 And now, stay tuned for the program that has rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history. The Signal Oil program, The Whistler. Signal, the famous Go Farther gasoline, invites you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by The Whistler. I am The Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. And now for the Signal Oil Company, The Whistler's strange story. Warm reception. The settings seem usual enough, a train speeding through the night, winding serpent-like amidst the narrow passes and clefts of its mountain roadbed. And inside in the club car, everything was as usual too. The low hums of conversation. A waiter moving among the passengers attending to their desires. The friendly arguments over who buys the next one. Bits of conversation like this. Yeah, but you ought to see this country in the daytime, Jones. Beautiful this north-west. I'd like to make it sometime. This night travel can get dull. Nothing happening. Nope, whole train's just one big canasta game. Nothing really exciting going on at all. No. Not unless one could peer into a compartment a few cars back. It's more than a card game there. It's a struggle between two men. A struggle over a night. And then the train lurches, the grappling gamblers fall. And only one gets up. A man named Greg Fallon. Yes, Greg, he's dead. Your card game is really over, isn't it? And you needn't bother to cheat anymore to win. You can take it all. But there's something else you'd better do, isn't there? You'd better take your suitcase and get off the train before the body is discovered. It's slowing down now, going up a steep grade. But you'll have to hurry, Greg. Hurry. Hey! How about a ride, Mac? Sure. You have off that train? No, certainly not. I, uh... I thought it's too late. I wanted to get on. How far are you going? Right away, a couple of miles beyond Twin Pines. Twin Pines? Mm-hmm. Twin Pines, huh? That's just where I'm going, Mac. That's my old home town. OK, hop in. Ah. It's been ten years since I've seen Twin Pines, Mac. But I'm going to enjoy dropping in on those dear hearts and gentle people. Yes, I'm going to. Yes, Greg. Twin Pines. It's been ten years since you left. A short time after getting out of school. Twin Pines. Perhaps it's fate, Greg. You knew you were scheduled to pass through your old home town, but you didn't realize you were so close. It might be just the spot you're looking for. It's almost midnight when the driver drops you off on the main street. Most of the stores are closed, but there's still the old hotel and Steve Jeanackel's restaurant. You decide to drop in on Steve for a while, and you're pleased at the welcome you receive, not just from Little Steve, but from several other old acquaintances you meet inside. Two hours slip by, and when you finally check in at the hotel across the street, you feel a warm glow from the combination of spirits and small talk at Steve's. Yes, Greg. Settling back in the bed, you'll reflect that your surprise homecoming is a pleasant one, and somehow you're due for a change in luck. The very next morning as you step from your shower, there's a phone call to suggest that your hunch might be right. Hello. Greg Fallon? Yeah? Imagine, after all the... Do you know who this is? Why, uh, I'm not sure. Mrs... Morris. Mrs. Morris. Oh, sure! You live up on the hill. You were a friend of mom. Friend, indeed. Your mother was my very dear friend, Greg. And now that you're in town, I do want to see you. Well, sure, Mrs. Morrison. I'd like to see you, too. Uh, could you say about eight o'clock? Oh, I think so. I'll be looking forward to talking to you again, Greg. It's easy. Yeah, ten years. Oh, thanks for calling, Mrs. Morrison. I'll see you tonight. Goodbye. Bye. Oh, Lady Morrison. Loaded with dough, is that remember? Will I be there? Will I be there? Huh? Who is it? Oh, Steve Janaka, say. Where you go, huh? Calling in Mrs. Morrison. Yeah, how'd you know? Uh, well, Steve knows what goes on in Twin Pines. Come on. I don't want to make you late. Can we still cut across this lot? Same as ever. Oh. You don't join being back, eh, sir? I sure am. Say, uh, Steve, you... You meeting somebody? Huh? It's pretty dark, but I think there's somebody up ahead by the trees. I... The shot from a gun. There was somebody by the tree. Yeah. That's okay. They're gone. Close, huh? But why all this? Some homecoming. Who would want to be shooting at us, Greg? At you? I don't know, Steve. I