 Now, Auto-Lite and its 60,000 dealers and service stations present Suspense. Auto-Lite brings you Miss Agnes Moorhead in The Trap, a suspense play produced and directed by Anton M. Lieder. Friends, replace old worn-out narrow-gap spark plugs with a set of the sensational new wide-gap Auto-Lite resistor spark plugs. Your motor will idle smoother, give better performance on leaner gas mixtures, actually save gas. Yes, sir, these winning benefits are all made possible by a newly developed Auto-Lite 10,000 ohm resistor built right into every Auto-Lite resistor spark plug. This exclusive Auto-Lite resistor makes practical a wider spark gap setting, and that's what does the trick. What's more, Auto-Lite resistor spark plugs with this exclusive Auto-Lite resistor cut down on radio and television interference. So, folks, see your Auto-Lite dealer and have him replace old worn-out narrow-gap spark plugs with a set of the new Auto-Lite resistor spark plugs. Remember, you're always right with Auto-Lite. Yes, sir, and also remember the Auto-Lite Suspense show is now on television. Every Tuesday night in many parts of the country. And now, Auto-Lite presents Agnes Moorhead in a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. This the attic? Since it's at the top of the house directly beneath the roof, what else could it be? Yes, this is the attic. It seems kind of dead in here. My father used it for a studio when he was alive. It's soundproof. Sometimes he slept here. Anybody sleeping on the armistice? I told you, I lived alone. Alone. A-L-O-N-E. I've lived alone ever since my sister. Must you ask such stupid question? Anything missing or changed in this room? Well, there were. I'd have mentioned it. You've asked the same question about every room from the basement up. One thing is certain. Well, one thing is certain. It ain't burglary, Miss Crane. Oh, brilliant. Brilliant. And I agree. Since nothing is missing, it ain't, as you say, burglary. Really, now I never knew such intelligence. Make it easy, Miss Crane. Just try to relax. Don't tell me to relax. Please. I'm awakened in the middle of the night by someone whistling in a house I believe to be empty, except for myself. And I call the police, and what's the upshot of it all? Two incompetence, clumping about, urging me to relax. You sure you heard whistling? You sure? Were you trying to tell me I was dreaming? We ain't... We're not trying to tell you anything, but what we've got to try to discover is if there's a possible explanation. Now, right now we find no sign of breaking and entering, no sign of burglary, no problem. I tell you, I heard it. Anything like this ever happened before? No. But this evening, when I was preparing dinner, there was a muffin missing from the bread box. I know I didn't eat it myself. And the clock in the hallway, when I was leaving for work yesterday, I noticed it had stopped, and I meant a mental note to wind it when I returned, but when I came home, it was ticking away as if it had been... Why did you look at each other like that? Do you suspect me of harboring delusions? Do you think I'm a crank? Oh, of course not. You don't think Miss Crane here is a crank, do you, love? Oh, don't try to humor me. I tell you, all these things happen. We're not trying to humor you. Oh, you are. You are. But they did happen. Someone ate my food, wanded my clock, walked through the house, whistling. It's as though someone were living here with me. When they had gone, I thought of the house, the honeycomb of rooms and connecting closets upstairs. No one could be found up there, not if they didn't want to be. It would be easy to stay hidden, to slip from room to closet to room. I hurried to my bedroom and bolted the door and clamped the windows down to the sills, and then I lay in bed and listened. And listened. And suddenly it was morning and I'd overslept. Oh, I'm sorry. Careful, careful, Miss Crane. You almost knocked me right off the porch. Sorry, I didn't see you. I'm late. Rush, rush, rush, rush, everybody these days seems to be in such a... I overslept. Is there any mail for me? Nope. I'd be out of a job if everybody got as few letters as you do. You're right. I'm really not... Not so fast, not so fast. Something I've got to explain to you. Hey, Eddie, got anything for me? Yeah, quite a few. Be right with you, Mr. Holmes. Snap it up, will you? I've got to catch a train. I'm very late. This'll only take a second. Now, here, let me show you. Now, you filled out this part all right. What? What is this? The Form 22. You left in your box for me. Order to change address. You filled out this part all right. Order to change address. What are you talking about? Yeah, these lines are filled out okay. Name, old address, new address. But