 In just a moment auto light presents suspense starring Margaret O'Brien Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh. Why hap hap That's not the way to sing her off a Thanksgiving day. What are you telling me Harlow Wilcox? Why I don't know hap. This is the way it goes today Over the river and through the woods and never mind the snow Grandpa is happy with his jalapie his batteries never low over the river and through the woods blow high he wins blow low The cars as snappy as grandmine pappy with an auto light stay full, you know But Harlow, you see hap auto light stay full batteries have changed a lot of things today Harlow isn't anything sacred anymore. It's Thanksgiving day. Let's listen to Margaret O'Brien on suspense Suspends and its 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's outstanding theater of thrills starring tonight Miss Margaret O'Brien in Anton leader's production of the screaming woman a Tale well calculated to keep you in suspense I'm Margaret Leary, and I've got to tell you how it happened. It was Thanksgiving day, and it was nice and sunshine Almost like summer except cooler Mama was cooking the turkey and I was watching and mama said to me good heavens I forgot your aunt Cynthia's made some cranberry relish for us run over and get it Margaret So her feelings aren't hurt and hurry this turkeys down to a turn So I ran to aunt Cynthia and on the way back. I took a shortcut through mr. Kelly's lot It's a big lot more like the side of a hill that slides down to Monument Creek It's a swell place play Indians and cowboys or explorers are hunting for treasures because trucks them all kinds of stuff there Loads of dirt and junk and even big things like old cars and big pipes and chunks of concrete Well this day coming back from on synthies. I saw that a lot of new junk and dirt had been dumped there since Saturday They've even covered up our swell big concrete pipe that us kids called our fort covered it clear up I was looking around to see where it used to be when all of a sudden I Stopped and listen the sound was coming up out of the ground He was buried under the junk and dirt and glass and she was screaming all wild and horrible for somebody to dig her out I started to run. I fell down and got up and ran some more It was an awful awful long way to our house that day Margaret haven't I told you not to slam the door is that the relish listen mama There's a screaming woman in the lot wash your hands Margaret. She was screaming and screaming and screaming Mama listen to me. We've got to dig her out. She's buried under tons and tons of dirt I'm sure she can wait till after dinner. Oh next year. I swear. I'm going to buy a bigger platter Mama, don't you believe me? You've got to believe me Margaret. I've got a million things to do Good gosh. Look at you. How'd you get your knees so dirty? We're running back from the lot. I never mind scoot and tell your dad. We're about to eat He's in the front room reading his paper. Yes mama Daddy, oh daddy, I've got to tell you something Daddy, there's a screaming woman in the lot I never knew a woman who didn't mmm smell that turkey. We've got to pick get picks and shovels and dig her up Like for an Egyptian mummy. Oh daddy. I don't feel much like an archaeologist today Margaret I can't think of anything but food. Let's have an expedition next Sunday and dig her up But we can't wait that long. Oh daddy should die if we don't do it now. I'll give you some money So it's a business proposition How much do you pay by the hour? I've got five whole dollars. It took me a year to save Tell me a point You know, I'm touch. Oh, but daddy I want me to play with you and you're willing to pay me for my pie Wait here. You're shaking calm down. Oh daddy, please. Thanksgiving dinner. I'll come out and listen to your screaming woman How's that? Oh no now daddy Maybe she'll die if you don't come out now who you've got to come now Margaret If you believe me, you wouldn't wait. You never believe me. Mama doesn't believe me. Nobody believe me. Quiet down right this minute Oh, I not only won't go with you, but you go to your room and stay in without your Thanksgiving dinner How is that clear? Yes, sir. It's clear. I Always like Thanksgiving almost next best to Christmas, but that was an awful one Dinner was a million years long Everybody moves so slow like a slow motion movie Forks and knives and spoons move slow and dad's cheek muscles move slow when he chewed Try to make things faster Margaret you heard your mother now don't eat so fast, but daddy the screaming woman We've got to hurry my dear young lady. This is Thanksgiving dinner an occasion when we do not hurry I intend to eat four or five helpings of everything until I can't eat any more And I'm going to make an extra effort and find room for pumpkin pie to all nut Update please please daddy pastor me anymore if you mention her again this screaming What's this? I won't go out with you to hear a recital at all I don't stood. Yes, sir. It's understood. I Wanted to yell oh, please rush get up run around come on hurry But I had to sit still Well out there in the lot with the sun shining down all alone with nobody to hear or to help her was the screaming woman I could hear in my mind screaming Mom and daddy couldn't hear they just kept on eating and talking Well now that I can be thankful for a full stomach I guess we should consider what other things we have to be thankful for Well, we're all healthy prices are sky-high, but we're not in debt yet Those are mundane things my dear