 This is the mysterious traveler, inviting you to join him on another journey in the realm of the strange and 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. I hope it's not making you nervous, being alone with me here in the dark. Darkness stirs strange terrors in some minds, particularly those of children. But children live in a world of their own, a world far removed from that of adults. Who among us knows the psychology of the child mind, with its devious thoughts and actions, as in the tale of the good-dye young? Years ago, when I was practicing medicine, I brought a child into the world, a girl who was named Sandra. In the years that followed, she grew into an extremely beautiful and the clever child. But my story begins the day that Martha, the housekeeper, was finishing her duties for the last time. Come in here. I want to see you. Sandra! Yes. I told you to come right home after school. Where have you been? I'm sorry, Martha. I didn't hear you tell me to come home right after school. I'm sorry. Truly, I am. Save your acting for your father, young lady. It hasn't fooled me for a long time. Sandra, since your mother died, you're becoming more and more of a problem every day. Well, at least after tonight, I won't have to put up with your lies and your thousand and one little tricks. What do you mean, Martha? Your father won't be needing a housekeeper anymore. I'm leaving tonight. But why? Well, I'm not supposed to tell you. She may as well know now as later. Your father is bringing home a new mother for you tonight. A new mother? Yes. He's just married again. But I don't want a new mother. Daddy and I don't need anyone else. We're happy the way we are. Sandra, stop screaming. I won't have it. Do you hear? I won't have it. Your new mother's a very fine woman. I met her last time. I hate her. I hate her. Daddy's mine and no one else's. She hasn't any right to him. If you don't stop that screaming, I'll tell your father when he comes home tonight. No, no, no. Don't do that. I'll be good. But I hate her and I always will. I'll never stop hating her. That's a fine way to talk. Perhaps I ought to warn the poor woman about Sandra. Well, then it's not of my business. Besides, she'll find out about her soon enough. Particularly as you're carrying me across the threshold. All right, darling. It's tradition in my family to carry the bride over the threshold. There you are. Steven, what a lovely host. You haven't seen the best part of it yet. Sandra. Do you think she'll like me, Steven? I do so want her to. Of course she will. Perhaps you should have told her about us instead of breaking it to her so unexpectedly like this. Oh, nonsense, Helen. I know my daughter. She's a wonderful child. And she'll fall madly in love with you at the first sight. This is her father's day. Sandra, where are you? Daddy! Dad! How are you, darling? Oh, Daddy. I have a surprise for you. A surprise? Sandra, this is Helen. Helen, I want you to meet my daughter, Sandra. Hello, Sandra. Hello. Darling, the surprise I just mentioned is Helen. We were married this afternoon. That means that Helen is now your mother. Oh, Daddy, that's wonderful. Now I'll have a mother just like all the other girls do. Oh, I'm so glad. So am I, Sandra. And I'm sure we're all going to be very happy together. Oh, of course we are. That night, after the family had said goodbye to Martha and seen her off, Sandra was sent to bed. She lay quietly in the darkness, thinking. Occasionally, she would speak softly to her doll, Barbara. She hasn't any right being here, Barbara. Daddy and I were perfectly happy until she came along. Tonight, he didn't even notice me. Just kept looking at her. Well, she shan't have him. He's always been mine, and he always will be. I've asked you not to pound the keys that way. That's no way to play. I'm sorry, Mother. It's not only the piano, dear. There are many other little things. You pay no attention when I speak to you about them. I don't mean to do them, Mother. I just forget. Well, please try to remember, dear. I want you to play the piano as you did last night for Daddy. He was very pleased. Yes, Mother. I thought I asked you to stop pounding the piano like that. But, Mother, I was just composing a new piece for Daddy. That wasn't music, Sandra, but just noise. That'll be enough for today. Hello, beautiful. How are you, darling? I wasn't sent to the door to meet me. She's all right, isn't she? Oh, of course, dear. Steven. I was a bit angry with Sandra this afternoon. Angry with Sandra? Why, what did she do? Well, several times this afternoon I had to speak to her about... pounding the piano, being loud and discordant. Well, that isn't like Sandra. You know how well she plays. Yes, of course. That wasn't the way