 The signal oil program The whistler at whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler I am the whistler and I know many things for I walked by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends, it's time for the signal oil program the whistler But first we want to thank you whistler fans for your loyalty that has now put the whistler into top place among all Programs broadcast to the Pacific Coast Yes, according to the latest Pacific Coast Hooper ratings the whistler has more listeners than any other program barring none Well friends, you can't imagine how much this good news thrills us With this tribute from you the signal oil company and those of us who helped produce the whistler Can't help being inspired to bring you ever better stories that will keep the whistler your favorite program And now the whistler strange story The bridge on black mountain Delbert's mind wasn't on his work But then it really didn't have to be as Assistant to the curator of the Prescott Museum. He knew his field He'd conducted this lecture so many times during the past 15 years that it was automatic Like the chimes on an intricate Swiss clock at 3 o'clock a lever clicked over somewhere in his mind There were a few preliminary buzzes and the chimes began They weren't really chimes, of course They were Delbert's comments to the visitors assembled in the museum's tiny lecture room for the musket and the pilgrim room And now here we have samples from the Indian exhibit another gracious endowment of the National Historical Institute Contained here is the finest collection of arrowheads in the entire The Egyptian exhibits came next then the Aztec and Maya relics followed immediately by the Incas our Okanians and Patagonians But Delbert's mind was elsewhere as he talked and looked at his audience. He was in a kind of daydream There was beautiful music there was a dance floor surrounded by tables with waiters in starched white jackets and Across from him. She was sitting Almost ethereal in a filmy organ the dress This is so thrilling Delbert. I never dreamed anything could be so wonderful. It's shabby miss Francis compared to you Please Delbert not miss Francis anymore Louise Oh, I'm so proud of you Delbert or it was nothing nothing at all your curator now Curator of the Prescott Museum and more than that Louise. I'm free now free to say something that's been on my mind ever since the day I first laid eyes on Delbert. I love you Louise above anything else in life I've hoped I've dreamed that someday somehow you don't have to say it Delbert. Will you would you yes? Yes, and the daydream is as automatic as the lecture Delbert the dream that someday you'll be curator That someday miss Francis will look upon you as somebody It's been that way ever since the day she came to work as secretary to the curator dr. Prescott and As you drone on samples of era heads from dr. Prescott's own collection the finest in the state notice Please the method of chipping the pattern to read. Oh, uh, excuse me moment Louise was Louise. Oh, I mean, I mean miss Francis. I'm sorry. Mr. Reed. I didn't know you cared Oh, it's nothing at all sure now right. Yes, of course too bad some girls have all the luck I'm I'm sorry. I interrupted your lecture mr. Reed, but there's something you ought to know Yes, there's a gentleman here to see dr. Prescott. Oh, did you tell him dr. Prescott's on his vacation? I did but that didn't satisfy him. He still wants to see dr. Prescott, but he's a hundred miles from here Miss Francis up at his fishing lodge at black mountains. It's impossible. That's just what I said, but he still insists Who is he Gorman mr. Carl Gorman of the National Historical Institute? Good heavens. I am I thought I'd better ask Frank Spiegel to drive up to dr. Prescott's cabin and bring him back That's a good idea. The doctor doesn't have a telephone and mr. Gorman is pretty impatient He wants me to haul out the papers papers. Hmm. He says he's going over them with dr. Prescott What papers miss Francis or attendance records receipts and expenditures figures on the loan exhibits and shipping repair charge What concern is that of his I guess he figures the Institute is footing the bills. They have a right to well Yes, yes, of course. I'd better talk to mr. Gorman by all means you can't he's gone be back tomorrow I see I see Miss Francis forget about asking Spiegel to run up to dr. Prescott's cabin. This is so important. I'm going up there myself It's three hours to the cabin from town delbert the last ten miles on a winding one-way road up black mountain In every foot of the way you can hear the world falling down around your ears Your hopes for the curatorship of the museum your love for miss Francis everything You tell yourself that somehow dr. Prescott will understand Keep thinking of the little kindnesses. You've done for him over the years The time you loaned him your car the trees you chopped down for him on the narrow road up to the cabin The rickety bridge just before you get there the one you helped him repair just last summer Perhaps you'll remember these things delbert perhaps now that you're faced with destruction with a loss of the career You've been 15 years building dr. Prescott will remember and understand You watch the doctor carefully as the two of you sit face-to-face Across the table in the rustic room over a cup of coffee So gormans after us at last And it's a horrible thought but I guess I'll have to drive down and see him it would seem so sir Blasted nuisance the Institute on our