haven't any idea. I guess my reception's getting a little warmer than I ever expected. Do you believe in magic? Whether you do or not, here are some tricks that will open your eyes. The ingredients, one car, your car, and some signal ethyl gasoline. Combine the two. Then jump behind the wheel and let your accelerator foot take over from there. As you pull away from the curb, you'll feel magic, and the way signal ethyl pep propels you forward. As you point your car up hills that used to call for shifting, you'll hear magic in the way signal ethyl transforms pings into purrs. And when you start your car on cold morning, you'll see it spring to life instantly, as if touched by a magic wand. Want to know the secret of this driving magic? Signal ethyl, the premium quality of Signal's famous go farther gasoline, is engineered to bring out the best in any car. So you don't have to be a magician to enjoy magic performance like this. All you have to do is drive into a signal service station and fill up with Signal ethyl. It's a puzzling, terrifying situation, isn't it, Greg? Your chance to visit your hometown after the accidental killing of a gambling companion on a train. Everything was going beautifully, with old friends welcoming you, showing pleasure at your return, until... until a few minutes ago while passing through a vacant lot on your way across town to old Mrs. Morrison's. You were almost the victim of a mysterious gunman, weren't you? Yes. And now arriving at Mrs. Morrison's, it's still on your mind, as you wonder who tried to take your life. Mrs. Morrison smiles as you enter, rises to greet you, and then... Surprise! Oh, Greg, you are surprised, aren't you? Why, it's wonderful, Mrs. Morrison. Go on, meet them all, talk to them. Your old boyfriends from school, your best chums, and even an old girlfriend or two. Yes, so I see. You move about the large living room, greeting many of the guests, wondering as you do which one tried to kill you. Because you reason it must have been that way, only Mrs. Morrison, Steve, and the people at the party knew you were coming here. It had to be someone in this room, because Steve was with you and the shot was fired. Someone, Greg. But who? You talk to them all, wondering and asking, and then Doris Edwards. Odd how you somehow end up in the garden with her, isn't it? Or is it so odd, Greg? Well, Doris, it's been a long time. Uh-huh. Three husbands ago. Free and clear now? Quite. My last husband, Roger, got the flu. A very bad case. He died? He died. Roger? Roger? Oh, you don't know him, an out of towner. Oil and bonds. He left me some money. Oh? I noticed you were puzzled by all those people inside. I mean, you almost seemed to be wondering why some of them were here. Oh, no, I was just curious about them, I guess. It's been so long. I didn't know I had that many friends. I don't think you have. I don't think very many of us have, Greg. You know, Edith acted strangely, almost as if she was afraid of me. Edith? Maybe you'd rather she were out here with you. Oh, no, I'm sorry. Doris, it's just that I... Don't skip it. And if you must know, Edith acts strange all the time. Ever since, well, since her sister was killed. Her sister? Nearly ten years ago. Just about the time you left town. Laura? Yes, George Winton's wife. She was murdered. They found her body behind the depot. People talked about it for years. I guess that's one date they'll always remember. December 2nd, 1940. December 2nd? Well, that's the night I... You what? Nothing. Funny I never heard about it. I didn't know Laura was dead. Can't we get back on a more pleasant subject? What? Oh, not now, Doris. I really think I should go inside. Mrs. Morrison might be wondering about me. You know something. I'm wondering about you myself. All right, come on. To be continued. Edith. George. Oh, oh, Greg. Leaving the party so early? Well, yes. Without saying goodbye. Oh, may I have this? Here, what are you doing? Give me my purse. One minute, baby. Just want to have a look. Well, at 38. Give me that. Take it easy. One bullet fired. Recently, too. Why'd you try to kill me tonight? Kill you? I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, yes, you do, sweetheart. She got the idea in that pretty little head of yours. I murdered your sister. Well, I've got news for you. I didn't even know about Laura, what happened to her until a few minutes ago. You're lying. You knew about us, didn't you? About