 Autolight and its 98,000 dealers bring you, Mr. Peter Lawford, in tonight's presentation of Suspense. Tonight, Autolight presents part one of the first detective novel ever written. A tale considered by many to be the greatest ever written. Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone. Our star, Mr. Peter Lawford. Last call. Last call. Last call for what, Arnold? Why, last call for that winter car check, Hap. Not much more time to get the oil and grease changed. Put in anti-freeze. And check those important spark plugs, too. You said it, Johnny Plug Check. The spark plugs are the very heart of a car's ignition system. They've got to be right for quick cold weather start. So have them checked by your nearest Autolight spark plug dealer. He's an expert on cleaning and adjustment. But suppose those spark plugs are worn out, Harlow? Why then have your Autolight spark plug dealer will heartily and happily suggest a set of world famous Autolight spark plugs. Like the amazing Double Life Resistor spark plugs. So get those spark plugs checked tomorrow and you'll avoid cold weather sorrow. And do it at your Autolight spark plug dealer. To quickly locate him, phone 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 presents part one of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. Starring Mr. Peter Lawford. Hoping once again to keep you in suspense. Silence, boy. My eyes behold. Have you chosen to please my brother? Beneath these trees, my brother. Are we up there? No, we didn't. Boy, look to my eyes. Please, not again. Please, don't make us. Rope to my eye. Yes or not? In the name of the regent of the night, Lord of the world, whose arms embrace the four corners of earth. Your servant, O Lord, dedicated to end the vile sacrilege of unbelievers, dedicated to restore what is rightfully yours. Use this body we offer you. Give us the power of your sight. Here you go, my brother. See the Englishman who has returned from foreign power. I need one. Is it to this house and no other he will travel today? To this house and no other. And he brings it with him? Yes, he brings it. And as the sun sets, he will enter the house? I can't see. See? Tell us. I can't. The element rises in my head. I can't see. This is enough, my brother. He will come and he will bring the Muslim. May of 1848 that I receive news of the death of my uncle, Colonel John Herne Castle. The letter caught up to me in Italy with instructions that I return to England and perform my duties as the executor of my uncle's will. Not having seen my uncle since childhood, I felt neither one way or the other about his death. But I remember the story. A black sheep with a strong dash of savage. He had fought in India and come home with a vile reputation which had closed the doors of all his relations against him. His sister, Lady Julia Verinda, had taken the lead in his respect. Colonel John never set foot in a great Yorkshire house. Naturally, this all went through my mind as I entered the office of our family lawyer, Mr. Matthew Brown. Well, very well, Mr. Franklin Blake. You're looking fit, quite fit. Thank you, sir. You're looking well yourself. Let's see now. How many years has it been? Oh, five at least, sir. My, my, my, have time fly. Yes, sir. Now, this letter of Colonel Herne Castle's will. You're acquainted with your duties? Yes, sir. I've signed papers and there's a birthday gift left to my cousin Rachel Brimber. I'm to take it to her. Here goes, sir. Now to work. First clause provides for support and safe keeping for his animals. Cats and dogs and horses he seemed to prefer for human company. This paper covers that. You were signed here. All right, sir. Second clause directs his fortune to be used wholly for the establishment of a professorship of chemistry at Cameron University. Rumours were that Colonel was addicted to opium. I suppose that explains the chemistry. Second clause. Yes, I heard he took blood. The third clause, you might as well read yourself. Well, read from here. Thirdly and lastly, I give him the quee for my niece, Rachel Verinda, only child of my sister, Lady Julia Verinda. The yellow diamond. Belonging to me. And known in the East as the Moonstone. Mr. Brough. A diamond? Oh, yes. There's a diamond of height. Read on. That said diamond should be given to my niece Rachel on her first birthday after my death, subject to the condition that her mother, Lady Verinda, be living at the time. And that my diamond be given into the hands of my niece by my nephew, Franklin Blake, in the presence of my sister, the said Julia Verinda. This I do in free forgiveness of my sister's conduct in closing her doors to me and publicly injuring my reputation as an officer and a gentleman during my lifetime. And the most generous forgiveness it turns out to be. The wicked Colonel's diamond. Do you have it here? No, no. The bank. In the bank vault for years. At one time the Colonel hinted of a conspiracy against him claimed the stone was some sort of sacred Indian jewel. Part of a four-handed moon guard which to any serious person sounds like drug addiction. Is this moonstown really worth it? We've had three appraisals. Of course quite a stir the size and color. There's a flaw, but the least value put on the stone is 30,000 pounds. 