 Family Theatre presents Joan Evans, Jack Bailey, and Scotty Beckett. Mutual Network and Cooperation with Family Theatre presents Special Delivery Shows, starring Joan Evans and Scotty Beckett. To introduce the drama, here is your host, Jack Bailey. Thank you, Tony LaFranca. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. And now to our drama, Special Delivery Shows, starring Scotty Beckett as Clifford Shultz and Joan Evans as Nancy. Good morning, Mrs. Rogers. Yes, ma'am. Let's see. Here we are. Now, two letters and... Oh, thank you, Clifford. And I think there's a magazine here for you, too. Yeah, this looks like... No. No, that this is... It's been forwarded from Chicago to Miss Nancy Sloan. Sloan? Oh, that's the family that just bought the Williams Place across the street. Very nice people. They owe four and a half cents postage on the magazine. Young Miss Nancy Sloan is especially nice and quite attractive, too, Clifford. It's been my experience, Mrs. Rogers, that all attractive girls are especially nice until they get their hooks into you. Oh, Clifford Shultz, that's nonsense. You're not going to mope your young life away just because of one unhappy experience, are you? I'm not moping. I'm just getting readjusted to civilian life. You forget that only six months ago I was a yeoman second class in the Navy. And a real old salt, too. You wrote, Elizabeth, you spent the whole time sorting mail at the Great Lakes Training Station. If it's all the same to you, Mrs. Rogers, I'd rather that we didn't bring your niece's name into this conversation. Tell the truth, Clifford. When you got back to Clinton Falls and found Elizabeth had been going around with Hartley Johnson while you were away, which hurt the most? Your heart or your pride? Well, neither. It just taught me a lesson, that's all. Well, since one girl was flighty, all the others must be, huh? No. No, I wouldn't go that far. I'd say you had. I happen to know you haven't had a single date since you've been back. Well, I've been busy. Sammy Henderson and I have been working nights in my dad's garage. You know, we're building a rowboat. Well, I'll take your word if you say it's boat building that's kept you busy, Clifford. But Elizabeth doesn't think so. And neither do her friends. They say you're mooning over her. Mooning? Mooning. Me? You. Over her? Yes, and if I were you, I'd do something about it. Like what? Well, you're a mailman. And being a mailman, you have every reason to go across the street and ring Miss Nancy Sloan's doorbell. Who? Nancy Sloan, the new girl I told you about, whose family just moved into the Williams Place. Well, why should I ring her doorbell? Because you want to collect the four and a half sense postage that's due on that magazine that's addressed to her. Oh? And get acquainted before the competition moves in. Oh, no. No, no thanks. You've got to start rebuilding your reputation somewhere, Clifford. So you march across the street, ring the Sloan's front doorbell and introduce yourself to Nancy. You know, the postal service discourages this sort of thing, Mrs. Rogers. Clifford, you don't have to tell me how discouraging the postal service is. I'm a taxpayer. Now go to it. Good morning. What can I do for you? Well, you must be Mr. Sloan. I am if Mrs. Sloan's any judge. What's on your mind? Well, I'm your mailman. I had that. That bag full of letters gave you away. Now, what can I do for you? Well, you see, I'm Clifford Shultz. And I have some mail for you. Well, it all ties in very neatly. A mailman delivering mail. Yes, sir. And that's why I rang the doorbell. Shultz, are you new on this job? Oh, no, sir. No, sir. I have been delivering on this route for over six months, ever since I got out of the Navy. The Navy? Yes, sir. You didn't happen to be aboard the battleship Missouri when it ran aground two years ago, did you? Why? No, sir. Why? Just a thought. Now, look, Shultz, it may have escaped you in your work, but most homes in this community, and mine is no exception, come equipped with a small, rectangular container generally affixed to the outer wall of the building, usually in the vicinity of the front door. They do? They do. These containers are known throughout the land as mail boxes. Mail boxes? You see, we have one here. Oh, mail boxes. I didn't know that's what you meant. I know about mail boxes. Oh, you're coming along nicely, Shultz. Now, the function of a mailbox. Oh, I know. I know, Mr. Sloan. That's where I usually put the mail anyhow. The only reason I rang the bell this morning is on account of this magazine. I see. The magazine wouldn't