 In just a moment, Suspense starring Charles Lawton. Hi, Billy. Hi, Dad. You're working kind of late on your bicycle, aren't you? Yeah, the old bike hasn't been getting going just right. Boy, did I puff up 2nd Street this morning. Just like the car, Billy, till I had that new auto light stay-full battery put in. Well, my boy, you just keep at it. I'm going in coast along with auto light batteries, spark plugs and ignition systems on the Suspense show. Dad, if you want to listen to the auto light show, you'd better stay out here in the garage with me. Mom's got her bridge club in tonight. What? Yes, she doggone well knows I want to hear Charles Lawton. By all the drinks my stay-full battery does need, I... Take it easy, Dad. Here comes Charles Lawton. Suspense. Auto light and its 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Starring tonight, Mr. Charles Lawton in Anton Leader's production of An Honest Man. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Sleep, I lay in bed that night listening to the stillness and loneliness of the empty house and tried to bring my mother back to me. Freddy, my son, I must leave you now. I know that you will miss me, but you needn't, for you are strong. I shall not be worried about you. I have taught you well. Taught me well. For the first time, the meaning of those words became clear to me. The tears dried in my eyes, my jaws clenched. That was the woman, my mother, to whom I'd been closer than anyone else in the world. Indeed, I'd been close to no one but my mother in all my 44 years. And after the tears, a flood of memories passed before my eyes and after the memories came the realization that I was glad. My mother was dead, and I was glad. All the next day at the store, I worked in a sort of a haze of happiness and well-being. Dora smiled at me once or twice, but we were both very busy. During the rush hour, Mr. Charles came in to help out as he always did. In about a quarter to ten, he said what I realized that I'd been hoping to hear all day. You got your days receipts totaled yet, Freddie? I'm just finishing them now, Mr. Kelsey. Well, I think I'll knock off. When you get through, just put the money in the safe and log it. I won't go to the bank the afternoon. Yes, Mr. Kelsey. You can both close up whenever you're through what you're doing. Yes, Mr. Kelsey. Good night, Mr. Kelsey. Uh, $123.14. Chick. Mr. Kelsey, sure trusts you, don't he? He should after 26 years. 26 years? You've been working here that long? Sounds like a long time when you've said you doesn't seem that way to me. I guess it's quitting time. Oh boy, I'm my feet tired. 26 years. You gonna put out the lights you want me to? Oh, I'll do that. Okay. Well, I'm leaving so long. Miss, uh, Dora? Yeah? May I ask you something? For sure. What is it? Well, uh... Oh, isn't it a beautiful night? Are you sure that door's locked? Oh, yes. I was just wondering. Oh. I was wondering if you'd mind if I walked home with you. It's a little out of my way. For sure. Why not? Oh, but Sid, don't you have to get home to your mother? Oh, gee, Freddie, I'm sorry. That's all right. Must have been a terrible blow to you. Yes, it was. And you've taken care of her all that time? 26 years, but you mustn't think that that was a hardship. You see, I owe everything in the world to my mother. Everything that I am or ever will be. Oh, I know what you mean. I always say, a person's mother... Miss Dora, I've never told this to anyone. Say, I've been meaning to ask you the way you always call me Miss Dora. And I mean, the way you talk, it's so refined. Really? I bet you had a real good education once, didn't you? No, not formally. But you see, my mother was a governess and she always tried to give me the same advantages as she would the children under her care. My mother was a highly educated woman. Well, I knew it must be something like that. Anyway, you don't have to call me Miss Dora. I mean, seeing we're kind of old friends. Say, what was it you was going to tell me before? Well, that was something about my mother. Something she taught me. I'll never forget it as long as I live. You happen to remind me of it when you remarked how Mr. Kelsey trusted me. Well, what was it? Well, it was just before my 11th birthday. There was a motion picture that I wanted to see very badly. It was something about cowboys, I think. But my mother said we couldn't afford it and so I took ten cents from her purse and she found it out. What she said? Well, she whipped me. Was there any time she ever did until I could hardly walk? She said I'd done the worst thing that anyone could ever do that I had been dishonest. I was a thief. Ha ha ha ha! You dishonest! Oh, that's a laugh! I never know anybody more honest than all my life. Well, look at the way Mr. Kelsey always... Yes, but only because of what my mother taught me. I've been grateful to her all my life for that. I always will be. Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. Well, they say honesty is the best policy and I guess it is all right, but... Now, you take Tom Bass. What about him? Well, I wouldn't exactly say he's dishonest, but he's sure having a lot more fun than you or me. But, Dora, I'm sure you'll agree that there are more important things in life than just having fun. Oh, sure, of course! I didn't mean it like that. And what I mean to say is you couldn't admire a fellow like this Bass, could you? Tom Bass? Oh, I should say not. He's so smart with his wisecracks and his cheap jokes. I wouldn't give him the time of day. Is there anyone that is to say any man you'll do admire? Yeah, not me. Oh, I admire you, of course. Do you really? For sure. But if you mean do I go out steady with anyone? Uh-uh. Have you ever thought of the kind of man that you would go steady with? My dream man? Oh, sure. But you just don't find them growing on trees. Not that kind. What kind, Dora? Oh, when I say dream man, don't get me wrong. I don't go for those glamour boys. I've been around enough to know better than that. You just give me a nice, easy-going fellow with a steady job. That sounds like a description of me. And a little money put away in the bank. That's the kind of fellow I want. Did you say money? Well, sure. A fellow is never going to get very far if he doesn't have a little late aside for a rainy day. Oh, yes. Isn't that right? Yes, I suppose that is right. But how much money do you think such a fellow ought to have? Oh, $1,000. You know, just something for kind of a little nest egg. Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course, yes. Well, here's where I live. Thanks for the walk. Dora. Yeah? If you were to find such a man. Who? A man with a steady job and money in the bank. Oh, him. I mean, would you consider, I mean, would you... Would I what? Oh, how I get it. Well, sure, if I thought I could make him happy. Oh, I know you would. Why not? Well, till death do us part. Well, it was strange that she should have said that when death had parted me only a few brief hours before they found the only woman in my life, my mother. And now, so soon after, there was another woman. But if she was there, that $1,000, that stood in the way. With all the expense of the funeral still to be met, I knew that it would take me at least two years to accumulate such a sum. And Dora was a warm and attractive girl. I couldn't expect her to wait that long. It wouldn't be fair, so by the next morning my first fond hope had turned to black despair. I hardly noticed Tom Bass when he sauntered into the store. Hiya, honey. There. Let me say it for any boy. I beg your pardon. What's the matter? You in love with something? Say, remember that horse I told you about last week? Horse? You remember a revelation. I told you to get down on him at eight to one. Oh, yes. Well, what did I tell you? Well, to tell you the truth, I have had a number of things in my mind lately. He won, chump. He won. Just like I told you he would. Now aren't you sorry you didn't get a couple of bucks down on him? Oh, yes, yes, but really, I don't know very much about horse racing. Never too late to learn. Say, give me a hot pastrami on rye, will you? Mustard? Yeah. Little lettuce? No, skip that. You want it to go or you can... I'll eat it here. Say, how come a guy like you ever learned to make such good sandwiches? They're the best in town. No kidding. My mother taught me. What's that effect? My mother taught me everything I know. Yeah? Say, must be good to feel like that about your old lady. I haven't seen mine for ten years. There you are. Thanks. Is your mother dead? No. I just took a powder when I was a kid. I couldn't stand it around there anymore. You couldn't stand it around your own mother? Yeah. All she ever did was yap, yap, yap. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that? Finally, one day I told her what she could do when I beat it. But how could she get along without you? What did she do? I don't know. Same old thing, I guess. Waking the laundry. Say, look, Fetty, pay her for the sandwich tomorrow, okay? All I got's a fifty. Well, if you won't forget, I did have to remind you last time, you know? I have to take it out of my own pocket. You're a good guy, Freddie. Say, in fact, you know what? I think I'm gonna let you in on something. Freddie, listen. I got a tip so hot it's burning the seat of my pants. Avalanche in the third at Santa Rosa today. Strictly a drugstore job. What? They're gonna give him the needle. I got it from his trainer myself in person. Avalanche can't anymore lose that race than I can sing high C. You know what the odds are? A hundred to one. A hundred to one. A hundred to one. That's what I said. Do you mean to tell me that if someone were to bet ten dollars on this horse, they'd win back a thousand? You ain't just bird calling. You put a tenner on that beetle and you'll have one thousand bucks in your hot little hand by tonight. Oh, I wish I could, but I don't have ten dollars or anywhere near it. I don't get paid until tomorrow, you see. Oh, out of five. Here you are, Dora. Thanks. Hey, Freddie, what's the matter? You can always lay your hand on a ten when you want it, can't you? I can, how? