 Remember a Hallmark card when you care enough to send the very best. But the makers of Hallmark greeting cards bring you an exciting dramatization of an unforgettable story on the Hallmark Playhouse. World of fiction by one of the world's most popular authors. His knowledge of stories that will entertain you and stir your imagination is universally recognized. For he is the author of Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Random Harvest, Lost Horizons, and many others you have loved in books and on the screen. Hallmark is proud to present the distinguished novelist Mr. James Hilton. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm pleased to be with you again. Tonight we have one of those stories that doesn't frighten that many of the world's pressing problems. It just goes merrily along as life itself should do if this were a perfect world. It's a magazine story that appeared a few years ago and took a lot of people's fancy, including mine. And possibly yours too. It's called Mrs. Union Station. Odd title, isn't it? And this is its first performance on the air. The author is Douglas Welch, a Seattle newspaper man. And believe me, he's written the kind of story many a writer wishes he could write, if only for the fun he'd get. You're right, Mr. Hilton. We have a treat in store for our listeners tonight. For Douglas Welch is not only a spinner of good yarns, but he also has the appreciation of a realistic person. Here's something he wrote recently. What most of us need, above all else, is just a word now, Nan, to let us know that people care. Those are significant words, Mr. Welch, and they express as well as any we know the reason for remembering to send hallmark cards to your friends on those special occasions when you want them to know your thinking of them. For hallmark cards say just what you want to say, the way you want to say it. Now here's Mr. Hilton and our story. I don't know how you feel about trains, but for me, they've had a very real fascination there ever since I was quite young and had toy trains to play with. I suppose children prefer toy airplanes nowadays, or do they? I'm feeling the trains still fascinate them. While as for the grown-ups, well, here's a story about a man and a girl. The man's crazy about model trains, and the girl, in the case, is crazy about the young man. Love being death as well as blind. It was perfectly natural for Helen to rush happily into marriage with Stephen without discovering his great weakness until they were off to New York on their honeymoon. They were struck with darkness giving. Helen spoke to Steve in their compartment. Steve, I really must talk to you seriously. What's the matter, honey? Steve, if there's anything wrong, I ought to know about it. Wrong? What do you mean? We'll be in New York in an hour, but it's taken us five days to get there from Chicago. We've been on five different trains. The New York Central, the Pennsylvania, the Nickel Plate, the Lackawanna, the... The Erie. So? So who's following me? Nobody. But as long as we're in this part of the country, I want to see as many railroads as I can and then their equipment. What? I like railroads. You like railroads? Love them. Love them. Love them. That's why I didn't take that bus two days ago. What have you got against Greyhound? Well, nothing. Only my goodness. Do you think I'd want it to get back to the Northridge Model Railway Club that I rode a bus? The Northridge Model Railway Club. Well, sure. Didn't you know? It did not go safe on our Marriott bike. It's my hobby. Railroads and model trains. Oh? We've got 500 feet of HO gauge track at Harry Johnson's basement back home. The Chicago Walden and West Coast. Why don't you? Don't I, what? Love railroads. Darling, if you care for them like that, let's have just lots of them. See ya. I'm always through shaving. When you call a room service, I'm set up breakfast. I haven't set up a menu first. And a couple of railroad timetables. I like to read at breakfast. Could we maybe go to Central Park today? I thought we might go up into New England. Oh, that'd be nice. I want to ride on the Central Vermont Rutland. Oh. Now, this is a great experience for me. Yes, marriage is, so they tell me. I know we'll ride the independent subway today. Oh, please do. In fact, never mind breakfast. Let's get started. All right. And when I get really hungry, I'll faint in front of the Jamaica Green Tert Express. Huh. Since which our nickel provides. Now we're coming up on that red signal block pretty fast. I'll talk to the motorman. Oh, no. I just have to wrap on the glass of this little cubicle of gold. Oh, what's with you, friend? Oh, we're coming up on that red signal block pretty fast. I know. We're all going to be a gruesome pulp. Thank you. I still think there isn't enough headway between trains. That depends on the brakes. Wait a minute. Oh, honey. What's the beat now? In your opinion, motorman, which is best? Straight or automatic air brake? Makes no difference. What made, boy chick? I just dragged my feet. Why, Scott? Let's look at the law now. And I want to take you down to Grand Central Terminal to hear the train announcing. Here's a hard play of eggs for my lunchbox lady. I had a late breakfast. It was a charming honeymoon full of