 Suspense and its 96,000 dealers present Miss Agnes Moorhead in the chain a suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. Say, Harlow, whom do you go to when you have a baby? I have a baby. Why, to a doctor. I mean... When you go to jail, I mean, or I'd rather I should say when you have a lawsuit whom do you go to? A lawyer. Baby lawsuit. What are you driving at, half? The best spark plugs for your car, my good man. Oh, well, now you're on my ground. Who knows more about the best spark plugs for your car than auto lights, ignition engineers. The men who design and build complete ignition systems for many of America's finest cars. What's the skill and know-how of these auto light ignition engineers that have made auto light the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment and made auto light spark plugs world famous. That means they know how to build in the spark plugs the best in quick starting smooth performance and gas mileage. Hey, Harlow. Right you are and say it's the skill of these same auto light engineers that made possible the development of the auto light resistor spark plug, one of the greatest advances in spark plug design for automotive use in the past 20 years. So friends, go to your friendly auto light spark plug dealer and have him replace worn out spark plugs with world famous ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. Whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type, you can't buy a better spark plug for your car because you're always right with auto light. And now with the chain and the performance of Agnes Moorehead, auto light hopes once again to keep you in suspense. All I did was write a letter. That's all. You can't blame me for what happened. I didn't start it. It came to me and I followed the instructions because I was afraid. Hundreds of people do it every day. So how can you blame me? Everybody in town knows me. They respect me. I've always been a good wife. By the morning it started, I was fixing Georgia's breakfast, not just toast like some women fix, but bacon and eggs and hot biscuits. Coffee ready. I asked you not to wander off. Your bacon is burned or crisp. I told you I only wanted fruit juice and coffee down to the road to pick up the mail. Why do you always run for the mail? Are you expecting something you don't want me to see, George? If there was anything I didn't want you to see, I could have it sent to the office. Oh, could you? I didn't know you were important enough to be permitted to receive personal mail there. Leonora, that's enough. Bert Reynolds was appointed district manager. I should have gotten the job, but I didn't. Now let's forget about it. Maybe you can forget about it, but Abby Reynolds won't let me forget. She has a high man to do her work now. She can spend half her day in town, but not Leonora Copeland. No, poor Leonora is bottled up here without a car, without anything. Here's your coffee. After all the trouble I've gone to, I guess I can throw the rest of the breakfast out. What was in the mail? Just this letter for you. For me? Who is it from? I don't know, Leonora. I've never opened your mail. Well, you need me so sarcastic. Oh, dear, for my cousin Emily, one of those ridiculous chain letters. This letter was started by a holy man in Tibet to end all evil. You must make two copies and mail them to others within 24 hours or the chain will be broken. Whoever breaks the chain will meet with evil. A navy pilot broke the chain and was killed in a crash two days later. Such a ridiculous thing. Now, who can I send it to? You can burn it and not send it to anybody. Well, maybe you don't think so, but I think our luck is bad enough as it is. I couldn't send one to Abby Reynolds, of course, but I'd have to sign my name to it. Since you're peeved with Abby, she's fortunately spared. Besides, she'd tear it up. Yes, she would. That'd be just like Abby. What's the name of the man they hired? I don't know. Kirch, something or other. Pachevsky, Peter Pachevsky. Peter Pachevsky. You're not thinking of sending a copy to him? Why not, George? Why not? Well, it's absurd. You don't even know the man. I send one to him and he sends one to Abby. He probably won't send it to anybody. But he will, George. He's a foreigner, isn't he? And they're all so superstitious. He'd have to send it to her. He may not even know anybody else. Suit yourself. Need anything from town? No. I'm going to be getting back to the office. It's very early, George. You never used to leave so early. You used to eat a big breakfast. I'm just not hungry. Maybe you'll be hungry by the time you get to town. Then you'll have time for a second breakfast at the drug store. You might even meet Miss Holden. She has her breakfast there. Leonora. She's very pretty, George. Not at all like your former secretary. Betty Holden's a very efficient girl. If she's pretty, I've never