is that Thomas Cookin' Son Paris, France? Or Thomas Cookin' Son Paris, France? Well, it says Thomas Cookin' Son, but I never... Just a second, Mr. Holmes. I'm showing Miss Crane how to fill out a change of address card. Where is she going? Where you going, Miss Crane? I don't understand. I never filled out a... I said, where is she going? Paris, France. No, I didn't put this card in the mailbox. I don't know where she's going. Well, yeah, just... Anyway, you forgot to write your signature down here at the bottom, Miss Crane. And unless you do that, your mail won't be forwarded, you understand? No, I don't understand. I didn't fill out this card. Oh, there's my bus. Here, give it to me. I have to run. Well, if I don't see you again, Miss Crane, have a nice time! On the bus, I examined the change of address card. The information it required had been tight. But not by me. I was sure of it. Not by me. By home, then. I looked at the card again. The crossbar on the capital T was lopsided and all the E's were out of line, slightly higher than the other letters. There couldn't be two typewriters with two such defects together. There could only be one. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. There was only one typewriter like that, and I knew where it was. On the desk in my living room. I worked like an automaton all day, going through the usual routine of a physician and secretary. But my mind was not in the office. It was at home, following the intruder in my house from room to room. Now in the kitchen, now in the library, now. Perhaps in my bedroom, smiling a bleak, faceless smile and planning to... To what? Something dangerous? Dangerous. Helen. Helen. Huh? Oh, yes, doctor. Yes, doctor. Now relax. Helen, we're alone. It's time to close shop. What? Time to go home. What is it, Helen? Are you ill? No. No, I... Well, it's just that I didn't get much sleep last night. I was awakened by someone whistling in my house. What? Yes, around three this morning. I phoned the police and they searched, but they weren't really looking. They didn't believe me. But I heard it. I heard it, distinctly. I even recognized the tune. Relax, kid. Relax. Now come on, now. You recognize the tune? Yes, I recognize. Aloha. You know. Farewell to thee. Farewell to thee at times. Come. Why do you smile? Helen, if you came to me with this stories of patient I'd prescribe a vacation, you want one so badly, you even dream you're about to go off on one. To Hawaii, no less. Complete with musical background. Oh, how can you be so stupid? I'm sorry, Perry, but it's infuriating to be told it was a dream. And I know that there are things happening in the house that frighten me. Last night there was a muffin missing from the bread box. And I... You probably ate it. Everyone has had similar experiences. Now, many times I find a cigarette smoking in my hand. And I have no recollection of having lit it, you see. Oh, and the clock, it was run down and then it was going again and I hadn't wound it. It may not have been run down. Now, a gear may have jammed for a few minutes or something like that. And this morning the mailman told me about it. Now Helen, now please listen to me. It seems to me that you're in a bad state of mind. You're finding dark omens and bloody portents and normal everyday occurrences. You're being neurotic about these things. You're like chicken little running to tell the king the sky is falling. You go on like that and pretty soon they'll come and wrap you in a cold wet sheet. You think I'm losing my mind? You do. I didn't... No, no, no, no, I was only kidding. Say, are you still living alone in that big old barn of a house? Yes, and it's not a barn. It's a perfect... You're alone too much, Helen. How long has it been now since... Two years. Jessica's been away almost two years. Well, it was all right for you when she was there. I mean, she was a lively kid. She filled the house with excitement and energy. And necking parties and drinking and great hulking boys following around. It was disgusting. A lively kid, she was wild and a cheat and a liar and everything else. Now stop it, Helen. I've no desire to rake over old colds. I know you're offering you sound advice. It's not good for you to remain in that house all by yourself. Now why not rent out part of it? The whole upstairs, say. Fill the place with people and... No, I don't want people in my house. It's my house now and I like it the way it is. Okay. Can I give you a lift? No, thank you. Right. Helen, if you don't like the idea of renting part of your house, why not close it entirely for a while? And take a vacation. I recommend that as a doctor. Even though it'll be tough getting along without you. Now think about it, will you? Think about it. On my