fit in the mailbox, and that confused you. Oh, no, sir. No, sir. There's postage due on this magazine, and I'm supposed to collect it. And that's why I rang the bell. You see, I couldn't very well collect the overdue postage without ringing the bell now, could I? No. No, Shultz, I guess. I guess you couldn't. How much do we owe? Exactly four and a half cents. It's really your daughter, Ms. Nancy Sloan, who owes it, because the magazine's addressed to her. But, well, it's all right if you pay for it. It usually is. Exactly four and a half cents, eh? Well, a nickel will do. You're a cool one, Shultz. Can you break a half a dollar? Oh, gosh, Mr. Sloan, I'm sorry, but I never carry money with me. Really? Never? Well, not when I'm on the job, that is. Oh, I thought perhaps your parents had forbidden it. Just a minute, Shultz. I'll see if my daughter has any change. Well, if it's too much trouble, I can stop by tomorrow, Mr. Sloan. No, no, I just to soon get this over with right now. Daddy, who's that you're talking to at the front door? The village idiot. You got a nickel? Who? He's supposed to be our mailman. We owe him four and a half cents postage. Mailman? You mean that cute one with the thick hair? And the head to match. Go give him a nickel and tell him I'm having one of my leprosy attacks. I will not, you old bear. You'll be sorry. Hello. Hello. I'm Nancy Sloan. That's all right. I mean. Well, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It was worth it. I mean for the nickel. Well, that's what I mean, Ms. Sloan. My friends call me Nancy. Well, my friends call me Clifford. Well. Gee, look at the moon, Nancy. It's almost gone. I had a marvelous time tonight, Clifford. Yeah, me too. Clifford? Why did you pick me as the first girl to go out with since you came back to Clinton Falls? I mean, what makes you think you're the first? I, uh, I had a caller this morning after you left. Oh? Yes, a girl. Oh? By the name of Elizabeth Carter. Oh. She was very surprised to find you'd asked me to go to the movies with you tonight. Hell, I'll bet she was. Nancy, I don't know if she mentioned it or not, but Elizabeth and I. She, uh, she mentioned it. I kind of thought she would. But don't misunderstand. You see, that's all over with. Washed up, finished, really. Nancy, I wouldn't help Elizabeth Carter out of a burning building if she had my life savings in her overcoat. You don't have to shout. She's deceitful, untrustworthy, and no matter what she tells you, believe just the opposite. Well, Clifford, just what is it Elizabeth Carter did to get you so down on her? She's a faithless Jezebel. A what? While I was far away serving my country, she was out night after night roller skating with Hartley Johnson. Why the hussy? It's nothing to joke about, writing me letters behind my back and laughing up her sleeve at the same time. Well, well, here we are at my house. It sure has been fun, Nancy. Even Elizabeth Carter doesn't seem so bad when I'm talking about her with you. Why, Clifford, what a sweet thing to say. Yeah, isn't it? Nancy, is that you? Oh my gosh, it's your old man. Yes, daddy. Now, I was just leaving, Mr. Sloan. Do it now, Schultz. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thanks again for a lovely evening, Clifford. Well, how about tomorrow night, Nancy? They're having a dance over at the community house. Will you go with me? Oh, I'd love to. Good night, Schultz. Yes, sir, Mr. Sloan. Remember, the mail must get through. Yes, sir. Good night, Clifford. Good night. Beautiful morning, huh? Maybe for some. What's the matter? My feet. It's getting so they start to hurt even before I start out in the morning. Hey, push that bundle of letters down to me, will you? Here. I thought we were going to work on the rowboat last night. Well, I kind of got tied up. Did you do any work on it? I started to. You know how we had it upside down on those wooden horses? Yeah. Well, I crawled underneath it to see if the cross ribs had stayed glued in tight. And the blame thing fell down on top of me. Oh my gosh, were you hurt? Worse. I was trapped underneath it for almost an hour. Well, how did you get out? Your father came out to the garage to get something and heard me snoring. Snoring? Yeah. It was so dark and quiet under there, I fell asleep. Holy smoke. If it's all the same with you, Cliff, I'll work on the oars tonight. Well, gosh, Sam, I'm afraid I won't be able to work on the boat tonight either. How come? Well, I, well, if you must know, I've got a date. A date? You mean with a girl? Of course with a girl. I thought you were off girls. Well, I