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That's Mr. Kelsey's money. Oh, not till tonight. What Mr. Kelsey don't know? You're gonna hate him. Oh, I couldn't do anything like that. Okay, I'll be back. Get over, friend. One thousand skinneroos. And that ain't horse feet. One thousand skinneroos. For suspense, auto light is bringing you Mr. Charles Lawton in radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. Man, I don't know what's coming next, but this story's got me in the mood to expect anything. Yeah, anything but invite a woman's bridge party in on Thursday night. Still peeved at mom, dad. Well, I... Thanks to your, uh, this car radio's operating hunky-dory. Thanks to your new auto light stay-full battery. Besides, mom's partner probably just trumped her ace. So, uh, let's listen to Frank Martin, the auto light announcer. Yes, the new auto light stay-full battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use. This greater liquid reserve practically eliminates one of the major causes of battery failure. Car owners tell us it's the greatest battery ever built. The greatest battery ever built. Money cannot buy a better battery for your car. You know, Billy, the boys over at the service station tell me that these auto light stay-fulls are really setting up some long time between drinks records. Yeah, dad, I guess it's like having a camel under your hood, huh? Oh, better than that. An auto light stay-full only needs a drink three times a year in normal car use. So, friends, see your friendly neighborhood auto light battery dealer, and order the new auto light stay-full battery for your car. It needs water only three times a year in normal car use. And there are the important advantages of extra plates and fiberglass insulation that means so much to long battery life. And now, auto light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage Mr. Charles Lawton as Freddy in An Honest Man, a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. Well, of course, I could think of nothing else all morning. My mind was in the world. A thousand dollars with a thousand dollars I could propose to Dora. I could propose to her that very night. At the same time was the appalling thought of what I'd have to do. I would have to take ten dollars from the cash register. Ten dollars, which was not mine. That would be stealing. I would be a thief. But as I thought I wondered, perhaps Tom Bass was right, it wouldn't be stealing if I put the money back. And by tonight I'd have the thousand dollars. I could put it back. But that was it. That was the difference. When I'd taken the money from Mother that time, I'd no prospect of replacing it. But this way, this way, so the next time I went to the cash register to make change, I slipped ten dollars out of the drawer and put it into my apron pocket. After that I found I was perspiring and my hands trembled so that I nearly cut myself a dozen times working at my sandwich board. And I saw Tom Bass coming through the door. Tom, what's the matter? The ten dollars. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, now you're getting smart. Give it to me. I'll place it on that. Tom, are you sure? Are you absolutely sure? I tell you, the nag is in at a walk. I've got a few skins down on this one myself. All right, but when will I get the money? Six o'clock tonight. The latest. Now bring it around myself. Give me the ten. Here, you won't forget. Forget? With a thousand bucks in my kick, how could I forget? Relax. You got nothing to worry about. What about just now? Oh, he was just telling me about some horse or other. Well, you better be careful how you talk to him about horses. Why do you say that? Well, that's the way he makes his living, ain't it? Yes, I should rather imagine it is. Oh, Dora. Yeah? Would you care to? That is, when we're through work, would you care to go somewhere with me this evening? Go where? Oh, my Freddy. Are you asking me for a date? Yes, I suppose I am. Oh, Freddy, that's real cute. I might even take you up on it. You mean that you will go? I might. I'll tell you it quit in time. Why can't you tell me now? Oh, something might come up. What could come up? I don't know what could come up. Anything could come up. One of us might drop dead. Ha ha ha ha! Strange sense of humor, Dora's. But I get used to that, you know. Anyway, she had practically said yes to the date. I passed the rest of the afternoon busy with thoughts of the good fortune that was awaiting me. At five, Mr. Kelsey came in and