 Let every go signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline The signal oil program The signal oil company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring you another curious story by the whistler Tonight the beloved fraud. I'm the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Presently, I'll tell you of nameless terrors. They dare not speak In a moment the whistler will tell you his gripping story But first signal oil company brings you an urgent message from the ward apartment Smokeless powder for explosives Thousands of tons of it are needed daily on the battlefront But do you know that 60% of all smokeless powder is made from pulp wood the same pulp wood used to make paper That's why Donald Nelson stated the most critical raw material problem facing our war effort today is the shortage of all forest products Including pulp wood It's why everyone on the home front is being asked to help by cutting down on the use and waste of paper Uncle Sam suggests that you accept items from the store unwrapped whenever possible Bring back paper bags for reuse and save every newspaper Magazine carton and especially brown wrapping paper for the salvage drive You see 700,000 items of war going overseas all need the paper You're being asked to save each 500 pound bomb for instance takes 12 pounds of paper So when you save paper however little it is You're doing your part to speed vital weapons that will end the war sooner and now the whistler Bitterness like wine matures with age and high on a dismal and windswept hill And the outskirts of a small new England factory town sits a house in which bitterness is a living thing a Companionable presence It's an old house weather beaten run down with perhaps a touch of its own bitterness a silent lament for splendor long gone There was a time back in 1905 when bitterness was young and splendor was still present and the Woodford sisters sat in the comfortable Parlor before the winter's fire and read poetry to each other Emma graying commanding the protector Constance the younger timid yielding Use the skies the clouds the fields The happy violets hiding from the roads the prim roses run down to carrying gold The tangled hedge roads where the cows push out impatient horns and tolerant churning mouths Twix dripping ash boughs Hedge rolls all alive with birds and gnats and large white butterflies Constance Yes, Emma Constance aren't you interested? Yes, Emma You've always been very receptive to the works of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett Browning You seem on edge. What's the matter? Nothing nothing really something's the matter don't lie to me Constance You've been fussing and fretting all day peeking out the window Emma for pity's sake Constance I'm sorry, but I was old and looking out the window. I Thought perhaps mr. Willoughby might be coming by He usually passes about this time and why should you be so interested in the mailman? Were you expecting a letter? You know, I'm not You know how seldom anything comes for me only once in a while from out Sarah or somebody like that Constance, I don't believe you're happy happy Hadn't thought about it not that way I Don't know Emma After all I've tried to do for you. Yes, I know Emma. Oh Please don't think me ungrateful. You've been wonderful. I've been a mother to you Constance ever since dear mama left us I know I know and now you tell me you're not happy here act bored and fidgety almost like I was keeping you prisoner Always wanting to go out, but if only we went out just once in a while If only for a walk in the village is not the fifth place for ladies to walk unescorted. No, I suppose not But we never have anyone to escort us ever and There's perhaps all mr. Willoughby would escort us to the village sometime Constance Have you lost your mind a postman, but he's a very nice old gentleman He's the only person I ever see except Dorothy And I like him the only people you ever see The postman and our housekeeper And what about me? Oh you Course you Emma. I always see you, but you'd rather be with the others Oh, yes, don't think I don't know how Dorothy brings you tea in your room and sits and talks a Common housekeeper, but she's very nice Emma and gentile to you said for yourself when you hired her a good family You said not like a servant at all, but she is a servant now Constance our servant I've heard you laughing when you thought I wasn't around, but why shouldn't we laugh a little? Why shouldn't people laugh and have fun be happy? Don't cry dear of course you should be happy That's what I've tried to do for you because I love you my dear and because I promise my mom that I'd look after you Make a home for you. I know I'm sorry to be so hateful Emma You know I appreciate what you've done. Well, let's say no more about this now dear You run up to your room and dry your tears I'll have Dorothy bring up a warm cup of tea and then you when she can have your talk You'd probably planned on that anyway. Oh Emma. Don't be angry about Dorothy. It's not that I enjoy her more than you Honestly, it's just if he tells me things things about the outside the city the world people I Like you're tired of your home here aren't you Constance? No Emma. I'm not it's a very nice home I know that Only I had hoped that I might see this city go on a holiday a little trip or something But you always say no. Yes dear. I always say no And I know what's best for you Yes, sister Emma knows best Constance She's always known best and before her it was dear mama whom she adored You should be grateful to have someone else looking out for you taking care of you Running your life for you, but you're not are you Constance? You're unhappy desperately unhappy Oh, thank you Dorothy there there dear now you mustn't carry on so crying spoils your pretty eyes Oh Darcy what am I to do do? There's