way home, I thought of what Perry had said. It was possible I'd been morbid about the bustling and the rest of it. It could be. As I walked down the street toward the house, I... I looked at it. When its familiarity was reassuring. This was no place of fear and mystery. This was my home and there was no intruder and really never had been. Miss Crane? Who is it? It's me, Miss Crane. Harry Penning. Penning's luggage shop. Did I scare you? I'm sorry. Where's your porch light? I'll put it on. Oh, it's at the left of the door. See, it's me. I don't blame you for being scared. A voice coming out of the shadows like that. Well, what do you want, Mr. Penning? I brought the two valises you ordered. The two valises I ordered? Uh-huh. It was on my way home anyway, and I figured, well, I'll just put them in the car. I didn't order any valises. Sure you did. This afternoon, don't you remember? You said you wanted a big one and a little one. Leather, high grade. I ordered them? I did? Yes, I took the order myself this afternoon. But I didn't. I was nowhere near your shop. Oh, your telephone. You said you were going on a vacation soon, and you wanted to have... No, no, I didn't. One of us is crazy, Miss Crane. Crazy? Well, when I say crazy, I don't mean crazy, of course. Excuse me, I mean, well... I know you ordered them and asked me to have them delivered. Oh, yes, yes. Yes, that's right. I remember now. I remember now. Two valises. Yeah, that's it. I guess in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for a vacation, a thing like this slipped your mind. Yes, it slipped my mind. Well, now you want to pay me now, or should I send you a bill? Yes, yes, send me a bill. Well, have a nice time, Miss Crane. Believe me, I sure envy you. I sure do. I'd like to change places with you. I carried the valises into the house and set them down in the hallway and stood there staring at them. Perry said I had dreamed of a vacation. Had I? Had I put a change of address card in the mailbox and ordered these valises? Either I was losing my mind or I'd been right all along. Was there someone in my house? Someone who not only wanted to live there, but who also wanted me out? I was in an agony of confusion and indecision. And then... Information. The telephone number of the Daily Times. Hurry, please. The editorial office or the business office? The classified ads department. That number is listed in your directory. Yes. The number is Avalon 1634. 1634. Classified. May I help you? My name is Helen Crane. I want to put an ad in the for rent column. Five bedrooms. Share bathrooms. Low rent. Inspection after 6 p.m. The address is 1132 Duraliman. I wanted to run every day until further notice. All right. Shall we bill you with that address? Yes. Will that be in tomorrow's times? Yes, it will. Oh, thank you. Fence, Auto Light is bringing you Ms. Agnes Moorhead in radio's outstanding Theatre of Thrills Suspense. Gonna be a summer theater actor. To be or not to be, full of pep. There's no question. Those Auto Light resistor spark plugs make a thine engine idle smoother. Make it better to perform forsooth upon leaner gas mixtures I want. Shakespeare, I hope you're an understanding man. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Each Auto Light resistor spark plug hath built in a mighty might. A 10,000 dome resistor that permiteth wider gap settings actually increaseeth the electrode life 200% yay and more. Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow. But not if thou partest with old narrow gap spark plugs and install in thine engine those pillar's paragons wide gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. For they doth make thine engine idle smoother and giveth better performance on leaner gas mixtures. Actually, saveth thy gas odds, butkins. Shades of Shakespeare. They have, you know, I like this acting business. Brings out the ham in me. It sure does, Harlow. Uh-oh, here's suspense. And now, Auto Light brings back to a Hollywood sound stage Agnes Moorhead as Helen in The Trap. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. My sleep that night was deep in refreshing and I woke next morning and went to the office feeling very pleased with myself. My noon the times would be on the stands with my ad. I might have tenants by tonight. After that, goodbye unwanted guest. Good morning, Dr. Coleman's office. I'd like to talk to Miss Crane. Speaking. This is the Hughes-Larkin Key Company, Miss Crane, about that padlock you wore. Just a minute. What did you say it was I ordered? Padlock, the one you ordered yesterday. This is Miss Crane, ain't it, Miss Helen Crane? Yes. Well, I think we located the kind you wanted. Believe me, it was a job doing it. In the first place... The intruder wanted the