 The signal oil program. Yes, the signal oil program The whistler whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler and I know many things for I walk 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 Friends, here's some exciting news. The latest hooper rating show that in the last two months the listening audience of the whistler has increased by more than 50 percent Yes, sir, 50 percent. And even before this increase the whistler was rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other west coast program in radio history What do we at signal oil think about this? Well, naturally we think it's wonderful And we want to say thanks to our regular audience and welcome to all you new listeners And remember friends signal gasoline is tops too And now the whistler strange story Ticket to Paris The young attractive dark haired girl looked out through the dirty window pane of the old bookshop Watch the rain as it fell on olive street Then a few minutes after 10 she locked the shop door turned out the light and Stood for a moment in the dark She rubbed her arms and shuddered and then hurried through the darkened bookstore She would always live in terror of the dark of even the next moment So long as one man remained alive The man who was living only to kill her She'd been forced into the back streets of obscurity to escape him And though she despised this grim little bookshop where she worked for the old woman named Hattie Simmons The job paid for her keep provided her with more safety than she could find anywhere else As she reached the door to her room in the back of the shop. She stopped and listened There was someone in the room Searching the darkness she threw open the door and switched on the lights Hattie, what what are you doing here in my room? I I couldn't sleep and this old rocker here is so comfortable. I thought I'd come in and sit a while Oh My it's comfortable You don't mind do you dearie? No, I don't mind It's uh, it's the storm. I suppose makes me so restless Hattie Yes, dearie my trunk. I'm certain I had left it closed. Oh Oh that Well, you see the wine bottle is in the cupboard Help yourself. Well now I don't like to pick up the habit mind you But seeing that I can't sleep perhaps these would be better for you Oh The sleeping tablets. Yes. I was looking for them the box was here on the table Dear me my eyes, you know, there you are Madeleine it um It always struck me kind of queer a young girl like yourself taking so many of these pills They're harmless Yeah, I suppose but you always seem to have so much on your mind, dearie. Yes. I have many things on my mind, Hattie Yes, and Madeleine, yes, uh while I was looking for sleeping pills. I noticed your name on the trunk Uh, didn't think poor tear was spelled that way. But yeah, you are T. I. E. R Oh, I couldn't help but notice something else, dearie Inside the trunk A gun Of course I have a gun during the war many french women had guns. We had to have them Yes, I suppose I was just wondering I was just wondering how come you've got a german gun Hattie, why don't you take the pills and go back to your room? I'm very tired. All right. All right, Madeleine Uh, you close up the shop. All right. Yes, it's locked never know when we might have thieves, you know Huh? Good night, dearie. Have a nice You watch hattie waddle out the door and when she's gone you hurry to the bureau From the top drawer you take out a folded newspaper And for the hundredth time you stare at the photograph on the front page The photograph of a man in a nazi uniform Over it is the name Heinstadt and a question mark Next to it is another photograph a young smiling american correspondent Alan Tennyson recently home from europe You slip the newspaper into the pocket of your raincoat and hurry out of your room into the shop And then as you open the front door Hi, you frenchie. Oh, you frightened me What what are you doing here George and a guy come around to see his old aunt once in a while Hattie has gone to bed fine. I really didn't come around to see her anyway. I'm sorry. I'm going out. Hey What's your hurry George? Please let me by I'm raining baby Terrible night to be out. Please much better to stay in Curl up with a good look or something Madeleine Madeleine is that you out there? I thought you said the old go to go into bed Madeleine Madeleine, what? Oh, it's you. What are you doing here, George? That seems to be the burning question of the week Good evening aunt Hattie Madeleine. I thought you were going to bed. No, I I decided to go for a walk in this weather dearie. Don't worry about me Hattie Good night A quarter of an hour later you step off the streetcar Hurray toward the low red brick building in the middle of the block At the entrance the doorman greets you Good evening, miss. This is the sequoian club. Yes, it is. Well a newspaper man or mr. Tennyson is giving a lecture here Could I go? Oh, it's over miss over ten minutes ago Oh, but mr. Tennyson is he still no no no he left But I must see him. It is important. Well, I think you'll find him across the street at the bar He was headed in that direction when I saw him last the bar. Thank you. Thank you very much Drink no, well if you won't have a drink, what's on your mind? Mr. Tennyson There was a story in the paper yesterday About a man a german named hindstott hindstott. Yeah, that's one of my stories What about it? This man they're holding in a palace prison. The french government is not certain He is really hindstott. No, they're not plastic surgery is