she played today. Well, I'll go up and see her. All right. Uh, supper will be ready soon. All right, Ellen. Where's Sandra? What's the latest? Ever cry? A new piece for my birthday? There, dear. You mustn't cry. I'm sure, Mother, I understand you didn't mean to be bad. Now, here, let me wipe your tears. I wanted to compose something wonderful for you. I understand, darling. Oh, Daddy, you always understand. Where's Sandra? She'll be down in a minute. Yes, Steven? She really didn't mean to pound on the piano and get on your nerves. It's just she was trying to compose a new piece for me. But, Steven, it wasn't music. It was just noise. Well, you mustn't be harsh with her. You know what children are like in their enthusiasm. They forget what they're told. But, Steven, I don't know exactly what to say. It's just a question of being patient with her. Winning her love. All right, Steven. Perhaps I was a bit impatient with her. You know I want nothing more than for the three of us to be happy together. I know that, darling. And the three of us will be happy together. In the weeks that followed, Helen tried to overlook Sandra's slamming of doors and constant droppings of objects and other nerve-wracking incidents. In time, she felt Sandra would come to accept her love and guidance. It was just a matter of patience. Sandra, is that you? Yes, Mother. Please sit down, dear. I want to talk to you. All right, but do hurry. Daddy will be home soon. Sandra, every day I've been giving you milk money for school. Why haven't you been buying milk with that money? But I have been, Mother. No, please, Sandra. I won't punish you. I just want to know what you've been doing with that money. I've been buying milk with it. Please, Sandra. Mrs. Gordon, your teacher, told me you haven't bought milk for almost a month now. But I have. She just doesn't want to. Sandra, I won't have you lying to me. Now, that's your father. We'll see what he has to say about this. What are you talking about? I'm sorry, Stephen, but Sandra's in this behavior. I think you'd better speak to her. You just do it. What's she done, Helen? Mrs. Gordon, her teacher, told me today that for the past month Sandra hasn't been buying milk with her milk money. Is that true, Sandra? What's worse, Stephen, when I asked Sandra about it, she lied and said that she had been buying milk at school. And then, isn't like you to lie about things. I didn't mean to lie about it. What a surprise. So I'd have given you money to buy a birthday present for Daddy? It is. Sorry, Sandra. Oh, you might have told me about it when I asked you. But then it wouldn't have been a real surprise. But you have, darling. This is a beautiful pipe. No. This is much better, darling. It means I'll be able to smoke this pipe tonight. Oh, now, please stop crying. People upstairs and wash your face in hand, huh? Sorry, Stephen. But I had no idea what she'd done with the money, and she did lie when I asked her about it. Well, if you don't have a little more faith in Helen, I know it's difficult to understand her at times, but that's because as a child, she looks at things differently. I'm sorry, Stephen. If you think I've failed with her... What would you have done, Helen? I'm sure that in time she'll come to love you as much as she loves me. I don't know, Stephen. I often wonder about that. As the weeks went by, Helen found herself coming no closer to winning Sandra's confidence. It wasn't that Sandra was unfriendly, but there was an air of reserve about her, which vanished only in her father's presence. Helen felt Stephen watching her anxiously when Sandra was about, and sought to reassure him. Her one thought was to preserve their happiness. Hello, Helen. Hello, dear. What happened to that vase, dear? Sandra broke it. Well, accidents will happen. Stephen, this is the fourth piece she's broken in two weeks, and each of them were pieces I've treasured and had for years. Helen, you sound as though Sandra deliberately broken those vases because they were yours. Why is it that only my things are broken? Helen, surely you don't believe she's deliberately breaking your things? I don't know what to believe. The first few times I thought it was an accident, but now... It's Helen. Please, Stephen, that's not quarrel. Perhaps I'm wrong. I admit I haven't any proof. It's just all the little things adding up. Helen, what are you talking about? Oh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Where's Sandra? In her room, I suppose. Well, I'll go up and see what she's doing. All right. Sandra, it's Daddy. Are you in your room? Hello, what's this? A note addressed to me. Dear Daddy, I'm sorry about the broken vein. I tried my best to be a good girl, but everything I did seems wrong. I make Mother very