our little romance behind George's back. Yes. Yes, and I know she was with you the night she was killed. Well, if you were so sure, why didn't you tell the police? They could have found me. I wasn't hiding. I didn't want to disgrace her memory. That wouldn't have brought her back. Besides, I always knew you'd come back someday. You figured you could take care of me by yourself. Yes. You're wrong, Edith. The last time I saw Laura, she was mad, but very much alive. I'm supposed to believe that. I can prove it. If Ole Mr. Mayberry is still ticket agent at the railroad station, is he? Well, yes. Well, Laura was with me when I bought my ticket that night. And we never left the station until I got on the train. Mayberry knows that. I see. Here. Here's your gun. Still loaded. Go ahead, pull the trigger. What? Greg. Oh, sure. Run on home like a good little girl, huh? Forget it. You know, Greg, that was quite a party Mrs. Morrison gave for you. Yeah, real nicely, old doll. I must say I was rather surprised. I expected tea, got scotch. Well, she likes her spirits. Say, uh, George Winton still live out this way? About three blocks from me. Why? I was just thinking. Maybe I'll have you drop me off there, say hello. Oh, not that guy. I thought we... Only for a few minutes, baby. You can wait for me. Oh, that's better. All right. Surprise to see me, George? No. Not exactly. I heard you were in town. So here, sit down. Thanks. I only dropped in for a minute. I just heard about Laura. Oh, what a shock. Yes, yes. Seems I was probably the last person to see Laura alive. Outside of the murderer, that is. What? Yeah, I had a date with her the night she was murdered. You... Oh, then it was you she was... Me? Yeah. Sit down, George, relax. I'm gonna fill you in on some facts. Yeah, I'm the guy that she was playing around with. Oh, why are you telling me this now? Is this the reason you came back to Twin Pines? Uh-huh. I thought I didn't find out what happened to Laura until Mrs. Morrison's party. And I learned that Laura was killed the very night I left. Not long after she saw me off on the train. I got to thinking, George. I remembered seeing a guy hanging around the depot. You. Me? Well, that's ridiculous. No, no, no. I saw you all right while I was telling Laura goodbye. And I remember how glad I was I was leaving. I knew you'd have a scene with Laura. Apparently you did. A violent one. No, no. No, I tell you you're... Come off it, George. Laura told me many times you were beginning to suspect her. She even wrote me letters suggesting we changed our meeting place. She was afraid you'd kill her if you found out about us. She wrote all that down in her letters. I still haven't. What are you gonna do with it? Well, I suppose I could turn them over to the police, huh? Tell them what I know. But then it just so happens I find myself temporarily pressed with some ready cash, George. Do you suppose you could advance me a couple of grand? Oh, that's it, no. No, I won't do it. You won't get a cent. Bank opens at ten. Just slip a few bills in an envelope and drop it off for me at the hotel, huh? Morning, George. Just received your contribution. Thanks. And by the way, you're still in the real estate business, aren't you? Yes. Good. I've decided to settle here for a while, so I'll need a modest little place to call home. Find me something, will you? Now, look, I don't want to... I don't care what the red is. I'll leave that up to you. Good. You know when I decided this morning about renting you were the first man I thought of? Yeah, I'm giving you the business, George. The following afternoon, you move into a small cottage on a quiet side street. It's not exactly what you had in mind, but George explains it's only temporary. And so you begin your new life in Twin Pines. In the days that follow, you find yourself spending more and more time with Dorothy. And then one evening is the two of you are dancing at the fashionable Lakeview Lodge. You know something, Greg? You haven't told me yet what you do for a living. Haven't I? The way you throw your money around. Hey, you wouldn't have to own an oil well or two by any chance. Sorry, no. Disappointed? Ah, not me. I wouldn't care if you didn't have a nickel. I have changed, haven't I? Well, I hear your dear depart had left you with a hundred grand in a bank. A hundred and twenty-five, to be exact. What are your plans, Greg? I don't know. I'll look around. Maybe find something worthy