a great thing But certainly they are weird. They know what they're doing. It'll take a little time You were sure you won't have a drink. No Ah Well, it's uh, it's hindstott all right Look, uh, what makes you so interested in this? Oh I am curious. Yeah, that's been established. I used to know him. So When during your war in my country when the nazis occupied paris You speak pretty good english for a man cell. I was educated in england I see And just uh, how did you and this hindstott get along? Not very well. I am afraid. I'm sorry You You have heard of the shuttle polane I've been there It used to be hindstott's headquarters in paris So well before the war I worked at the shuttle for a very fine family Then hindstott took over only the servants remained. We were forced to work for hindstott not very pleasant, huh? especially for a girl Pretty one of that it was unpleasant for several of us So now you'd like to see hindstott get what's coming to him, but first they must be certain It is the right man. There must be no mistake. Oh, there won't be but like I said before it'll take time It wouldn't take me to any time I would know him instantly Why are you looking at me like that? You are pretty very pretty Yeah You look good on the front page. What my picture my syndicate could use a follow-up story on hindstott French girl tells all sinister figure of paris occupation think of the publicity baby Wouldn't do you a bit of harm and with the movie studios only a stone. No, I'm not interested Well, that's a switch I was sure that's what you were driving at. Excuse me, mr. Tennyson. I must go in just a minute. Please What's really on your mind? Nothing Nothing at all Why? You interest me There's something about you that's a little different and I like people who are different I like to know what makes them tick In your case, I think I'm going to enjoy finding out With the prologue of ticket to paris the signal oil company brings you another strange story by the whistler Because the past several months of cold weather have been particularly tough on car batteries Here's some news that's worth remembering There's now available an improved type battery, which is not only much more powerful but lasts far far longer I'm referring to the new signal deluxe battery sold only at signal service stations Unlike ordinary batteries, which may be guaranteed for 12 or 18 months Signal deluxe batteries are guaranteed a full 30 months on a service basis Also signal deluxe batteries deliver up to 35 percent more power to give you quick dependable starting And to take care of the many electrical gadgets on modern cars The secret of this superior performance in signal deluxe batteries is their superior construction Which includes the latest type all rubber separators plus an improved design all rubber case which requires water less often When you take into account the generous trade-in signal dealers are now offering for old batteries You can see why any way you look at it. This is today's best battery buy So be sure you remember the name of this extra powerful battery That's guaranteed a full 30 months the signal deluxe battery And remember where you get it at your nearest signal service station And now back to the whistler The thought of your picture in the newspaper the publicity frightened you doesn't And that's why you ran away from the correspondent named tennis The man you went to for information on the german who is now being held in a paris prison You hurry back to the little bookshop spend a sleepless night wondering if the prisoner is Heinz stop You wonder too about the newspaper If he really meant it when he said that he would find out more about you The next day find you in the bookshop as usual and by afternoon you're convinced you've seen the last of tennis When suddenly a voice behind you. Pardon me. I'm interested in a mystery called. Why doesn't ma'am the cell want to picture take Mr. Tennis How did you find me? Yeah, let's go next door. We'll talk about it over coffee. No, I'm alone in the shop Besides there's nothing to talk about. Hey, you gave me quite a chase last night. Why are you afraid madeline? How did you know the carp on the beat said it was madeline? Madeline what see monu? uh-uh How about portier Mr. Tennyson What do you want of me? I want to know why you're so interested in hindstack or the guy they think is hindstack I told you. Yeah, but not all of it So he was a big nasty character all right The day of the liberation of paris hindstack was prepared to abandon the shuttle I locked him in a room so the americans would capture him He pleaded with me promised anything if I would let him go When I refused he swore he would kill me if he ever got away So that's it and he did break out of there before our boys reached the chateau Yes, I knew that as long as he was at large somewhere in paris. I was not safe I see So you had to get out of paris. Yes Later I I came to america Still don't feel too safe from hindstack, huh? Well, I've heard that a few germans have been able to sneak into this country and it's possible that hindstack may be here now Any publicity about you would lead them right to your doorstep. That's right You see mr. Tennyson why it's so important to me that I find out if that man in the paris prison is really hindstack You're sure. Well, I'm not going to twist your arm. We'll uh, we'll just forget the story Mr. Tennyson You have contact with these things Perhaps you will let me know when word comes when the man is identified. Yes. I'll do that