 Standard of California, on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West, invites you to let George do it. Murder. It's a gift. Another adventure of George Valentine. Personal notice. Danger's my stock and trade. If you're ready to throw in the sponge without giving the deal another whirl, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. My dear Mr. Valentine, no doubt you'll consider this transaction stale, flat and unprofitable. I wish to bestow a beautiful and precious gift upon a member of my family, the worthiest one, the rare Wittenberg Bible. I want to see it bring to someone else the happiness it brought to me. You can help me. 715 Warren Road. Kindly call Sunday morning when I can be sure all my little family will be at home. Signed Wesley Hart. Bruxy, when was the last time you did something ennobling and spiritual with your Sunday morning? You mean beside getting up before noon? Exactly what I mean. Now here's a chance for both of us to make atonement come this sabbath. So let's get up early and see that the right person does get Mr. Hart's rare and precious gift. Oh, but George, a father should know his own family. Which one is to quote the worthiest? Oh, you'd be surprised how often Papa knows very little about his own brood. Maybe you're right. The night of my first dance, my father did believe I was going out to get the milk instead of trying to tiptoe in with it. Oh, Angel, you've had a lurid past. But seriously, we have a date for Sunday morning. Mr. Valentine, most people like to leave what they consider their fortune and will to be used only after they die. That's the usual routine, Mr. Hart, yeah. Well, I'm going to be different. Here, sit down, Miss Brooks. Sit down. Oh, thank you. But just how are you going to be different, Mr. Hart? I'm going to give someone my only treasured possession while I'm still alive so I can see him enjoy it. Oh, that's a pretty fine notion. I believe you're a better citizen on earth if you don't wait for your citizenship in heaven. Again, a happy notion, but... About this valuable Wittenberg Bible of yours, doesn't your family know it's going to be left to them? Not to which one, and not that I'm going to leave it to him right now. That's why I wrote to you, Mr. Valentine. I want you to investigate each one of them, look into their pasts. What's that? Well, how surely in your own family you ought to know enough about... Clearly again this morning. I need some black coffee pops and pasts. What's the matter, son? You seem nervous. I wonder why. I can always run 50 balls in a game of straight pool, but last night my hands were shaking. And just when it would have really paid off. Well, Sam, you shouldn't take your recreation so seriously. It's only a game of billiards. Only a game of... Oh, sure, yes. Oh, Sam, these are two friends of mine. They'll probably be staying here with us. Oh, but really? That's well popped. If you can't get any food here before 10 o'clock, I'd better go in the kitchen and see if I can make you eat or give me some coffee. Yeah, you'd better do that, fella. If you expect to maneuver any ham and eggs to your mouth. What's that, mister? Just an observation. It looks like that'll leave me cold so early in the morning. Where are you rushing off, Sam? You're your usual self, aren't you? Well, that's called a wonderful girl. You couldn't ask for a finer daughter. Okay, man, even later than I did. Who was it? Did they make a grade? As a matter of fact, I... Well, at least I have you three for an audience. Oh, Carla, these are two friends of mine. They'll probably be staying here with us. Well, I don't... I don't like them. Isn't anybody interested in the fast-talking gentleman who tried to convince me that under my strict and starchy nurses uniform there beats a feminine heart? Oh, I'd love to hear all about it. As long as it's in the family. Carla's a nurse, you know. She spends all her life trying to take care of people. Thank you, pops. Anyway, this Casanova I was out with last night was a subtle type. He didn't just talk about fur coats and bracelets and stuff like that. He actually had them with him. He was so amazed I don't play that way, pops. Good girl, Carla. See you at breakfast. Well, it's, uh, quite a family you've got here, Mr. Hart. Yes, I don't think... Breakfast is ready, Mr. Hart. Oh, Miss Purdy, uh, these are the two friends I told you about. Let's not go through that again, Brooks. Well, there's room for them at the table. Now, let's not waste any more time. Oh, of course. I know, when you run a boarding house, everything must be on a schedule. Boarding house? You know I don't consider it that, Mr. Hart. You and the others are just paying guests. A proud woman, Miss Purdy. I always think of her as my sister. Another member of my family taking care of me when I'm not well, bringing me hot tea and... Hey, hey, just a minute, pops. Yes? A way with thought just occurred to me. If Miss Purdy who runs this boarding house is your sister, perhaps those other two characters are unrelated to you in the same way. Oh, did you think we were related by blood ties? Now, I wonder where we could have picked up that wild notion. I see what you mean, Miss Brooks. Oh, I'm not really related to any one of these people, but living with