tender remembrances, like the snapshot of Steve's wife with Steve's caption reading. Helen, standing next to consolidation 280 type brake locomotive, fuel of the 2 minutes cold mixed with anise sites. It was also lovely. And Helen hated to go back to Northridge unless she could walk back. No sooner had they settled in their Northridge home, Steve invited her to a meeting of the Model Railway Club in Harry Johnson's basement. Mr. Johnson was there, too. To see that they didn't short-circuit the washing machine. Well, what are we supposed to do, Myrtle? Not touch anything. Oh, my goodness. How does your laundry get around in this maze of tracks? Oh, she used to be a contortionist on the Keith Orpheum circuit. All right, got it, boys. Yeah, I got you, Keith. Ah, Yale wins the talk and elects the kickoff. Okay, Johnson, let's have that order for number 17. And number 17 meets number 402 in East Kansas City. And you've got a slow order over two sections east of Alton on a kind of track repair. Okay. Number 17, the Continental Limited, now leaving on track four for Pontiac Springfield, Alden, Kansas City, and all points left. Goodbye, dear. There she goes. There she goes. Continental Limited. Continental Limited slid like a great dark ghost out of the silent yards. Gathering speed is a thundered into open country, roaring powerfully toward the wash tub, plunging like some great prehistoric monster into the tunnel in the wall of the fruit closet. Then, pertling around furnace curves, the great driver smoothing up and up and up to the high plateau near the old thing. It's mighty iron sinew heaven-like rust into the mysterious enveloping night. Of the great place. Number 17, arriving on time. Oh, great work on that 3% grade. Thanks, Johnson. All right. Uh, girls. Yes, sir. Uh, Helen, we are assigning you to a manual switch in the Chicago yard. Oh, thank you. Yeah, a Myrtle leg. Can you handle the South Bend passenger, Trevick? I'll do my level best, Harry. Okay, everybody, on your toes. We're five seconds away from number 34. What's up with that freight train? Oh, I'm watching it. Don't worry. No, you're not. Hey, hey, look out! Sir Ritzman, am I? Take, I'm sure the road hasn't sure. Send a man back to put a play on the track. We haven't had a derailment on the Alden and West Coast in three weeks. Breathe, sir. I'll put them back. Don't touch the creepers back on the rails as with the wrecking train. It'll take two solid hours. We're routing all traffic on that line. Sir Ritz Johnson. Did you ever see anyone turn a switch? On a railroad while a train was passing over it? Then why did you do it? What? I don't know, sir. Oh, please. I can't accept it anymore. Very well. The incident is closed. Even if the switch was open. It's as big as a button. They lived this strange mystical sort of a man whose fame has steadily increased with the years. Though it is not given to most men to win everlasting distinction in any line of endeavor, William Blake, at 45, had one renown in two separate fields. As both poet and artist, he ranks as one of the greatest figures in English history. How could one man accomplish so much? What was it that enabled William Blake to surpass other men at his times who have long since been forgotten? Perhaps the secret of his greatness is best revealed in his own words, taken from a letter he wrote to a friend in the year 1802. And the significant words are these. I leave no stone unturned, he writes, and no path unexplored that leads to improvement in my art. Words like those might easily be written about the folks who make hallmarked cards. For they go to great lengths to create the kind of greeting card you like to send. In appearance and in the sentiment expressed. Each card must be the finest they are capable of producing. And there's a very good reason for this. You see, they're not making just cards. They're creating hallmarked cards. Cards that are warm and sincere and friendly. Cards that say just what you want to say. The way you want to say it. That's why hallmarked cards are America's favorite greeting card. And that's why those three identifying words on the back. A hallmarked card. Tell your friends you cared enough to send the very best. Now James Hilton continues with the amusing and entertaining story by Douglas Welch, Mrs. Union Station. You know what sort of man Steve Ackerby was. And when the day for the big university homecoming arrived, he couldn't get away because he was building a new locomotive. I didn't mind Helen going. No, not a thing. But she went by herself and had a wonderful time, especially at the alumni dance meeting all her old friends. Tommy, it's your name. How are you? Sweet heart of my college days, Howard. Oh, I'm fine, Tommy. It's good to see you again. Ah, the lovely lady in the blue. You know, you grow more beautiful every year. Oh, Tommy. You're married. I know it. Not all about it in the papers. Oh, the eternal journal. I sulked for weeks. Wouldn't need anything but barley brought. Oh, you poor thing. You still dance so magically. Do you? I'm supposed to find out all over again, shall we? Tell me, what does your lord and master do? Oh, he's assistant vice president of the Chicago Alton and West Coast Railway. He's a big man. It's a small road. In fact, it's