 AutoLite and its 98,000 dealers bring you Miss Agnes Moorhead in tonight's presentation of Suspense Tonight, AutoLite presents a story in the classic tradition of suspense a new version of Charles Dickens Terrifying short story the signal man our star the first lady of suspense Miss Agnes Moorhead Why it's Oscar the super smooth and scintillating sedan Super squint an AutoLite electrical system Ah, there's none better Oscar and it's because your AutoLite electrical system is designed to operate as a team with all units and component parts Related by AutoLite engineering design and manufacturing skill to give you the smoothest performance money can buy I know how important Sure you do Oscar and you know too how important it is to have only AutoLite original service parts used when replacements are needed Because only these parts are designed by AutoLite engineers who design complete electrical systems used as original equipment On many leading makes of our finest cars trucks and tractors So friends always insist on AutoLite original service parts for your AutoLite equipped car It pays in performance Remember from bumper to tail light you're always right with AutoLite And now AutoLite presents transcribed the signal man starring Miss Agnes Moorhead Hoping once again to keep you in suspense It's smashed by like a wounded monster screaming in pain and disappeared into the dark tunnel In those brief seconds I had relived the emotions of my childhood I still trembled with the child's terror and fascination that had surged through me the many times I stood here 20 years before Nothing had changed The steep dripping wet walls of jagged stone that led down to the tracks The gloomy mouth of the tunnel The small signal man's shack huddled against the side of the cutting Even the job was held by the same man they told me in the village He stood there in the glow of an angry sunset Furling a signal flag around a short pole I called to him Instead of looking up at me He turned tensely to stare toward a red signal light that glowed at the mouth of the tunnel He finally turned slowly it seemed to me even fearfully and looked up He stared at me unanswering I was afraid the suddenness of my call had unnerved him I tried to compensate by being overly casual He stared silently a while longer then finally pointed his flag to a spot in the cutting embankment It was a zigzag path with small footholds cut through the clammy stone The tracks seemed a mile below but I was determined to get down Midway I sensed a vague vibration of earth and air like a sound that could be felt but not heard I tried to fight down a fear that suddenly gripped me The air was filled with a violent pulsation It seemed to have a force that could draw me down I threw my hands up to my eyes as though to shut out some terrible sight I flattened myself against the jagged rock and clutched hard Then I was angry with myself ashamed of this uncontrolled childish reaction I could see the signal man still staring at me I climbed down the rest of the way quickly, carelessly And I walked toward him with a casual smile He watched me expectantly Hello? I'm Amy Sears I used to live in the village I was anxious to speak to you I'm sorry I startled you when I called down Why did you use those words? Those words? How do you remember? I think I shouted hello below there or something to that effect Not to that effect miss, those were the very words I know them well, admit those were the words Oh, all right, I admit Why did you use them? You were below, I wanted to attract your attention So I called hello below there It seems logical, doesn't it? I miss, if you had no other reason What other reason could I possibly have? I thought you would tell me I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have come down, I think I frightened you Why would you think that miss? Well, you stare at me as though you had a dread of me I miss, I was doubtful whether I had seen you before Well, if you have it, it was when I was eight years old Standing on that bridge over the tunnel up there I used to love watching the trains Then my family moved to the city This is my first visit back in 20 years You don't believe me? I'm not certain But where could you have seen me? Don't you know? I've been away for 20 years now Up there, by the red signal light at the mouth of the tunnel Oh, that's why you turned and stared there when I first called I miss What would I be doing up at the signal light? I don't know, I wish I... It is a mistake, miss, I haven't been well What is it you wish to speak to me about? Well, I'm a writer, I wanted to interview you Me? Why me, miss? Well, my magazine does a weekly biographical piece on interesting people and unusual occupations It's called Closer I miss, I've read You have? Well, you seem surprised Oh, pleased perhaps That wasn't so unsophisticated design I really didn't mean it that way There's a bit of a fire in my shack It'll be more comfortable for you there Yes, thank you This is a lonely post Visitors must be rare I miss the branch superintendent makes an annual inspection