 Family Theatre presents George Murphy, Ruth Hussie, Charlie Ruggles, and Parley Bear. Hollywood, the mutual network in cooperation with Family Theatre, brings you George Murphy, Charlie Ruggles, and Parley Bear in Irvin S. Cobb's familiar classic, Old Judge Priest. To introduce the drama, your hostess, Ruth Hussie. Thank you, Gene Baker. This is a story about Old Judge Priest and one of his many experiences with the more human side of everyday events that possibly most of us pass by too quickly as we hurry through our lives. Irvin S. Cobb conceived these stories, as he said in his own words, to equate the world with the fact that his fellow Kentuckians were just plain folk with whom, oh, we might find an Iowa or Indiana or any state in this great union, here with Old Judge Priest, a man with his bigger feeling of compassion for his fellow men is the girth around his stomach and Pipo Day, whose counterpart we see all too seldom in the tempo of our time. We're privileged to present Charlie Ruggles as Pipo Day and Parley Bear as Old Judge Priest with George Murphy as your narrator. Old Judge Priest puffed into his chambers at the courthouse looking with his broad beam and his costume of flappy loose white ducks very much like an old-fashioned full-rigger with all sales set. Placing his old cotton umbrella in the corner, he removed his coat and hung it on a peg behind the door. He sat down heavily at his desk where he gave attention to his mail. There was a bill for five pounds of his favorite smoking tobacco. Notice of a lodge meeting and... the bottom of the pile, a long envelope addressed to him by his title instead of his name. In the upper right-hand corner were several British stamps. Carefully, the judge adjusted his steel boat spectacles and read the first paragraph. Well, skin me for a possum. Not a single word was missed as he read to the bottom of the page and noted the closing signature. Judge Priest wriggled himself free from the snug embrace of his chair arms, waddled out of his office and down the long empty hall to the office of Sheriff Giles Birdsong. Morning, Giles. Morning, Judge. Come in and sit. No, thank you, son. I won't come in. I've got a little job for you. I wished if you ain't too busy, you'd step down the street and see if you can find Peep-a-day for me. Peep-a-day? And fetch him back here with you. What's old Peep been doing, Judge? He ain't done nothing. But he's about to have something of a highly unusual nature done to him. Found him, Judge. He's outside here in the hall. Watch your blightest to your son and send him in. He was a man seemingly, but a few years younger than the judge himself. A man who looked to be somewhere between 65 and 70. There was a look in his eyes that you quite often see in the eyes of stray dogs, dogs that are fairly yearning to be adopted by somebody, anybody. Well, howdy, Peep. Come on in. Sit down. Make yourself at home. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. It seems to me I heard somewhere years back that your regular Christian name was Paul. Is that right? Yes, surely, yes, sir. But I ain't heard it for so long and come mighty night forgetting it sometimes myself. Folks started in to call me Peep when I was a little shaver on account of my last name being O'Day, I reckon. But your real entitled name is Paul. Yes, sir. Paul Felix O'Day. And wasn't your father's name Philip and your mother's name Catherine Dwyer O'Day? My mother's name weren't Catherine, Judge. It was just plain Kate. Kate or Catherine, it makes no great difference. I reckon the record straight so far. And now think hard, Peep. Can you remember ever hearing of an uncle named Daniel O'Day, your father's brother? Well, I don't know nothing about my people, Judge. Only just know that they come over from some place with a funny name in the old country before I was born. From Ireland, yes. The only skin I ever had over here was that no-count trifle nephew of mine, purse Dwyer. I reckon you called him to mind, yeah? Yeah, he used to hang around this town for the chaste amount. Tell me, Peep, what are you doing now for a living? Well, sir, I'm knocking about, doing the best I can, which ain't much. I help out around Gafford's delivery stable and, Peep, he lets me sleep in a little room back at the feed room and his wife gives me my vitals. Peep, what was the most money you ever had in your life all at one time? Well, I reckon not more than six bits. At any one time, that is, sir. Well, Peep, such be in the case. What would you say if I was to tell you you're a rich man? Well, I reckon, Judge, if it didn't sound disrespectful, I'd say you was pranking with me. No, no, I'm not pranking with you, Peep. It's my pleasant duty to inform you that at this very moment you are the rightful owner of 8,000 pounds. Uh, pounds of what? Pounds in money, of course. Outside in the hall with one ear held conveniently near the crack in the door, Sheriff Giles Birdsong gave a violent start. And then at once he was torn between the desire to stay and hear more and the urge to hurry forth and spread the unbelievable tidings after the briefest of struggles, the latter inclination won. In the meantime, old Peep merely stared at the judge in a state of dull bewilderment. Judge, 8,000 pounds of money ought to make a powerful big pile, wouldn't it? I mean pounds sterling, Peep, English money. In our money it'll figure out summers near, oh, 40,000 dollars. It was left to you by your Uncle Daniel. Have you got it here with you, sir? No, they didn't send