 Personal notice, dangerous my stocking trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. Standard Oil Company of California invites you to let George do it. In just a moment we'll begin tonight's adventure of George Valentine. You know, with spring right around the corner, now's a good time to put spring in your driving with a tank full of Chevron Supreme gasoline. It's the gasoline that gives you all eight high performance qualities in correct balance. Quick starting, fast warm up, anti-dock, vapor lock prevention, economy mileage, full power, smooth acceleration, and area blending. Yes, for all around performance, for all around driving pleasure, fill up with Chevron Supreme gasoline at standard stations and independent Chevron gas stations, where they say and mean, we take better care of your car. And now tonight's story, The Darkest Shadow, another adventure of George Valentine. Mr. Centner, I want you to make out my will. Your will? Yes, please don't ask any questions. Why, you're only a child. How old are you, 20, 21? Age doesn't make any difference. If you don't help me, I'll have to go to someone else. Now wait a minute. As your lawyer and executor of your father's estate, I have a right to know what this is all about. Lucy Randall, you're standing on the threshold of life. You're in love, engaged to be married, wills, death. What kind of thinking is that? Mr. Centner, please, please, you're not my psychiatrist. Please make out my will. Don't cross-examine me, I'm not on the stand. Lucy, stop this. I said stop this. Now Lucy, we can talk this over. You've always impressed me as a girl with both feet on the ground. What's the matter? I'm going to die in three days. Miss Davis? Miss Davis! Yes, Mr. Centner? Oh, I didn't know Miss Randall left. Here, incorporate these facts in a standard will form. Send one copy to Miss Randall and file the other. A will? For the young Randall girl? Yes, yes, file it. I'm sorry, I just seem strange. I didn't mean to bark at you, Miss Davis. You're quite right. It's more than strange. Will you phone that fellow, the one with the ad in the paper, George Valentine, and ask him to come in and see me as soon as he can? And you have no idea why the girl should talk about dying, Mr. Centner? No idea at all. And dying in three days? Why, three days? That's just it, Miss Brooks. Why? I checked with the Randall's personal physician. He says there isn't a thing wrong with her health. Uh-huh. The Randalls, they live in that big, one-eight place on some an old boulevard, don't they? That's right. Just Lucy and her older sister, Agnes. The father and mother have been dead for quite a number of years. Fine old family, one of the pioneer families of the city. Well, Mr. Centner, just how do you think we'll be able to fit into this? I don't really know, exactly. I thought I might take you along with me to the Randall home, so you're another lawyer, perhaps, an associate. You might be able to size up the situation better than I. Uh-huh. Well, that might be an idea. Don't you mention that Lucy's engaged to be married? That's right. Do you know the young man? Just by name, Bill Cabell. George, he might be able to throw some light on this whole mystery. Yeah, he might, at that, Brooksy. Well, look, suppose you try to locate him and sort of have a talk with him. All right. Mr. Centner and I will see you back here after we've seen the Randall sisters. Agnes, Mr. Valentine and I made this visit especially to see your sister. That's very kind of you. You have no idea what's behind Lucy's visit to Mr. Centner this afternoon. Don't you think someone ought to try and find out, perhaps be able to help her? I told you, gentlemen, Lucy is not feeling well. Yes, I know you told us. Agnes, you've ruled her sister's life pretty well, haven't you? I don't know what you mean by ruled. I've tried to take care of her. After all, I'm older than Lucy. Why did you rarely come here tonight, Mr. Centner? To help, of course. Father used to say you never did anything without a purpose. Your father was a very astute man. Agnes, Agnes, it's happened just as you said it would. The door locked and jammed. Lucy, my dear, we have visitors. Locked and jammed, you hear? Oh, Mr. Centner. Hello, Lucy. This is a friend of mine, Mr. Valentine. Mr. Centner, have you ever felt as if you were in a dream? Tried to open a door and you couldn't? You're a boy, Mr. Centner, I'm sure. Fingers are fingers at all. Agnes, Agnes, everything you said came true. You said I'd hear voices and I dared strange voices that no one else could hear. And that awful cold feeling that comes over