30,000? What an old dog. There was also a paper instructing that if he died mysteriously, which he did not, the jewel was to be sent secretly to a diamond cutter in Amsterdam and cut up into several smaller stones. That way he thought to destroy his identity. Strange. The Colonel knew its worth. Well, things change, sir, when it comes to drugs. When will you be leaving for Yorkshire, Mr. Blake? Tomorrow afternoon. Lady Julia's invited me down to stay for two weeks before the birthday. You carry 30,000 pounds. Take care, my boy. I shall, Mr. Brown. You know, somehow I wish that I'd seen more of the Colonel. No, sir. Can't be so. But he was truly a wretched man. Goodbye, Mr. Blake. My regards to Lady Verinda and Miss Richard. Early the next morning I went to the bank, presented my authorization and was led to the stronghold. I unlocked the family vault and saw a little wooden box. I slid open the cover and nestled in cotton with the stout. Even in that dim light, there streamed a burst like the harvest moon. It drew my eyes into a yellow deep as unfathomable as the heavens themselves. A strange, eerie feeling began to grip me. Almost hypnotic. I had to force myself to close the lid. I put the box carefully in an inside pocket, plunged into the street crowd reaching the station just in time. Towards noon, I arrived at the quiet country town of Frizzingall, feeling almost my natural self. For two weeks, the moonstone was going to be my responsibility, and I prudently decided to place it in the local bank. I then hired a carriage and was driven out to the great Verinda house, sitting high on the Yorkshire coast near the sea. The place had practically been a second home, my youth, and I felt a warm, comfortable sense of return. Franklin, sir, won't you come in, please? My lady and Miss Rachel are after. We weren't expecting you till this evening. I had a sudden change in plans. I hope it's no bother. Oh, no bother, sir. Only my father. He was so looking forward to meeting you at the station. Your father? Betrid, sir, the family steward. Oh, good old Betrid, of course. So you're his daughter. Well, you were just a bet. Where is he? Down the beachwalk, sir. The place they call Shivering Sands. He went to fetch one of the maids' blood. That ugly place? I'll surprise him. Oh, Mr. Franklin, pardon, sir, but you know any travelling jugglers. What? Indian jugglers, sir. They came to the house to show us their tricks. I overheard them talking about a gentleman from far and far coming here, and you're just asking the continent. His father drove them off because he thought they had snakes. No. No, I don't know any jugglers. Excuse me, sir. Father said it was silly. The beachwalk led to one of the ugliest little bays on the Yorkshire coast. It was quicksand. The turn of the tide, the whole face shivered and trembled in a most gruesome manner. Rounding the dunes, I saw two figures watching the tide. A woman and the plump, friendly form of old Betridge. Why do you visit this horrid Betridge? I'm drawn to it, Mr. Betridge. And the rich children. Betridge! What? Who is it? Don't you recognize me? My lord, this is Mr. Franklin. How are you, Betridge? Our fine boy all grown to a man. Rosanna, this is our Mr. Franklin. Yes, sir. I know Mr. Franklin. You know me? Yes, sir. From your pictures in the house. Excuse me. That's an odd girl. Rosanna is our newest maester. She's a bit strange. Mark it down to that. I must say you're looking the pink, sir. Thank you. Tell me something, Betridge. Anything, sir. What? About the Indian jugglers we have. I met your daughter. Yes, sir. If Penelope's bothered you, sir, I'll... No, no, not at all. Just tell me, what did they do? Nothing, sir. You know how women are. She was down by our front trees and heard some of their rigmaroles. Asking a boy they had about a gentleman from foreign parts and did he have it about him? That's all, sir. See? I see. Nothing wrong, sir? No. No, not really, I'm sure. Come along. Perhaps it was silly. A conjure trick. But I felt rather clever for having put the diamond back in a bank. Still, it had to be coincidence. And reaching the house, I resolved to keep my imaginings to myself. Lady Julia and Rachel weren't expected home for sundown, so I went to my room to unpack. I lay down on the bed to rest, and I must have dozed off. When I opened my eyes, it was dark. Who's there? Sir, Roseanna. What are you doing? Just coming to wake you, sir. It's near dinner. Good lord. I haven't even unpacked. I did it while you slept, sir. It's the dinner bell. Blast. I've got time to change. How do I look? Oh, ever so elegant, Mr. Franklin. Thank you, Roseanna. Yes, Lady Julia. Franklin, dear boy. So good to have you back. Oh, it's good to be back, Lady Julia. You look exactly the same. You're kind, Franklin. But you, I don't think I'd have recognized you. I would. I would have recognized