noticed. Well, notice it, George. Notice it while you're having your second breakfast. I'll see you at dinner. George didn't fool me a bit. He never did. Some wives can't see the signs, but I could. I cleaned up the house spotless, that's where I kept it. Then I sat down with the letter. I made a copy and addressed it to Mr. Peter Kaczewski, care of Mrs. Abbey Rimmer. Then I made the second copy. Whoever breaks the chain will meet with evil. Hadn't spoken to George about this copy. I sealed it in an envelope and addressed it to Miss Betty Holden. I mailed the letter, then I waited patiently. I watched George's face the next night when he came home. I had all his favorite things for dinner. I even had my hair put up the way he liked it best. Not that he was ever pleased with the things I did for him. I wasn't the one he had on his mind. You're not very good company tonight, George. I find very little to say. I passed your office today. You seem quite animated in there. But perhaps you find Miss Holden's conversation more stimulating than mine. We were discussing something that was very embarrassing to me, Leonora. Oh. Why did you send her that letter? Well, it said send two copies and that's what I did. Well, why, Miss Holden? Why not? Because it was a stupid and childish thing. Is that what she said? She's too much of a lady. That's what she thought and so did I. Oh, you and Miss Holden seem to think very much alike. It's a pity you're not married to her. Yes, Leonora. It is a pity. So it's true then. You agree that I'm stupid and childish. What other agreements do you have, George? Why do you twist things so, I said? I know what you said. Do you think I'm deaf, George? I'm not. I'm not blind either. She's my secretary. That's all. That's all and why don't you fire her? For what cause? Because I don't want her there. That's cause enough, isn't it? I'm your wife. Isn't what I want important? Not when it can cost somebody a job without reason. Oh, you're so noble, aren't you, George? But that isn't like you. I know because I live with you. You're a liar, George, and I could get her fired without your help. I'll go to Bert Reynolds and tell him... Leonora, if you do that, I'll... Go ahead. Go ahead and hit me, George, because the secretary means nothing to you. No. That wouldn't do any good with you, Leonora. You're not worth it. You stay here and talk to me. Where do you think you're going? I'm going out to the guest room over the garage. Where I go from there, I'll decide later. You mean you're going to stay out there? That's exactly what I mean. You want to make a fool of me. You want people around Tom Whisman that you left me. You want them to laugh at me. They'll never know unless you tell them, Leonora. You'll make sure the Betty Holden knows that they'll won't you. George, George, come back here. Do you hear me? I could see it in their faces every time I went into town. The woman is always to blame when something goes wrong. But they didn't know what George was like. I went to town every day whether I had to or not to show them I had nothing to be ashamed of. Thursday was the day Abby Reynolds did her shopping at the bar in town and I planned to meet her accidentally. Leonora! Oh, Leonora. I'm so glad to see you. Hello, Abby. I tried to phone you this morning. Oh, well, I've been in town all day. Bert told me to call you. I'm glad I ran into you instead. Well, there's something I have to tell you. We know you meant no harm. But George has been criticizing me to Bert's. Why, no, dear. I meant about the letter, the chain letter you sent to Peter Kaczewski. What harm could that do, Abby? None. That's what Bert tried to tell him, but he's a very quiet, strange man. And, well, you see, Leonora, his wife died yesterday. Oh, no. No, Abby. He got the letter a few days ago. No. He can't read English, so he usually brings his mail to Bert. But his wife got sick that morning and he took her to the hospital. He didn't bring the letter to Bert until this morning. And without thinking, of course... He read it to him? Bert tried to reason with him, but he didn't seem to hear. He just kept staring. Then he turned and walked out of the house. He blames me? He thinks it's my fault. Why did you ever send it to him, Leonora? Why did you pick him? Well, I meant no harm, Abby. I swear to him. I swear on my heart. I just mean... You better tell George about it. In case there's any trouble. Yes. Yes, I'll tell George. You see, if I had sent the letter to Abby, it never would have happened. That's what I would have done if she wasn't always trying to make herself better than I was. I wouldn't have been in this if it wasn't for her. I left the barn tall and went to the square. The country hill bus wasn't due for half an hour. I couldn't stand there, so I walked out of town. And I crossed the wooden bridge over the river. The side road was pitted