was, but, ah, this girl's different. Yeah? Completely, entirely different from any other girl I've ever met. What's she got? A long, bushy tail? No. I mean, her attitude's different. She looks you're right in the eye. Everything she tells you is straight from the shoulder. Ah, nothing coy or arch or tricky about her. Sounds like a description of J. Edgar Hoover. Watch the use. You wouldn't understand. But take it from me, she's wonderful. A girl like Elizabeth Carter isn't fit to clean her boots. She wears boots, too? No. That's just a figure of speech. Ah, you know what I mean. What's her name? Nancy Sloan. You wouldn't know her. She's new in town. Sloan? Yeah, what about her? That's funny. I wonder if she's the same one all those letters are for. What letters? I've had them right here. Wait a second. Bunch of letters that got into my bundle by mistake yesterday. Most of them forwarded from Chicago. Chicago? Yeah. Oh, here they are. Almost half a dozen of them for Miss Nancy Sloan, 1384 Vine Street. That's her. Here, give them to me. I don't know how I got them. Maybe they got mixed up on the table here yesterday, but. Oh, no. What? Oh, it's impossible. I don't believe it. What's the matter? Look at what? These letters. Look who they're from. Sergeant R. N. Stanley, United States Marines. A service man. What's so exciting about a service man? I used to be one. Don't you see what it means? Nancy Sloan is two-timing this Marine just the way Elizabeth Carter two-timed me while I was in the Navy. Oh, and I thought she was different. Sammy, you've got to help me out. Like how? I invited her to the dance at the community house tonight. You want me to call her up and say you've been hit by a truck? No, no. I want you to come along and bring Elizabeth Carter as your date. Elizabeth Carter? Oh, she won't go out with me. She thinks I'm a little worm. I'll fix it up. I'll get her aunt, Mrs. Rogers, to make the date for you. And where is all this supposed to lead? You'll see. Dangle me on a string, will she? I'll show her. Sorry I had to miss dinner. Well, you're all dolled up. What's on the agenda for tonight? Shoots? Uh-huh. But, Daddy, I wish you'd stop calling him Shoots. Can't you call him Clifford? I'll try, but I'm afraid he'll always be Shoots to me. By the way, once this mother told me over the phone about Ruth Stanley coming to spend a few days with us. Yes, is it all right? Sure, it's all right. But I thought the last time we heard from Ruth, she was somewhere in South Carolina with the Air Force, training to be a tail gunner. Not with the Air Force, the Marines. She's a lady Marine. That's right, Marines. I remember. And she's not training to be a tail gunner. She's studying meteorology. She must be doing very well, too, because they've made her a sergeant. I got this whole batch of letters from her this morning. See? Sergeant R.N. Stanley. Yeah, it looks pretty official, doesn't it? How come she's out in this part of the country? Well, she's being transferred out near here for some training, and they gave her special travel time. Gee, I can't wait to see her. When's the big arrival? Any time the next day or so, I guess. She said she'd phone from the train station when she got in town. Ah, the Pony Express. Clifford Shoots up. Daddy, you let him in, will you? And be nice to him. Call him Clifford. He's, well, he's shy. He has every reason to be. Daddy. All right, all right. I'm just going upstairs for my hat. Now, be pleasant to him. Pleasant. Yes, yes, coming, coming. Well, good evening there, Clifford. Good evening, Mr. Sloan. Well, step inside, step inside. I'll, I'll just wait out here on the porch. Thank you. Nonsense, nonsense. Come on in, my boy, and Nancy will be right down. I'd rather not, if you don't mind. Shoots, I don't want any trouble with you. Oh, come on in. All right, all right, I'm in. More like it. You can let go of my collar now, Mr. Sloan. Oh, yes. Here, have a cigar, my boy. Thank you, but I don't smoke. Stick of gum? No, thank you. I don't use it. Doesn't smoke, chew, or carry money? What's on for this evening, a five mile hike? No, no, we're going to a dance over at the community house. Shoots, is something bothering you? Oh, no, no, no. If I've done anything or said anything, it upset you. No, no, no. Well, I bark a lot, Shoots, but I seldom bite. No, it's nothing you've done, Mr. Sloan. It's just that, well, a man can stand only so much abuse at the hands of a woman. I don't claim to know exactly what you're referring to, Shoots, but someday when you've been a husband and father as long as I have, you'll