I'm thankful for my big daughter, right first. Yes, dad And for my loving wife who is still the most romantic woman. I know who's silly I'm thankful. I didn't marry somebody else You nearly married Dora Lampell even gave her a ring. I never meant a thing No one No You're the only one who's been the serious competitor since we were all kids There's only one one other Helen Nesbitt Yeah, Helen was my first love when she was about as old as Margaret I gave her a present one Christmas and she gave me one. I still have it. Oh that paperweight on your desk Funny how we hang on to things that were important when we were kids daddy Just a little longer Warm up my coffee. What are you there? You know what? I'm thankful for dear seriously That we stayed here in this same town where we grew up Here you are dear Same friends even the same street. Hmm. It's been a peaceful life Not very exciting, but daddy Margaret finds it pretty exciting. Yes, you better take her out in the lot before she collapses There is your screaming woman. Lead me to her Where I fought used to be for the big concrete pipe. It's all covered up now Kelly's really getting the slot filled in All right, where's the lady? Right about here daddy. Listen, you'll hear a thing Except the wind better button up your sweater push Listen, that's the trolley over on Aspen Street. Hey there looks like the Dolans are starting out for a drive Well, I guess your screaming woman's let you down for us, but she was here daddy Right under here where they dumped all this dirt. I heard her screaming and screaming like she was underneath the Ford Somebody's dumped tons and tons right on top of our Ford. Yeah, too bad. They buried your Ford Margaret I saw two of Kelly's big trucks back in here last evening. There was a dump truck in here this morning, too It isn't because they covered the Ford. I must be your screaming woman doesn't like grown-ups Only delivers her solo for kids again. Maybe she can't scream anymore Well, I'm going back and take a nap. Let my dinner settle. Well, aren't you going to help me dig now? Listen, my dear, don't you think this is a sort of a silly game, but it's not a game. I don't stay too long there Mama probably like some help with those dishes daddy daddy No, I heard you scream. I know it. Oh Darn darn darn You're still there. Why did you scream before? Why didn't you scream so daddy could hear you? Don't just scream for me. I can't help you all by myself We feel your head please dad. Well, you've got a fever. You're going to lie down young lady We can't leave it down there dad. We just can't come on into your room It's awful dad lie down Come on. She'll choke where there isn't any more air and she'll die Now you're going to lie down the rest of the afternoon before you make yourself sick. No, I've got to dig I've got to dig her up comic books you read now. I forbid you to leave the house Close your eyes now and take a nap My good girl I'm going to do what am I going to do? For suspense auto light is bringing you miss Margaret O'Brien in radios outstanding theater of thrills suspense You're gonna give me another auto light stay full battery Thanksgiving song. No, not me Hap. No, no Surrey my Cornelius I'm going to tell a Thanksgiving story. It's a fable couldn't be anything else if you told it Now listen to this my trigger-tongue trooper last year at this time my car called me out to the garage Quite a car too Hap once a year. She overhauls me Wow and on Thanksgiving day too. Harlow She said I have an empty feeling and I'm so confounded thirsty all the time I think you ought to do something about it I'd like to end up Thanksgiving day with that fine full feeling that lulled you to sleep as soon as the Mince pie disappeared Well, how am I pretty says I can always be accomplished easy. She chimes I need to switch to an auto light stay full battery. Why with an auto light stay full battery I'll never be thirsty and if you use me normally I'll need only three drinks a year What's more with the oversized electrical capacity and fiberglass insulation of that auto light stay full battery I'll have more power stay lively longer and save you time trouble work can worry and Harlow for a fellow as lazy as you are think what all this means Well when she came up with all those points in my favor I hurried I hastened I hurdle till I was exhausted and by Christopher I got an auto light stay full battery and gave it to Clarissa. I called my car Clarissa Thanksgiving morning. We took a spin and I could tell she was happier than a penguin with skis It sounds like Harlow in Wonderland. Well now let's get back to Margaret O'Brien and the screaming woman And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Miss Margaret O'Brien as Margaret in the screaming woman a tale well calculated to keep you in After a while I stopped crying I Had to get back to the lot where that woman was screaming I was locked in I tied his sheet to the bed and let it out the window and chinny down to the ground Then I ran to the garage and got shovels and ran to the empty lot Some was almost down and it was getting cold. I started to dig fast It was Dippy Smith who was 10 years old the same as me he goes to my school What you digging for for a screaming woman? She's down in the ground and I'm going to dig her up. You can help me dig There's an extra shovel. I don't hear nothing. I don't dig unless I hear a scream then listen. I Don't hear nothing Just wait you will There did you hear it? Hey, that's okay. Do it again. Do what again the screen do it again