it along with the letter. That wouldn't be regular. There'll be some proofs to be got up and sworn to, and then you'll likely have to sign a lot of papers. Oh, well then I'm afraid I won't be able to claim that they're money, Judge. Why not? Well, because I don't know how to sign my own name. I can't neither read nor write. You don't need to worry about that, Peep. You can make your mark. I wonder, sir, I wonder if it'll be very long before that their money gets here and I can begin to have the spending of it. Making plans already? Yes, sir, I am. Well, Peep, I judge it's hardly fitting for a man of substance to go on living the way you had to live during your life. Just what do you mean by that, Judge? Well, I'd suggest you go right down to Feldberg Brothers when you leave here and get yourself fitted out with some suitable clothing. But I ain't yet got it. I'll tell them I sent you and that I'll guarantee payment. Now, I reckon that'll be hardly necessary when the news of your good luck gets nose around. I must doubt if there's any firm in towners wouldn't be mighty glad to have you on their books as a steady customer. Well, now, thank you, Judge. And also, if I was you, I'd arrange to get me some regular board and lodge in Summers Around Town. Yes, sir. I'll do just as you say, sir. But if you don't mind, I'd like to go on living at Gaffords. Pete and his wife both have been mighty good to me. You know, suit yourself about that, Pete. Yeah, them Gaffords has been pretty nice. The only real friends I've ever had that I could count on. I reckon, sir, it'll be a right smart while, won't it, before that money gets here from way across the ocean? Yes, I imagine, Twill, were you figuring on investing a little of it now? Yes, yes, sir, I was. Well, how much did you think of spending for a beginning? Well, sir, I could use as much as a silver dollar. But, of course, since you... Now, that sounds kind of moderate to me. I reckon that detail can be arranged. Here, Pete, here's your dollar. Oh, no, sir, no, sir, I could... Go on, take it. I'm just advancing it to you out of what'll be coming to you shortly. Well, thank you, Judge. Thank you, sir. Another thing, Pete, now that you're wealthy, I kind of imagine quite a parcel of fellas around here is going to suddenly discover themselves strangely and affectionately drawn toward you. Yes, sir, Judge. Now, if such be the case, I'd suggest you just tell them that I'm sort of acting as your unofficial advisor in money matters. You get my general drift? Yes, sir, yeah, I won't forget. And thank you again, Judge, for letting me have this year's dollar ahead of time. I wonder now... I wonder what a man of sixty-odd year-old is going to do with the first whole dollar he ever had in his whole life. Good morning, Miss Weil. Well, Pete? I was wondering, ma'am... No, no, we don't need any walk, swept to barns, cleaned today, or any other day by you. Now, I've told you forty times. Go on back to the delivery stable where you belong. Yes, ma'am, but it ain't work I'm after, Miss Weil. I was wondering, could I possibly make a purchase? With what? With this silver dollar, ma'am. Silver dollar? You? How'd you come by a silver dollar? Yes, ma'am, if it ain't too much trouble, ma'am, I'd like a five-cent bag of jelly beans, a ten-cent bag of mixed candies, the kisses and the kind with the words on them, you know, and a five-cent bag of gumdrops. Well, for mercy's sake. Yes, ma'am, and some roasted peanuts and two of them prize boxes, them that rattles heaviest, please, ma'am, and a coconut, and have I got any of that dollar left? Well, let me see. Five, ten, twenty, thirty-five, fifty-five, seventy. Yes, you got thirty cents left. Well, I'm grateful, ma'am, and I'll take a half a dozen of them red bananas and a half a dozen of them yellow bananas. Well, I do say... Yes, ma'am, and here's your silver dollar, and I'll just take my purchases and be off with them. Thank you, ma'am, I'm ever so much obliged to you. Needless to say, the news of people day's good fortune moved in every direction, like ripples on a pond. And with each succeeding ripple, the size of the legacy grew. Various persons suddenly remembered that they too were descended from the old days of Ireland and wrote forthwith to stake their various claims. There was one, however, who read the news with a certain amount of legitimate anticipation. The aforementioned first wire, people day's no-account trifling nephew. Now, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment, occasioned by the fact that he was currently confined in a workhouse at Evanston, Indiana. But, well, we're getting a little ahead of our story. In the days that followed, Giles Byrd's song kept the good judge well informed on the doings of the town's latest and newest tycoon. Judge, old peeps got six or eight youngsters of fallen as they ever moved. Why, today, he bought a little red wagon and loaded up with all kinds of eatables. A little red wagon? And then he hitched himself up to it just like a horse and drugged out the Bradshaw's grove and then they had a picnic. And they went in a swimming in Guthrie's gravel pit, Judge. All of Nicky's gibberish. Scandalous. You see, today, him and then our boys swiped watermelons from Mr. Dick Bell's patch. I do declare. And you being sheriff, Giles, you let Peep get away with that? Well, I didn't see it myself, Judge. The climax came at the end of two months with the arrival of old people day's legacy. It was in the form of bills of exchange delivered to the