 In just a moment suspense with Martha Scott. Hey, it's time for the auto light radio show mom I'd better wake your dad up. I know darn well. He won't want to miss it. All right. Hey dad This will get him dad. Who makes the stay-full batteries? All right, and who makes spark plugs and complete ignition system for your car Auto light and what radio show did the auto light people put on over CBS every Thursday night? Hey, it's time for suspense switch on the radio Billy The radio's on dear. Just be quiet and listen Suspense Auto light and at 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's outstanding theater of thrills starring tonight. Miss Martha Scott in Anton leaders production of Crisis a tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense Oh Coming I'm sorry doctor. I fell asleep. I told you not to I warned you I couldn't help it. Let me see the baby Is he better? Well, and you mownies tricky Temperature a hundred and six Long it's been a hundred and six if you'd only move if you'd only cry Oh doctor, you've got to do something. Mrs. Norquist get hold of yourself Passing that sheet down It's important that you don't let any of that steam escape I'm so tired When will the nurse be here? There won't be a nurse. No nurse, but you said I tried everywhere It's the worst epidemic since 1918 the hospitals are full, but I can't go on without a nurse I can't well, isn't there someone who can help you some neighbor? There's no one. Well, what about your husband? When's he do back two or three days Maybe you better send for him You you don't mean the well you can't keep this up. You need help I didn't want to worry Paul this business trip so important to him besides I expected to get a nurse while he doesn't even know the baby's sick You'll have to do it alone then. How's the sulfur holding out? I have enough good Now don't neglect the steam for an instant keep up the warm alcohol sponge bath Don't leave your side. I'll I'll try to get back in the morning and don't sleep No matter how tired you get no matter how you scream for it. You must not sleep Here Here take these pills They'll help you. Thank you doctor doctor Is little Kurt going to make it? Well, that you'll know one way or the other before morning. Oh Crack that temperature tonight and he'll pull through It's the crisis Or baby little thin legs Kick the covers darling. Kick them. That's what legs are for You don't want to give up now Kurt you're just beginning you haven't seen half there is you've never thrown a snowball or hit a home run Or gone fishing with your dad Oh Kurt you should be in a hospital Not an all-made crook tent with a kettle of steam under your bed in a hospital with With nurses and white starched uniforms Nurses who are awake Whose hearts don't break when they look at you I I mustn't think about it Steam Kettle under the bed steam to breathe Another kettle on the stove Spongebabs every few minutes Every few minutes Temperature 106 Temperature 106 Temperature 106 How many times I took it I don't know Nothing in the room seemed real or tangible anymore Nothing but the steam steam I Watched it hypnotized Now it was an eraser on a blackboard removing today's problems Now it was a windshield wiper pushing aside the rain so I could see ahead of me The vision slowly cleared And then I saw it a light no six lights bright flames birthday candles six birthday candles on top of a white cake Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday little girl Happy birthday to you Six years old you're a big boy now son. I want my presents. Oh mercenary little creature, isn't he Paul? Okay, monkey here it is Son, let me help you Don't you dare touch it. Oh now look here Kurt, please Paul. It's his birthday All right Go ahead unwrap it Well, Kurt don't you like it? No Why curtain or a quest how can you say such a thing after your daddy bought you a wonderful fire engine? Why didn't you get me one with one seat? But what's wrong with two seats when it's got two seats you gotta let some other kid ride with you But don't you want to share your fun with your little friends? I don't like nobody to have fun But me Kurt you come back here. Let him go Paul. Oh, but Mary a little boy. You'll get over it Well, I hope so There were more birthdays, but as Kurt grew a mounting fear began to grow in me too He looked like a choir boy, but there was something else hiding back at those innocent eyes At eight he forged his report card at 10. He stole some things from the dime store By the time he showed promise of being taller than his father his personality in spite of everything We tried to do was really beginning to frighten us You wanted to see me father. Yes, I did Your mother and I are very concerned about you again. Why weren't you in school all week? It bores me