I'll let you know. Thank you Thank you very much The day is passed slowly, don't they madeline and alan tenison doesn't call You wonder what is causing the delay why the french authorities can't make up their minds about the man in prison Perhaps you tell yourself the government has decided the man isn't hindstack And that the matter has been quietly shelved. Yes And if that's the case the man who has sworn to kill you is still at large perhaps right here in los angeles You become increasingly nervous as the days go by and then finally there's a telephone call from tenison He sounds urgent asked you to meet him at the bar where you'd met before Oh, you are you are sit down here. Thank you Oh, wait a champagne the lady's here champagne. It's an occasion madeline. Wait, you have something to tell me. Please don't keep me in suspense Listen for you April in paris No, wait. No, wait. Wait. Wait. There's still the champagne fit in this bottle since 1922 Ah, there you are sir Mr. Tenison, please tell me we'll drink to it madeline your glass the uh The wire came this afternoon That man in prison. He was hindstack. Yes, not a doubt in the world They were going to force him to stand trial, but he didn't escape again. No He's dead swallowed poison. Oh, no Oh Delight or remorse Well in in winning we can afford some sympathy for the loser. Yeah, I guess it's only you But oh, I'm so happy now. Mr. Tenison drink drink the champagne to Paris The Paris I love to the parish you love madeline Madeline you're eager to celebrate aren't you because this news of hindstack's death clears the way for you Yes Not just to the paris you loved but to the hidden wealth in the cellar of the chateau polinesse Only you know about that madeline because it was you who hid it there A fortune madeline yours now for the price of a ticket to paris That's all you need to do return and take what belongs to you through your own cleverness Hurrying back to the bookshop after leaving tenison. You're thinking of only one thing Where to get the money for your ticket? You're so deep in thought that you don't even notice officer davis outside the shop. He looks at you concerned What oh officer davis inside hatty and that nephew of hers, george Uh-huh. They're having a lulu of a fight. I started to go in but I'll take care of it officer davis. It's nothing You see what I mean George let me buy but Oh, well, he's hot tempered all right And if looks could kill excuse me officer davis. I've got to talk to hatty. Yeah, sure I'll be moving along there. Was that no good nephew coming back. I was just hiding this strongbox Now there another quarrel hattie. Yes over the usual thing money. Oh Hattie yes Hattie I must return to paris. I had a call. I have to return once return Oh, I'll hate to lose you madeline come to count on you a lot. Thank you But it is very necessary that I go soon That depends. I haven't the money for tickets. Oh, I was wondering Well, had he could you lend me the money just for a little while lend you that Dearie, you you know I'm fond of you, but you also know I'm not young anymore I need what little I have You must be able to get it somewhere. No, I'm not. I don't know anyone else. No one that I could even ask You you can't turn me down hattie. Please madeline I've had all the scrambles about money that I can stand for one night, but hattie I will pay it I said no Now good night, dearie She's refused you madeline when you counted on her so much, but it isn't over. Is it? No, it can't be you have to get to paris even if it means stealing the money You'll be able to repay hattie three times over The following afternoon the opportunity you've been waiting for presents itself Hattie leaves the shop You wait a half hour after she's gone to be sure she's not just on an errand to the corner store Then you close the shop hurry to hattie's room and go to the drawer where she's placed the strong box It's still there Pick it up hurry back to your own room and there you try to force the lock and then Well, sweetheart, they seem to have the same ideas about things. George. Yeah, that's right. George Boy with the key to the front door I'll take the strong box, baby. No. Oh, but yes Give it to me And you can tell my dear aunt that she won't be seeing me for some time. No, George. You mustn't take that. Get away from me Give me He shoves you aside and you fall in the days your head striking lightly against the trunk You look at it madeline. It's your trunk your own And suddenly you remember there's a gun in the side Madeline put that down. Give me that box Don't come any closer to me George, I warn you Well, you couldn't shoot Hold him, haven't you madeline and in a flash you realize that your plans are ruined You'll never get away with the money now George's body would be discovered before you can even get out of town You stand there bewildered wondering what to do and then Yes madeline Mr. Tennyson, I wonder if I can stop by. I want to talk to you. Say it about an hour or so an hour. I don't All right, mr. Tennyson Yes Do come by It's a way out, isn't it madeline a sudden way out that's about to be given to you A little later you've unlocked the front door Put the strong box back in its place and you've turned your room into a shambles Upset the lamps scuff the rugs pull things from the dresser drawers When Tennyson arrives and walks in you're in the middle of it all aren't you yes Sprawled out apparently in deep sleep the gun clutched tightly in your hand Madeline madeline wonders it wake up. Mr. Tennyson Is