precious little you can do with her running you like you didn't have a mind of your own But I do have a mind of my own. I'm not a child. Of course. You're not you're a grown woman and you're not getting any younger If ever you're going to get out of here and find happiness you'll have to do it soon. I know I know Perhaps it's too late now That's what I keep telling myself late fiddle sticks you're only 35 and There are plenty of gentlemen who'd find you very attractive Do you think so? Do you really think of course? I do if ever she'd let you go into town by yourself. You'd see the men would Oh, I think we shouldn't talk like this What would Emma say? She'd say it was wicked no doubt because she hates men. Why I don't know but she's wrong Why should it be wicked for a woman to want the men to notice her? It's natural Everyone should have the attention to the man fall in love get married. Do you really think so Dorothy? Of course and You'll find one yet. Don't you worry? Oh, it's not that I've never thought really and cruelly about getting married or anything like that Never seemed that I was meant for anything like that But just to meet people other women and men see something besides the insides of this howl I know I know and you shall why shouldn't you leave her and live your own life? But she'd never let me do it. She's so strong and she'd find a way to stop me bring me back Perhaps I can help you you darth. Yes, miss Constance What you need is a man a man who will come and take you out of here Then Emma would have nothing to say about it. Where would I meet a man? No, one ever comes here. Perhaps one will if we work it right What do you mean darling? I have a cousin. He's a fine man a widower and just the type for you I'm sure you and he would find each other very interesting. Does he live here in the village? No, no, he lives in New York In New York? The city? Mm-hmm. Oh, but Dorothy, how will I ever meet you? By letter I'll write and tell him about you give him your permission to write You will have many things to say to each other and perhaps who knows what they come with it And that was the beginning wasn't it Constance Remember how you waited for his first letter half afraid that it would come half fearful that it wouldn't and then how you hit it until Emma had gone to bed and then poured over every word again and again until after dawn In a later one he sent you his picture Julian handsome a trifle slick looking not like the countrymen in the village You said him your picture and told Emma you'd misplaced it And then after months came the letter asking you to marry him Telling you he was coming to the village to get you and the last letter that day You read it in the Great Barber and came running in to tell Dorothy Such noise Emma. Oh, I thought you'd gone down to the grossest and this is the way you behave behind my back Do you have there Constance a letter? Oh? Yes, oh well, I suppose it's from on sir. I come in and read it to me. I can't Emma What do you mean you can't it's personal Personal do you know what you're saying? We have no secrets from one another. We never have I Always read you my letters, but this is personal. I can't read it to you Constance. You're acting very strangely Let me see that letter. No, no you're hiding something for me. Let me see it Constance baby What have I done that you should treat me this way Haven't I always thought of you always before myself and Now you tell me you have something private and personal between us I'm sorry Emma. I didn't mean to hurt you really But well, I suppose I might as well tell you now. You're no soon enough He's coming here tonight He What are you talking about Constance? Julian my friend This is his letter telling me he will be here tonight You've written to a strange man behind my back nothing wrong with it We've just exchanged letters such nice letters. He's told me such wonderful interesting things about life in the city Constance How could you do anything so sinful please try to understand Emma? Perhaps you're satisfied to stay here in this old house all your life But I'm young and I have a right to some happiness. I want to get out to live This creature wants to take you away After all I've done for you grown old caring for you giving up everything for you No, Emma. You've given up nothing Everything is just the way you want it keep saying that you're taking care of me from a mile, but you're not You're keeping me tied here trying to make me give up everything for you And I can't do it not any longer Emma if Julian will take me I will go away with him. I will marry him Who is this man? How did you meet him? Dorothy's cousin She told him to write the relative of our servant You said yourself she came from a good family He's just as good as anybody. He's wonderful. What do you know about everything? He's been writing regularly for six months. He's told me everything You fool How do you suppose a man like that would want to marry a country girl 35 like you? Don't you see he's after your money Dorothy's told him that you have money mama left you. That's all he's asked. That's not true Oh, isn't it? Well, you'll never get the chance to find out because you'll not go off with him I'm through obeying you Emma. I shall go with Julian tonight We'll see about that We'll see You're listening to the whistler brought to you by your friend the signal oil company Marketers a famous signal gasoline your best buy today Remember to let every go signal remind you you do go farther with signal gasoline Well, Constance the time has come at last Julian will be here soon and you've told Emma that you're leaving Can she stop you? Can she carry out her threat to keep you here? Perhaps the only answer to that is Julian and at last after dinner. He's here constant oh Julian Come in do come in So at last we meet face-to-face