shortly thereafter there was a rush of customers that took up all my attention so that it was with something of a staff that I looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly 6.30. But Tom had said six no later than six. Still, it was quite understandable that in a transaction of such magnitude he might have met with some unforeseeable delay. So I tried to compose myself to remain calm and to wait but the minutes and then the hours passed. By nine o'clock I was in such a state I could hardly conceal it, and yet I had to. I had to, and then suddenly at 9.30 I saw him. He was walking rather hurriedly. I thought along the opposite side of the street and saw a caution to the wind. I dashed from behind the counter and out of the door. Tom! Tom! Well, how are you, Freddy? For a minute there I didn't recognize you. So late I thought you might have forgotten. No, no, I didn't. Did you have the money with you? Look, Freddy, I've been meaning to come in all evening and tell you about that but I didn't know how to say it. Say what? It's getting so you can't trust nobody nowadays. Believe me, kid, I feel as bad about this as you do. Well, well, well, Tom... That lion trainer, he never done a thing to that horse. The bum come in last. I mean that we lasted. My money's gone. Yeah. Last. Don't take it too hard, kid. You stick with me and I'll have that ten back for your double and triple by the end of next week. You know, somebody wins, somebody loses. You know, take it easy now. Mother. Mother, help me. I'm a thief. I turned back to the store automatically but even now I could hardly grasp the full extent of the catastrophe which had overwhelmed me. All I knew that tomorrow was payday and I could only prevent Mr. Kelsey from finding out until then. What happened to you? What was that, Mr. Kelsey? You look like you've seen a ghost or something. You went charging out of here a couple of minutes ago. Oh, yes, I thought I saw someone I knew, someone I'd known as a child. Oh, yeah. It happens to me all the time. Is it? Well, it's pretty late. You can both beat it if you want to. I'll check the receipts tonight myself. Hey, what you doing? I dropped a knife. You want us to go? Yeah, you might as well. I'll be here late anyway. I'll close up. Well, that sure don't make me mad. Oh, gee, I've been ready to drop for the last hour. Mr. Kelsey, I'd be glad to check the receipts for you. You don't have to. Yeah, I know, but I got an order to come in tomorrow. I got to go with the books for the last six months. Seems I got some kind of beef with the tax people. Oh, come on, Freddie. Let the boss do a little work for change. Anyway, I thought you had other plans for tonight. Yes, I did, but, uh, Mr. Kelsey, I'd rather you let me do it really. It wouldn't be any trouble. Well, if that's the way it is, I'm leaving. Uh, shove me over that addon machine before you go. Will you, Dora? Yeah, sure. Night, Mr. Kelsey. Night. Dora. Good night, Mr. McWilliams. What's the matter with her? You two been having trouble? Oh, no. Mr. Kelsey. Hmm? I do not like to have you checking the receipts all by yourself. I don't like it either. I just got to be done. You run along now. See you tomorrow. But I don't want you to do it. Look, Freddie, thanks for trying to help, but just leave me alone, will you? I got a lot of work to do tonight. No. Stop. It's like, what's eating you? I told you once... Now, I've always done it before. It makes me feel that you don't trust me, you see. Ah, Freddie, what kind of way to talk is that? I've been trusting you for 26 years, haven't I? Why should I stop tonight all of a sudden? Mr. Kelsey. Hmm? Uh... A hundred and eighteen thirty-seven. Hey, that's funny. We're ten dollars short. I knew what he would say next. I knew that I had to stop him before he said that awful word. Ten dollars short. Now, how could... Freddie, what are you doing? Freddie? I washed my hands most carefully at the sink and dried them on my apron. And I bent over Mr. Kelsey... Oh, rather... Mr. Kelsey's body and... And I removed from his pocket the sum of thirty-two dollars and fifty cents, the exact amount that would be owing to me in salary on the following day. Of this sum, I put ten dollars in the cash register. Then I left the store and went home. It was all right now. Everything was all right. I was not a thief. I was so exhausted that I got home and just dropped in my bed. I must have fallen asleep that way because I was fully clothed when I was awakened some hours later. Yes? Yes? Whoa, who is it? Oh, Freddie, I'm so glad I found you. You've got to help me. You've got to do something. Well, of course, my dear. What can I do? Freddie, Mr. Kelsey. Mr. Kelsey's dead. Oh, yes. I'm sorry that had to happen, Dora. Believe me, I am. How can you stand there and be so calm about it? Freddie, he was murdered and they got Tom for it. They say he did it. They got