 New post-war old Dutch cleanser famous for chasing dirt presents Nick Carter famous for chasing crime Every week at this time two great names are joined as new post-war old Dutch cleanser brings you one of the most resourceful and daring characters in all detective fiction Nick Carter master detective Well Nick did you get that description of the Travis girl? Yes, Patsy a flashy type in her late 20s medium height slender snub nose thin lips perfect teeth Nick, then you were right. They are the same person. You found the answer and I waited here the rest The Travis girl is a natural blonde a natural but but the nurse is a bleach blonde those curls are positively brassy Yes, and that means that the whole case is blown up in our faces Now the case of the unwanted wife today's adventure starring Lon Clark as Nick Carter brought to you by new post-war old Dutch cleanser Nick and Patsy are returning to the office after an uptown lunch and engagement when a traffic light halts Nick's car in front of the city's most exclusive hotel the Van Arnhem That's the Van Arnhem where Mack McGowan works now. Isn't it Nick? Yeah, Mack's been house detective. They've ever since he retired from the force She's coming this way That woman in the blue coat. She just ran out of the hotel. It's someone. We're chasing her. Hey, somebody is chasing you're right It's a man and a nurse isn't it? Yeah, it looks that way. Are they coming right toward us? Please drive on and hurry. No, wait a minute. What the idea? The door is back there quick. Yes. Yes. What in the name of heaven are you doing? Let them get her until you find out what's going on. Are you? That car door just a minute. What's this all about that lady's my wife? She's out of her mind. I'm on open the door. Don't you do it? You keep out of this you nosy little club driver and you open that door I'll knock a couple of your teeth out. I think I'd like to see you try that Mr. Barton call the police do I'll tell him how you and my husband are trying to put me in an asylum so that you can get my money You don't know. Hey, what's going on here? Oh, Mr. Barton. Oh Hello, Matt. Well, hello, Patrick and Nick, Kristen McGowan. These people are trying to kidnap my patient. You mean, Nick and Patsy are here? Look, Mac, we're holding up traffic. I better pull over to the curb. Don't let them start that car, McGowan. I'll take it easy, Mr. Barton. I know these folks and they're all right. Go ahead, Nick. Oh, you've got to believe me. I'm no more insane than you are. My husband and that woman are holding me prisoner. Now, don't get excited, Mr. Barton. Oh, get in touch with John Ramsey in San Francisco. He's my lawyer. He'll... All right, McGowan. Get my wife out of that car. I better get her out, Nick. The poor ladies are a little... That's not true. I'm taking back and put to bed immediately. I refuse to answer for the consequence. Take my word for it, Nick. Everything's on the level. Okay, Mac, if you say so. Unlock the door, Patrick. Oh, no, no, please. Don't let them get me again. Mrs. Barton, there's nothing else I can do. You're working with them. You're against me, too. Come on, Mauro. We'll go back. No. I won't go back. I won't. Oh, yes, you will. Kick her other arm, Mary. Somebody help! I felt just as sorry for the poor woman as you did, but... Then why didn't you do something? Well, what could I do? There was nothing suspicious. Nothing suspicious? Did you ever in your life see a real nurse wearing as much makeup as that peroxide Goldilocks? It was spread on an inch thick. So what? There's no law against that. And it doesn't prove she's not a real nurse. Just the same. I'd like to get my hands in those blonde-deemed curls of hers. Calling me a nosy little clock, will she? I don't blame you for being sore panty, but still, that's no reason to say she's not a real nurse. I didn't care much for Barton, either. But did you notice that when he got excited, he called her Mary? Are things usually that chummy between a nurse and her employer? Oh, no, panty. That's a strictly personal matter. Yeah, yeah. I'll bet it is. I wouldn't be surprised if it was so personal that railroading the wife into an asylum would be very convenient. That may very well be, but there isn't a scrap of evidence to back it up. Well, that's what Mrs. Barton said they were doing, and I believe her. Oh, Nick, she was so helpless, so frightened. Well, in her state of mind, it's natural to imagine things. What do we know about her state of mind except what Barton and the nurse told us? We know that Mack says they're telling the truth. And that's enough for me. Well, it's not enough for me. Oh, Nick, Nick, if there were only something we could do... Oh, Patsy, the chances are one in a thousand that Mrs. Barton's story is true. Yeah, but Nick, that one chance, won't you do something about it? Well, it's probably a waste of time, but if it'll make you happy... Well, Nick, what are you stopping here for in front of a telegraph office? I'm going to play that thousand-to-one shot. Oh, Nick, you're