them for these last three years, shedding their hopes and frustrations, I've begun to think of them as my own flesh and blood. Oh, that's just fine. Perhaps that is hard to understand, young man, but when you're alone in the world and as old as I am, you sort of need that sense of belonging, of having a family. Oh, it's, of course, we understand. Yes, I guess we do. But look, Mr. Hart, if there is no family, maybe there's also no Wittenberg Bible. So maybe we ought to call this a Sunday morning excursion. Oh, no, I've had the Bible. It's worth more than $20,000. I just had it appraised last week. Well, there aren't any more members of the family, are there, Mr. Hart? No, just these three. But Mr. Ballantyne, you will do this for an old man, won't you? No, I... Miss Purdy has two vacant rooms. You and Miss Brooks can stay on his boarders. Of course, I'll take care of that. Mr. Hart, please. Breakfast is served. All right, pops, let's go in. I don't like to go to work on an empty stomach. I've been watching you the last few days, Mr. Ballantyne. Yeah, I know, cura. I wouldn't be a man if I weren't aware of it. You look too rugged to be naive. You make things easy for yourself. All you have to do is ask me... to double talk. What's on your mind? Everybody in this house knows why you and that girl are here. All right, suppose you tell me. Pops hired you to find out which one of us three should get the Bible after he dies. Uh-huh. Yeah, that's the general idea. But I didn't think we discussed it over a public address system. Oh, things get around. Or haven't you ever lived in a rooming house? Anyway, here's a hint. Uh-huh. The name Antoinette Purdy, our esteemed landlady. The date? January the 3rd, 1929. Look it up in the papers. What you'll find may not make you healthier or wealthier, but... Yeah, I know. But it will make me wiser. Okay, I'll take you up on that, cura. Mr. Brooks. Yes, Sam? Here's something you can pass along to Ballantyne. Cora's steel nurse, isn't all she starts up to be. She's also quite a gal, and she knows it. All right, so Cora always ends up one step ahead of the wolves. What about it? Nothing. But why don't you work on that angle? It may pay off. Mr. Ballantyne, one can't run a guesthouse without getting to know a great deal about one's guests. Yeah, now what you mean, Miss Purdy? In your business and mine, it only makes good sense to keep your eyes and ears open. You never heard it from me, Mr. Ballantyne. But there's a parole officer downtown with the name of John Higgins. Why don't you talk to him about Sam Keith? Yeah, surprising, isn't it, Angel? How much information you can get when people are so happy to supply it? About someone else? Yeah, and such choice information. Miss Purdy is really Mrs. Herdine, whose husband died on January 3rd, 1929. The verdict of accidental poisoning was never completely satisfactory to anybody. And Mrs. Herdine was not only acquitted, but inherited this rooming house, among other things. And our friend Sam Keith was involved in a small-time robbery when he was only 18, spent three years in jail for it. Which may account for the young man's bitterness. And, Cora, the only blank mark against her is having too many boyfriends. Well, as far as I know, no state in the Union has declared being human a crime. Well, we may as well tell Pops what we found out and let him decide what he wants to do. Good. Confidentially, darling, I've been thinking yearningly of my little apartment. Guess I just wasn't made for a rooming house. Uh-huh. In fact, I often think I really belong in a suburban cottage with a white picket fence running all around. Not to mention children doing the same thing. Well, with everything running around like that, it doesn't look like there's going to be any room for me. Oh, you're just reeking the sentiment today, aren't you? Look, Valentine, I want to talk to you. Sure, Sam. I'm always available. You don't mind if I try to kill you, do you? Well, I might protest slightly. Well, that's what I'm going to do if you tell Pops anything about me. Oh, now, take it easy, kid. Sam, don't be a fool. Okay, Brooks, you stay where you are. You've been looking me up, Valentine, and I don't like it. If it's not the parole officer, it's you or somebody else. Well, I don't have to live that way, hunted like an animal, just because I've made a mistake. Nobody's hunting you, Sam. Slow down, will you? Don't tell me what to do. I'm telling you. You're next down. He doesn't know what he's doing. Sorry, this is self-defense, Brooks. Oh! Oh! All right, all right. Come on, kid. Let me help you. Put your hands off me. I didn't want to do that. You better put something on that chin. Don't pamper me, bud. I know how to take care of myself. You better learn to do that, too, the next time. Well, things happen in this rooming house, don't they? Yeah, Brooks. Hey, let's get through with the benevolent Mr. Hart before Ms. Purdy decides to slip us a poisonous Mickey fence so she can keep her secret. It seems I didn't know a lot of things about my little family. Well, Mr. Hart, when you start digging, you can start digging. You can find the darndest things about the smallest family. The facts we gave you this afternoon are those you hired us to find out. So are we. It just came up