That's all, except for... Yes? Come in, please Oh, how snug and comfortable Most of my waking life is spent here I've tried to make it pleasant You've succeeded You were speaking of visitors just as we came I'll put this chair nearer the fireplace One chills out there I say you have a fine collection of books They've given me much companionship in the long nights Pretty weighty companions, given decline and fall Burton's Anatomy of the Melancholy Darwin... Do they surprise you again, miss? May I be frank? I'll have to be if I'm to succeed with the article My editor is only interested, you know, in the... Odd? The unusual And the level of my reading seems above the level of my station Not many people in any station these days Oh, come, miss, because you called for frankness Thank you, sir Why would a man with a mind capable of absorbing these subjects stay on a desolate job like this? Good, miss And I take no offense You see, I had one young been very interested in the natural philosophies I set my course, I studied hard, planned the future Then I ran wild, misused my opportunities Went down, I've never risen again But I've no complaint I've made my bed, it's too late to make another Maybe you gave up too soon No, miss No, there are forces beyond us that shape us One must know when not to resist I might have bloodied myself a while longer But I knew I took this position 34 years ago And you never regretted No, not until... Won't you please tell me? You first tell me what brought you here But I have You said nothing of what made you think of this place specifically There are many places and people Well, I told you I used to come here as a child The trains frightened and fascinated me I always remembered it vividly through the years I promised myself that one day I would come back and do a story on it Good subjects aren't easy to find, you know Why did you choose just now to come? Oh, these ideas germinate in the writer's mind for a while And then an impulse And you were drawn here? You say that as though mystic forces were involved It was much simpler, I assure you I've been working hard, I decided that a few days in the country would do me good I planned to use them profitably by doing a story on you Ah, true might have come to that decision last month or last year Well, that's true, but I can't see why you attacked such special significance In the fact that I... Why do they frighten you so? Now, wouldn't you think I might outgrow that silly childish... Well, if I was drawn here, as you say I guess it was to see whether I had The modern psychiatrist would say it was a desire to relive a childhood experience I miss, there are many answers Why are you staring at me so? Oh, was I staring at you? Please, please, you promised something is preying on your mind Can't you tell me? It's very difficult to impart, miss Very difficult to speak of If you ever make another trip, I would try to tell you Yes, yes, of course I will have to make several trips before the story takes shape When may I come again, tomorrow? Oh, I miss if you wish I'll come at 11 You won't have difficulty getting up? No, no, it was only that first trip down I'll show my white light till you reach the top Thank you I'll say good night now, miss Good night, sir I wish you a pleasant one I regret I... Yes, I understand I miss, I think you do May I ask then, when you get to the top Don't call out to me I beg you, don't call out I won't And when you come tomorrow night, please, don't call out Course not, good night And may I ask one parting question? Yes, certainly When you came down the path earlier tonight Midway, you suddenly threw your hands up to your eyes like this As though to shut out some dreadful sight Why? Right, was that uncontrollable childish reaction I felt as though the train would draw me down I covered my eyes like a child, not to see it You had no feeling that the action was conveyed to you for some reason? No Why should it seem otherwise? Because there has been someone at the red light at the mouth of the tunnel Each night for a week now Holding its hands up to its eyes like that As though to shut out some terrible sight And you have actually seen it? Every night Was it there tonight when you went to the door? Yes, I saw it quite clearly Who was it? You Autolight is bringing you Miss Agnes Moorhead with Jolth of Kerns in The Signal Man Tonight's presentation in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills Suspense Hey, Oscar, sound your horn Play your radio Now start your engine Why, all those operations depend on the sure smooth performance of your Autolight electrical system, Oscar And so do the lights, heater and electric windshield wiper They all depend on my Autolight electrical system, Harlow They sure do, Oscar And what's more, your Autolight electrical system works every second your engine runs That's why Autolight electrical systems designed to give the smoothest performance money can buy Are used as original equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars, trucks and tractors They're the best, Harlow Right, you are, Oscar