look back on that statement you just made and laugh yourself sick. Oh, oh, there's no hurry, Miss Sloan. Miss Sloan, why aren't we formal tonight, Mr. Shoots? Well, how do I look? Oh, all right, I guess. That's the stuff, son. Flattery, they can't resist it. Clifford, is anything wrong? Of course not. What could be wrong? What's that for? What's that what for? The whistling. Just whistling. You know the tune, of course. Well, yes, I think it's the Marine Hymn, isn't it? Oh, you think it's the Marine Hymn, eh? You think it's the Marine Hymn. Yes, I think it's the Marine Hymn. Well, for your information, it is the Marine Hymn. And I'm not surprised you recognized it. If this isn't the most sparkling conversation I ever listened to. Clifford, what's gotten into you? Mr. Sloan, I apologize. I didn't mean to raise my voice. I think we'd better go, Nance. I mean, Miss Sloan, Sammy's waiting outside in the car. Clifford, are you sure nothing's wrong? Oh, on the contrary, the situation, as they say in the Marines, is well in hand. Bye, Dad. I'll be home early. You know, for once, daughter, I believe you. Did I step on your foot again? Oh, it's all right, Sammy. It was my fault. I'm awful sorry. I guess I'm just not the ballroom titan. Why, Nancy, you're crying. No, Sammy, I'm not crying. I understand. I do understand. I know how it is when your feet hurt. It's not my feet that hurt. It's Clifford. He hasn't danced with me all night, not once. Yeah, I know. He's danced every dance with that Elizabeth Garter. Yeah, I know. And this is the last time I'm going to get talked into taking Elizabeth Garter to a dance. Talked into taking her? Yeah. No. What did I say? Who talked you into taking her? No one. Me. I talked me into taking her. Sammy Henderson, you tell me the truth. I do. Clifford had nothing to do with it. Clifford? That's who it was. No. So he could make up with her. Whatever gave you that idea? He's just been using me as bait to get Elizabeth back. No, no, Nancy, hey, where are you going? I'm going. I don't want to see him again as long as I live. Is she burning? Hey, Sammy. Sammy, what happened? Are you kidding? Can't you feel the shock waves? She took off and went home by herself. She did. Well, can you blame her? No, I guess not. Gee, maybe I was too tough on her, huh? I'll tell you one thing. It looked to me like most of that marine talk was going over her head. Don't let her fool you. She got the idea. Well, what now? Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going home. My feet are killing me. Walked right by you in the train station, Ruth. I expected you to be wearing your uniform. Oh, we're allowed to wear civvies when we're off duty, Mr. Sloan. And since this is a brand new dress, I thought I'd show it off to the welcoming committee. Very pretty. Very pretty indeed. Sergeant? Mr. Sloan, you told me over the phone that Nancy wasn't feeling well this morning. Is that why she didn't drive down to the station with you? Yes, Ruth. It's mainly an emotional problem. Nancy and this Schultz, a new ex-boyfriend of hers, must have had some pretty harsh words last night. I gather that's what exed him. It had something to do with the United States Marines. United States Marines? Yes. Rather a coincidence, isn't it? You being a Marine and all, huh? I can't wait to get the details of this story. Well, it won't be long now. That's our place up ahead on the right. The cute little house with the white fence? Oh, Mr. Sloan, it's a dream. We like it. Why, it's like something on a picture postcard. Well, even to the mailman going up the walk. The what? The mailman. Oh, my gosh, Schultz. Schultz? The boy Nancy had to fight with. He's also our mailman. I'm beginning to see if Nancy should come to the door. Well, Schultz is on the front porch. It looks as if the Marines aren't arriving a moment too soon. Well, there, Schultz, I'll take that mail. Good morning, Mr. Sloan. That's all you know about it. Boy, if you have a brain in your head, you will turn around and walk right up to the door. Ruthie! Nancy! Boy, I'm so glad to see you. Schultz, I'm telling you for your own good. Clifford Schultz. Good morning. Get off this property. I'm here on government business. Daddy? Daddy, hit him. Hit him. Shameless, deceitful, double dealing. You call me shameless, me deceitful, me double dealing. Daddy? What would you do to a man who invited your daughter to a dance and then deliberately, deliberately mind you spent the whole evening waltzing with another girl? Mr. Sloan, what would you do if you found that the girl you were going with, a girl you trusted