Well, where were you? What have you been doing thinking just thinking what about Kurt? What is it you think about is there something bothering you yes, but what is it son school? I hate it, but you like to read that's different. I read what I like. I don't like to be told what to do But don't you understand everybody has to be guided and told what to do sure I understand But I don't have to like it, and I don't like it Kurt. I'm surprised at you. Is that all father Yes, yes, that's that's all I'm disappointed. I thought you were going to beat me. Why you insolent Someone at the door what mr. Johnson Kurt home. Well, yes, he is Hello, Paul Oh friend Now what is it this time? Are you going to tell them Kurt or do you want me to I don't mind I stole a watch from Evans's jewelry store a swell wrist watch a watch Kurt we were going to buy you one for your birthday. You you didn't have to steal it. It was more fun stealing Lots more fun. This time. I'll have to take him to juvenile court. Mrs. Norcos. Oh, no Fred Fred let let me bring him down You go on. I want to talk Paul's face was gray with hurt his cheeks sagged and his eyes were bleak as he turned to Kurt I didn't want it this way son, but maybe it's the only solution Maybe it'll help straighten you out. You're not going to put me in a reform school Kurt Paul was savage as he ran up the stairs after him Kurt slammed the bedroom door in his face And Paul flung it open you've had this coming to you for a long time. Oh, no, you don't keep away from me Kurt While lust was on Kurt's face and a gun was in his hand his father's revolver. I knew he'd do it even before it happened Kurt Paul went limp as he turned to me with a look of shock surprise Mary Paul for suspense auto light is bringing you miss Martha scup in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense That didn't wake you up dad. Nothing will wake me up. I wasn't asleep a while ago I was just fooling you foolin huh then tell me what I said just before suspense started Yeah, you asked me who made the stave full battery Naturally, I said auto light and when those auto light people named it the stave full battery They weren't talking through their hands either why that battery needs water only three times a year get that Billy only three times a year What's more? That's fine dear, but don't you think you ought to let mr. Martin give the commercial? Yes, folks. What Hap says is true auto light stave full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use This means less trouble and care for you for auto lights greater liquid reserve Practically eliminates one of the major causes of battery failure Car owners everywhere tell us the auto light stave full is the greatest battery ever built So friends visit your neighborhood auto light dealer and get an auto light stave full battery for your car Enjoy the advantages of extra plates and fiberglass insulation. It means so much to long battery life And remember auto lights stave full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use No doubt about it money can't buy a better battery for your car than auto light And now auto light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage miss Martha Scott as Mary in crisis a tale well Calculated to keep you in suspend The visions continued to rise out of the steam clouds I Found myself sitting beside Paul's bed. He was out of danger Accidental shooting while cleaning a gun. That's what Paul told the doctor I want to tell the truth, but I wouldn't hurt him any further No, it didn't go to the reform school. We hushed that up to lies lies suffocating us We shrank Paul and I crawled into our shells confused disillusioned afraid of our only son But Kurt grew and so did his misdemeanors until he was a handsome giant with the face of a Viking saint and No soul at all The incident with Elaine McGregor proved that I Was transplanting geraniums on the other side of the hedge. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I wouldn't know Doesn't it make any difference to you should it? It's easy for you, wasn't it? What did you expect? Nothing really You're in a class by yourself Kurt You've got the heart of a tapeworm, but you're not gonna eat into me very pretty speech I didn't know you were so valuable But what does it mean it means I'm lucky I can walk out of your life. You can't you've got to live with yourself You're rotten Kurt rotten all the way through you warp everything you touch you destroy all the decent things around you Decent I despise you. I thought you loved me madly You can't love a snake. You can only be charmed by it. Goodbye, darling Mother you can come out from behind there How could you mother? I knew you were there all the time. I didn't mean that. I mean the way you treated Elaine Oh Kurt may