was up here at the house, you know, about a week ago. Distant relative of Hubert in there. Yeah, well... The Professor was trying to locate Hubert. Finally found him. I think he, well, being the owner relative, you know, had it in mind to move Hubert out of here and put him in the hospital. Well, that's the best idea I've heard in years. Well, I don't know what'll happen now. What do you mean now? Professor's dead. What? Well, the night he slipped, fell all the way down that staircase. Now he's dead. Just an accident, I presume, wasn't it, Miss Claudine? Oh, yes. Yes, that's what the coroner said, and of course it was. Miss Claudine, I think you're lying to us. What? Yes. Why are you so upset, so nervous? And even the way you were before, telling us about your family in the staircase. Yes, and right now, why don't you take your hands away from your... Oh! A pair of glasses, Bosnay glasses, with a black ribbon. His death was an accident. It was. I know it was. He was going to take Hubert away from us, and that would have been such a godsend Bertha can't stand taking care of it. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Are these Professor Fulton's glasses? Oh, I have to tell someone. Yes, he was near sighted. He tripped and fell. But when I saw him in the funeral parlor, I...anyway, I found his glasses the next day. Hidden here in my sister's room. Bertha's room. It's Bertha, Hubert. Bertha. Can you forgive me the cruel things I say in front of you? I have to say them, Hubert. They mustn't ever guess. No one must ever come again to take you away. I've stopped them all. I won't let them. I won't. All right, Hubert. I'll read to you now. My love is strengthened. Though more weak and seeming, I love not less, though less the show appear. That love is merchandise whose rich esteeming the owner's tongue doth publish everywhere. Our love was new. 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And now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. The Rose Petal Staircase Built long ago for beauty and marriage and happiness, but now only a setting for tragedy. For upstairs lies a man paralyzed, the only man the Coliver Girls ever caught, so the gossips say. George Fulton, guarded by the spinsters Claudine and Bertha. And when a relative, Professor Fulton, tries to move poor Hubert to a hospital, the professor somehow has an accident and dies on the marble of the staircase. Well, if you're anything like George Valentine, you locate a man from out of town like yourself, the professor's lawyer, Mr. Hyde. Mr. Valentine, if it weren't that my firm has handled a Fulton family business for years, I wouldn't have touched that professor with a 10-foot pole. He wasn't a professor at all. Okay, okay, it was a phony. What else, Mr. Hyde's? A gold seeker, my friend. Do you know the only earthly reason he so kindly came searching for poor Hubert? A relative he'd never even met. I'll tell you, Hubert is worth exactly $73,000. Well, if Hubert has so much money, why haven't they spent some of it? Well, they've taken very good care of him. Oh, sure. Well, the doctors have been very optimistic, but, well, I'll grant you, it's rather an unhealthy atmosphere right now. That's an understatement. I think Bertha positively hates Hubert. Always complaining. Maybe, but Claudine. Well, she's full of delusions, grandeur and beauty. It's true, but at least to her, he's just her responsibility. We'll work out something for him, all right? Okay, Mr. Hyde. Just a moment. You still haven't told me exactly what this is about the professor's glasses. I'm still not going to. There's enough gossip already. Good night, Mr. Hyde's. Did you see the car there, Mr. Valentine? No, but we will later. He's out on a case. I wish you wouldn't. But I have to... No, listen to me. I've been sitting here and remembering. I knew so many boys and gentlemen so very many. I could have had anyone I chose if it weren't for the burden of Hubert. But it was so different for Bertha. How do you mean? She was never attractive, no one ever liked her. She never had a single opportunity. And it isn't surprising, is it? If a plant that never saw the sunlight would wither in strange patterns. I just mean she's been so unnaturally intense lately and her own health isn't good. And perhaps if she went away somewhere, if she rested, I'm sure I could work out something with that nice Mr. Hyde. You think your sister's getting a little too peculiar, but as for the coroner, you'd like to just let sleeping dogs lie, is that it? They're both quite peculiar, I'm afraid. Mr. Valentine, I just don't