an angel. I'll send a wire to John Ramsey, Mrs. Barton's lawyer in San Francisco. Nick Carter speaking. It's always about her losing her mind. Well, that two-page telegram I sent you contained all the facts, Mr. Ramsey. I just got in touch with Mrs. Barton's physician, and he tells me there wasn't a thing wrong with her when she left here ten days ago. Well, tell me, do you happen to know if there's ever been any insanity in her family? Well, yes, her father had some trouble of that kind, and so did her distant relative. But she's never shown the least sign of it. I see. Now, Carter, I've heard of your reputation. Could I get you to investigate this business for me? I don't like the looks of it. Wait a minute. You mean that perhaps her husband is trying to railroad her into an asylum? I wouldn't put her past him. Barton's a pretty shady character. Uh-huh. Did you have any money? No, not a cent. That's why I married Mrs. Barton. She's a wealthy woman, and he knows that if she goes through with the divorce... Oh, she was planning to divorce him, huh? Yes. She told me to have the papers ready for her as soon as she returned from the East. They've been separated for months. Well, that's funny. They arrived here together. Well, they certainly didn't leave San Francisco together. She got rid of him long ago. Is there any particular reason outside of his being what you call a shady character? Plenty of reasons, mostly other women, younger women. Uh-huh. But how about it? Will you take the case? I'm afraid I'll have to, Mr. Ramsey. My secretary will never forgive me if I don't... Good. Now, don't worry about money. Spend anything within reason, but make absolutely certain that this insanity thing isn't a frame-up. I'll do all I can, Mr. Ramsey, but I'll need some help from your end, and I'll need it quick. Well, just tell me what you want me to do. Get the best private detective in San Francisco. Have him send me all the facts he can dig up on the Barton. He'll be on the job within an hour. Good. And tell him I also want a complete description of Barton's latest girlfriend. Especially if she turns out to be a peroxide blonde named Mary. You say they checked into the hotel five days ago, Mac? Yeah, all three of them. Mrs. Barton was in a coma at the time. A coma? I'll bet she was runned. I still say they're keeping her prisoner until they can railroad her into an asylum. Well, that may be what they're trying to do, Patsy, but it isn't easy to put a perfectly sane person in an asylum. Oh, I'll say it isn't. You've got to have a doctor certified that they're really mentally ill. Mac, do you know whether any doctor has visited her here at the hotel? Well, sure, a doctor, uh, Leonard Jarvis. Well, Nick, you know Dr. Jarvis. You recovered his wife's pearls that time, remember? Yes, yes, and Dr. Jarvis is one of the best psychiatrists in the city. It's a sense he wouldn't be mixed up anything illegal. Well, how do they happen to pick him, Mac, or don't you know? Well, sure I do. Barton phoned the desk and asked for a psychiatrist. So the desk clerk called the medical association and got Dr. Jarvis' name. Uh, that was a couple of days after they came. Oh, well, I suppose there couldn't be anything suspicious if they let someone else pick the doctor. No, I don't think they could be, Patsy. If Jarvis says Mrs. Barton is mentally ill, that settles it. Nick, let's go see Dr. Jarvis. For what? Maybe he noticed something when he examined her. Maybe he, he, he... Oh, I don't know, but let's go see him anyway. All right, all right, Patsy. If I don't, I may have to take you to see him. Mrs. Lola Barton, now let me see... She's staying at the van Arnhem, Dr. Jarvis. That is about 40 years old. Dark brown hair, thick glasses, very prominent front teeth. Oh, yes, yes, of course. An extreme manic depressive carter. Her husband should really put an institution for her own safety. You, you couldn't possibly be mistaken. Could you, doctor? My dear young lady, Mrs. Barton definitely exhibited every symptom of psychopathic melancholia. Why, even during my examination, she attempted to leap from the window. Was she in good health, basically? Well, yes, yes, indeed. Except for a rather puzzling lack of coordination. What? Well, Dr. Jarvis, what do you mean? Well, Miss Bowen, the inability to judge distance. For instance, when she reached for a cigarette, her hand missed the package by several inches. That condition is not ordinarily a symptom of her particular disorder. Tell me, Dr. Jarvis, can the symptoms you observed have been caused by a drug? Oh, absolutely not. Now, I'll stake my professional reputation on that. But her personal position in San Francisco said Mrs. Barton was perfectly all right before this trip east. Well, psychiatry is a specialized field, Miss Bowen. A general practitioner might easily overlook certain warning signals. Yeah, but the condition could have arisen without warning, couldn't it? Oh, I hardly think that's possible. But suppose it did. Then perhaps it could go away just as suddenly. Well, I