of my varied talents here. Oh, dear. I'd rather hope we'd move out of Twin Pines after we got married. Married? Yeah, well, this is so sudden. I hadn't expected a proposal. Well, you're getting one. How am I doing? Twist my arm. All right. Like this. You, uh, you talk me into it, baby. It's fantastic, isn't it, Greg? The way things have turned out. The breaks that have come your way since your return to Twin Pines. First, George Winton. And the opportunity to shake him down for some easy money. And now you're making plans for your marriage to Dorothy, perhaps the wealthiest woman in town. Yes. Things are going very well for you, aren't they? That is until one afternoon when you run into George on the street and he asks you up to his office. Well, George, what's on your mind? Wondering how you arrived in Twin Pines, Greg. You come up by train? No. No, as a matter of fact, a friend of mine gave me a lift. He was on his way south. What are you getting at? Happened to bump into Fred Jessup last night. One of the conductors on the line lives here in town. Jessup? Jessup? I never heard of him. Probably not. He's only lived here a few years. He was telling me about a murder that happened on the train the night you got here, Greg. Seems the police have a few leads on the case. Really? Yes. See, Jessup saw a man hurrying away from the murdered man's compartment. A man had been playing cards with the victim earlier in the evening. Well, good for Jessup. Two other passengers on the train told the police they'd been in the card game with the victim and this other man. They'd left them in the compartment quarreling. So? What's all this got to do with me? Jessup described the man to me. He can identify him without question. His description fits you perfectly. Me? Come on, come off it, George. Would you be willing to face Jessup with the police present? Now look, George, you're trying to hang something on me and I don't like it. So lay off. If you don't, I'm likely to get sore, good and sore. Maybe I'll tell the cops about your killing Laura. Maybe that's what I want you to do. What? Your relief to get it over with. I don't suppose you to understand. Ten years I've been living with this horrible thing that I've done. You're not making sense. You stick your neck in a noose? Yes. And I take you along with me for blackmail and murder. The murder of that man on the train. Oh, yes, yes, Greg. I'd see to it you got what you deserved. You ought to blame for what happened to Laura if you'd only left her alone. So now it's my fault, huh? I want you to get out of town, Greg, tonight on the 704. If you're not on that train when it pulls out, so help me. I'll go to the sheriff. You haven't got the nerve. Haven't I? I'm warning you. This is your last chance. Get out of town tonight or you'll regret it, Greg. That's all I've got to say. He means it, doesn't he, Greg? He'll turn himself in and you, too, if you don't leave Twin Pines tonight. Still, there's Doris. You don't want to leave her and her money. Back at the cottage, you pace the floor wondering what you must do. By nightfall, you've reached a decision. You take the 45 automatic out of your suitcase, slip it into your pocket, and hurry downtown to George's office. The lights are still on. You hurry around to the parking lot in the back and in the shadows, you wait. Hello, George. Oh, Greg. What are you doing here? I decided not to take your advice. I'll settle things my own way. What are you doing with that gun? Gonna hop in your car, go for a little ride, George. No, wait, Greg. You're gonna have an accident. I haven't decided exactly what it's gonna be. Listen, Greg, I was bluffing. I was just trying to scare you out of town. That's all. I swear to you, I'll never say a word. Sorry, George. You catch him as he slumps forward and drag him into his car. In a few minutes later, you're racing down the highway toward his house on the outskirts of town. As you near the train crossing, you hear it in the distance. The 704, Greg. In a few minutes it'll round the bend, reach the crossing. That's it. The train. Yeah, it's a perfect setup, George. You're a little accident. You park the car on the tracks, stall it with the key, left in the ignition, ease George in behind the wheel, and then hurry off into the darkness. A hundred yards away, you turn and wait. A quarter of an hour later, you're back at the cottage and your hand is shaking as you unlock the door and step