And friends, treat the electrical system of your car to a periodic checkup At your car dealers or authorized Autolight service station To quickly locate him, look in the classified section of your phone book Or call Western Union by number and ask for Operator 25 And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight And now, Autolight brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Miss Agnes Moorhead in Elliot Lewis' production of Charles Dickens, The Signal Man A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense I return the next night as the distant clocks were striking eleven The Signal Man waited for me at the bottom of the cutting with his white light shining We walked silently to his shack, entered it and sat down by the fire I didn't wish to press him so I said nothing He stared at the burning embers for a moment, then he turned to me I'm going to tell you, Miss, as best I can for what troubles me I'm glad I mistook you for someone else last night The mistake? Oh, the someone else Who is it then? I don't know What does it do? This time it stands with its left arm across its face The right arm is waved violently, this way As though to say for God's sake, clear the way, clear the way You've heard those words? I'm not certain about these specific words, but I've heard it called before When? One moonlight night, about a year ago I was sitting here when I heard a voice cry Hello, below there Oh, that's why you were so startled when I used the same words I miss, I ran to the door and looked out and saw this Someone else standing up there by the red light near the tunnel Waving its arm as I just showed you The voice was hoarse, was shouting and it cried Hello, below there, look out, look out I caught up my lamp and ran toward the figure calling What's wrong? What's happened? Where? When I got to the light Did you see where? The tunnel was the only place it could go without passing me I ran into the tunnel for 500 yards and searched around with my light Then I ran back here and telegraphed both ways An alarm has been given, is anything wrong? And the answer came back both ways All well Yes, of course Now I'm going to take advantage of last night's permission to be frank You've been here more than 30 years, haven't you? It isn't the most cheerful place in the world with that moaning wind through the tunnel And the wild harp it makes of the telegraph wires It's understandable that you could have the illusion that you heard a call And anyone staring at the dark long enough as you did from the door Can imagine seeing something Let it prey on your mind so long it seems real I was not finished, miss Oh, I'm sorry Within six hours after it first appeared The main line flyer crashed and derailed at the far end of the tunnel Within ten hours the dead and the wounded were being brought through the tunnel Over the spot where the figure stood Coincidence, a tragic remarkable coincidence But I cannot see There is more, miss Please forgive me Six or seven months passed I had recovered from the surprise and shock when one morning Just as daylight was breaking I looked toward the red light And saw it again Did it cry out? No, it was silent It didn't wave its arm? No, miss Now it leaned against the post with both hands covering the eyes like this As though to blot out some terrible sight And that's why you asked me why I had put my hands to my eyes I miss As I came down the path You called out the words it used the first time You covered your eyes as it did the next time Go on, please That very day as a train came out of the tunnel I noticed a confusion of hands and heads At one of the coach platforms and something waved I saw it in time to flag down the engineer He applied his break but the train drifted past here about a hundred yards As I ran up to it I heard terrible screams and cries A beautiful young woman had fallen between the cars Oh She was brought in here She died on this very spot between us Oh, it's horrible But I still don't see it One final word, miss And you will judge how my mind is troubled It came back a week ago Ever since it has been here At the light? Eye It covers its eyes It waves its arm It shouts for God's sake, clear the way, clear the way I have no rest, a peace for it It calls to me many minutes together in an agonized manner Below there, look out, look out It stands waving at me It sounds the telegraph ticker Did it sound the ticker last night while I was here? Twice Oh, I assure you it did not sound It was your imagination I have never made a mistake as to that, miss I don't wonder that you failed to hear it But I heard it Do you hear it now? I What is it saying? It isn't clear It only warns It doesn't say against what If I only knew what it meant What is the danger? Where is the danger? There is danger overhanging somewhere on the line Some terrible calamity will happen You must set reason, take it If I telegraph danger on either side of me or on both I can give no reason for it I would get into trouble and do no good They would think I was mad This is the way it would work Message, danger, take