 Suspend that auto light brings you miss Joan Crawford in the ten years a suspense play Produced and directed by Anton M. Leader Auto light presents Joan Crawford in a tale well calculated to keep you in Suspend Everyone is so good to me. I like being here But some of the others don't I guess Do you hear? They scream sometimes like that in the night Maybe they scream because they remember things But I remember things too Especially when people come out from town to see me to bring me things But there's nothing Nothing that I want They can't bring back my sister My beautiful sister Adele They came today and with some they brought back memories of Adele When we were children The night that mother died The night we made the promise Don't cry anymore Adele. I'm afraid Clara. We're alone. We're not alone But if something happened to you nothing's going to happen to me I'm going to take care of you, but that's what mother said Now she's left us too But Adele mother didn't know that she She wouldn't have left us if she could have helped Promise me you won't die Clara and that whatever I do you'll do and that and that you'll never leave me I promise and we'll be together Always and forever always and forever. I promise And For years I kept that promise Adele and I were as close as anyone could be We had few friends, but I didn't mind as long as she was happy But sometimes I was frightened that the way she clung to me after we were grown I was afraid of what would happen to her in case anything ever happened to me And then something did happen. I met Douglas Foley Adele liked him until she realized that I'd fallen in love with him Then she hated him in a childish vicious way He tried to win her over But it was no good And then he asked me to marry him And I said yes That night after he'd gone Adele was waiting for me in my room Adele Adele you're so white. You're ill. What you promised me Adele. I'm not leaving you You're going to live with us. No, it won't be the same, but we were children Adele. You promised We'd be together always and forever But we were married and we believed that Adele would forgive us in time But she didn't She refused to see us and letters went unanswered Then when we learned that my husband's new job was to take us to Europe I first thought of Adele if she would only go with us But when we drove to her house She refused even to come to the door and we were forced to sail without her My son Doug was born in Europe and I wrote Adele a long letter telling her about him But the letter was returned unopened When Doug was just 10 we returned to America. I went directly from the station to Adele's house She was working in the garden when we drove up. I Was shocked at her appearance Her hair had turned almost white and there was a strange look about her. I Sent Doug to the gate to introduce himself She looked at him in a puddle manner Then she saw us sitting in the car and she turned and walked into the house The next thing I remember was that day one month after my return home when I was put on trial for murder For my husband's murder Mrs. Foley will you tell us again what happened the night of your husband's murder? My husband was working in the garden all day When it began to grow dark I called him in But he insisted that he had something to finish I Called him several times after that and then I became irritated and I gave up I had my dinner alone and I went up to my bedroom then you do admit that you quarreled with him the night of the murder We didn't quarrel. I Was irritated, but I said nothing to my husband. I see Your husband's death was caused by a deep narrow wound in the vicinity of the heart It is the opinion of this court that the instrument use might have been an ice pick Mrs. Foley have you any other ideas as to what might have inflicted this wound? No, had your husband any enemies Mrs. Foley No And so I was acquitted that day because of insufficient evidence I Thought Adele would come to see me during those awful days, but she didn't I saw her in the courtroom, but she never looked my way I Believe it was about two months after the trial that my son and his friend Roy Went on an all-day hiking trip to the beach. They were late getting back It was almost dark when I saw a Roy coming up the street. He was alone and he was running Mrs. Folly Roy where's Doug? He's down at the beach with her with whom your sister my sister Oh for heaven's sake boy. Will you tell me what this is all about? Well, you see Mrs. Foley Doug and I went down It seemed that Roy and Doug had forgotten to take along their drinking water And they hadn't missed it until they'd come to a very deserted strip of the beach Maybe we can get some water at that little house over there funny place for a house, isn't it? Yeah, come on looks like nobody lives here all the better and just drink out that faucet in the yard You won't have to ask nobody come on Sure run down ain't it? Maybe the faucet isn't working the garden's all dead sure. It's working. See someone's just plain lazy then Or maybe no one lives here sure they do. There's a mailbox. Hey, maybe there's a name on it Look Miss