padlock? Did the padlock into the skin to force me out of the house? For a moment, I was frightened and I realized it didn't matter. I'd already taken steps to ensure my remaining. My house would soon be filled with people. Bring it over to the house now or later. Now, if you like. Will there be somebody there to let me in? Oh, yes, yes, somebody is there. Okey-doke, thanks, Miss Crane. Goodbye. Goodbye. It really doesn't matter now. That noon, I left the office and went down to the lobby for a newspaper. The Daily Times, please. Yeah, yeah. Hello, Helen. You want your lunch hour? Yes, Perry. Anything requiring my immediate attention up there or have I time for a bite? Oh, you have time. I'll join you if I may. Just a moment, Perry. I'm trying to find something in the paper. Where should we go? The coffee room here all right with you? Yeah, it'll be all right. Why don't you prefer to go up the street to the Italian place? Perry? Perry, it's not there. It's not in the paper. They told me it would be, but it's not. What is it? Have you got a nickel? I want to make a call. I'll be right out. The Times classified. May I help you? This is Helen Crane. Why isn't my ad in the paper? Did you place an ad with us, ma'am? Yes, I did. Over the phone last night, but it's not in there today. Why didn't you run it? Just a second, ma'am. I'll check it with our phone orders. Was it supposed to start today? Yes. Yes, it was. Oh, I have it here now. I remember I took it myself. Helen Crane. Yes? You have 32 North Girolamans? Yes. Well, the ad did not appear, ma'am, because shortly after it was placed, it was canceled. What? Canceled. The notation on the slip says that shortly after it was placed, it was canceled. Also by telephone. Hello? What is it, Helen? What is it? Do you feel ill? Well, I'll go upstairs and lie down for a few minutes. You won't do anything of a sort. I'm sending you home in a cab right now. Now, you get into bed as soon as you arrive and phone me if you have a temperature. I'll try to drop in and see you first thing in the morning. And Helen... Yes, yes. Oh, I wish you'd give some thought to taking that vacation. There was no mystery about it, really. The intruder had overheard me placing the ad. That was all. Phoning and the cancellation was a simple matter. My head hurt. I tried to think what to do next, but my mind wouldn't work, and I was... I was sick to my stomach. Finally... Finally, the cab pulled up in front of my house. My house. Want me to help you to the door, miss? No, no, no. I can make it. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, yes! What is it, Mrs. Holmes? Are you busy? May I speak to you for a minute? What is it? Well, I wanted to have a few words with you before you went on your vacation. My husband told me you were going to France. I certainly envy you, I do. And we had a talk, the Mr. and I. What is it, Mrs. Holmes? Well, we were wondering what you intended to do about the house. It's really none of our business, of course, but then again we decided no harm to ask is there. We'd like to know if you intend to put it up for sale, because if so, we'd like to consider buying it. The Mr. sometimes dabbles in real estate. Sell it? Sell my house? Well, that's what we'd like to know, whether you're going to or not. I spoke to Jessica about it this morning. Jessica? You spoke to Jessica about it? Jessica? Jessica? She said she didn't know what your plans were beyond a long vacation and that anything you wanted to do with the house was all right with her, because after all, you're the older sister. You spoke to Jessica about it? You don't mind my speaking to her first, do you? It's only because you weren't here and we wanted to know, and say, hasn't she blossomed out? Who? Jessica. Her two years up there didn't do her a bit of harm, did they? She told me it was more like a college than a reform school. I guess she did learn a lot there. I asked her how she felt, you know, about you for having committed her, and she said she'd always remember you for having given her a purpose in life. Where is she? Jessica. Where is she? I heard some hammering from upstairs in your house a few minutes ago, so I guess she must be up there. You won't forget to tell me, will you, about selling the house I need? Hello, Jessica? Perry? Oh, Helen, how do you feel now? You all right? Oh, listen, I've got that airline ticket for France for you. It's a good thing I know somebody with a company. I really had to throw my weight around. Everything is booked right through summer. Well, anyway, you've got your ticket. You sure move fast, don't you, once you've made up your mind. I almost fell out of my chair when Jessica phoned me and told me you were going. Say it's greater being back, isn't