maybe marriage would be good for you. Come come mother first. You want me to get a job any job now You wouldn't want me to get married at my age. Would you I'm just a child. No Kurt not you You've never been a child Seemed to be aimed at hurting someone and always it pleased him And then one day as suddenly as you turn over a page Kurt was different He slammed the front door and he was whistling. He was gayer than I'd ever seen him Oh, what are you so gay about the proverbial leaf has been turned and you see before you're a hard-working young man You've got a job. That's right mother a job at the lumbiar. Don't be silly I'm a banker a banker what bank first national mr. Cox was very nice about the whole thing your father's bank Then Paul got you the job. You talk like the old man owns the place. He's just a teller then How did you get the job? I talked to mr. Cox Kurt What did you tell mr. Cox? You should have been their mother. I melted the old boy's heart. He swallowed the whole thing swallowed what Did you tell mr. Cox don't get melodramatic mother? I merely told him that I had to go to work because we needed the money that I liked the idea of working in a bank You know like father like son needed the money. Oh, Kurt you didn't you didn't humiliate your father that way But you wanted me to get a job Kurt ever since you've been old enough to think you've been bad You caused your father nothing but heartache. You're aging him draining all the joy out of his life and now this This crowning humiliation But I'm warning you Kurt If you cause your father any more sorrow if you hurt him just once more, I'll I'll kill me Bravo mother now now. Let's have the second act you you feed The first time I ever slapped him But I knew then there would never be any peace for us that he would go on and on until there was nothing left No honor no decency nothing But even I didn't suspect the depth of his malignancy until Paul was coming up the walk alone His step was slow his back was stooped in his face was lined and tortured. I I opened the door for him Paul Paul what's wrong? I've been fired After 22 years There was a shortage this morning a thousand dollars a thousand. Oh Surely they they don't think you took it up. You've handled millions of dollars down there and never touched a penny of it Kurt took it didn't they? Yes, and you took the blame not exactly It's very clever Mary. He's Devilishly clever. He worked hard. He did his work well. I thought I Tried to kid myself anyway that he was outgrowing his badness It was all part of a warped scheme. He won the respect of everyone in the bank then Very simply stole the money and planted the evidence had led straight to me Why didn't you tell mr. Cox what we've been through? What a bad boy he is there are records at juvenile hall We could prove it. You know what mr. Cox said to me Said he wouldn't prosecute because of my wonderful son my wonderful son. I never had a son Couldn't look at him Mary When I walked out of the bank Garvey and cage one didn't even say goodbye or good luck. They're too bad or anything Just got suddenly too busy to look up Forgot all about the months we lay in the mud together at tarot on the Navy crosses. We want him the same day Garvey was too busy to look up. I couldn't tell him the truth. They're not strong like you Mary Can't take it anymore. He was looking at me, but he didn't see me His eyes were covered with a film of tears Then he turned and staggered out of the house. He walked like he was drunk Yes, that's what he was drunk with despair He got in the car. I wanted to go to him to hold him in my arms, but I couldn't I was frozen Car lurched away from the curb skidded around the corner. It was like a mad man. I Wasn't surprised when they called me from the hospital Reckless driving they said accidental death But I called it something else I Called it murder at that moment. I died too Oh, I went through the motions of living the cemetery and after I Kept on not counting the days coming or going and One day I realized Kurt was 25 a man a handsome ruthless man We lived in the same house, but we had nothing to do with each other Until one November afternoon. I was in the kitchen making an apple pie. It had always been Paul's favorite Suddenly the room was throbbing with Paul's presence Paul I dropped the knife on the floor and ran up the stairs into my bedroom mine and Paul's I was wild out of my mind I turned about the room everywhere searching. I needed him terribly I could feel his presence and yet it wasn't enough it had to be something tangible something I could touch and then I remembered The Navy Cross and the Purple Heart they were here. They were part of him I pulled out the shirt drawer and threw his shirts on the bed the Purple Heart was there in its satin