you, Captain Franklin. Rachel, dear. This is Rachel. This is Rachel. The little girl whose hair you so delighted in pulling, and put fobs down her back. And got kicked in the shins for it. I can't believe it. If you did those things, why, Captain Franklin? Well, no, I mean you. Well, you're beautiful. Really, sir? Thank you, sir. And you've grown handsome. Now we're even. Rachel? Now come to dinner, you two. Franklin, you must tell us all about the continent. And there it began. Rachel was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I couldn't take my eyes off. In the days that followed, I found myself trying to spend every waking moment with her. Recalling our days as children. Walking, riding. I even thought of bird-watching. By the second week, I was very deeply in love. Franklin. Where are you? Well, what on earth is this? I'm painting. This door needed doing, so I'm doing it. I know, but cupids and birds... There. All done. Now, now, do it smart you. It's weird. This one's supposed to be you. What do you think? Well, it's not quite my nose. Who's this fancy one here? Oh, that's Godfrey Ablewhite. Cousin Godfrey. Don't you remember him? Dashing Godfrey. Oh, yes. The ladies' man. Works with women's committees or something, doesn't he? You'll be here for the party tonight. All the Ablewhite. Party? Franklin, today's my birthday. Oh, good lord, Rachel. You're fit like... Happy birthday. Thank you, sir. I'm dying to know what it is. What? It's the black sheep Colonel's gift. Mother said it wouldn't be anything nice. Well, you did bring it. Yes. Yes. Rachel, what time is it? Almost four. I've got to do something. There's just time. Not having mine for anything but Rachel, I'd even forgotten the day. I rode full speed to Finsingle, took the diamond from the bank, and returned all dust and leather. I bathed, huffed into my party clothes, and made it downstairs, just as the first guest arrived. The Ablewhite. Mr and Mrs, twin daughters, and ladies' committee man, Godfrey. Cousin Franklin, lovely to see you. Oh, pardon me, cousin. There's Rachel. Lovely to see you. He went to Rachel and very neatly monopolized her attentions. The rest of the guests arrived, and then, thank heaven, it was time to open the presents. From the late Colonel Heron Castle, a box. No, Rachel, not that first. Don't be silly, mother. It won't bite. Simply exquisite. Mother, look at it. No. Put it down, Rachel. It means no good. I looked at Lady Julia. Her eyes, said in an ash-white face, were riveted on the diamond. She quickly recovered her composure, but underneath I saw the same uneasiness I too had felt when I first saw the Moonstown. Then I knew why the Colonel's gesture of forgiveness had left the diamond to Rachel. She was fascinated, but Lady Julia was repelled. She could have thrown it as far as she could. Oh, look, everyone. Out on the terrace. The whole party turned. Standing on the terrace were two Indian jugglers and a boy. Autolight is bringing you Mr. Peter Lawford in Wilkie Collins' The Moonstown, tonight's presentation in Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills suspense. Say, Harlow, who is this Johnny plug-check anyway? Well, you might call him the motorist's conscience, Hap. He's here to remind us to beat winter by having the oil and grease changed, putting in added freeze. And the most important thing to do is check those spark plugs, too. You sure should. The spark plugs are the heart of a car's ignition system. When they're right, your chances of starting every time are better than ever. So have your spark plugs checked. If replacements are needed, your Autolight spark plug dealer will recommend Autolight spark plugs, like the Double Life resistor spark plug that gives you smoother performance. And the resistor spark plug is only one of a complete line of Autolight spark plugs ignition engineered for every use. So before winter hits hard... Check those important spark plugs. Don't delay. You should have done it yesterday. Yes, see your Autolight spark plug dealer, because from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now Autolight brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Peter Lofford in Elliott Lewis' production of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. As if from nowhere, the Indians appeared on the terrace. The parties streamed out to watch them. They were doing some ridiculously simple tricks and not doing them too well. Rachel was standing quite near them. I went to her quickly. Where on earth did they come from? Rachel, where's the diamond? Right here in my hand, see? Don't hold it up like that. Well, they've stopped. Is that all? All right, you fellows. Here's money. Now be off with you. Thank you, sir. Really, there wasn't very much to it. They picked up the money out at all eagerly and went off down the drive. There was only one thing to draw from it. What the Colonel believed of The Moonstone was true. It was not forgiveness, but his vengeance. And I had been the instrument to put it in Rachel's hands. The dinner was quite gay, except for Lady