and respected and thought highly of, was deliberately, deliberately mind you breaking the heart of another young American boy who is away in the service of his country? We'll not discuss Ms. Elizabeth Carter if you don't mind. I'm not discussing Ms. Elizabeth Carter if you don't mind. Well, then don't. I won't. All right. That's telling her Schultz. Mr. Sloan, I'm not talking to your daughter about Ms. Elizabeth Carter. I'm talking about her and Sergeant R. N. Stanley of the United States Marines. What about me? What about you? Nothing about you, young lady. I'm talking about Sergeant R. N. Stanley. And I am Sergeant Ruth N. Stanley. Of the United States Marines? Of the United States Marines. Go on. I'm a Lady Marine. There are hundreds of us. Where's your uniform? Right here in my suitcase. Here. Look. Oh. Oh. Oh, goodness gracious me. I've made a terrible mistake. Nancy. I'm not listening to any apologies. Oh, but you've got to. I- Anyone who could be as cruel and heartless as you were last night doesn't deserve. Oh, but that was because I thought you were being cruel and heartless. Me being cruel and heartless? Yes, you being cruel and heartless. You know, you two would go over big with Noel Coward. I thought he wanted to apologize. Well, maybe I did, and maybe I didn't. Oh, maybe you did, and maybe you didn't, huh? Yes, maybe I did. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This ground's getting awfully familiar. You kids are both going to apologize eventually. Why not go ahead and get it over with? Why, Daddy, you sound as if you're in pain. Well, what's the matter, Mr. Sloan? The very idea that eventually we'll have a male man in the family. Oh, my feet are killing me. Again, some years ago during a summer vacation, I was driving through a Midwestern state. After several hours of driving, I began to feel kind of drowsy, so I pulled into a small town, parked, and started into a diner for a cup of coffee. There was an old man sitting on a fence next to this diner, and he was very busy carving a long wooden chain. It was a beautiful piece of whittling, and I stopped to compliment him. Ain't nothing to it, he said. All you need is a good hunk of woods and patience and a sharp knife, especially the knife. Dull knives, dull knives, no good. Well, I never got a merit badge for wood carving, so I agreed that he was probably right. Yeah, he said, it's a lot like people. People are like a knife. Well, that stopped me for a minute, but he went on. After you use a knife considerable, it gets kind of dull. Won't cut nothing. So what do you do? You get yourself a good oil stone before you know it, it's back in shape again. All ready to serve the purpose it was made for. The purpose it was made for. Well, that line stayed with me, and I began to see what he meant when he said, people are like knives. They've got a purpose. But often a man gets himself in the same condition as an old knife. You might say he's lost his edge and isn't serving the purpose he was made for. Lucky for man, though, that there's an oil stone handy. You see, prayer is man's oil stone. In other words, if you hone a knife every day, it'll always be sharp. Same with a man. If he sticks to saying his prayers every day, he'll always be sharp in the sense of being in shape to serve the purpose he was made for. Yes, sir, that old fellow's statement made sense to me. Daily prayer keeps a man in touch with his creator. The same, of course, applies to families. That's why Family Theatre brings you this program each week to remind you of the great good we can all derive from family prayer, and that the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theatre has brought you special delivery shows starring Joan Evans and Scotty Beckett. Jack Bailey was your host. Others in our cast were Mae Clark, Marilyn Maurice, Fred Shields, and Charles Smith. The script was written by John T. Kelly, with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman, and was directed for Family Theatre by Joseph F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theatre broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need, and by the hundreds of stars that stayed screen and radio who have given so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theatre stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of Family Theatre that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home, and inviting you to join us next week when Family Theatre will present Van Heflin, Audrey Totter, and Lloyd Nolan. Join us, won't you? It is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.