trail wanting us to account for every penny of their blood money Delbert Museums should be run by taxes same as battleships and sewers. You're absolutely right dr. Prescott and Think up delbert He'll go and see the man. Oh dr. Prescott. There's something you really should know before you see mr. Gorman. I Think I know what you mean delbert. No, I'm afraid you don't sir It's uh, it's about certain expenditures during the past year the the loan exhibits as you know, I've handled them Yes, but I Well, I think I've done a pretty good job, sir But well in going over the papers the other day. I I noticed a shipping bill the Kansas City exhibit It's a bit high I see you run across it with mr. Gorman. I know it's perhaps so fifty dollars more than it should have been I'm glad you told me delbert Because you see it saves me telling you It's an ugly job firing a man who's been a good employee for 15 years. I don't understand Of course you do you patted the Kansas City bill by a hundred and forty seven dollars and sixteen cents the Chicago freight charges Was seventy two dollars and eight cents more than they should have been there are a dozen others doctor Explained delbert. I have a complete file on the whole matter my safe the museum You must know I I plan to let you go as soon as I return for my vacation I'm sorry delbert. Excuse me a moment now. I'll get my coat It's just as you feared delbert it's gone now all of it your job your career and most of all miss francis Dr. Prescott just doesn't understand You stand there bewildered waiting for him to come back into the room Then you see dr. Prescott's keys lying on the table not ten feet from you the keys that will open the safe in his office Almost without thinking you grab them shove them into your pocket just in time My jacket oh why I don't see it around. Oh never mind here it is on the chair. I I I hope you understand delbert. I didn't think so much of you. I'd have brought it up before this But it's too late now You see I kept hoping that each one would be the last so did I I Decided it wasn't too important to me at least It won't be curator much longer delbert from getting old of course I'll continue with chairman of the board but going to pass on active leadership to a younger man I didn't know dr. Prescott. Nobody knows delbert Now I better get things straightened up around here before we go dr. Prescott. Yes, perhaps I'd better run on ahead My car's a little slower than yours of course delbert well Goodbye sir. Goodbye No hard feelings a delbert no sir no hard feelings There's a numbness inside you as you close the cabin door walk through the damp darkness to your car And drive away through the tall dark pines near the cottage You wish dr. Prescott weren't such a fine man Because you know that you'll never stand by and let him expose you without fighting back somehow And as the wheels of your car rumble out across the flimsy bridge Spanning the ravine below the cabin it comes to you on each side of the bridge There's a kingpin joining the two main supports On the far side of the bridge you bring your car to a stop Look under the seat until you find a heavy wrench It takes only a few seconds to climb down and out along the supporting timbers you yourself help put in and As you start working as a kingpin joining the two main supports Dr. Prescott's words come to you over and over again with each turn of the wrench No hard feelings a delbert no hard feelings a delbert There no dr. Prescott No hard feelings at all with the prologue of the bridge on black mountain The signal oil company is bringing you another strange story by the whistler But now a word to you drivers who want to be sure you're getting the tops in quality when you buy gasoline Just consider the fact There's only one way any gasoline can give your car superior performance faster pickup smoother knock-free power and All that sort of thing that's by helping your motor run more efficiently and when your motor runs more efficiently Naturally you see proof of it on your speedometer in better mileage The very thing that signal gasoline is famous for throughout the West from Canada to Mexico That's why we're so proud of signals good mileage and it explains why we say to be sure of the tops in gasoline quality There are just two things to remember one. It takes extra quality to go farther and Two signal is the famous go farther gasoline And now back to the whistler So you've done it now delbert for the first time in your life. You've fought back You arrive home at midnight confident that dr. Prescott will not show up in the morning to expose you Confident that the bridge with the kingpin carefully removed from the main supports will be your ally And as you drop off to sleep you can see it all the sickening sag is the weight of dr. Prescott's car moves out Under the span the crunch of timber the terrible deadly drop to the rocks below and for you safety and perhaps Perhaps even the curator ship delbert, but then that part can wait at least until the following evening when you keep a dinner appointment With dr. Gorman apologizing of course for dr. Prescott No, I I simply don't understand it mr. Gorman something must have delayed dr. Prescott. I was certainly be here It's embarrassing. It's very annoying and I don't mind telling you read. I'm sick of delays The fact is the National Institute is just about true paying the bills for that museum yours I thought perhaps that was the reason for your visit sir too much waste a few cents here a few dollars there you've Gone