to your room to say goodbye. One more favor, young man. What's that? I got the Bible out of this safe deposit box. Here it is. Yeah? I made up my mind who gets it. I wrote the name on the fly leaf. Well, I'll be honest enough to admit I'm curious. I'm more than curious, Mr. Hart. Or what do you want me to do? Stay here just a little while longer. Till tonight. You see, each one of them is Purdy. Call her, Sam. Knows that you've looked them up and told me all about them. Well. Well, what they don't know is that the lucky one doesn't have to wait till I'm dead. I'm going to present the Bible tonight at dinner. Okay. We'll stick around a little. Thank you. Here, Mr. Valentine, take this Bible, but promise me you won't open it till dinner tonight. If that's the way you want it. I'm going to shave, change my clothes, take a bath. I want to look my best for this very important day in my life. Get up there quick. Something's happening to Mr. Hart. What? What are you talking about, Sam? Come up here. Dad. But how could he be? We just left him a little while ago. He's there in the bathtub, Valentine. Look at him lying there like that. Yeah. Stay out here in the hall, Brooks. Yes, George. I came in here to shave. I didn't know Pops was here. Then I saw him. Yeah. He's dead, brother. All right, Dad. The one thing you don't want to be from the day you're born. But there's no sign of a struggle. And just six inches of water in the tub. We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Meanwhile, a word about safety. If you're planning a trip, better get those worn tires inspected tomorrow at an independent chevron gas station or a standard station. That's where you'll find your best value, Atlas Tires, famous for giving more mileage and safer mileage. Besides having more rubber to grip the road and a road-tested design for safer stops, Atlas Tires give you greater riding comfort, too. And each new Atlas passenger tire is backed by a written warranty. For a whole year, this warranty covers damage to the tire from ordinary road hazards and guarantees the materials and workmanship for the life of the tire. Best of all, your Atlas tire warranty is honored by 38,000 dealers coast-to-coast and in Canada seven days a week. For safer, better driving, go on Atlas Tires. And for expert tire care, rely on standard stations and independent chevron gas stations where they say, and mean, we'll take better care of your car. Now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. Well, a good and pious man decides to leave his one valuable possession, a rare Wittenberg Bible to the person most worthy of it. Furthermore, he wants to leave this legacy while he's still alive so he can share in the happiness of the one who receives it. That's the plan, Buds. This good and pious man is found dead, which leads to all kinds of questions, questions which annoy you no end if you're anything like George Valentine. You see, you're not too sure you're getting the right answer. Valentine is only one answer. The one the medical examiner gave us. Well, now look, I don't want to be a character, Lieutenant, but suppose I don't go along with that conclusion. Well, then, Pally Chum, you can just go and... Please, please, Lieutenant, don't be too specific in your direction. Well, I'll just leave what I mean to your imagination. Now I have every respect for the medical examiner, and I can't tell you just why I'm being stubborn. But I think Wesley Hart was murdered. Well, now at least everything is out in the open. Valentine, maybe the good doctor used words that are too big for you. Suppose I break him down. Yeah, do that for me. Wesley Hart was a hail and hearty old fellow, as sound as a russet apple. Remember I met the gentleman first, Lieutenant. No one could drown a man like that in a half a tub of water without him putting up one heck of a scrap. Why, you'd have to hold his head under for quite some time, you know. George, just on general principles, I'd like to be on your side. But there were no signs of a struggle at all. No water on the floor, no scratches, no bruises. Yeah, I know. He says the old boy either fainted or he had a heart attack when he sat down in the tub. All this excitement about him giving away that Bible at dinner tonight. But still the timing was so pat, Riley. That's what keeps bothering me. Well, you'll live through it. Now let me have that Bible. We'll find out whose name's on the fly leaf. Give it to him and call this case closed. Would you still do that if I prove this was murder? Ah, for Pete's sake. There he goes again, Miss Brooks. Look at me. I've always told you it was stubborn. Oh, may I come in, Lieutenant? Ah, sure, sure, Miss Purdy. The sergeant outside said you might be here some time, so I took the liberty of making some coffee. Oh, thank, that's fine. Glad somebody feels fine. I feel lower than anything you can name. I was merely using a figure of speech, Miss Steele. Here you are, Lieutenant. Maybe I would feel so rotten about Pops if I weren't a nurse. Well, there's nothing you could have done about it, Cora. Well, I was home in my room. Pops had only cried out, made any kind of noise. I'd have been there to help him. He's gone so quickly. I don't understand it. Mr. Hart was a truly good man, Lieutenant. He trusted everybody. I could never teach him to keep the door to his room closed. Okay, Miss Purdy, we're all sorry about the old gentleman. Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. What's the matter with us, Lieutenant? We must be slowing down. What are you talking about? Yes, Judge, what is it? It just hit me like a sneak punch with brass knuckles. I'd like to try and experiment, Lieutenant. What kind of an experiment? Well, now, ordinarily, I'm not an exhibitionist. But if I could get into a pair of swimming trunks and into a tub half full of water, I think I may be able to prove a very important point. Okay, that does it. I think that's the amount of water Hart drowned in. I should say so, yes. Oh, you'd better hurry up, Georgie. You'll catch cold. Same swimming trunks are a little snug on me. Don't we get to see this remarkable experiment, Lieutenant? You people stay out there in the hall. We've got a full house as it is. Okay, Johnny Weismiller, let's see what's on your mind. The same old thing, Lieutenant. Murder. All right, all right. Come on, let's see you drown yourself. Well, I got to have some help, Lieutenant. Glad to oblige. Name your person. I think I could use Sam. Oh, Mr. Keith, would you come in here, please? What do you want with me? What's this supposed to prove? You don't mind cooperating with the law, do you, Sam? No, but I don't like being framed either. Mustn't be so suspicious, friend. I just want you to do a little job. Yeah? Yeah. Now, lean over the tub. That's right. I'll lie down like this. And when I give you the signal, pull my feet up suddenly with a jerk. Keep them up. This is a screwy. You wish you told. Okay, now. Well, you can come out from under the water now, darling. Hey, what is this? Valentine, put his feet down, you fool. George. He's out like a knight. Here, come on. Give me your hand. Give me your hand. Get him out of this tub. Hey, nurse! Get in here and hurry up! Oh, to be coming out of it in a minute. Maybe we still ought to call the emergency squad, Lieutenant. Oh, he'll be okay now. Oh, I hope so. What happened? He certainly couldn't have bound in a few seconds like that. He was out to set a new world's record. Got him reading regularly now. George. I heard him. He told me to do it. It was Valentine's own idea. And you sure went at it with the right goodwill, Sam. Are you all right, George? Isn't this the spot where I'm supposed to sit? Where am I? Here, fella. Get up. Come on. Come on. I'll give you a hand. Oh, that's it. Oh, well, that worked a little too well, didn't it? Is that what happened to Mr. Hart, George? Yeah, but with him it really worked right, Booksy. Poor old man was murdered, after all. Mr. Valentine means one of us did it, Miss Purdy. How will you read my mind, Cora? It's just like putting a finger on me, because I got in trouble once. Ah, quiet all of you. Listen to me. This was murder, all right. And Valentine, while Miss Steele was working on you, I called up the medical examiner. And under the hair on the back of Mr. Hart's head, there's a slight bruise. They couldn't see it at first. You've got an exact duplicate, Valentine, when you hit your head on the bottom of the tub. Okay, I'll take your word for it, Lieutenant. But that's not what knocked me out. It was the water suddenly rushing up my nostrils that knocked me out. Better than any left hook. And if Sam continued to hold my feet up in the air a while longer, I would have drowned, without making a sound, and without a struggle. Yeah, and the three of you were all home when the old man was taking his back. Yes, Lieutenant Riley. And Miss Purdy, you yourself mentioned the cute little habit of not locking doors behind him. You all would have known that. Lieutenant, I'd like a word with you alone. Okay. Sergeant! Take these good people downstairs and keep them amused. I'll be right there. Before we do anything else, Valentine, let's go and take a good look at that Bible. The person whose name is on that flyer leaf certainly has a motive. Yeah, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about. Lieutenant, let's not look at it. Not until we're all seated around the dinner table. May I express my amazement, too? Well, that's the way the old fella had it planned. Why not carry out that last wish? You mean just out of sentiment? Half and half, Brooksie. Half sentiment, and half the satisfaction of seeing a murderer put his own neck in a noose. I can't say I'm enjoying this meal. Why, I think it's delicious, Cora. Comfortment to the cook, Miss Purdy. Hardly the time for light conversation, Miss Brooks. Sorry. Look, Lieutenant. Madam, you haven't trouble digesting your food, too? If you think you've got anything on me, do something about it. I've got a date. I want to leave. I think the pool room will still be there. Sit down. All right, folks, we can get to the point now. Thank you, but not too much. All of you know that Mr. Hart had decided to leave this Bible to one of you, a decision he reached mostly on the basis of my investigations. Don't you mean you're snooping, Mr. Valentine? When you get paid for it, Miss Purdy, it becomes investigation. Your moral support is highly appreciated, Brooks. Anyway, this afternoon Mr. Hart removed this Bible from the safe deposit box and placed