unhappy, so I'm running away. I love you very much and always will, your daughter, Sandra. After searching vainly for an hour in the dark and cold, Stephen returned and notified the police. All through the long hours of the night, he and Helen sat up, not saying a word, each afraid to speak. The fear of what might be said. As the first braze of dawn showed, the doorbell rang. Stephen rushed to answer it. Mr. Hamilton. Sandra. Good Daddy, Daddy. Darling, darling, everything's all right now. I'm the police patron from the 55th Street Station, Mr. Hamilton. One of the officers on the force just found her. Thank you. Thank you very much for bringing her home. Oh, that's all right, Mr. Hamilton. That's our job. Goodbye. Goodbye. There, there, there, dear. Don't cry. Dark out there. I thought I'd never see you again. What a thing to say. How do you feel, Sandra? Do you want me to take Stephen and put it to bed? No, I'll do it, Helen. All right, Stephen, just as you say. Is she all right, Stephen? She just fell asleep. Her being out all night won't have any after effects. Helen, you feel I'm to blame for her running away, don't you? Of course not, Helen. It's just that, well, you don't seem to understand her. But Stephen, I've tried so hard. Oh, it's no use. She doesn't want me here. Never has. Helen, how can you talk like that? Why, she was delighted the day I brought you here as my wife. Yes, I thought she was in the beginning, but now I know she was just pretending. Pretending? Yes, Stephen. From the first moment she saw me, she resented me. She feels I've come between you, taking her place in your affection. Oh, Helen, how can you say such a thing? It's true, I tell you. She sees me as a rival for your love. You're just imagining all this. I'm not, I tell you. Oh, it's no use, Stephen. We can't go on this way. What do you mean? Don't you see? We aren't happy anymore. Instead of things improving, they get worse. Perhaps it would be best if we were to separate. Helen, Helen, I won't hear of it. I love you, darling. I wouldn't want to live without you. Whatever misunderstandings we may have about Sandra, I'm sure we can straighten them out. I don't know, Stephen. If you love me, Helen, you won't give up so easily. Please, say you won't leave. All right, Stephen, I won't leave. Perhaps we will be able to work this out. I hope so. You awake, darling? Sandra, mother and I were very upset when you ran away last night. Mother seemed to think you ran away because you couldn't get along with her. She felt so badly about it, she wanted to go away. She did? Yes. But I told her how much we both loved and needed her. So she's promised to stay. Oh. Sandra, you will try to be a good girl and do as mother wants, won't you? It would make Daddy very happy. Oh, Daddy, I'd do anything to make you happy, anything. That's a good girl, darling. Now, you get up and get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs. All right, Daddy. He just doesn't understand. He should have let her go, but she's still here. And she's going to stay. I won't have it. In which Sandra's behavior pleased Helen no end. At last it seemed there were going to be the happy family she had always dreamed they would be. Helen. Yes, dear? Will you bring my coat with you when you come downstairs? Sandra and I are going for a walk. Daddy, can we walk down to the river? Oh, we won't have enough time for that, Sandra. Sandra? I have your coat, but I can't find your scarf. Oh, the scarf's down here, Helen. Just bring the coat. Oh. No, Sandra, don't talk like that. Quick, phone Dr. Smith at once. Helen's suffering from shock, but otherwise unhurt. I was somewhat disturbed, however, to find her very nervous and run down. She'll be all right, won't she, Doctor? Yes, of course. I'm going to leave you a prescription, Mrs. Hamilton. It's something that will help quiet your nerves. You ought to take it twice a day. Here's a prescription, Mr. Hamilton. Thank you, Doctor. I'll have it filled at once. Well, Sandra, how are you? You've been so quiet I hardly knew you were here. I'm fine, thank you. You're growing up to be quite a young lady. Are you still troubled by nightmares? Yes, she still has them once in a while. No, it's just her nerves. If she continues to have them, you might give her some of the medicine I've prescribed for your wife. Well, I must be leaving. Goodbye, Mrs. Hamilton, and stay in bed a few days. I will, Doctor. Goodbye. Goodbye, Doctor. Well, darling, you gave us quite a scare. Yes, I slipped on something on the top step. You must have slipped on the marble, dear. I found seven or eight of them on the top step. Marble? Sandra, were they your marbles? No, Mother. They belonged to Margie. She must have left them on the stairs when we