over our papers and went over the general ledger with a microscope found at least a thousand dollars in unsupported expenses. I see Well, but surely you don't think dr. Prescott a captain is responsible for his ship read and Prescott was a good man once Probably still the best man for chairmanship of the board, but as far as the actual administration He's getting careless forgetful such a shame and business is business Institutions like ours have to be run on a business basis or they go under oh wait. Yes, sir check please very good You're leaving sir can't hang around all week You will make some sort of an explanation to Prescott or better yet. I'll dictate a note to him You mean you're going to tell him he's relieved No, no, I can't go that far under the articles of incorporation He still has final say so but I can blatantly suggest that he appoint a younger man in his place and Use the threat of withholding Institute funds to make it stick, but that won't be at all necessary, sir. No, no that is Well, I don't know if it's my place to tell you this Well, well out with it. Well dr. Prescott told me last night, sir. He he intends to retire retire Good Lord man. Why didn't you say so sooner? Well, I suppose it was modesty in a way, mr. Gorman You see he asked me to succeed him as curator Yes So you decided to take all and now there's just one last detail to look after Upstairs in dr. Prescott's office. You feel in your coat pocket the keys to his private safe are still there And inside the safe you find a dozen neatly type sheets the full record of the unsupported expense items mr. Gorman had mentioned the papers poor dr. Prescott had prepared as a basis for your dismissal At least he's been decent about one thing tell me your name was not mentioned But the facts were all there you scratch a match start toward the fireplace crumple a newspaper throw it in and then Oh Sorry to butt in old boy looking for someone spiegel. Don't look so glum Dell. I just came up to congratulate you It was supposed to be confidential. I've got near to every keyhole that you were surprised Well, it did sweep me off my feet. That makes two of us. What yeah knocked me over, too You see Prescott told me only yesterday that I was set up for the job of curator Why you must be mistaken Frank I once wrote a thesis on the human memory delbert, but you're too young Frank That's why he picked me said we needed some young blood around here Frank surely Frank you've made this all up haven't you out of the whole cloth? You've had the car All I know is that Prescott told me a different story and I'm curious about the reason That's why I'm going home and get my car and drive up to his cabin right now Isn't there he's on his way down maybe Maybe not but that man's never been late for an appointment before in his life delbert And I'm gonna find out why he's a full-day late this time So long delbert See you when I get back It's quite a shock delbert to be confronted with the end of the world twice in 24 hours It's clear now, isn't it? It'll be your word against Frank Spiegel and you're not a gambler delbert You're glanced down at the sheaf of paper still in your hand pause a moment and then move quickly to the typewriter memo to delbert reed believe attached papers self-explanatory as New curator it will be your job An interoffice memo delbert one that won't require dr. Prescott's signature to appear quite valid You finish fold it and attach it to the other papers The record of your trivial thefts on which Prescott so decently neglected to put your name Ten minutes later you walk in the back entrance of Frank Spiegel's apartment a block away And as you mount the rear stairs to the fourth floor you're running it over and over in your mind Four floors above the street delbert. That's over 40 feet from Siegel's window to the pavement It should be enough Delbert, I thought you'd show up decided to go along with me. Well, no Frank I merely want you to see something before you leave What's that a few papers here in my briefcase? There's a note here. I think it explains Here we are. Let me see Oh, yes memo from Prescott, huh? To delbert reed believe attached papers self-explanatory as he turned the light to read the memo You take dr. Prescott's heavy onyx paper weight out of your side pocket slowly raise your arm Hey, what the juice we must both see that spiegel Mr. Reed. Yes, Joe Hannigan, police department police. Yeah Mind if I come in? No, not at all Sure, cleverly weathered tonight. Mr. Reed bad for Accidents you mean there's been a second. I got some notes here Now let's see Spiegel Frank Frank what happened? You don't mean I don't generally work this late for nothing. Mr. Reed. He's been hurt. He's dead Heavens, how did he took a nose dive from the window of his apartment? What Frank? Why I can't believe it Let's see now at 925 you were alone and dr. Prescott's office Quarter to 10 spiegel goes into the building. That's right. He came to see me, mr. That's what the nosey old bitty across the street figured And then right after that spiegel leaves the building and walks toward his house Now Yes, what did you two talk about mr. Reed Frank and I? Well, I don't think it We just talk all right all right if it's personal suppose. I tell you it is about his sticky fingers, wasn't it? Well, I I don't think it's up to me, but it is Go on well, mr. Hannigan, I Just couldn't understand how any man could be so mean and small and petty as Frank. I was shocked That's what I thought I found the papers in his apartment. He'd