Julia, who seemed very solemn and myself. The talk turned around the diamond, and it wasn't God-free leading the abominable joke. After all, it's only carbon, you know. Just carbon. We should heat it over a fire, Miss Rachel. Expose it to a current of air and no more anxiety about its safety. Not funny, Mr. Blake? No, Dr. Candy, it didn't strike me. I suspect you haven't been sleeping well. You should let me give you a course in medicine. In my opinion, Dr. Candy, your course in medicine and groping in the dark are one and the same thing. Ah, but you're groping for sleep, sir. I could help. I've heard of the blind dating the blind doctor. Now I know what it means. No, no, really, sir. If I may say it is, please. Shall we continue in the drawing room? Beth is Randy and Soda for the gentlemen. We adjourn to the first note of the seasonal rainstorm. I hope to reach Rachel, but cousin Godfrey made his move quicker and was already swarming over this charm. He was staying the night, and since I felt a great urge to kick him, I prudently kept him myself. The approaching storm prodded the guests to home early before the roads turned to mud. Dr. Candy was the last to leave. Yes, storms the least of my worries. A doctor's skin is waterproof, you know. Well, good night, Mr. Blake. Good night, doctor. If you're trouble sleeping tonight, try a brandy and soda. Good night. Good night. Good night. That's it. I think I'll bid you all good night, myself. No, not yet, Rachel. No, not yet. Rachel, where are you going to keep the diamond? The cabinet in my sitting room. Dear, but it has no lock on it. Mother, is this a hotel? We've no fees. I want you to come to my room, Rachel, for the first thing in the morning. Yes, Mother. Good night, Godfrey. Good night, cousin Rachel. See you early. Rachel, may I see you up? Please do, Franklin. What were you and Godfrey... Talking about? He proposed to me. You're not going to... I love you, Rachel. A little more time, Franklin. Please. The diamond, I've got to tell you... I'll put it right in my cabinet. Good night. Yes, thank you, Betridge. There's a brandy and soda nightcap at your bedside, sir. Good night. Good night. Please wake up. Yes, sir, something terrible's happened, sir. Rachel, she's all right. The diamond. It's gone. Get my robe. Thanks. Come on. How did they break in, Betridge? Who, sir? Those blasted jugglers, of course. I've been all over the house, sir. It's still locked up tight. Don't worry, cousin, please. See, Julia, how is Rachel? Is she... How ill? She's upset, cousin. You won't talk about it, Franklin, even to me. I'll go for the police. Betridge, saddle a horse. The fastest you've got. I dashed to my room, dressed quickly, and got outside just as Betridge arrived with a horse. I rode full gallop, purished with myself and not having spoken up about the engines. I was only thankful they hadn't touched Rachel. Reaching the police at Frenzing, I rushed in and received the shock of my life. Are those your jugglers, Mr. Blake? Sir... Yes. Yes, those are the ones who I... Ah. There was a fuss at the tavern. The three of them, according to the record, have been here in jail since 11 last night. From what you tell me, this moonstone was still in the owner's possession at 11. These men couldn't have taken it. I saw the record with my own eyes. It was impossible. If not the Indians, who? Almost a year was to pass before the discovery of the truth. Suspense. Presented by Autolite, tonight's star, Mr. Peter Lofford, in part one of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for Autolite, the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. In 28 plants from coast to coast, Autolite makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, tractors, planes, boats, and industries. These products include bumpers, die castings, and batteries, such as the famous Autolite Stayful, ignition engineered Autolite spark plugs, both standard and resistor types, voltage regulators, wire and battery cable, Autolite bullseye sealed beam units, and Autolite original service parts for all Autolite electrical systems. Autolite is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry. So, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolite. Next week, the concluding portion of the first detective novel ever written. The discovery of the truth, part two of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. Our star, Mr. Peter Lofford. That's next week on Suspense. Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis. With music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone was adapted for suspense by Richard Chandley. In tonight's story, Ellen Morgan was heard as Rachel. Featured in the cast were Betty Harford, William Johnstone, Ben Wright, Herb Butterfield, Pat Hitchcock, Norma Varden, Eric Snowden, Alistair Duncan, and Dick Beale. Peter Lofford will soon be seen co-starring in the Columbia picture. It should happen to you. And remember, next week, Mr. Peter Lofford, in the concluding portion of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. Radio Network