me. Lucy, what are you talking about? Yes, Lucy, tell us about the things you feel in here. No, stop it, all of you! I think you two better leave. My poor sister's quite upset. She ought to rest. Rest a long time. Good day, gentlemen. Thank you, Miss Davis. You're sure there was nothing else in the fires in the Randall estate mansion? Yes, Mr. Centner. That was all. Well, I learned a lot and at the same time very little, didn't I? I told you there was nothing complicated or important about the distribution of the Randall fortune. One half to each sister. Lucy's well directed that her money go to specifically named charities. Farner died in a train accident eight years ago, along with some dozen other poor souls. Mother died 11 years ago in St. Catherine's after a lingering illness. I wonder what that lingering illness was, Mr. Centner. Huh? I guess we could find out by checking the records, but Mr. Valentine, I failed to see what good... George, I'm so glad you're back. All right, Brooks, you take it easy. Come on in, Bill. Yes, Miss Brooks. Bill? Oh, Bill Cabell, Lucy's fiance. Yeah. Lucy's fiance. Okay, Bill, let's have it. What's this all about? Well, it's Lucy, Mr. Valentine. I'm so crazy about her, I don't know whether I'm coming or going. She felt the same way about me, too. That isn't a... Go on, Bill. Until what? Until about two or three weeks ago. Mr. Valentine, she's changed so completely. She's so morbid and so emotional. Not at all like a real self. What happened two or three weeks ago? I'm not sure. If I didn't know Agnes so well. Agnes? Oh, well, it's ridiculous. Agnes is a swell person. Matter of fact, she used to be my girl for a while. In the series, we went to school together. Lucy was just a long-legged kid with braces on her teeth in those days. How did Agnes feel about your engagement to Lucy, Bill? Take a pink. Give a big party for us. Then what do you mean about Agnes? I... Well, I can't... This is no time to play gentleman, Bill. Well, I don't really know, Miss Rooks. Nothing tangible. It's just that when Agnes and Lucy are together, there's something ugly in the air. Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been trying to call Lucy all day. She won't speak to me. I don't know what to do, Mr. Valentine. I think I'm going to try and manage to see Lucy alone. What? Who are you? Hello, Lucy. Oh, it's you. Yes, I'm George Valentine, Mr. Sentinel's friend. Aren't you going to ask me to come in? Yes, yes, of course. Agnes isn't at home. She went out shopping. Yes, I know, but I wanted to talk to you alone. Can we go out to your room? Certainly, but... But what? I'm afraid of my room, Mr. Valentine. The door I could never open. It's something inside of my mind won't let me. You were here the last time it happened this afternoon, remember? My hand seemed to freeze and I can't move them. Did Agnes tell you something like that would happen? I don't know. Yes, but she always knows. She remembers everything Mother went through before they... They committed her to the asylum. Yes, the darkest shadow. That's what Agnes calls it. But how did you know that my mother... I checked and found out that St. Catherine's wasn't just a hospital. Can't you feel that awful cold that follows me? But it is cold in this house, Rosie. But Agnes told me she keeps the fires going full blast. She's never cold, but I'm always cold. Just like Mother was three days before... three days. First it was ten days, Mr. Valentine. Then seven, five. Wait Lucy, I'd like to take a look at this door. It does stick a little. It's not the door, it's me. Don't you understand, it's inside of me. Let's see this lock. That's funny. Agnes. Wax in the lock. If I could dig this out. I guess I'll have to get out of the other side. Yeah, let's cut it. This door won't jam again. Nothing metal about a piece of wax. Look what it's done to that poor child. What are you doing, Mr. Valentine? Oh, surprise. Agnes, he just wanted to talk to me. I couldn't help letting him in. I couldn't help it, honestly, sister. Mr. Valentine, you see what you've done to her by disobeying my orders. And I want you to leave this house. What I've done, Agnes? No, it's a lot of other things. Little things like this piece of wax. I never saw it before in my life. Get out of this house. I don't like snooping and prying. And tell Mr. Center he's not our lawyer anymore. Three days. Only three days more. Your sister needs help. Lots of help, Agnes. She needs nothing. No. Do you lose it? No. It's for your cooperation. Agnes, you must help me. Don't let anyone take me away. Use some control. But I'm acting exactly