a model railway. He's really district sales manager of the international small appliances company. But the model railroad is his life's work. I should think you'd be his life's work. Same old time. We're the same old tactics. Like, let's go someplace else and talk. River, how are you used to always part here? Oh, not always. Sometimes I talk to Steve. Steve, Steve, Steve. But I'm glad you came up here, Alan. I'm glad I came up here. I'm going to see more of you, Alan. I don't think so, Tom. No? Yes, my sales manager has assigned me to the Northridge territory. Oh, what a nice coincidence. Mm-hmm. By another nice coincidence, I'm the sales manager. Oh. I'll be in Northridge early next week. Well, you'll give us a ring right away, won't you? Oh, I want to meet your husband. Oh, you love Steve. Yes, I'll bet. And if you want to make a hit with him right away, bring him a couple of timetables and a picture of a caboose. Sorry you weren't at the home coming with me. Steve, you had a wonderful time. I had a wonderful time right here with my new engine. But on three separate occasions at the game, the cheerleader said, all right, let's give with a big locomotive. Gee, I'm sorry I missed that. Oh, but guess who I met up there? Tommy Jermaine. Oh, the boyfriend of Sigmaroo. Oh, that's right. You know about Tommy. Yeah, now let me tell you what Johnson said about my new locomotive. Oh, I'll get it. Hello. Oh, hey, we're just talking about you. Oh, Tommy's in town already. Where are you at the station? Down to take a taxi right over. How about dinner with us, Tommy? Well, I'll pick you up in my car in five minutes. Fine. Well, why? Oh, you shouldn't have done that. Well, here I come. Now, there's a great fellow, Alan. Why? She brought me a couple of timetables. You know, Steve, I'm sort of interested in railroad myself. Is that a genuine fact, now? My uncle works in the passenger department of the Southern Pacific. That's a mighty good road, Southern Pacific. They put out a very readable timetable. Yes, I've always felt that was the case. How long are you staying in town, Tommy? Why, long as they're business for me. Well, and maybe you can come to the Country Club formal with us later on. I'd like you to meet the Model Railway Club. Well, I'd be delighted, Steve. I consider that a fine opportunity. A fine opportunity. Tommy, I haven't seen Steve all evening. Just dance. When I like him to dance with me once or twice. That's a very singular and abnormal craving. Squelching. Just the same, I guess. I still say what's the use of building a beautiful model engine correct in every detail if you're going to cover it up with a lot of tin streamline. Yeah, yeah, but don't forget. We're going to highly competitive territory with track trains like the Century and Super Chief operating against them. I say, if the other line streamlines, we've got to meet the trends and streaks, huh? Oh, hello, Helen, having fun? I'd like to go home, Steve. Why, what's the matter? I don't feel well. Oh, that's too bad, Helen. Yeah. Uh, gentlemen, we'll streamline next week. Come on, Helen, I'll get you things. Now then, Steve, sit down. I want to have a talk with you. What's the matter? Where about? Don't you love me anymore? Don't you even feel somewhat attracted to me? Enough to dance with me just once in front of everybody? Oh, you mean about tonight? I mean about every day and every night. It's like being married to a union station. Oh, gee, Helen, I never realized... The point where I'm ready to walk right out of this house if you ever mention a coal car again. Not a coal car, a tender. Coal cars are called hoppers. They have nothing... Oh, yes! And Helen, please. Oh, no, don't do that, Helen. I'll never look at a train again. I'll even turn my head away when we drive by the depot. No, I don't want that. I just want you to love me a little more. Oh, sure, Helen. Sure, sure. I don't know, Helen. I don't know if that husband of yours is cured. He hasn't been to a club meeting in three weeks. Yes, I know. But you've caught him reading a timetable in the garage. No. Oh, that. Well, he just wants to know what time the scenic limited runs out of St. Louis. That's all. Look, Helen, you can't paper off a model railway fee like a drug addict. Well, so far, so good. You'll see. Guess what? What? Barkerville is in town. Well, who is Barkerville? Barkerville is only the owner of the biggest, finest, most complete model railway system in the world. Uh-oh. The movies use his railway for all their miniature shots. Saves him a fortune. He's over at Harry Johnson's now, and they want me to come over. Can I go? Well, Steve. I just want to be able to say, I shook Barkerville's hand. But, Steve, this is our wedding. Well, don't worry, honey. I'll be back in 10 minutes. Not a second more. That's amazing, Barkerville. Simply amazing. Isn't it amazing, boys? Oh, it's amazing. Thank you, thank you. Then there's my rather famous imitation of the western Pacific whistling through the Feather River Canyon. All right, for us. Yeah, we'll hear it. Fair enough. You put your palms together like this, as if in prayer. As if in prayer, yes. Yes. The sides of the thumbs firmly together, like so. Yeah. You cut the hands slowly and crook the thumbs, keeping them firmly