it in his bureau drawer. While he was taking his bath, you all had a chance to go in there and see whose name is on the flight. Yeah, once again the little matter of leaving doors open. Well, right now the Lieutenant and I are going to take a look at it. You see, ironically enough, the lucky beneficiary is going to be saddled with a fat, juicy motive. He's going to get one hefty shove toward the gas chamber. An assist from beyond the grave, you might call. Well put, Lieutenant. I suppose we have a look-see. So wait a minute. Yes, Kara. Just because Pops decided to leave it to me, or to any one of us, it doesn't mean we'd kill him for it. What right do you have to assume that? Hey, our Lieutenant, you can read the inscription. Okay. After careful thought, I give this Wittenberg Bible to the person for whom it can do the most good. I give it with all my love to Sam. That's not true. Never leave it to me. He knew all about me being in jail that time. You've told him, Valentine. You've found out all about me. Well, don't all of you look at me that way. I like the old guy, and I kind of think he liked me. Save it, Sam. Save it. We'll have a lot of time to talk about that. If you're making the trip downtown, Lieutenant, why not take along the right person? What do you mean? I mean you, Kara. Me? Just what do you have against me, Mr. Valentine? Nobody could have seen that Bible today after I came home with Pops. I never left it out of my sight. Well, whatever. But, Kara was so sure it was left to her, she began to protest. A little too quickly and much too much. That's right. We didn't hear Miss Purdy or Sam say a word. You gave us the motive after all, Kara. Really? You naturally thought the only one to whom Mr. Hart in all his saintness would leave his precious Bible would be you. Miss Purdy and Sam had blemishes on their past. Well, you're just guessing you can't do it. As a nurse who's given plenty of bads to her patients, you'd know how a little deal like this would work. Just because I'm a nurse, that doesn't mean... Miss Purdy isn't strong enough to kill in just that way. Well, what about Sam? That's why I chose him for that little experiment. He wouldn't have done it so efficiently if it meant tipping his mitt. Well, you seem at a loss for words, Miss Steel. But that makes sense. Yes, Kara. It could only have been you. Hey, now let me get this straight, Sam. This Wittenberg Bible is worth what most people would consider a small fortune. Just the same, Valentine. I'm not going to sell it. I'm just going to hang on to it. Well, the money might be the thing to put you back on your feet, Sam. It's worth more than then, Miss Brooks, knowing that a man like Pops had faith in me. I thought people stopped passing that stuff out. That's what was keeping me from behind the eight ball. Well, I suppose now you'll be thinking of getting married. Maybe, but first I guess I'll have to... well, make good. Mm-hmm. Well, it doesn't always work, Sam. I've been trying to make good with George for a long time. And just look. What? Never mind, Sam. That's a private joke. How many women drivers do you think there are in the west? One million? Two million? Well, conservative estimates tell us there are two and a half million in California alone. With so many women driving in western states, let's hear what one of them says about RPM motor oil. There's Mrs. Jerome Barline of Spokane, Washington. And she says, quote, I don't know much about cars, but I do know I haven't had to spend one cent for repairs since I started using RPM, unquote. From that, I'd say Mrs. Barline knows plenty about car operation. Other users of compounded RPM motor oil say they have gone seven and eight years without engine repairs. That's not so surprising when you know that RPM actually fights off your car's worst enemy, internal engine rust. It stops carbon trouble too, clings to engine hotspots and prevents bearing corrosion. So why not give your car a new lease on life starting tomorrow? Get your crankcase drained and refilled with RPM motor oil at any standard station or independent Chevron gas station, where they say, and mean, we'll take better care of your car. Next week, when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine, you'll find George off on another case starting with a letter that reads, Dear Mr. Valentine, any sane person knows that a room can't murder a man. Yet after living in a certain room, I have a definite feeling that's what's going to happen to me. I need your help, so meet me at Farewell Lodge as soon as possible. Signed, Burton Hilliard. Next Monday night, another case for George Valentine. The Room That Killed. 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. Let George do it stars Robert Bailey as George with Francis Robinson as Claire. Wally Mayer appears as Lieutenant Riley. Tonight's story was written by David Victor and Herbert Little Jr. and directed by Don Clark. Also heard in the cast were Pedro de Córdoba as Hart, Don Diamond as Sam, Betty Lugerson as Cora and Anne O'Neill as Miss Purdy. The music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter for an author, John Easton. Listen again next week, same time, same station to let George do it. This is the Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.