suppose there might be exceptions. Dr. Jarvis, yes. Just on the off chance that there might have been some change since you saw her, could I persuade you to go back to the hotel with me and make another examination? Well, it seems useless, Carter. There's seldom any change. I realize that, but I've promised to investigate that case, and I'd consider it a personal favor if you take another look at it. Please, Dr. Jarvis. Well, when you put it that way, I won't refuse. Good. I haven't forgotten your fine work in recovering Ethel's pearls. Then you will go over there with us. Yes, I'll go with you. But I don't expect to find any reason why I should change my opinion. What are you doing here? I'm with Dr. Jarvis, Mr. Barton. I wanted to see your wife again, Mr. Barton, to verify my earlier diagnosis. I hope you don't object. Well, I... There's no reason why you should object, is there? Of course not. Come in, please. Thank you, Mr. Barton. Your wife's room is over here, isn't it? Just a moment, doctor. The nurse is giving Mrs. Barton a massage. If you'll be seated, I'll ask her to get the patient ready. Oh, very well. Have you seen the nurse yet, Dr. Jarvis? No, I haven't seen Miss Amazon yet, but... No, that was a good one. Please. But Laura, dear, Dr. Jarvis is... I won't see him! I won't! You see him? Persecution complex. I don't know if they only want a puppy. No, no, no! I won't see him! Laura, come back here! No, no, no! I'll find you! Rick, what happened? I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Come on. You're responsible for this, Carter. It hasn't been for your meddling. Responsible for what? Where's Mrs. Barton? Oh, Nick, look at the window. She got away from us. She jumped out. Horrified, Nick and Patsy gazed at the broken window through which Mrs. Barton fell 21 stories to her death. We'll see what happens next in just a moment. Now back to the case of the unwanted wife. Today's adventure with Nick Carter, brought to you by new post-war old Dutch cleanser. It is 10 minutes later. Miss Emerson the nurse has gone to notify the police. Nick and Patsy are examining the window. Through which Mrs. Barton fell 21 stories to her death. And Dr. Jarvis is speaking to the dead woman's husband. I warned you that something like this might occur, Mr. Barton. Your wife should have been put in a hospital. I know. I know, Doctor. But she was so frightened of strangers. Yes, yes. I heard her begging you to send me away. Oh, not you. It was Carter and that girl. In her poor deluded mind, Laura pictured them as enemies. When she got in their car, they acted as if they were going to help. Then they had to admit their mistake. Laura thought it was deliberate. She was getting better until that happened. Well, I'm sure Mr. Carter didn't do anything. Oh, what difference does it make now that she's dead and we can't bring her back? Well, her money's still here, Mr. Barton, so it don't feel too bad. Why, Miss Bourne? How dare you say a thing like that? Perhaps because Patsy feels as I do, Mr. Barton, that your wife's death coming at this particular time looks very suspicious. I don't know what you're talking about. She was going to divorce you, wasn't she? No. We straightened everything out on the train coming east. We were completely reconciled. That's your story. Your wife said you kidnapped her and we're trying to railroad her into an asylum in order to get her money. Oh, delusions, Mr. Carter. Just the delusions of a sick mind. That may be, Barton. But if Laura Barton had lived five minutes longer, she might have proved her statement was the truth. Are you accusing me of... Of murder, Mr. Barton? Yes, I think maybe I shall. There are laws about slander in this country, Carter. I'm going to drag you into court and make you prove that statement. And that's just where I intend to prove it, Barton. In court. Nick, I hope you got plenty of proof to back up what you said to Barton. He's really boiling. I haven't any proof, Mac. What? Nothing I can take into court. Oh, then why in the world... You can learn a lot from the way a man reacts to an accusation, Patsy. Okay, what did you learn from Barton? Well, Mac, if you'd seen his face, you'd know. He's guilty. I'll bet my last dollar on it. Maybe you already have. He can sue you for everything you've got. But you must have had something to go on, Nick. I have. It's not much, but it's enough to convince me. Oh, what is it? On the window frame through which Mrs. Barton fell, I found scratches. Deep scratches toward the outside. As if Mrs. Barton had been desperately trying to hold herself back. But, Nick... I also found this piece of broken fingernail wedged in a crack on the window frame at one of the scratches. Then you think they pushed her out of the window? I'm sure of it. What if it turns out to be Barton's fingernail or the nurses? I took a look at Barton's hands and also at the nurses. Her nails are perfect. So are his. Not a broken one among them. Maybe they did push her out, Nick, but you'll need a lot more than a fingernail to