judge and turned to be handed over to the legatee. Well, it's here, Peep. What do you want to do with it? Well, first off, Judge, I'd be powerful obliged if you'd pay off all my outstanding Owens. As good as it done, Peep. And take out the various and sundry advancements you so kindly give me. Got them all figured into the penny. And then you can arrange to put the money in a safe place, Judge. That is if it ain't too much trouble. We'll take it over to the Planners Bank and with that done, Peep, I'm going fishing. With your pescatorial pleasure, Judge Priest missed the next of old people day's follies. The circus came to town. It was a little circus boasting but one dwarfish and dilapidated elephant. But the line of yelling, laughing children who followed the glowing mist-row day into the tent consisted of every one of the juvenile population who otherwise through lack of funds would have been denied the opportunity to patronize this circus or in fact any circus. On mass, they hooped and hollered at the various attractions, but none of them hooped louder and laughed longer than did their elderly and bewiskered friend who sat among them, paying the bills. On arriving home from the circus, people day found sitting on the doorstep a young man of untidy and unshaven aspect, a young man who continually rubbed the ankles of his thin shanks as if to ease the ache where so recently a ball and chain had been hitched. Howdy, Uncle Paul. First. First why? Yep, you're only eleven nephew, Uncle Paul. I've come back. Well, you can just go back again. I don't want no trifling with such as you. But I'm your only kin, Uncle Paul. You just got to remember the ties of blood that bind us two together. Yeah, what do you want? Well, it seems to me that us both being descendants of dear Uncle Daniel O'Day, him that died and left the money, that is. What do you want? Well, seems to me we should both share all that money. Half to you and half to me. No, sir. That money is mine. It was left to me fair and legal. Well, don't say I didn't warn you. I tried to do the right thing, but now I'm going to take right and proper legal steps. What do you mean by that? You're as crazy as a coot, Uncle Paul. And I got every citizen of this town to say so, same as me. I'm going to get myself set up as your legal guardian. What are you doing back in town? I got a right to be here. Did I say you haven't? I merely asked a civil question. But no more money, purse. You've outlived your usefulness to me. No, I ain't, Mr. Sublet. Not nearly. I'm more useful to you right now than I ever was. A remarkable statement. In what way? Mr. Sublet. You know people, O'Day? I'm aware of who the gentleman is, but don't move in the same financial circles. No, sir. But you could. I was a figurine. With all them crazy didos he's cuttin' up and most folks sayin' he's crazy one way or another. Wouldn't it stand to reason that you could make the courts appoint a guardian for Uncle Peep? Yes. Yes, it stands to reason. And who but his loving nephew should be that guardian? Sit down, purse. Have a cigar. How fortunate you brought your case to me. Peep, you understand, don't you? That this here fragrant nephew of yours is fixin' to try and prove that you're a feeble minded. Yes, sir, Judge. And he's askin' to be appointed to the job at takin' charge of your money and the spendin' of it from here on. I understand, Judge Priest. All right then. Now I'm gonna fix a hearing for tomorrow morning at 10. Is that agreeable to you? Whatever you say, Judge. Good. Colonel Farrell is a public defendant speakin' for you, eh, O Peep. If I was you, I wouldn't draw out any more money from the bank, Twix, now and the time Third District Court is now in session. The Honourable William Pittman Priest, Judge Poseidon. Be seated. This court will hear for the plaintiff. Your Honor, gentlemen of the jury, even though it is irregular, with the court's permission, I should like to address my legal words to the assembled ladies and gentlemen in this August court chamber. For my words are not to be an indictment, my friends. Our efforts are not selfishly motivated. But on behalf of my client, Mr. Percival Dwyer, may I say his motives are engendered only out of the kindness of his heart to aid and befriend an ageing man who is fast approaching senality. No, gentlemen. My client does not seek for himself, but for his own good. Mrs. Will, would you say the defendant had ever given you cause or anyone else cause to believe that he was not entirely competent? If by that you mean to, I think he doesn't have good sense, the answer's yes. Any time a grown man buys a dollars with a candied gigas and sits on the curb to eat him, it bears looking into. Tommy Granger, have you ever seen people day give away why he shells out a penny or a nickel for us boys most any time we ask him? Hurry, Gore Jackson. Is it true that people day took you and many other children to the circus? And that he bought you popcorn candy and many other things and that you spent not one cent of your own money? Is it true that on a night of July 22nd Mr. People Day suggested to you and seven other boys that you raid Mr. Bell's watermelon patch and that he personally laid the expedition? Colleague, the Honourable Colonel John Farrell is ready. I retire in his stable. May it please your honour, my client Mr. O'Day will make a personal statement and thereafter you will rest content leaving the final arbitration of the issue to your honest discretion. I object. On what grounds does the Learning Council