together, Mike. Yeah, we got you. Yeah. Press the lips firmly against the second joints of your thumb. Yeah, yeah. Yes. And then it doesn't matter. It's closed, like this. Jumping jack! That's incredible. Oh, thank you. It can't be amazing. The reality of it. Yes. I mean, you're there with the western Pacific. Thank you. Get out! Oh! You walked the baby up. Now, you go someplace else and play. Yes, dear. Let's go someplace else. I'm terribly sorry I worked you in the baby again, Milis. Just at sea right over to your place three hours ago. run over to your place three hours ago. I'll call them. I'll call them where else all right. Tell me this is Helen. What's up Helen I'm going away I'm leaving Steve leaving Steve that's ghastly. Where are you going to my mother in Grand River can you get me the ticket I can not only get you the ticket but I can go with you how why it so happens my sales manager wants me to go to Grand River I'll pick up in 15 minutes I'll be already Tommy you're a real friend we have to take the train to Grand River Ellen oh that's all right I hate trains me too couldn't get a plane oh I'm grateful to you as it is coming the stab sound in the night wakes people up Hey did you see that engine go by? Hate them all it was a yard hog it used to be a road engine you can tell it's a big firebox and boiler but you can't change a lady a lady's a lady Helen I've been thinking you know about us how nice it would be to settle down in the country in a nice little house sweet little house nice yard garden full of flowers workbench workbench oh what do you work at for me I make model ships you watch ships model ships that's what I thought you said I have a quarter in scale model of Nelson's flagship that's one more you heal who you you conceptual be you wolf in sheep clothing you are hateful and deceitful and I've had enough of this right now wait a minute where you're going what are you going to do I'm going to stop this train right in its tracks and I'm just the girl that knows how Helen where have you been I got in an hour ago I count a block of those fascinating character and you were gone guess I owe you an apology to God huh cigarette don't get tobacco candy magazine fresh fruit coffee so than your postcard novelties baby last time around funny just like the candy butcher on the Baltimore in Ohio well that's the story and there is chance Dave Helen Appleby from the classic faith of leaping out of the frying pan into the fire and to this day they tell the story in the Northridge Roundhouse of how Helen Appleby a woman mind you pull the air on all number six flattening every wheel and putting the entire train in the shop for a full week in a moment Mr. James Hilton will return to tell us about the absorbing story which he had selected for dramatization next week photo few of your first circus who fixed your broken toys when you were a child who was the first time you ever had of course it was your father and this is to remind you that Sunday is Father's Day he may be dead to you or just plain pop but you can be pretty sure he's mighty proud of you and would like to know that you're proud of him so don't disappoint your old dad on Father's Day to let him know how much he means to you send him a greeting that's warm sincere and affectionate whether you want your words to be serious or gay dignified or informal there's a hallmark card that will say just what you want to say the way you want to say so stop him tomorrow at one of those fine stores that carry hallmark cards and select your Father's Day greetings and remember to look on the back for those three identifying words a hallmark card the words that say you cared enough to send the very best now here again is James Hilton you might like to know that Mrs. Union Station's author Douglas Welch is here tonight in our audience and I would like to take this opportunity to compliment him on his most delightful story the role of Helen Appleby was played by Mary Jane Croft Steve Appleby was Eliot Lewis and our cast included Mary Lansing, Frank Nelson, Joe Kerns and David Ellis and I think it would be with me another of our star performers tonight was our sound effects man Harry Esmer next week it's we're again giving the story its radio premiere and we shall present unless love is music by Libby Block two things you might guess from this title there's love in the story and there's music in fact if you like a delightful blame the romance and drama don't miss it until next Thursday then this is James Hilton saying good night story was adapted for radio by Milton Geiger music was arranged and conducted by Lynn Murray to be doubly sure of the finest quality always look on the back of your cards for those three identifying words a hallmark card hallmark cards are sold only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service remember hallmark cards when you care enough to send the very best now this is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next week at the same time when James Hilton returned to present for the first time on radio the romantic mystery by Libby Block unless love is music this program came to you from the hallmark playhouse this is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system this is KMBC Kansas City, Missouri