It's not a disappointment disappointment anything but that you're just as I expected you to be and what about me. Oh, yes You're just as I expected to be But I interrupted something you were turning the fire. No, I I was burning your letters Then you've regretted your decision Constance. No Then why I warned you it's Emma. She wants to stop us. She's upstairs hunting for these letters now We shall leave anyway. She can't stop us. She'll do everything. She can't she'll stop at nothing some fiendish power I don't understand impels her You are Emma I am Constance Constance if you haven't already done so go pack your bags. I haven't packed you would have seen enough questions I'll hurry come back here Constance What do you want? What I? Want to talk to you once more You must listen to me This man does not love you. I know don't be a fool Don't risk everything on this sudden wild impulse think of me How lonely I'll be this man wants your money And what do you think he'll do with you when he finds you have none? But I do Emma half of what my mom but my life is mine. Yes, but I have control of it. You don't even know where it's kept Did you think I would just give it to you? I don't care about the money and neither does Julian I'm going to pack you'll only have to unpack Constance Constance and I are to be married miss Emma with or without sisterly approval I Understand that to be your intention surely you can have no objections. She's not a child. She's 30 35 35 yes Constance has never been very practical or serious-minded When mom and papa were killed in a train wreck many years ago I realized Constance was in my charge that it was my duty to shield her from the ills of the world I Believe I understood you to say miss Constance has no control over her money. You understood correctly. Well I'm not poor no far from it But I've laid I've suffered some reverses and Constance will have no money Unless I give it to her You know I Admire a woman like you I Admire your strength your practicality really And now miss Emma that I've come face-to-face with you and your sister it seems to me But you're strikingly the more admirable of the two Just what are you implying that perhaps I was being too hasty? Perhaps if I were to think this over You know miss Emma You too have a right to a man's protection and a man's love You filthy beast I've never asked for a man's love or a man's protection and I never shall I Shall have to advise Constance of this interesting deviation in character and this sudden change of affection And that's for you leave this house. I shall leave But Constance comes with me. I Understand I have not the slightest interest in your sister especially now But just because you're so dead set on keeping her here with you. I'm going to take her with me Of course, I may drop her like a hot penny in a few weeks, but I Constance pigeon whatever you heard. Don't you believe or whatever? I was just teasing your sister here the old pill I I'm crazy about you girl. You know that don't you come here me? Don't you dare why Constance after all the sweet and tearing things you said in your letter get out of this house So who do you think you're talking to in that tone of voice? You'd better leave now No, I think I'll stay in Citispel Who's to know there's a gentleman paying a call way out here in the edge of town Who's to know what's going on out here Julian attack more than clothes in these grips As you can see you are not staying in this house. Hey Hey, lady put down that revolver fire arms are dangerous things to be handling especially for a woman It might go off. You're right Constance. Be careful. Well turn it in some other direction. I like the way it's facing Not ladies. I was only fooling just time to give you a bit of sport. That's all to liven up a dull winter evening. That's all good night Never saw such people Talk about your new England hospitality must have been invented by somebody who was never in the wing Well, good night, ladies It's been downright charming Constance you were wonderful. I never thought you could be so brave standing right up to that big bully Oh, that was so clever of you bringing down papas or revolver and so brave. How could you do it? Oh my God? Constance sit down dear. Please do There Or if anything should happen to you. I don't know what I do Emma yes, dear Emma Why won't you allow me to have my own banking account? I promise you I won't be extravagant It's just that I would feel more of an adult Person in my own right if I knew I could have access to my money If I didn't want You were so brave and so forceful of course I shall see that you have access to your money You saved my life and you will let me have my own account The money isn't in the bank constant. It's not no It's right here Right in the house Wouldn't trust the bank there might be a run on it someday. She'll never sit at the house Taking it all. I know I was frightened to death You're facing him with the revolver was the only thing that saved us But I have the money well hidden in a safe behind this picture of dear mama And only I know the combination. I never knew there was a safe Come I'll show you Emma relieved of her fright is more human than you've ever seen her isn't she Constance? She seems really happy as she goes to the safe and opened it. There it is all day You didn't know we were so wealthy did you little sister? How much is it Emma at my last count? It was a little over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars including the bonds Mama was so wise She made papa invest in only the safest things So you see there is if you'll just hand over the content of that safe Julian I availed myself of your servant's entrance miss Emma's Informal but practical Constance the revolver there on the floor get the revolver. I have the revolver now Now it is my turn to give direction Back