object? On the grounds that it is our contention that the man in question, namely Mr. O'Day is patently and plainly a victim of senility an individual prematurely in his doubtage any utterance anything that he says will be of no use much so ever. Objection over rule. The Court will hear the defendant and I must caution you he is not to be interrupted while making his statement. Go on Mr. O'Day say what you have to say. Judge Priest Mr. Sir Bled there's maybe some here who knows how I was raised and fetched up. My ma and pa died when I was just only a baby so I was brought up out here at the old county poor house as a pauper while other boys was going to school and playing hooky and going in Washington to Crick I had to work. I never done no playing around in my whole life not till just here recently anyway but I've always had a hankering to be a boy and do all the things a boy does to do the things I couldn't do whilst I was of a suitable age to be doing him I called to mind I used to dream in my sleep about doing him so when this money come to me I said to myself I was going to make that dead dream come true and I started out for to do it and I done it. Order in the court proceed Mr. O'Day. Well I never know what it was until two months ago to have my fill of bananas and candy and ginger snaps and all such knick-knacks as them. Order! Order! Also all my life long I've been wanting to go to a circus but never till three days ago I didn't never get no chance to go to one that gentleman yonder lawyer sublet there he loud just now that I was leading two boys in this year town into bad habits and he spoke of my heaven egged them on to steal watermelons from Mr. Bell's watermelon patch. Well I'm going to tell you the truth about them watermelons they wasn't really stole at all I seen Mr. Bell forehand and I arranged to pay him in full for whatever damage was done you see I knowed watermelons tasted sweeter to a boy if he thought he'd hooked him if I was wrong I'm sorry for it and as for the money I spent taking them kids to the circus I didn't want no poor child in this town to grow up to be as old as I am without ever having been to at least one circus and just one thing more Mr. Sublet said a minute ago that I was in my second childhood mean and no offence sir but he was wrong there too he had no second childhood without his head his first childhood I'm more than 70 years old now but I'm trying to be a boy therefore it's too late I reckon that's all judge Mr. Sublet Mr. O'Day this court has with the words just spoken by this man been sufficiently advised as to the sanity of the man himself petition dismissed just one thing more it is the private opinion of this court that not only is the late defendant sane but that he is the sanest man in this entire jurisdiction court stands adjourned late that same afternoon Judge Priest sat on the front porch of his old white house out on Clay Street waiting to be summoned into supper people day opened the front gate and came up the gravel wall the judge rose to meet his best come in people come in sit down and spell rest your face and hands I ain't got but a minute judge I just come out to thank you and to make you a little kind of a present no no no sir I couldn't accept any reward for rendering a decision in accordance with the plain facts Judge I just happen to run onto a new kind of knick-knack that's just about the best thing I ever tasted here they are judge for you there's three kinds there there's lemon, strawberry and vanilla well if it's just candy I thank you people and these are new what are they people well a fellow that sold them to me called them all day suckers this was fuzzy again people day told us that what he missed most was just being a boy enjoying the happy things a normal boy does the happiness that comes from having what he never had a home we can't afford to wait until our ship comes in to enjoy one of the choices of God's gifts happiness in the home and what's the best way to ensure happiness is to come and to keep it once it's been gained it's family prayer the faithful practice of daily family prayer peep got an unexpected legacy from overseas and it brought a touch of happiness to his life a happiness he was generous in spreading God's certain legacy comes to homes where there's daily family prayer and it's rich beyond compare it's peace and harmony love and unity and again we remind you of a family that prays together stays together more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of your family theater has brought you old judge priest with George Murphy as narrator Charlie Ruggles as people day and parley bear in the title role your hostess was Ruth Hussie others in our cast were Horace Murphy Virginia Gregg Victor Perron, James Strigler and Harold Durenport as it was written by Fred Howard with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed for family theater by Jaime Del Valle our series of family theater broadcasts are made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this type of program by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage screen and radio who have so unselfishly given of their time and talent to appear on our family theater stage to them and to you our humble thanks this is Gene Baker inviting you to join us next week at this time when your family theater will present Robert Ryan in Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities join us won't you silver seas of the armed forces radio service this is the mutual broadcasting system