with ruts left by the rain. And I stumbled and the heel of my shoe broke off. I sat down on a patch of grass and tried to fix it. And I heard a branch snap in the trees behind me. Hello, Mrs. Carpenter. It was a voice I'd never heard before. But when I turned, I knew the face. It was Peter Kaczewski. He was all dirty and unshaven. And he had a half empty bottle in his hand. You fred, ah, Mrs. Carpenter. You stay away from me! Stay away, do you hear? He started for me. I threw the shoe. It caught him in the face and a nail tore gas in his forehead. I turned and started to run up the hill. I got you! I took Peter behind me. He was getting closer and closer. And the house was still a quarter of a mile away. A quarter of a mile away! Auto-light is bringing you Miss Agnes Moorhead in the chain. Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspends. What ignites the ignition system? I, uh, I'll ask the auto-light ignition engineers. And what sparks a spark plug? Uh, that's another for auto-light ignition engineers. If anyone knows spark plugs, it's these same auto-light engineers who design coils, distributors, and all the other vital parts that make up the complete ignition systems used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. They really know, eh, Harlow? Yes, sir. And look at the auto-light resistor spark plug they developed. It's one of the greatest advances in spark plug design for automotive use in the past 20 years. Can they talk about spark plugs like you, Harlow? Sure they can. And your friendly auto-light spark plug dealer can tell everyone listening to this program as much about world famous ignition engineered auto-light spark plugs as I can. No. Sure! So go to him and have him replace your worn out spark plugs with world famous ignition engineered auto-light spark plugs. And whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type for smooth performance and the best in gas mileage, you can't buy a better spark plug for your car because you're always right with auto-light. And now auto-light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage our star, Agnes Morehead, in the chain. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. My lungs were ready to burst. I wanted to scream but no sound had come. And there was nobody to hear me. Nobody but Peter Kaczewski. He was stumbling along after me. I heard the ball drop and break. I could see the house now and the clearing through the trees and I started to cry. I couldn't run any faster. I just couldn't. He was almost up to me. He reached out and I fell his hand down at the back of my coat and then he fell. He fell! I couldn't go down but I didn't turn to look. I crossed the clearing, up the steps to the house. I tore off the clasp on my handbag to get the key. Well, it was stuck. Kaczewski staggered into the clearing. I remembered the stanky under the door mat. I got it and opened the door. He reached the fourth steps. I slammed the door and locked it in his face. Come out. Come out, Peter Kaczewski. Go away! Do you hear me? Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Don't get away from me! Nobody's up to him. I couldn't wait for you. I'd leave against the door trying to get my breath. I could feel Kaczewski on the other side of it like a big crazy ape. What did he wonder hurt me for? I took a chair and raced it under the door knob. Then I heard him move. He padded down the porch steps but he wasn't going away. He was moving around in the back door. I reached through the house. The door was locked. So were the storm windows on the lower floor. I ran upstairs to the bedroom. Georgia Service Revolver was in the bureau. I got it and opened the window. I see him going down the road towards town. Then I unlocked the bedroom door and slipped down the stairs to the telephone. Three, four, one, seven. The men had to speak to him. He's out for the afternoon making some calls. No, Bert. Did you tell George about Kaczewski? And the letter? What else I can do for him? Well, if George comes in... I'll tell him to call you. Goodbye, Leonora. A bird! When Betty Holden knew she was keeping him in town, this was what they wanted. They wanted something to happen to me. He'd be getting dark soon. Kaczewski would come back and I'd be alone. I'd be all alone. Cop enough country hill. Will you call the police and ask them to send a car out? Trying any of the windows? No, but that... Well, Mrs. Carpenter, he wasn't carrying a weapon and he never actually touched you. I can't arrest him for attempted murder. There isn't even enough evidence for a simple assault. I want that man arrested! Do you hear me? Well, what you want has nothing to do with the law, Mrs. Carpenter. You're supposed to protect people. That's what we pay taxes for. Kaczewski pays taxes, too, Mrs. Carpenter. You fired a gun at him. If you're smart, you'll drop it. Heaven, are I right