against the wall unless not have a sound from you Don't know who'd hear you way out here if you did yell Constance do something Don't let him take our money. What'll happen to us? That's our security our future our happiness my security my future and happiness Emma Don't worry. He's only taking my half What do you mean Julian and I planned the whole thing only we didn't know it was going to be this easy I thought I'd have to draw the money out of the bank. It's much simpler this way. What are you saying Constance? You can't know what you're saying. Oh, yes, I do know I thought it would take a fright to make you part of my money Well, I wrote Julian it would be a battle and he suggested this little plot You were happy weren't you Emma when you thought Julian a thief and a robber You were gloating inside because you thought everything you had said was true Constance You must be out of your mind you you and I are going to travel all over the world I'm going to live at last. I'm going to see the Lord will punish you Constance. Oh, I've had my share of punishment Emma All the long rotten years. I've had to spend with you. I have your grips in the money Constance. Shall we leave? Yes? Goodbye again miss Emma You vile unspeakable man. You vile unspeakable woman. Sorry You'll regret this to the end of your days. I Shall hate you Hate you forever and ever My hate will reach out for you wherever you are. You'll never be happy. Goodbye Emma Constance Constance, how could you? Miss Emma have they gone you You're the cause of this After I gave you a home a job Companionship you did this to me. I Could kill you. No. No miss Emma calm yourself. You took her away from me You're responsible for me being left alone to live out a miserable only old age. No Stop looking at me like that. She'll be back back. She'll never What did you say? Why are you so sure she'll be back? You know something more about this don't you well No miss Emma. No, you do What do you know Dorothy? Why should Constance come back if she's got the money? I don't know only you said yourself that he might take the money from her But he's your cousin Dorothy. You must know him well Therefore you must know he is going to take the money and leave her penniless to come shrinking back to me Don't you Dorothy Don't you all right? Yes, I do He planned it that way and I'm not sorry. It's what the two of you deserve What good was it doing you either of you? It'll help Julian and me to really live again So you're going to get part of it too. Yes. Yes And it's only what I deserve after what I put up with from you and there's nothing you can do about it now They're already on their way to the city What are you laughing at You think I'm angry at you. You think I want to stop you. No take the money. I'm glad you're here take it You're welcome to it Because now Constance will be back. She'll be penniless. Take the money. I have Constance back But that's not all of this strange story in a moment the whistler will be back to tell you what really happened and While we're waiting Here's the modern version of that old story about the lost horseshoe nail just one nail But for lack of it the shoe was lost then the horse the rider and as a result the battle was lost Well this year Uncle Sam says one out of every 12 cars will be lost that is go off the road Many of them because just one vital part has worn out which can't be replaced today That's why your signal dealer takes no chances of missing even one part when he lubricates your car It's why he uses the famous signal safety chart on which the maker of your particular car as Indicated every lubrication point and the exact oil or grease it should have Before your signal dealer returns your car to you he checks every point against the safety chart not just once but twice This double protection is signals way of assuring you that your car won't be the one One in 12 that goes off the road because some vital part wore out from lack of lubrication So if it's been a thousand miles or two months since last lubrication play safe See your neighborhood signal dealer for a signal safety chart lubrication And now back to the whistler Yes Emma sat him a lonely old house and waited nursing or bitterness and down in the city at a small hotel Julian stood at the desk waiting for his bride and her money Constance was upstairs dressing for the wedding It was scheduled to take place at the little church just around the corner within the hour as the minutes went by and the time grew short Julian became impatient. He went upstairs to the room looking for Constance She wasn't there on the table. He found a note Dear Julian, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you see I knew all along what you really wanted from me I suppose it was deceitful to let you believe you were succeeding, but I needed your help to gain my freedom Now that I have it And the money I Thank you and wish you good luck Goodbye Constance Julian knew what that meant and after a time so did Emma Sitting alone in the old house on the hill Next Monday night at 9 o'clock the signal oil company will bring you another strange tale by the whistler the curious tale of a twin The signal oil program is broadcast for your entertainment by the signal oil company Makers of signals famous go farther gasoline and motor oil and by your neighborhood signal oil dealer Who is at your service daily to keep your car running for the duration? The signal oil program produced and directed by George W. Allen with story by Victor Kushner and music by Wilbur hatch is Transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service Bob Anderson speaking for your friend the signal oil company and Suggesting once again that you let every go signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline It's a CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System