as my kid those last few days before they took her due. Lucy, you might still be down here, listen. Ever since you told me. You only did it for your own good. Stay up to date. I'll wait, knowing what's going to happen. No, he said I'm going mad at waiting for the sisters. They're staying by me. So help me, Agnes. I'll kill myself before I let them put me away. In just a moment we'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. You know, if you were to stop five cars on the road today, you'd find four being gradually chewed to pieces from the inside in a way their owners would never suspect. With your cars like most cars, a manufacturer installed an oil filter to strain out sludge and grip and keep them from going back into the engine. Oil filters don't require much attention, actually only once every 6,000 miles. Then it's time to get a new oil filter element. And unless you do, your oil filter becomes clogged and useless so the filter can't work any more than a vacuum cleaner can when the dust bag is jammed full. That's why it's a good idea to have your car saver check your oil filter element. If more than 6,000 miles have passed, your filter is full of dirt and sludge and due for a change. Car savers will be glad to install the Atlas Micronic filter element that's correct for your car. One more thing. Now's a good time of the year to be getting ready for warmer weather. So drive in soon for a friendly car saver checkup at any standard station or independent chevron gas station where they say and mean, we take better care of your car. A 20-year-old girl comes to her attorney and insists that he draw up her will immediately. The reason? None, except that she expects to be dead in three days. Well, you join the lawyer, Mr. Senthner, in trying to solve the mystery. But even if your name is George Valentine, all you seem to be able to find is that there's a deep and hidden secret between the girl, Lucy, and her older sister, Agnes. You and Bruxy have watched the Randall sisters go out for dinner and have sneaked into the gloomy and rambling old house. This way now, Bruxy. As here before, I noticed a big old-fashioned desk in the library. Sneaking into people's houses has been known to send people to jail. Yeah, but in this case, we can't afford to be too Swedish. Besides, if we get caught, we'll let Senthner do some work. And for all, we're in this thing because of him. Oh, I'd better pull a drape from here before we turn on the light. Yes, good idea. Thanks, Angel. Well, this may be as much of a dud as the other places we've looked in, but... Oh, great. Locked? Yeah. Maybe that's a good sign. Well, we shall use a little persuasion. Days of good honest wisdom, sir. I'm sure they'll think solid, don't they? Yeah, and bully the lamb, too. We'll try again. And again. Oh, God, I'm here. Well, you're so... Ah, very nice. Well, let's see. Apparently Alice is best. Thanks receipts. Folder on fur coat. Insurance policy. Lucy's birth certificate. Wait a minute. That's odd. What's odd? Lucy was born in Wilkins Landing. So odd. From what Senthner told me, I thought she was born right here in this very mansion. Come on, let's talk to our friend Senthner. No, Valentine, it doesn't make sense. Why should a rich woman like Mrs. Randall go to a small resort town and have her baby there when she couldn't have all the best care right here? I don't know, but there's the evidence. She had no family there, no friends? Well, Senthner, you do some more checking into this birth certificate business here in town. What are you going to do, Valentine? I know it's not the season for bathing, but Miss Brooks and I are going to take a train up to Wilkins Landing. Wilkins Landing. They don't wait until 10 o'clock to roll up the payments. They don't even put any down. That must be Dr. Withershouse. Yes, there's the shingling. Good, good. George, I still have a feeling we were followed on that train. Oh, now, Angel, look, you got a glimpse of a man in a long black coat with a hat pulled down over his eyes. It was the only one besides us who got off here, but we can't just go looking for him, can we? Well, bless my heart, strangers. Strangers, eh? Well, what can I do for you folks? I'm not a practicing doctor anymore. I've been retired for a year now. Keep that sign for old time's sake. Yes, well, I'm George Valentine, Dr. Withers, and this is my assistant, Miss Brooks. Hello. Glad to meet you, glad to meet you. I've got to see it twice, seeing there's two of you. Well, come in, folks. Come in. You'll catch your death of gold standing there. I wouldn't be tipping you off like that, but I'm not practicing anymore. Well, I'd like to make you folks some coffee, but my housekeeper is not here, and I'm all over. Yeah, well, that's quite all right, Dr. Withers. We're just here on a short business call. Yeah. About this versatility. This is your signature, isn't it? Eh, just a minute. You're putting my glasses on. Yeah, like it is. What about it? Then you brought Lucy Randall into the world. Yeah, well, I did that all right. Were you alone at the time, Doctor? No, the mother was there. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, well, that's not exactly what I mean, Doctor. I know what you mean, son. Yeah, there was a nurse. Well, my dowdy was her name. Was there anything strange about the birth, Dr. Withers? Oh, nothing strange. Perfectly normal natural birth. Was Mrs. Randall a patient of yours before then? Yeah, I reckon I'd better not talk about that. But, Doctor Withers, please, I can't go into all the explanations now, but believe me, it's very important that we know. Well, in 20 years, see no reason I shouldn't tell you. And I guess don't make no difference now. One of the strangest cases I ever had. It gave me a lot to think about for a long time after that. Go ahead, Doctor, please. That's the back door. Tarnation. Who could it be this hour of the night? I'll be right back, there, folks. Looks like we're on the right track, George. We're definitely on the right track. But what I suspect is true, ain't you? George! Dr. Withers, you stay here for a seat. Dr. Withers. Somebody shot me, young fella. See, Wilmer, dowdy. Dr. Withers will be all right, Angel. Oh, that's fine. But he won't be able to talk to anybody for at least a day, maybe more, and we can't take a chance on waiting. Wilmer, dowdy? Yeah, she's next. Let's hope we get to her before the man in the long dark coat. Sorry about Dr. Withers. Is that all you have to say, Mrs. Dowdy? I told you I know nothing about Lucy Randall's bed. It's of the utmost importance. You tell us what happened. It's of the utmost importance to me that I live. But I told you, you're in no danger. The sheriff has a man stationed right outside. He'll stay with you until this whole thing is cleared up. Now, look, you must realize there's a poor girl going mad, and you're the only one who can help her. I don't remember a thing. It's been such a long time, Wilmer. Mrs. Dowdy, you're a selfish woman who shut herself away from humanity so long that she's forgotten her other human beings. Human beings she owes something to. But look at that. And you listen to me. You've forgotten that you're a nurse. You once took a sacred oath. Perhaps you no longer remember the words, but you couldn't have forgotten the ideals. That isn't the point. That's the whole point. Here's a young girl only 20 years old. She's just starting in life, engaged to be married, happiness ahead of her. But Lucy's slowly but surely going mad, being driven mad. Did you see? It's Lucy who's going mad. Why, yes. Oh, tell me everything, Mr. Valentine. Everything. She has only a few hours of sanity left. So let's not waste time, Mrs. Dowdy. I never thought I'd tell anyone. Never. Only Mrs. Randall and Dr. Withers and I knew. One day Mrs. Randall came here to Wilkins Landing and gave Dr. Withers this proposition. I'm right here, Lucy. Why did you leave me alone like this? Where were you all night? For hours and hours I was here all by myself. I didn't leave this house at all. I told you I had a mild brain headache, Lucy. I was sleeping in my room. I locked my room because I didn't want anyone to disturb me. No, no, no, no. Early this morning I couldn't stand it any longer. I want your door. I pounded on it. I screamed for you. You're bleeding. You didn't do it on the door. You imagined it, didn't you? No. You imagined everything. Do you hear? No, let me go. Answer me. Yes. Maybe I did imagine it. I wanted to stay with you. But I'll have to be honest with you now. I talked to Mr. Senter and Mr. Valentine last night. That's where I went. I beg them not to send you away. But they wouldn't listen to me, Lucy. They're coming for you any minute now. No. I can't protect you any longer. I've tried, but I can't. Don't let the Magnus don't. They're going to lock you up, Lucy. Please. They're going to lock you up. Put you on a straight jacket, bind you hands and feet. And you won't be able to move. Won't be able to protect yourself, not even kill yourself. And you'll lie there day after day, night after night, just with a horror in your own mind. The darkest shadow. This is your last chance, Lucy. Look, Lucy. You see what's there? A gun. You can still