him down at the police station right now. Tom? Tom Bass? Yes. Tom said he was just going by the store and he saw the lights on and he went in. And then he found Mr. Kelsey there with a knife in him and he didn't know what to do and he hunted him right there. But I can hardly believe a man like Tom Bass could have any good reason to kill Mr. Kelsey. Well, that's what I said. That's what I've been telling the cops for the past hour. He may be a little shady, I said. He may have done some things that wasn't exactly right, but my boyfriend wouldn't commit murder. I said he wouldn't. Your boyfriend? Yeah, I said... Oh, gee, Freddie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... Yes, but you told me that there was not anyone. I'd just been out with him two, three times. I didn't know he meant anything. I didn't even think I liked him. But when I saw him down there and I saw what they were doing to him... Your boyfriend? Oh, Freddie, please. Please don't be mad at me. I was half-crazy. I didn't know who else to come to. You've got to do something for him. Dora? What? Do you love him? Yes, I do. I see. I left her there and started for the police station. Tom Bass meant nothing to me, of course. He meant less than nothing now. But, of course, Dora, that was something else again. I didn't know exactly what I should do, but the sergeant helped me to make up my mind. Well... I understand that you have a prisoner here who is accused of killing one Henry Kelsey. That's right. You, his mouthpiece. Oh, no, no. I am... Well, at least I was an employee of Mr. Kelsey's for 26 years. Mac Williams? Frederick Aloysius Mac Williams. Yeah, we know about you. We may want to ask you a few questions tomorrow. But you've got nothing to worry about. We got our man. You have all the evidence you need? Of course we got all the evidence we need. But why would we be holding him? We caught him red-handed. And he's got a record since he was 14 years old. Oh, dear, dear, dear. But supposing that I had positive evidence that the prisoner, Tom Bass, did not kill Mr. Kelsey. This had better be good. I'm warning you. Tell me, it would be dishonest to withhold that information, wouldn't it? Your dog gone tootin', it would. I mean, you see, it would be like stealing, wouldn't it? I mean, it would be stealing. It's stealing another man's life. What are you trying to kid somebody? No, no, no. I've never been more serious in my life. All right. If you know so much, who did kill Kelsey? I did. I'm afraid she'll have to wait a year for Tom Bass. It seems the police frown on his method of making a living. Well, as for me, a great calm has settled over me. Oh, such a calm, as I've never learned before in my life. Soon I shall be joining Mother. She will smile when she sees me. And I know that she'll be proud of me and she'll understand. She'll understand that whatever faults I may have had, I was not a thief. Thank you, Charles Lawton, for an extraordinary performance. Mr. Lawton will return in just a moment. Say, Billy, Charles Lawton was certainly in the groove tonight. I'll say. Hey, Dad, here comes Mom. I just thought you two would be out here puttering you in your bikes and batteries with Charles Lawton on the suspense program, too. Mary, did you listen to suspense? Of course I did. You're always talking about your auto-light stay-full battery, so I thought I'd listen to suspense and get the real facts. What about the bridge club? Oh, they came early so we could all listen to Charles Lawton. My guests are just leaving now. Well, Dad, I guess we men can't win. What do we do now? Why, finish your evening, right, gentlemen? Listen to the auto-light announcer signing off. So remember, folks, auto-light stay-full needs water only three times a year in normal car use. That's another reason why everybody is switching to auto-light stay-full batteries. Auto-light means batteries. Stay-full batteries. Auto-light means spark plugs. Ignition engineered spark plugs. Auto-light means ignition system. The lifeline of your car. Here again is Mr. Charles Lawton. It has been a great pleasure to appear again on suspense. And I'm certainly looking forward to listening next week when Anne Southern comes to the microphone as a deceiving wife who learns a lesson the hard way. It is a story titled, Beware the Quiet Man, and it's a gripping study in... Suspense. Charles Lawton may currently be seen in Paramount's The Big Clock. Tonight's suspense play was written by Robert L. Richards with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Blusken. The entire production was under the direction of Antonine Lieder. Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Anne Southern in Beware the Quiet Man. It's too late, the United States Coast Guard on the celebration of its 158th anniversary this week. Good night. Switch to auto-light. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.