were playing here. Oh, I see. It wasn't my fault. Truly it wasn't. Of course it wasn't, Sandra. Mother knows you wouldn't be marbles lying around where she could slip on them. Isn't that so, Ellen? Yes, Stephen. I'm sure Sandra wouldn't want anything to happen to me. Come into Mother's room a moment, please. Yes, Mother. The medicine that Doctor Smith prescribed for me is in the bathroom. Will you get it for me, please? All right, Mother. You'll find it in the medicine chest. It's in a blue bottle. Yes, I know what it looks like. Oh, here it is. That's fine, Sandra. Just bring it to me. Here you are, Mother. Thank you, dear. Oh, Sandra, this isn't the medicine that Doctor Smith prescribed for me. Didn't you read the label? This bottle has poison in it. Poison? Oh, yes. It's right here in red letters on the label. I'm sorry, but this bottle is blue, too. It looks just like the one with your medicine. Yes, it does, at that. Now, I'll put this bottle of poison back and get me my medicine. Yes, Mother. I'll have to get rid of that poison. It's too dangerous to keep in the medicine chest. Would have been awful if you took the poison. Wouldn't have, Mother. Or you might have died. There's nothing to cry about now. I'm not going to leave you. I'm just going to see what Mother wants. What is it, Ellen? Stephen. Doctor Smith said that she had a nightmare. Some of the medicine he prescribed for me would help her. Well, Sandra doesn't like taking medicine. But this medicine is very easy to take. And it'll have her asleep in no time. If you think it's best. Yes, I'm sure it is. Now, you go back to Sandra while I get the medicine and a glass. All right, Ellen. Come, Sandra. You must stop your crying. Daddy's here. Don't mention it. Stay with me. Of course I'll stay with you. What were you dreaming about, dear? Stop your crying. All right, Stephen. I have it. Now, if you just have Sandra sit up. Come on, darling. Sit up now. That's it. Mother doing? She's pouring you some medicine. It'll help you sleep, darling. Medicine? Yes. It's the same medicine Mother takes for her own now. No. No, I don't want it. No, please, Sandra. It'll make you feel much better. No, don't come near me. I don't want it. But Sandra Mother takes it twice a day. There's nothing to it. No, I won't take it. She'd better let it go, haven't I? Nonsense, Stephen. She'll have us up all night. She doesn't take it. All right. Now, Sandra, stop being a baby and take this medicine. No, Daddy! Sandra. Are you going to let me give you this quietly or do I have to make you take it? No, no, it'll... Let me hold your head. That's it. No! Sandra, stop cleansing your teeth. Open your mouth. Do you hear? No! You've taken it. All this fuss over nothing. Andrew, what's wrong? I want to pee. Helen, click. Call Dr. Smith. Tell him it's an emergency. Dr. Smith. Let me see her. She's been unconscious for 10 minutes now. Doctor, you must do something. We only gave her the medicine you prescribed for Helen. Yes, here it is. Let me see it. But this medicine wouldn't kill her. It's only a nerve tonic. You can see. Doctor. This is the bottle, all right, but the medicine in it isn't the medicine I prescribed. But it is. I took some of it last night. I assure you this isn't the medicine I prescribed. Then what is in that bottle? It smells like... ...cabolic acid. Cabolic acid. But that's impossible. Look at the label you can see. It's my medicine. Yes, the label's right, but someone poured out the medicine I prescribed and replaced it with carbolic acid. But why? Why should anyone want to do such a thing? Who could possibly want to kill Sandra? Everyone loved her, ask Helen. She'll tell you that Sandra... Steven. Why are you looking at me like that? Surely you don't believe I poisoned her? Steven. She is traveller again. Have you enjoyed our little trip? Oh, by the way, do you have a child in your home? If so, I do trust it isn't angry with you. You can't be too careful with children. Why, I recall another child who after being punished by his parents took her razor and... Oh, you're getting off at the next stop. I'm sorry. Perhaps you'll join me again soon. I take this same train every week at the same time. You've just heard chapter 13 of The Mysterious Traveller, a series of dramas of the strange and unusual brought to you each week by station W-O-R. In tonight's program, The Good Die Young, Betty Jane Tyler played Sandra. The Mysterious Traveller, written by Bob Arthur and David Cogan, is directed by Jack McGregor. Original music was played by Doc Whipple. Listen next week to a tale titled Design for Death. Another tale of The Mysterious Traveller. The Mysterious Traveller is presented by W-O-R Mutual every Sunday at 7 over most of these stations. This is Mutual.