save yourself. I'm afraid. I'm thinking only of you. Because you're my princess. I don't want to see you suffer as mother did. Suffer horribly, endlessly. Take the gun, Lucy. Go on. Take the gun, Lucy. Yes. It won't hurt. Just pull the trigger and it'll be all for a minute. Lucy. Don't come near me, Mr. Valentine. Stay away. Drop that gun, Lucy. Please, dear, please. No, I don't see it. Hold my finger. Don't come near me. Sorry, but you asked for it. I've got it. Good. I just, I just saved me. You're going to take me away. Nobody's going to take you away, dear. That's right. Now listen to me. Here. Look at this birth certificate, Lucy. You're not Agnes' sister. You're an adopted child. He's lying. Mr. Valentine, I don't understand. There's no insanity in your family, Lucy. Agnes has been trying to drive you mad. He's lying. Mrs. Dowdy told us the whole story. A young girl in Wilkins' Landing was going to have a baby and she couldn't take care of it. Stop that. Now you stop it. Mrs. Randall went to Wilkins' Landing and lived there six months waiting for the birth of this child. Only Dr. Withers and Mrs. Dowdy knew what she had in mind. When Mrs. Randall came back here, she passed you off as her own baby. No. But why did she drop the child five years after Agnes was born? Mr. Randall wanted her to. He knew from the time Agnes was a few years old that she could never be any stronger mentally than her mother. I'll kill you. I'll kill all of you. Oh, no. No, you aren't going to do anything to anybody, Agnes. I'll kill you. When we came into the house, there were muddy footprints in the hall. Those footprints led to a clothes closet. In there, we found a long, dark overcoat and a slouch hat. Oh, no. We also found a pair of shoes, muddy shoes. No. The same kind of mud you see on our shoes. That mud came from a little country load leading to Dr. Withers' house. Don't give me the lucky one. I'm like my mother. I'm like my mother. I'm afraid the last act will have to take place in Mr. Santman's office. Long before we could say that heavy-duty RPM motor oil doubles engine life, the time between major overhauls due to lubrication, there had to be proof hundreds of motor oils were tested in the laboratory and on the road. Atomically treated piston rings were installed in test cars to measure actual wear as it occurred. And now heavy-duty RPM users are sending in performance facts that back up every claim ever made. One cab company, for example, reports that heavy-duty RPM actually reduced engine wear in its cabs 71%. Salesmen and people like you and me are sending in similar reports. So why take chances? Get heavy-duty RPM motor oil for your car at independent Chevrolet gas stations and standard stations, where they say and mean, we take better care of your car. And you'll find attached here with the deposition from Dr. Wilbur Johnson, head of the state Lunacy Board. You're still in the rest, Miss Davis? Yes, Mr. Santman. And see that you take care of all the random papers that need not writing? I'll do that. Right away. Poor Aggie. The darkest shadow. Well, she'll be better off where she's going, Bruxy. After all, she did try to kill not only Lucy, but Dr. Withers. I still don't see why Agnes was so anxious to keep Lucy's true identity a secret. As the doctor tells me, she was jealous. Jealous of Lucy and of Bill. And I guess there were other motives, too. Well, we'd better get going. We don't want to be late for the wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Willem Cabell. Valentine, I'm very grateful for what you've done. And Lucy? Well, she insists she's going to name her first baby after you. Well, that's great. As a matter of fact, she wanted to do something for me, too, George. So I told her what to do. Yeah? She's going to throw the bridal bouquet where I can't possibly miss it. Am I being too subtle again there? Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard Oil Company of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west. Robert Bailey is starred as George with Virginia Greg as Brooksy. Let George Do It was written by David Victor and Jackson Gillis and directed by Kenneth Webb. Virginia Eiler was heard as Lucy, Loreen Tuttle as Agnes, Ted Osburn as Centner, Junius Matthews as Withers, Roland Morris as Bill, and Barbaralee Benton as Miss Davis. The music is composed and presented by Eddie Dunsteader, your announcer, John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, to Let George Do It. Let George Do It is heard overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is the mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.