prove it. Yes, and besides, Dr. Jarvis will swear in court that she'd already tried to jump out of the window when he was there earlier. Yes, I know. Well, I'm afraid you're licked. Don't be too sure, Mac. What I do next depends on what we hear from San Francisco. Nick, was that air mail special delivery from San Francisco? Yes, yes, Betsy. There's a report I've been waiting for. Well, does it? Not much help. Unless you're interested in knowing that Mrs. Barton graduated from Stanford in 1927, married Barton three years ago, belongs to the better clubs and schools. Oh, what's this newspaper clipping? The one with her picture? Oh, something about her activities in the anti-tobacco league. Oh, I see. Well, isn't there anything about Barton's latest girlfriend? The one who caused his wife to decide on a divorce. Oh, yes, yes. Seems the girl's name is Mary Travis. Mary? Well, that's what Barton called the nurse. I know. And Mary Travis left San Francisco the same day Barton and his wife did. But, Nick, that's just what we were hoping to hear. Is there a picture of the Travis girl? No, but the investigator says she's a very flashy type. In her late twenties, medium height, slender, knob nose, thin lips, perfect teeth, a natural blonde... Natural blonde, my eye. If that girl's hair wasn't dyed, I don't know dyed hair when I see it. That's just the point, Betsy. The description fits Miss Emerson perfectly, except for her hair, which has very obviously been dyed. Even I can see that. And take it from me, it was no touch-up job either. Which proves that Mary Emerson, the nurse's not Barton's San Francisco girlfriend. Yeah, yeah, I'm afraid you're right, Nick. Mary Emerson's hair was brown before she dyed it. What did you say? I said I could still see traces of brown at the roots of her hair. You must have dyed it blonde in a hurry. Brown? That's the answer, Betsy. It's got to be. What are you talking about? Oh, what a fool I've been. Mrs. Barton was a member of the anti-divacal league, and I didn't even... You didn't what? Give me that newspaper-clipping pass and get your hat. We're going to see Dr. Jarvis again. But, Carter, I've already told you that Mrs. Barton was a manic depressive. She exhibited every symptom. I know, doctor, but is it usual for every symptom to be present? Well, not always, but hers was an extreme case. Almost as if she had learned those symptoms from the book and pretended to be out of her mind. Isn't that right? Well, yes, but... You're not saying that Mrs. Barton wanted me to think her insane? Here, take a look at this newspaper-clipping. Just a picture. I'm going to hold my hand over the printing under it. Why, that's... Oh, no, no, I'm wrong. For a moment, I thought it was Mrs. Barton. It is Mrs. Barton. No, it isn't, Carter. This woman has the same outstanding features. You mean the prominent front teeth, the thick glasses and dark hair? Yes, but it's definitely not Mrs. Barton. All right. Now read what it says under the picture. Mrs. Laura Barton, prominent San Francisco clubwoman who lost... But, Carter, that is not the woman I examined. I'll swear to it. Dr. Jarvis, that statement is going to convict a murderer. Don't you think we should have brought the police with us? Max's gone for them. I didn't want to wait. Hello, Mrs. Travis. Is Mr. Barton here? No, he isn't, and he wouldn't see you. What do you call me? Mind if we come inside and wait? What do you mean, pushing you away in here? And my name's Emerson. Maybe she's forgotten who she really is, Nick. She's been using so many names lately. Mary Travis, Mary Emerson, Laura Barton. Are you crazy? You meant Mrs. Barton. You scared her into jumping out of that window. Oh, no. We frightened you and Mr. Barton into pushing her up before the doctor could see that it was you and not Mrs. Barton. He examined and pronounced insane. That would have spoiled everything, wouldn't it, Mrs. Travis? You talk like a fool. The doctor saw me here. Not very clearly. You kept out of his sight as much as possible. Mrs. Barton and I were as different as night and day. And that's what you counted on. When Dr. Jarvis came here the first time, you wiped off all that makeup, wore Mrs. Barton's thick glasses, probably even had protruding false teeth made to fit over your own. You're a liar. You're a dirty, snooping liar. You also dyed your own blonde hair brown to match hers and then dyed it blonde again after the doctor left. A very poor job too, Mrs. Travis. What's the matter? Were you afraid to have it done by a professional beauty operator? Get out of here. Get out or I'll call the cops. That's a fine bluff, Mrs. Travis, but Nick has already called the police. They'll be here any minute. No wonder Dr. Jarvis didn't recognize you the way you look now. And after the fall, Mrs. Barton's body was too badly mutilated for him to notice it was not the woman he examined. You planned on that all along, didn't you? You can't prove that. You can't prove a word of it. When the doctor testifies that you and Barton tricked him into certifying