line box But the Navy Cross was gone Oh Paul Paul was dark. I Lay there for quite a while. I had no reason to get up Kurt was home. I Tieded the bed and spread it up ran a comb through my hair. I walked along the hallway to his room You want something? I'm in a hurry. Yes. I do want something your father's Navy Cross. Where is it? Oh that I? Was holding three aces when I ran into a straight Jack Karn said he'd take the cross and Lou of five bucks How do you like a guy like that? I? Looked at Kurt for a long time then I walked away. It didn't matter nothing mattered Not that day or any other day Not even later when the policeman came to the door. I have a warrant for the arrest of Kurt Norquist on what charge murder It was a colorful trial murder in the first degree The front pages were blotched with it little shop girls hurried to buy the evening editions of the sordid testimony to read on their way home from work. I Went to the trial every day and listened with Strange sense of unreality Sure I killed it. All I could think was that flashing handsome young man up there admitting to murder and worse is my son No, I didn't hate him. I didn't even know him very well. Then why don't I feel anything? I just wanted to see what it was like. That's all why don't I shudder with disgrace? Why don't I crawl off into a corner and die? Sorry what for he's dead, isn't he? The trial went on for days and Kurt was unmoved Insolent triumphant almost Even as his wretched soul made ready for the lethal chamber. He was untouched in there madam five minutes Thank you. Hello, mother mother. Oh Yes, I am your mother. Oh, you brought me some cigarettes. Thanks Well, I wonder what it's going to be like what you know that last mile I'm a queer guy. All right. I don't feel sorry about anything As a matter of fact, I don't feel anything at all Never did except that maybe this is a good smoke Deeply into his face beyond the pale blue eyes into the black soul. I Gave him life, but I couldn't give him honor He exhaled smoke came out of his mouth and nose and spun around him enveloping his face framing it in a circle of fog Then he smiled Not the smile of a murderer More the slow wistful smile of a small boy and abruptly his face was changed I've been here before I Watched the smoke raises. They billed upward. I couldn't take my eyes off them And each smoke ring was a face Kurt's face Changing getting smaller smaller eyes were round full of wonder changing and Slowly the vision faded They all converged into one face and Kurt was a baby again In a crook tent Fighting for the right to live a useless life. I've seen ahead. That's what it was I know what's in store for him and it's all bad Not much left in a moment. There won't be any. Oh, let him go He'll turn out bad. No good not worth my tears. It won't be wrong Let him go. It isn't wrong Let him go Don't take him on. Please don't take him. He's just a little baby. He doesn't know. I must take his temperature I'm afraid Crisis temperature 106 Seven 106 105 you're going to get well Kurt 101 Grow strong and handsome Splendid performance miss Scott will be back in just a moment Billy would you mind getting me a glass of water dear? You ought to install a staple battery mom Billy sure then You'd only need to take a drink three times a year Can't you talk about anything but that auto light battery now look honey? If you wanted to go downtown tomorrow morning in the car wouldn't start you'd be pretty mad wouldn't you of course? I'd be mad sure or so with anybody That's one reason why we have a staple battery in our car and listen to this yes friends Auto light staple batteries are designed to save you trouble and care by practically eliminating one of the major causes of battery failure Lack of water you see auto lights Stay full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use and remember when it comes to automotive electrical parts 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 Again as miss Martha Scott. It's been a real pleasure to appear on suspense tonight You know, I never miss hearing the program whenever possible And I'm going to make a special effort to be at my radio next Thursday night when Van Heflin stars in a story called song of the heart a gripping study in suspense Miss Martha Scott is currently appearing in the RKO production so well remembered tonight suspense play was written by Gwen and John Bagney with music composed by Lucian Marwick and conducted by Lud Blusken the entire production was under the direction of Anton M leader Next Thursday same time you will hear Van Heflin in song of the heart. This is the auto light suspense show Drive carefully save a life. It may be your own Good night Switch to auto light. This is CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System