Go on give you this egg. You teach me to do it Dog did you get that ventriloquist book for a diamond from that magic company? You got one of those ten things in your mouth I won't tell unless you help me dig Okay, swell give me the shovel Dog and and you got to dig fast like this Dippy Made her up a name. Oh sure Her name is Wilmish Weigar and he's a rich old lady a hundred and sixty years old And she was buried by a crook named Spice. Come on Dippy dig. There's a woman buried here Well sure you said so Maggie. Oh, don't you believe me? I wasn't throwing my voice come back Dippy I'm gonna dig in. Hey, there really is a woman here. That's what I told you. Come on. Let's dig How's she breathing? Do you think I I think she's in the fort? Remember I still hear what you kids think you're doing I'm tired of chasing you out of this lot. If one of you gets hurt it Maybe your folks would sue me, but mr. Kelly. There's a woman screaming You kids beat it. Do you hear? Yes, sir, but listen mr. Kelly. Don't you hear? I don't hear a thing and neither do you now now beat it Mr. Kelly somebody's got to dig her up. Don't argue with me or I'll phone your folks This is my property. Do I have to put up a fence? Why should I spend money to keep people off my own property? Dippy, it's him. He's the one, huh? He murdered mrs. Kelly. He hit her on the head and stuck him in the fort and dumped loads of dirt on top But she wasn't dead. She came to why you saw him? He stood right there when she screamed wouldn't pay any attention. Hey, that's right He stood right there and lied to us What do we do Maggie? There's only one thing to do well phone the police and tell them to come and arrest mr. Kelly Oh Hey, they sure got here fast, baby. Shh. Don't make a sound Kelly in the house Yes, he went right home from the lot mr. Kelly. Yes, and what can I do for you? Is mrs. Kelly at home this evening? Why sure. Can I see her sir? Why sure hey Anna? What's up? You got a call? Oh? Good evening, ma'am. Oh, I'm sorry folks. We got a call that mrs. Kelly was buried alive in an empty lot So I like some kid calling, but we ought to make sure Always checking off. Yeah, I can't It's those blasted kids if I ever catch them as break their necks Maggie. Geez it mr. Kelly telephones my dad I'll get a lickin. What do we do about the screaming woman? What a heck with her? I'm not going near that lot again wait tippy, huh? I know why he didn't hear the screams Kelly sort of death. Mama says he's hard of hearing He heard us didn't he heard the cop he reads people's lips But he couldn't hear the screaming woman because he couldn't see her if he come on We got to dig some more no sir. Oh, we've got to we're all ready to pick up trouble over your darn old ventriloquist boys I'm not going to get any more trouble. No sir And he went off and left me alone. I Wanted to crawl down under the ground with a screaming woman and died too It was dark now and dad would be hunting for me if he found me I get a licking and be put to bed, and then nobody would help the screaming woman at all There was only one last thing to do So I did it to go all over the neighborhood from house to house and find out who's missing Hello, dear. Hello, Mrs. Griswold. Is anybody missing from your house? Is your sister from Detroit still here? Yes, she's sitting right over there by the radio. Don't you see her? I only wanted to see her Mrs. Griswold I was just wondering. I just wanted to know if she was here Hello, Mrs. Pikes, you're looking good. I'm glad to see you're at home Mrs. Pikes. I'm awful glad Mr. Hyde is your wife still here? Dora, aren't you out pretty late Margaret? Yes. Oh, hello, Mrs. Hyde What is it Margaret? I just wanted to see you Mrs. Hyde. That's all The hours were just rolling along and I rang bells and knocked and I rang bells I was about to give up when I came to the Nesbitt's house The house was quiet like nobody was at home, but I saw a dim spooky light inside somewhere So I just kept knocking and knocking. Oh What do you want? Oh nothing, Mr. Nesbitt. I only wanted to see Mrs. Nesbitt. She's not here She's gone to the store at night besides it's closed today. I think the drugstore down on Clark Street Oh, well, then she ought to be back pretty quick. I'll come in and wait. Hey wait a minute. I'll just sit down here and wait I sure like this rocking chair Go right ahead and do whatever you were doing, Mr. Nesbitt. I wasn't doing anything Oh, looks like you were packing or something with all those boxes and trunks around Going away. Oh Helen's been sorting things out getting rid of a lot of stuff. Oh Burning it up in the fireplace. Yeah, that's right Dad always burns our junk out in the alley Clown smell awful when they burn. Look here Helen may have gone on from the store to visit a friend Well, if she doesn't come back soon, I'll leave. Yeah, I'll tell you we're here What do you want to see her about? Oh nothing much. Hey, that's too bad. What I guess you lost the key to that box You had to break the lock. No, no, it was broken already Yeah, I bet your folks don't know where you are kid. No, sir. They think I'm in bed What friend did Mrs. Nesbitt go to visit? Well, I don't know what I Mean look kid. I ought to tell you she won't be back tonight. Oh No, she went to the store like I said, but she was going from there over to Beachwood to visit her mother On a bus she'd be gone two or three days. Oh That's a shame. Why well mama was expecting Mrs. Nesbitt to come over tomorrow Maybe to sell you you better not tell your mother You see it's kind