want to know any more about what those glasses of the professor mean. I'm afraid it's not that easy, Miss Collin. But after all, she's my own sister. And it's impossible anything will be found by investigation and prying. Wait a minute, I'm afraid I'm the heel now, Miss Claudine. I'm afraid I want to know about those glasses. Because if there's any chance Professor Fulton's accidental death was really murder, then the sleeping dogs are going to be waked up. Oh, what? Well, Johnny, what are you doing in here in the senator's old room? And a handful of papers, huh? Yes, George, look. A letter addressed to you. Give me that. Professor Fulton's first letter to us. Now, you just hold still. Oh, no, please, that was just in my pocket. I brought it to show you. You give it to me the night he died. Oh, yes, sure. But you did. He found it and realized he forgot to mill it. He'd warned in the desk. I was here looking for that. Oh, no. Then what were you looking for? Mr. Valentine. Mr. Valentine. What in heaven's name are you doing? What are you doing? Oh, Bertha. Oh, Claudine. Mr. Valentine, will you please be good enough to throw this man out? Just a second, Miss Colliver. Yes, would I? All right, all right, all right. Now, listen. Angel, there wasn't much in that first letter to us in the professor. Just what Heinz figured. The professor wanted us to help locate Hubert, that's all. What's that? Never mind, never mind. Let's stay with you, Buster. Mr. Valentine, I'm not a criminal. I'm not a housewife. No, you're a taxi driver. I'm most distinguished citizen. Thanks, Claudine. I can't be here to help you, Valentine. Honest, I did. I only stopped by in the old senator's room for family papers. The what? No, it's not. Oh, yes it is. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't find something. Something I guessed about for a long time. Maybe you and Heinz should know. Nobody else does. They've pretended so well. Johnny! Of course, looking out for poor Hubert up there is the important thing, isn't it? Johnny, stop it! Please stop it! Please stop it! What I didn't find, I knew I wouldn't find the most important paper in the world of these crazy Colliver girls. It's a paper that doesn't even exist. Please, wait! It's true, isn't it, Claudine? You were up there and your little sister asked her we're never married. You and Bertha had just pretended all these years so no one would take them away. That's why you never touched his money so you wouldn't have to show any proof. The reason why a lady need even... Oh, golly, George. Claudine is still beautiful, isn't she? But, you see, because it's true, I guess, two Spincers couldn't stand to lose the only nice guy who's been in this house in the last 15 years. When Hubert got banged up in that accident with Esther, well, he's never been in shape to fight his way out. Yeah. I'm learning things fast, Johnny. Only I'm afraid there's still a little matter of... Claudine, listen to me. I said you was talking something about Glass... I still am. Oh, Professor's death was an accident. The question about that, I noticed about the glasses, too. You did? Sure. I was here that night. I was a witness. Okay, witness, Claudine found the glasses in Bertha's room. Now, let's say your testimony. Bertha's room? But the Professor had them on when he fell. I know he did. He was wobbling anyway. That's when he'd give me a letter. Mum will something about you've forgotten the mail. The Professor was wobbling? He's no good. He's full of liquor. He's doing here, bringing him liquor. That's why he stumbled. The girls is downstairs. I know it was because I was just outside and coming running back in. And his glasses? I'm positive he had them on. Laying there on the floor at the foot of the staircase before I went out to get a doctor. Yeah, I get it. I get it. So what happened to the glasses after that still doesn't make sense? But at least his death was an accident. You can ask the coroner. There was other evidence that was... Why did you tell us earlier? There were other things coming here sneaking, being caught. That scene with Claudine and Bertha hurting them like that instead of just telling us. You know. Don't you, lady? Yes, I think so. Sure. I've been hurt myself. Claudine? Nobody's good enough for her. And besides, he's been hurt too, hasn't he? I don't think he's happy here, do you? I hear that. I guess he wants some. Oh, George, listen. Hubert's bell. Something must be the matter with... No, no, hold up. Johnny, isn't there a backstairway up there? Sure. Okay, get up there fast, but don't let anybody see you. I'm finally