Adele Norris. That's mom's sister. Yeah, let's drop in and see her She wouldn't even know who I was you could tell her couldn't you say maybe she'd give us some cake or something No, she's mad at me and mom. Come on. Let's get out of here. Hey, dog Look at all those dead leaves on the porch Let's have a look around. No, she might come out. Oh, she can't hurt you. Can she? Let's peek in the window Look Doug The place is all upset It's all dirty and everything Let's look in the rest of the windows. There's no one around Here's the kitchen Look at all the dirty dishes piled up. Hey Maybe my aunt sick look Someone's coming to the window What do you want? We've wanted to see it if you were all right. Go away. Don't you recognize me? No Are you sick? No I'm your nephew Douglas Foley. Go away. Whoever you are. I'd like to help you away. I said Mother wouldn't want me to leave you here like this. Who is your mother? I told you Don't you remember? She's your sister. I have no sister. My sister died when I was 18 Roy go home and get my mother. I have sick. I'll climb through this window and I'll feed there's anything I can do You stay out of this house. Let's both go. She doesn't want you here. He's sick You go for my mother and her if you come into this house, she'll be shy if you dare Did you say your name is Douglas Foley? Yeah, that's right Douglas Foley is dead Forever and ever no, don't you see the one who died was that this Foley became between two sisters And then he died. Yeah, but I'm trying to tell you my mother and he isn't dead Then I guess you'll have to die again Yes Again Don't you want me to come here Douglas Foley For suspense Auto light is bringing you Joan Crawford in radios outstanding theater of thrills Suspense And now auto light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage Miss Joan Crawford as Clara in The ten years by Mel Dennelli a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense You see how clearly I remember things I Remember so well the horror of that moment when Doug's little friend finished telling me how he had left Doug there along with my sister Adele And I even remember what Roy said at the end so I came back to tell you Mrs. Foley when a kind of Doug made me Now I wish I hadn't left him there with her. I know she's your sister and all But I saw her face when she came to the window She looked awful Mrs. Foley She looked awful crazy I followed Roy's directions and I went by foot north along the ocean I Must have walked a good mile before I came to the house The front door was standing open There was a lamp burning on the table Adele She lay on the bed. I Couldn't see her very clearly by the candlelight But I could see that she was fully dressed Her hair was undone and it spilled down over the pillow for a moment. I thought I Thought she was dead What do you want? Adele What do you want? It's me Clara Where's Douglas? He's dead Adele The husband is dead. I don't mean my husband. I mean my son. Where is he? He was murdered with a long shot. Be still You don't know what you're saying. Where is my son? You have he was here. I know that I haven't seen yes, you have try and remember where is he I don't know Yes, you do know what have you done to him? I Hated him. I know where is he Adele? He went away where where did he go? He went to the village Are you telling me the truth? How long ago did he leave I don't Will you stop questioning me? Can't you see that? I'm sick. I tell you we went for a doctor Why do you come here Clara? After 10 years I've come to help you. I don't need your help Adele Did Doug really go for the doctor? You think I'm lying? I Don't know But if he isn't back soon, I'm going for the police the police those fat fools No, I know I'm going to take your things off Adele. You'll be more comfortable Then when the doctor comes If he comes don't you touch me sick Adele, let me take you thing. No Can't you leave me alone? How do you know what's good for me after all these years? Have you pain in my my heart? When I'm tightly laced I can all All right darling, we'll leave it till the doctor comes. Well the doctor helped me Claire. Of course he will Douglas only came between two systems Oh He worked in the garden Bending down. Oh Look tired Clara. I know try and rest Adele close your eyes. He was working in the garden And I was on my way home. I Saw him there Clara He looked the same after ten years Because he had your strength to draw them But I was alone I Had gone all And he had stayed young Young and then he's and then she seemed to doze off Her breathing was so low but and I thought perhaps she'll rest more easily if I am dresser And I went over to the bed. She was wearing a corset. I reached over and I began to unhook it She started mumbling something in her sleeve You broke your promise Always and forever you would say but she didn't wake up I finally managed to take her corset off But as as I went to place it on a chair I noticed something sticking out of the material at first. I thought it was a broken stay But it was round and one end was sharp. I look closer It was a steel knitting needle a long steel one and there