of secret about Helen going away. She she doesn't want people to know for a while. Oh You know how to keep a secret kid. I guess so I'll give you something for not telling now. I'll give you a reward Let's see Hey, here's something for a kid a doll a doll. Yeah, how long was gonna give me? I heard her say when she was sorting the stuff. She said I'll give this to the little leery girl Mrs. Nespot always calls me Margaret. Well sure. That's what she said Margaret It's quite a doll old-fashioned. It's made a lot of them faces China or something. Mm-hmm Thank You mr. Nespot. It's a reward for not saying anything about Helen being gone understand Now come on. I'll snap on the porch light. Mr. Nespot. Did you finish your driveway? What do you mean? Did you get all the dirt hauled off to make it smooth? Sure Sure now come on. I saw your dump truck in the lot this morning. And what do you mean? Were you in a lot this morning? No, no, I was at home. I looked out the window. Please mr. Nespot let go of my arm. You've been playing out there today Answer me. Oh don't that hurts. I wasn't playing. It's no fun now with our photo covered up the fourth What's that nothing nothing mr. Nespot tell me what you're talking about nothing, but that old concrete pipe You know something that's why it came here. You've been snooping around that lot and you found out something What do you know? I don't know anything. Let me go mr. Nespot. If you don't let me go out. I'll give you something else I'll give you something else Mr. Nespot yell because I kicked him bit his hand then I ran but I heard him running after me Quiet and scary on the streets and more scary out there in the lot I ran straight across the place where I heard the screaming And all of a sudden there was a man in the lot right in front of me stop Margaret. Oh Oh daddy Margaret where have you been you have any idea how your mama's worried? You know how late it is daddy daddy's after me We've been down alleys and clear down the Clark Street. I was about to call the police the screaming woman It's Mrs. Nespot down there. I'm going to give you a good lick. Mr. Nespot killed her and now he wants to kill me I had all of that idiotic talk I can stand. It's true. You've got to be Margaret I'm going to lick you right now right here. I've had enough What have you got there? What did you get that doll? Well, I gave it to a leery Kids stop by the house. I remember Helen said she wanted to throw it away Helen said to throw it away. He's lying dad. He gave it to me. So I wouldn't tell about her It was locked up in a box. He didn't have the key. He broke it open. She's a high-strung kid leery Well, it's not you telling me he's lying dad. Yes. He is lying Why are you lying charlie lying? How do you get that we're gonna never let you have that doll it was locked up It was a present. I gave her a long time ago. She wouldn't throw it away anymore And I'd throw away the paperweight. She gave me why are you lying charlie? I'm not They don't look at me that way leery as God is my witness It's her dad. It's the screaming woman as God is your witness Margaret run to the house phone the police and tell them to hurry tell them we've got to dig Daukeen the screaming woman isn't screaming anymore They've got a lot of people down there digging her up, and you know what else tippy they're going to uncover our fort again. Oh Dippy wasn't it a keen Thanksgiving and for a splendid performance. Miss. O'Brien will return in just a moment All right, stay full battery fable wasn't bad coming from a fairly fabulous Fibu. Ah, but you haven't heard all of it Hap why buy Cornelius Clarissa? That's my car spoke to me again this morning. Thanks to you She said and that auto light stay full battery. This has been the happiest year of my life. Why even these cruel cold mornings I've got that auto light pep that stay full battery get up and go Well Clarissa I says to my gas buggy You're the queen of the may the last with the delicate air and the pride of Wilcox alley all in one What do you want now my Thanksgiving precious and she says just to go to sleep out in the garage once again My Harlow you can even use my auto light stay full battery for a pillow happy slumber and good night everybody and remember auto light means batteries stay full batteries Auto light means spark plug ignition engineered resistor spark plug auto light means ignition systems the lifeline of your car And now here again is Miss Margaret O'Brien. It's been just wonderful being on suspense And I hope you let me come back again sometime. We will Margaret And now let me tell our listeners about next week Claude Reigns and Vincent Price in the famous mystery story the hands of mr. Ottermole another gripping study in suspense Margaret O'Brien appeared by arrangement with Metro golden mayor producers of the Technicolor picture the three musketeers starting Lana Turner Jean Kelly and June Allison tonight suspense play was by Ray Bradbury Adapted for radio by Sylvia Richards with music composed by Lucian Morawek and conducted by Ludbliskin The entire production was under the direction of Anton M leader In the coming weeks suspense will present such stars as Rosalind Russell James Cagney Ronald Coleman William Bendix and many others Make it a point to listen each Thursday to suspense radios outstanding theater of thrills and next Thursday Same time here Claude Reigns and Vincent Price in the hands of mr. Ottermole Ben show signing off. Good night switch to This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system