lifted 20 bucks here and 40 bucks there That it none of us ever suspected that is until the audits were made How do you suppose spiegel got hold of those papers? Oh, I gave them to a mr. Hannigan You may as well know it now I decided the fair thing was to give him all the facts and let him have a chance to defend himself Very decent of you. How did you get them? They were in a doctor Prescott's briefcase. I see According to miss Francis his briefcase is kept in the safe. You've talked to miss Francis. That's right She told me that briefcase is always kept in Prescott's private safe. Oh, yes How did they get out of the safe this time? Well? Always that what's puzzling you. Yeah, well, it's it's really very simple, mr. Hannigan I have the keys dr. Prescott loaned them to me when I came back the other night here See now here's the key to the safe. This one opens the briefcase. I believe yeah Well, mr. Rita gets that winds it up for now and you'll be around in case of course mr. Hannigan You realize too that if you want corroboration on any of these things that dr. Prescott will be available I hope so. I understand from miss Francis that he's taking his time about coming back to town Oh, but he'll be here mr. Hannigan. I'm sure of it. You can always count on dr. Prescott Yes, it's gone beautifully up to now But there's still one thing that can destroy you delbert still one terrible question and the answer lies at the bridge on black mountain Yes, delbert, you must make sure if by a bare chance the bridge held if dr. Prescott somehow survived the plunge But you try not to think of that now as you as you guide your car again of the narrow dirt road to the doctor's cabin You're close now delbert the bridge is just around the next turn Stop Mr. You nearly killed yourself. What do you mean the bridge is out smashed to smithereens It's a car down there at the bottom of the ravine. What? Yes Terrible ain't it Men at the way to the car hit that bridge. You are down. She went Guess you may as well turn right around mr. No getting up to the top of that mountain tonight Was it something important important? Well it Yes, I suppose I thought it was but well then at the bridge is out. I guess I Guess that settles it doesn't it The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime may I have a word with you about the prevention of cruelty? Back in the horse and buggy days, you know, there were laws to keep drivers from beating their horses Too bad there isn't a law today to keep drivers from beating their motors with old-fashioned straight motor oils that cause excessive carbon wear and corrosion After all it's unnecessary today to put up with those old bugaboo's that up repair bills and cut-down performance Thanks to that new type signal oil that combines pure paraffin base with five scientific compounds signal premium motor oil in Comparative tests with today's finest straight oils signal premium motor oil actually kept motor six times cleaner Reduce cylinder wear one-third And what does this mean to you? Well less carbon means that your motor runs quieter smoother and less cylinder wear means more power So to keep your car's performance young make your next oil change a change for the better Switch to the new type signal oil that's your guarantee of a sweeter running motor signal premium motor oil and Now back to the whistler Yes, Delbert the bridge is out You can see it for yourself as you peer through the rain at the small gathering of lanterns on one edge of the ravine As you note in the dim flickering the tangled mass of broken planks and beams and As you move up to the little group at the brink to look down at the smashed car and the storm swell torrent far below You know for certain that the bridge on black mountain has done its job the doctor Prescott poor man Is happily out of the way that the new position as curator of the museum Miss Francis and a new life are yours You turn to leave the group. Oh, excuse me, please where Mr. Reed. Oh Hannigan didn't expect to see you up here this time of night Sure as a mass, isn't it? Yes. Yes. It's a shame. I didn't see you in the crowd. I came up to see Prescott Oh, yes, of course Lucky I wasn't coming the other way Drop off so sharp on that side. I wouldn't have had a chance. How's that? I said I wouldn't have had a chance to jump if I'd been coming the other way That's my car down there. You know your car sure That's dr. Prescott here. He climbed down on a cross to get over to this side. Dr. Prescott. That's right. Delbert Dr. Prescott I Hmm You better have more to say than that Delbert the doctor and I have a long talk I know now that Frank Spiegel didn't steal that money and he didn't commit suicide either You made a terrible mistake. Delbert Terrible. I don't understand Last night you said you were you were going to drive down to see see Gorman right away. I know But I couldn't you see I couldn't start my car You should have thought of that Delbert when you stole all of my keys Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each Wednesday at this same time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure drive its sensible speeds be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life possibly your own Featured in tonight's story was Joseph Kearns The whistler was produced by George W. Allen with story by Robert Eisenbach and Jackson Gillis music by Wilbur Hatch And was transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service. This is Marvin Miller speaking This is CBS for Columbia broadcasting system