to protect myself and my own house? In the house, yes. But you were behind locked doors, firing at a man out in the open. If you'd killed him, you'd have been charged with murder. Now, take my advice and don't use that gun again unless somebody breaks in. But that man is crazy. He's just crazy. If I had a simple mind like his and the same thing happened to me, I might be crazy, too. But I can't locate my husband. I'm alone here. You've got to find that man and arrest him. I demand it. All right, all right, all right. But all I can charge him with is trespassing. We can hold him until his fine is paid and that's all. Well, I don't care what you're charging with arrest him. Just arrest him. He may bring counter-charges against you. What charges could he bring against me? I'd never hurt anybody. I've never done anything to anyone. Well, I'm glad to hear that, Mrs. Carpenter. I like nice people. Goodbye. If you see my husband tell him to come home, tell him I'm alone here. I don't know what I'll do alone. When we find Kaczewski, I'll call you. It started to get dark and I sat there listening to every sound. And then it started to rain. I heard it pounded on the roof. It frightened me. If somebody came up to the house, I wouldn't be able to hear them. Seven o'clock came and then eight, nine, ten. I didn't dare light a light. And my father heard a car. George. It had to be George. The headlights flashed through the windows as the car turned into the driving and a moment later I heard his key in the lock. The matter, George, all the lights were out. I thought you were in bed. Oh, is that what you thought? Was that why you waited so long to come home? Where were you? Where I go is no longer any concern of yours. You were with her. All right, Leonora. I was. For the first peaceful evening in ten years, but not the last. What are you saying, George? I'm going to divorce you, Leonora. I'm moving into town tonight. I'll be at the hotel. I'll stop you. There isn't anything I won't do to stop you. I know I can depend on you for that. No, it doesn't mean anything to you, George. You don't know what I've been through. You don't know what happened today. I know you tried to kill the man with a gun. How do you know that? Everybody knows it. The police are looking for Kaczewski. You have no feeling about what you've done to that poor, confused devilhead. I haven't done anything to him, the superstitious idiot. All I did was send a silly letter. That didn't kill his wife. I'm sorry. She's dead. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're not. You're only sorry because you're afraid for yourself. How can you say that to me? Because I know you, Leonora. After 10 years, I really know you. You didn't send those letters the way other people send them. I... You sent them with a curse out of the evil of your heart. You can't kill people with a curse. Which is fortunate for me. I'm not talking about the act, Leonora. I'm talking about the intent. I want to get my clothes. You can't. You can't. I won't let you. All right, I can get others. Goodbye, Leonora. Get out of my way. No, George. No, I'm your wife. Remember how things used to be with us? They can be that way again, George. Let go of me. You know I can make you happy. Kiss me. Just kiss me once. Get out of my way. No, George. Don't leave me. Don't leave me. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. The rain got heavier. Each time the lightning flashed, I could see the river below. It was beginning to wash over the bridge. I shot a toy loose and started to bang. Lieutenant Marshal, police headquarters, Mrs. Carpenter. Have you found Kaczewski? Yes. The boys brought him in about a half hour ago. I did all I could. What do you mean? Trespassing is a minor charge, Mr. Carpenter. Bale was sent at $25. Mr. Reynolds just came in and bailed him out. You mean he's free? You let him get away? You've got to send somebody up here. You can't leave me alone if he's loose. I'm sorry, Mrs. Carpenter, but there's a storm emergency besides the bridge. It's washed out and I'm tying up the line talking to you. Good night. Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Operator! Operator! Get me Mr. George Carpenter at the Clearview Hotel. I'm sorry, but the lines are open for emergency services. But I must speak to him. I must. I'm sorry, but the storm has washed out most of the lines. We only have three circuits open for emergency. But this is an emergency. I'll tell you, it's a matter of life and death. Just a moment. Have a clear line. Please make your call brief. All right. All right. Oh, George, it's Leonora. You've got to help me, please. They arrested Kacheski, but Bert Reynolds bailed him out. You let him do it, but he won't stay there. He's crazy. Come out here, George. I need you. The bridge is out. There's no road. Well, you'll find a way to get here. I'll give you your