care Answer, what danger where? Message, don't know, but for God's sake, take care They were, they would displace me What else could they do? I can help you But you must face realistically what I have to say Now will you try? Yes, yes, I'll try, miss These accidents have shaken you deeply You feel guilt about them Even though there was nothing you could do You've let it prey on your mind Until you imagine someone tried to warn you I've unheard that someone Even the senses can deceive when the mind is under stress Men dying of thirst on a desert Imagine lakes and hearing running streams The bodies of the dead were real enough I'm speaking of what you imagined after the accident If you let me, I'll prove to you step by step That the specter existed only in your fantasy How can you prove that in the face of what I've told you? By appealing to the intelligent reasoning portion of your mind Listen, you were positive when you first saw me That I was the specter You saw up the light, now weren't you? You used the same word Now listen carefully, I appeal to the intelligent Well-read reasonable man Three words, hello below there I was 500 yards away at the top of the embankment And you were here, below, with darkness falling And three words made you positive you had seen me before Can't you see we're trying to fit something to what you already believe? But then, you put your hands to your eyes like... Further proof! You've allowed yourself to believe some disaster is about to befall When I covered my eyes because of a childish fear You fitted that to what you already believe The telegraph ticker wasn't... You must hear me out Would you at any other time, or would anyone at any time Believe that a telegraph ticker could sound in a room this small And be heard by one person and not another I told you... And now the most important proof You said that when you went to the door last night It was there by the red danger light It was Would you come to the door with me now and tell me if it is still there? I... Do you see it? No miss It is not there Agreed And now I'm going to prove that it never was there I studied the light from the top of the hill before I came down tonight The post is at least seven feet high The light is shielded with a hood Even if a person stood directly under it or in front of it They would be in complete shadow in darkness You couldn't see that person from this door And you couldn't see that person if you walked within a foot of her Or him or it I'm going to walk up the incline to the light And prove that to you now I walked up the inclining tracks Toward the red light at the mouth of the tunnel The chilled dank wind had an edge like a cold knife When I got to the light post I stood directly under it No portion of the red glow reached me I was lost completely in the dark I saw the signalman silhouetted in the yellow light of the doorway Between the rails of the northbound track On a line with the red signal light And walked toward me Then the icy hand of my childhood dread gripped me There was a vague vibration of the earth and air Far behind him, coming up the grade fast I could begin to see the glow of the locomotive's light He walked as though in a spell He didn't hear me or wouldn't hear me I threw my left arm up to my eyes And waved my right arm frantically Long after it was over they found me Still standing there Both of my hands up to my eyes To shut out the terrible sight Suspense Presented by AutoLite Tonight's star, Miss Agnes Moorhead This is Harle Wilcox again Speaking for AutoLite World's largest independent manufacturer Of automotive electrical equipment AutoLite is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry That's why during these early months of 1953 The AutoLite family joins again in saluting the leading manufacturers Who install AutoLite products as original equipment Just two weeks from tonight To the climax to this year's AutoLite family salute program We will present the exciting story Of the first and only round the world auto race Our star will be Van Johnson And the program will be broadcast direct from the grand ballroom Of New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel Where the great Easter parade of stars auto show Will be in progress That's Monday, April the 6th For the auto race that stirred the world And of course be sure to join us next week For the first story of Suspense Next week, an American legend As we recreate the cruel murder of Laura Foster By the bitter Tom Dooley Our star, Mr. Joseph Cotton That's next week on Suspense Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis With music composed by Lucian Morovic And conducted by Ludbliskin Portions of the program were transcribed The signal man was adapted for suspense by Irving Reese From the short story by Charles Dickens In tonight's story, Joseph Kearns played the signal man Agnes Moorhead has been on the road in Don Juan in hell And can currently be seen in Metro Baldwin Mayor's picture The story of three loves And remember next week Mr. Joseph Cotton in Tom Dooley This is the CBS Radio Network