this your gun my gun Yes madeline one of you done what's happened here. Did you kill him kill him that man behind the screen His name was holly george holly. I looked in his wallet George George holly. He's dead. You didn't know What is it mr. Tennyson? What has happened here the room look do you remember me calling you a while ago? Yeah Yes, I remember what happened since then come on think hard Right after your call. Yes Hattie she came in Hattie George's aunt She owns the shop was he here when she came in no Just had in me She mentioned him though They quarreled again quarreled over money. They were always quarreling over money our money George thinks some of it belongs to him. It was left by a rally. All right. Go on go on. Then what happened? Nothing much. We had some wine together and is that what put you to sleep? No, I felt sleepy like when I When I take my sleeping pill I see Madeline, where's hattie now? I don't know. Uh-huh You uh You know something madeline. This is all too packed What do you mean? Look at this room the way things have been tossed around I don't think there was a struggle here at all. You don't this whole setup is a phony The room was made to look like it'd been a struggle this lamp on the floor. It didn't fall It was placed there the bookcase. It was pulled from the wall. Mr. Tennyson Look madeline, I've been suspicious of you right from the start you and that hindstack guy I like to do my own explaining find my own answers Last night I got to thinking you might have been hindstack's girlfriend His girlfriend? Yes. He had one, you know a french girl named deyenne roger. Jean roger, but she's dead She threw herself into the seine on the night of the occupation. Yeah, that's the answer your government sent me this afternoon Then what you were thinking last night last night doesn't matter or what I thought then the important thing now Is the dead man behind that screen? But you do believe me like I said This whole thing is a little too paris a frame and had he could have framed She would do this too. I look if you're a plan to kill george, you wouldn't have tried to do it this way I think you're a lot smarter than that. Oh, I'm glad to see it that way Uh-huh. I better call the police now. Thank you, mr. Tennyson. Thank you very much The whistler will return in just a moment with the strange ending to tonight's story But now a message from missing drivers I mean drivers who are missing something and that means you if you're not powering your car with signal the famous go farther gasoline One thing you're missing is that good good mileage Which has made signal gasoline known throughout six western states from canada to mexico as the go farther gasoline But equally important you're missing the superior performance in today's signal gasoline which makes such mileage possible You see in order for today's signal to help you get the most from every drop of gasoline It has to help your motor run more efficiently And when your motor runs more efficiently you also enjoy quicker starting faster pickup and smoother power So you see in gasoline mileage and performance do go hand in hand That's why signal says 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 You congratulate yourself madeline your plans seem successful You're certain you've sold alan tenison on the idea that you were the victim of a plot by hatting That she had killed her nephew and had fixed the blame on you And now it looks like he's going to help you because he seems convinced of hatty's guilt You listen as he calls the police and tells them what's happened Then he calls his newspaper Minutes later. He's back in your room and you notice a strange expression on its face Is something wrong one of the boys just cable the story from paris The french authorities found a fortune and jewels in the cellars of the chateau polliné. Oh, no You seem disappointed You know that hunch I had last night Maybe I was right after all Maybe hindsted's girlfriend diane roger didn't jump in the same the night of the occupation Maybe it was the real mademoiselle portier who was pushed into the river How about that dion? You will never be able to prove it mr. Tenon's now. I guess not What about the dead man over there george holly hatty tried to frame me Madeline madeline. Hello hatty Officer davis. How are you miss? So the police found you hatty found me. What are you talking about dearie? I've been with officer davis all afternoon. We went down to long beach Hattie wanted someone to go along with her protection, you know And it was my afternoon Protection that's right dearie forget what I said last night. I changed my mind I decided to go down to the bank where my brother works to get the money you wanted for your ticket to paris Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler Each sunday night 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 at sensible speeds be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life Possibly your own Featured in tonight's story were nan boardman and eddy mar The whistler was produced and directed by george w allen with story by robert steven brody and music by wilbur hatch And was transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service All characters portrayed on the whistler program are fictional any similarity to names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental Remember at this same time next sunday another strange tale by the whistler marvin miller speaking This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system