it? Yes. I'm delighted you decided to take a rest. I ought to do your world of good. Why so long? I mean, two years abroad for you means two years without the best secretary I ever had. What am I? Jessica. Jessica? Where are you? Why don't you come out? There's no point hiding any longer. I know now that it's you. Stay here without letting me know. Why did you insist on trying to send me away? Jessica, answer me! Jessica! All right, Jessica, all right, all right. We'll forget the past. We'll start over. You're welcome to stay here, Jessica, for as long as you like. I sent you away only for your own good. For your own good. Now, please try to understand and believe that. You were wild and bad, and I had to do something, but it's all right now, isn't it? We'll live here together. You and I won't leave, and I won't hurt you, and you won't hurt me either, will you, Jessica? Sister? You wouldn't harm me, Jessica. You wouldn't harm me. It was for your own good. Where are you? I want to explain things to you. I want to explain how they were and how they are now. Do you understand? Please, please let me see you say something to me. Oh, Jessica! I did wrong to send you away. I was wrong. I was jealous of you all the time. You were Papa's favorite, and everyone else's too, and I was jealous. I admit it. I admit it, you see? You always had all the boys you wanted, and honest with you, Jessica, and I'm letting you see what's in my heart. Won't you let me know what's in yours? It was mine. I wouldn't let you have any. I wouldn't let you get a job. I was wrong, Jessica. I admit it. I confess it. I was wrong. I'm sorry. Give me, won't you? Say you'll forgive me. If you'll let me explain. If you'll let me explain, I know you'll forgive me. I'll make it up to you. You'll stay here with me. We'll be together. Jessica! Jessica? Perry, Helen has just had what I think is a marvelous idea. She's busy finishing packing or else she'd tell you herself. Anyway, it is a marvelous idea. That is, if it's all right with you. What is it, Jessica? Well, Helen suggests that, since she'll be gone two years, why don't I take her place with you at the office? Thank you, Agnes Morehead for your third splendid suspense performance this season. Oh, Miss Morehead. Yes, Mr. Wilcox? Since you've been our guest star on suspense so often, by now you should be thoroughly familiar with my remarks about auto-light resistor spark plugs. Well, I think I am. Let me see if I can do it like you do. Don't you say something like this? Auto-light resistor spark plugs make your engine idle smoother? Give better performance on leaner gas mixtures? Actually save gas? Uh, is that right? It is indeed, Miss Morehead. Thank you. And let me add that auto-light resistor spark plugs are ignition engineered by auto-light, which makes more than 400 products for cars, trucks, airplanes and boats in 28 plants from coast to coast. And auto-light also makes complete electrical systems for many makes of America's finest cars. Batteries, spark plugs, generators, starting motors, coils, distributors. All ignition engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So folks, don't accept electrical parts that are supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on auto-light, original factory parts, at your neighborhood service stations, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with auto-light. Now here again is Agnes Morehead. Oh, Miss Morehead, I might tell you that we're asking Radio Mirror magazine to utilize tonight's story as they've done with another suspense thriller in their current issue. I think tonight's play would be wonderful for Radio Mirror. It was a real pleasure to work with the great cast of actors that Tony Leader chose for tonight. And I'll be listening next week when Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills bring you Ralph Edwards in Ghost Hunt. Another gripping study in... Suspense! Agnes Morehead may currently be seen in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production, The Stratton Story. Tonight's suspense play was adapted by Walter Newman and Ralph Rose from the story by Virginia Myers, with music composed by Lucian Moraweck and conducted by Lud Gluskin. The entire production was under the direction of Anton M. Leader. In the coming weeks, suspense will present such stars as Ralph Edwards and Joseph Cotton. Make it a point to listen each Thursday to Suspense, Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. And next Thursday, same time hear Ralph Edwards in Ghost Hunt. You can buy auto-light resistor spark plugs, auto-light electrical parts, auto-light staple batteries that your neighborhood auto-light dealers. Switch to auto-light. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.