Mrs. Barton as suicidally insane, I think a jury will consider that proof enough. You may be right, Carter. Roger, do you hear what they said? They're under everything. Barton, you and this woman are under arrest for the murder of your wife. We're under arrest. You forget I'm the one who's holding the gun, Mr. Carter. Roger, they sent for the cop. We got to get out of here. We're going, Mary. But first, we'll make sure our friends here don't follow us. Well, then tie them up for something, but hurry. There's not enough time for that. Turn around, Miss Bourne. You too, Carter. All right, Barton. What's next? Put your hands against the wall where I can watch them. Roger, you're not going to... What's the difference if we're caught? It means the chair anyway. Look, you're going to... to shoot us in the back? Correct, Miss Bourne. And you first. Mr. Barton... Right now. As prior jets from the muzzle of Roger Barton's revolver, Patsy screams and falls. We'll see what happens next in just a moment. Now, for the conclusion of the case of the unwanted wife, today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by new post-war old Dutch cleanser. In suite 2104 of the Van Arlem Hotel, Nick and Patsy stand with their faces to the wall as Roger Barton, a revolver in his hand, says, You first, Miss Bourne. Roger, what happened to the light? I put them out, Miss Travis. You missed me, Barton, shooting at a voice in the dark as tricky business. Oh, my God. So I didn't miss. Now, the flash of your gun served as a target. Patsy. I'm all that except for some bruises. What happened? When I pushed the light button, I had to shove you out of the way before Barton could fly. There wasn't time to be gentle. I guess I fell over a telephone table or something. I wish you'd broken your neck. I wish you'd broken your neck. Thanks, Goldilocks. Got the lights, Nick? Yeah. Better pick up Barton's revolver. Okay, ma'am. Nick! Nick, are you okay? You all right? Couldn't be better, Mac. Come on in. The place with you? You're coming up in the elevator now and the paddy wagon's right outside the front door. That's what we want. All right, come along, folks. You're carriage waiting. Nick, tell me. What's the fact that Mrs. Barton belonged to the anti-tobacco leave has to do with solving the case? Well, Patsy, don't you remember the doctor Jarvis said that the woman he examined reached for a cigarette? Well, why, yes. He said something about her hand missing the package by several inches. Yeah. Well, Mrs. Barton would never have reached for a cigarette, Patsy. Well, of course not. Not as she belonged to the anti-tobacco leave. That's right. So what had to be married? Mm-hmm. And she missed the package of cigarettes when she reached for them because she was wearing Mrs. Barton's thick glasses. Glasses that she could hardly see through. But why did it have to be me? They could have hired somebody to impersonate Mrs. Barton who really looked like her. Sure, but letting some outsider in and their plot would have been too risky. And besides, what possible reason could there be to suspect that a natural platinum blonde would suddenly turn into a peroxide blonde with much darker hair except that she... Except that for some reason she dyed her hair dark and then bleached it again. And very inexpertsly, too. Yeah. Poor Mrs. Barton. Maybe all the trouble did affect her mind totally. Well... Remember how she screamed that she didn't want to see us when we came to help her? Yeah. Mary Travis explained that in a confession. Yeah? Mrs. Barton didn't know it was us. Barton told her that the men had come to take her to an asylum. What? So that was it? Mm-hmm. You know, Nick, the old dime novels had a phrase that described Mary Travis perfectly. They did? Well, what is it? She was a double-died deceiver. Oh-ho-ho. I'll say she was. What about next week's adventure, Nick? Well, it's a story of Johnny Wade, Mike. A boy I had a lot of faith in, even though he'd been in prison. Johnny was one of our best friends, Mike, so when he was released from the State Penitentiary, Nick and I were right there to meet him. See, he was only a youngster, and I wanted to help him get a fresh start. Yeah, but, um, Johnny was too ambitious. But that's a good thing in a boy, isn't it? Not in this case, Mike. You see, Johnny's a good boy. He's a good boy. In this case, Mike, you see, Johnny's only ambition was to kill. What do you call this adventure, Nick? I call it the Case of the Double Frame. Nick Carter, master detective, is presented each week at this time by the Kudahikai Facking Company and is produced and directed by Jock McGregor, copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications Incorporated. Charlotte Manson is featured as Patsy. Today's script was written by Jim Parsons. Original music is played by Henry Silverne. This program is fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This is Michael FitzMorris saying, when minutes count, use new post-war old Dutch cleansers. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.