getting my cap on straight. What? Now, Angel, we're not going up. We're going downstairs. Come on. The bell. Let go of me. Mr. Valentine, something's wrong with Hubert. Let me go up. I came down to stop you, Bertha. Be quiet, will you? He needs me. He needs me. I love him. He needs me. George, I better find the light. No, no, she's fainted. That's all. I want it, Doc. She's all right. Now, back we go, Angel, and do as I say. Now, this is it, Angel. Start panicking. George, she'll know I'm not there. It's dark here. Go on, go on. Okay. Dear, is that you? Did you hear the bell? Hubert is all right. I've looked in on him. You shouldn't have come running with the stairs like that, Bertha. You know you have a bad heart. Bertha, you shouldn't. Bertha! I'm all right. Yes, it's just us, Claudine. Your sister just fainted downstairs. Take care of her, will you, Bruxy? Yes, George. Thank you. Yes, I'm afraid there wasn't any heart attack. So I guess there isn't any murder, is there? Mr. Valentine. Just like there wasn't any murder of the professor. But you thought it might be a good idea if I thought there was hiding those glasses than pretending to find them. I won't talk about it. Why, should you? There isn't anything to say. I guess it was you who thought up the idea years ago of keeping Hubert here. But it wasn't for his money, was it? Pride, I guess. Something to do with your life with those dreams you live in. It might have gone on forever if the professor hadn't shown up trying to get his hands on Hubert's money. You're contemptible, beastly, contemptible. It was just your good luck the professor had an accident. Oh, sure, I'm not nice. But you had to use me, didn't you? With Johnny sniffing around and Bertha all upset, you had to think up something so much to Heinz, wouldn't catch you onto the real secret, and take Hubert away forever. Hubert might be able to declare himself someday, and your ugly sister just might like it. She can't have him. She can't. Yeah, that's it, isn't it? Lady, what makes you ticker? I don't love him, but she can't. I don't love him. I don't care. I don't love him. I don't care. Marbles, Midley. But the design is yours. Isn't it, Father? Father. You build it for me. Rose-colored marble for the color of my cheeks. I'm the most beautiful you always say, Father. I'll be married first, you say, Father. Oh, Lord. Miss Colliver, please. But I'm ready now. And there's music now. Music all the time. And there's orange blossoms and rose petals. Which one is it, Father? Show me the young man who's to be my husband. Give me your arm, Father. Lead me down the staircase. The rose-pedal staircase. Poor Claudine. Bertha, please, Hubert's watching. I can't help it. It's my fault, too. Just as much my fault. I'm turned bitter and hateful. Oh, but she helped make you that way. Make you so jealous of him. You're not too old to change. It's so... looking at it now. It's so... so unhealthy. Too old maids pretending. I must be insane like she is. No, you're not. You're not. And anyway, think of Hubert. Someone still has to take care of him. He'll be getting better now, the doctor said. Yes. And look at me. Ugly and spiteful. Look at him. You see? He's crying. Can't you tell? Why? Hubert, Hubert. Would you like me to read to you? Yeah, Angel, I'm here. From you. Have I been absent in the spring? When Proud Pied April dressed in all his trim? Time to go, isn't it? From you. From you, have I been absent in the spring? Bruxy, I guess spring's a pretty good thing not to miss, isn't it? 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You care when you give all you can to your community chest. For your community chest dollars help pay for child guidance, foster homes, Boy Scout organizations, vital services that healthy youngsters need. So when you give, please give enough. Enough for all community chest agencies. Enough for a full year. Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of California on behalf of independent chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west. Robert Bailey is starred as George with Francis Robinson as Bruxy. Let George Do It is written by David Victor and Jackson Gillis and directed by Don Clark. Also heard in the cast where Paul McVeigh is the professor, Lorraine Toddl is Claude Dean, Jeanette Nolan as Bertha, Ed Begley as Johnny, and Franklin Parker as Hines. The music is composed and presented by Eddie Dunstetter, your announcer, John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, same station, too. Let George Do It. This is the Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.