divorce. I won't find it. I promise you, George, only don't let me die. Leonora, you're hysterical. It's after midnight. I'll be... Go on, George. I was dead. Dead like I was going to be dead. Kacheski would come. They didn't know it, but I did. The rain stopped, and I sat there listening to the tick another clock. It struck one, then two. That was all. It was so peaceful, and I almost dozed off. Something was moving outside. I went to the window and saw the figure of a man turning into the shadows behind the house. I found the gun where I'd left it under the sofa pillars. I couldn't shoot him until he broke into the house. I kicked him and waited. He was fumbling with the door. There was a metallic sound. He was forcing something into the lock, and then it clicked. The door swung open. He was framed in the center of it, and I fired. I opened the front door and started to run. It was a sea of mud. I knew he was dead, but I could feel him behind me, chasing me. I got to the river. It was starting to flood, but there was a boat coming across. I just cried with relief. When it landed, I ran to it. A man jumped out. Hello, Miss. My wife, she's dead, Mrs. Carpenter. Look at me, lady. Look at my face. I'll give you money. I won't say anything about this. You can get away. Why you do this thing to me, Mrs. Carpenter? Why? What do I ever do to you? My husband was the one. I didn't do it. I didn't want to. He made me. You lie, lady. Your husband is a good man. You're choking me. Don't you like to die, Mrs. Carpenter? You like to write letters? You like other people should die? You must have killed me. You must have just run. Don't be punished for it. You know that, don't you? Who going to punish me, lady? You? I didn't mean to shoot you up there tonight. I thought you were hurt. I was coming down to get a doctor for you. I... You just came across the river. You... You couldn't have gotten down here before me. George! It was George. I killed George. I killed your husband. I thought it was you. I mean... Oh, I don't know. You want to kill me, but you kill him. I don't know. Let me see Mrs. Carpenter. Now they're going to make you pay. It was an accident. An accident. I tell you an accident. It was an accident. It was an accident. I came back here to the house and I found George. I left him just as it was, sir. You could see it was an accident, lieutenant. I... I called you as soon as I got the phone light working. Yes, I see, Mrs. Carpenter. Did you get all that on the wire recorder, Chuck? Yeah. Good. Shut it off. Well, you better get your coat, Mrs. Carpenter. What? I'm being arrested. On suspicion of murder, Mrs. Carpenter. Oh, but you're making a mistake. All I did was write a letter. And kill your husband. But that was an accident. Why should I kill George? I had no reason. But you did have a motive for killing him. A very strong motive. He left you. He was divorcing you. He was going to marry another woman. And you knew all that before you shot him. But I didn't. I... It's on the recorder. Don't worry about me, Mrs. Carpenter. It's the jury you've got to convince. Oh, by the chain, letter. Suspends. Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Agnes Moorehead. Dr. Lawyer Merchant Chief. Happier test stating my belief that every car owner can be happy if his car is equipped with a set of the world-famous ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs. So be sure to have your dealer give your spark plugs a spring checkup. Autolite makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, planes, and boats in 28 plants coast to coast. These include complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. Spark plugs, batteries, generators, coils, distributors, electric windshield wipers, starting motors, bullseye-sealed beam headlights. All engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on Autolite original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage, or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolite. Next Thursday for suspense, our star will be Miss Joan Bennett. The play is called The Statement of Mary Blake. And it is, as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Tonight's suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman McDonnell. Music for suspense is composed by Lucian Morrowek and conducted by Lud Gluskin. The chain is an original play written for radio by Joel Murcoff. Agnes Moorehead may soon be seen in the Warner Brothers production Caged. In the coming weeks, you will hear such stars as Claire Trevor and John Lund. Don't forget, next Thursday, same time, Autolite will present suspense, starring Joan Bennett. You can buy world-famous Autolite resistor or regular spark plugs, Autolite staple batteries, Autolite electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolite dealers. Switch to Autolite. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.