was rust on it Or was that brown stain rust a Dale had concealed a knitting needle and there was proof of what I guess I'd always known that a Dale had murdered my husband. I Dropped the needle to the floor and something caught my eye There was a hand sticking up from beneath the bed. It was white and still it was a child's hand I fell to my knees. Oh Doug Doug and just as I reached out for him I felt a sharp blow on the back of my head I dreamed that Adele and I were children again That she was laughing and we were playing an old game of ours where we tied each other up with our bathrobe cords And then we waited for a knight in armor to rescue us And then I think it was the odor of kerosene that brought me to The room was filled with it Oh my head was pounding I couldn't seem to focus my eyes I tried to raise myself to my feet, but I I couldn't seem to move my arms my legs Suddenly I realized why I was tied With a bathrobe cord I was a child again Adele and I were playing our games again My husband and everything that had happened between Adele and me had been nothing but a bad dream A feeling of relief swept over me Suddenly I heard footsteps And the door creaked slowly open And then I knew that What had happened had not been a dream For Adele stood there in the doorway Not Adele the child who would rescue me But Adele with gray hair who hadn't spoken to me for all those years She wore a long dressing gown She was barefoot, her long hair streaming about her shoulders And there was a vacant stupid smile on her face She carried a bucket in her hand And the odor of kerosene filled the room She didn't seem to notice me as she went past me She threw the liquid from the bucket onto the table Adele! Adele! Paid no attention to me as she left the room again I struggled, I struggled wildly, but it was no use Oh, I was tied securely and then I saw a still figure on the bed It was Doug Oh, his face was so white He was unconscious And there was a deep gash at the side of his head Then Adele came back into the room She had filled that bucket to the brim And she walked toward the bed again Adele, untie me Untie you why? Adele, listen to me This is your son, Claire Yes, yes, Adele, untie me We were looking for him And he was here all the time Please untie me Adele I never knew your son For years I never knew him Does he care? Adele, you're sick Untie me and we'll go for a doctor You want me to be well, Claire Yes, untie me I'm with friends again, Claire Yes, we're friends, I want to help you But I can't forget the 10 years, Claire I must wash those years away before we can really be friends again Oh, Adele, forget those years Let me help you Untie me No We can't forget them, Claire We must wash them away We're washing away the years Your husband's gone Your son is all that remains Don't know what you're doing Untie me, Adele No, you see, you're sick It's what I put into the lamps To make them burn No, I could burn away the years You may not remember We're children And you've tied me with this cord And now you must untie me Like you used to do when You left me too long and I cried You're lying We're not sisters and we haven't been for years And now I'm going to punish you for lying Just as mother used to punish us When we were children Then she started walking Unsteadily toward me A lighted candle in one hand The bucket in the other The liquid slapping over her dressing gown As she walked Claire, do you remember the time Mother washed out my mom's soap That's what I'm going to do to you now Or perhaps it would be better If I burn you Waking your precious son Mustn't wake him Adele, I promise you That I'll take Dung and we'll go away You'll never have to see us again And she kept moving toward me Holding the lighted candle close To her breast You mustn't ever lie to me again Claire Adele, Adele, you're in Dung, she had held the candle too close Her entire dressing gown Was a mass of flames that sped swiftly to her hair In a moment she was a blazing touch A bucket flaming in her hair Mrs. Foley Yes You mustn't scream like that I wasn't screaming That was my sister Adele Yes, I know, try not to think about it Mrs. Foley You knew my sister was burned to death Didn't you Mrs. Willard You were so very beautiful Yes, I know, try and rest Is there anything I can get you before I go to bed? No, thank you Well, go to sleep then I will Good night Good night and pleasant dreams Was that my sister Mrs. Willard? No, no Mrs. Foley It's one of the others Oh They scream because they remember things Yes, yes I suppose they do Good night Good night I remember things too I remember Promise me you'll never leave me, Claire And that whatever I do You'll do I promise Always and forever Always and forever I promise Thank you Joan Crawford For a magnificent performance Now here again is Mrs. Crawford I want to thank Tony Leeder And his wonderful cast of actors Especially in the marine title Who played my sister For helping me to make my appearance On suspense so very pleasant Like all of you I am a great suspense fan And I'm looking forward to hearing next week's story It's another gripping study in Suspense