inside. You stand there for a moment in the darkened room and a shiver runs through you. The room is as cold as ice. You turn on the lights and then the wall heater. Stand before it, rubbing your hands. Finally, when the chill has left you, you pour yourself a stiff drink. Settle down in the easy chair. It's done, isn't it, Greg? George Winton will never bother you again. Hello? Hello, darling. I'm just about finished packing. I haven't changed your mind about marrying me, have you? Of course not. I ought to warn you though, Doris, I'm only marrying you for your money. Well, there's plenty of it and it'll last us a long, long time. We'll have fun, Greg. Lots of fun. Sure, Doris. I'll be over in about half an hour to pick you up. Will you be ready? Ready and waiting, baby. Everything is swell now. From the outside, all automobile batteries look pretty much alike, but it's what's inside that counts. And inside new signal-deluxe batteries is an engineering advance so drastically different, so vastly better. It has been called the greatest battery improvement in 20 years. I'm talking about signal's microporous all-rubber separators, which hold twice as much acid solution between the plates. As a result, signal-deluxe batteries assure drivers two big advantages. One, up to 35% more power for quicker cold weather starting and to take care of the many electrical devices on today's cars. And two, such long life, signal guarantees these rugged batteries for a full 30 months on the road. That means extra low cost per day. Even lower when you consider the trade-in allowance signal dealers are giving for old batteries and liberal credit terms are available. So play safe. To be sure of dependable, trouble-free performance now and for a long time to come, get today's extra long life battery, the signal-deluxe battery. The town of Twin Pines was shocked about the accident. About the news of George Winton's tragic death there. But hardly anyone, other than the sheriff, knew about still another tragedy at the cottage where Greg Fallon had been living. The cottage owned by Steve Janakos, who had been hurriedly summoned by the sheriff. What happened, Sheriff? Well, Doris Edwards came by here to pick up Greg Fallon, found him in that chair over there unconscious. Unconscious? Yeah. The gas heater wasn't lighted, but it was. Oh, my, that's terrible, Sheriff. I feel like it's my fault, too. All my fault. Yeah, I've heard you've had trouble with that heater blowing out before. Yes, yes. That's why I told George Winton not to rent the house until I put in a new heater. Uh-huh. But George said it would only be for a little while. He promised me. He promised me he'd warn Greg about the heater. Well, it doesn't look like he did. A man who's been warned about the gas heater blowing out doesn't leave it turned on full blast and go to sleep. I shouldn't think so. Maybe George didn't warn Greg. Maybe he had a reason for wanting him dead. Dead? Greg is dead? Yeah. Got a call from the hospital just a few minutes ago. Greg Fallon was dead on arrival. You know, Steve, it's kind of weird the way things work out sometimes. What do you mean? Oh, just this. Doris arrived here soon enough to save Greg's life. But she couldn't get him to the hospital in time. The railroad crossing was blocked because of the train accident that killed George Winton. Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program, the Whistler, each Sunday night at this same time. Signal has asked me to remind you that for many boys in the service away from home, for many underprivileged children, for many families less fortunate than you, this Thursday will be a happier Thanksgiving day. Thanks to your gift to the community chest. Featured in tonight's story were Bill Foreman, Gerald Moore, and Marlo Dwyer. The Whistler was produced and directed by George W. Allen, with story by Adrian Jaundau, music by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. Whistler is entirely fictional, but he's not the only one. Whistler is entirely fictional, and all characters portrayed on the Whistler are also fictional. Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Remember at this same time next Sunday, another strange tale by the Whistler. Marvin Miller speaking for the Signal Oil Company. Stay tuned now for our Miss Brooks starring E. Varden, which follows immediately over most of these stations. This is CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.