 The signal oil program The whistler That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program 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 Yes friends, it's time for the signal oil program the whistler Rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history and Signal gasoline is tops to tops in quality. It takes extra quality You know to give you extra mileage and signal is the famous go farther gasoline So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies independently operated signals taken from Canada to Mexico and Now the whistler strange story telltale brand The small western community of Eagles nest once a gold rush boom town still full of interesting landmarks Silent reminders of a hectic glorious past had turned into a quiet peaceful center of small town trade and commerce From the gold nugget hotel at one end of its main street to the silver slipper saloon of the other a handful of men Laudan doorway stood chatting quietly on street corner a More careful observer, however could discover activity or at least some noise And it was taking place in the front office of the town's newspaper in the middle of the block Some of the leading citizens were there listening and the noise was being made by a tall man named Mark Melville Now you men run this place you mr. Betterley with one of the finest ranches in the west Henry Maloney here with his department store chambers in his newspaper. Mr. Conklin your boss. Look, mister We don't even know your name. He can't just walk in here. Let me finish and the names Mark Melville Let me tell you what happened to me. I have a good public relations business in San Francisco Two weeks ago. I suddenly got fed up wanted to rest a change Closed up the office stepped on to a bus ended up here. No particular reason. Just stepped off the bus You know what happened to me when I walked down your main street. I didn't see a broken town has been community. No, sir I saw a colorful saloon with swinging doors. I caught the excitement and gaiety that belongs with a place like this I'd like to see it that way again and one thing can do it publicity gentlemen publicity promotion Yes, put on a frontier week or an old timers week anything. We want to call it just something to bring people in from miles around 100,000 people within a radius of 75 miles. They'll come believe me. They will and they'll spend money too What if necessary? I'd like to fly back to San Francisco and get my own capital to start things rolling Oh, no, no, no if we ever do go into a thing like this, we'll pay our own freight What sort of things would we do mark why the stunts are endless We'd give it the works Western wise put on a rodeo a carnival have a stagecoach race ending up in the middle of town We'll make a rule. Maybe everybody wears a 10 gallon hat But we could even organize a vigilante committee anybody caught with his hat off gets his head dunked in the horse drop And Malbo how much would you want for your services? Oh If you insist on a business basis or you can give me a percentage of the overall take say you 10 15% have it your way 15% of this voice When can you get started why wait another minute? I'll go back to my hotel start setting things up right now Where are you going boy up to my room? I wouldn't bother. It's locked. I got the key. I'm not sure that I'm just I Know just what you're thinking. I wouldn't be surprised you're thinking when I stepped off that bus four days ago I was born exactly I Want you to do something mr. Davis? I want you to go to that telephone there pick it up call Chambers paper Mr. Better Lee there. I want you to ask for better Lee You know Jim better Lee came here to see him and not five minutes ago He talked me into a deal worth at least several thousand dollars Go on call it get him on the phone. I Insist mr. Davis tell better Lee what you think of Mark Melville tell him you don't want me in your hotel See what he has to say about it and about me well Here's your key mr. Melville Oh Mr. Melville, I'll bring your bag up right away. I locked it my office When you bring it up bring along a lunch menu going to be doing some work in my room It's amusing isn't it Mark how people can be impressed You've often thought that given the mean you could change a universe Only right now and for several thousand badly needed dollars You must concentrate on changing eagles nest Putting it on the map as you promise The next day you move your headquarters over to the newspaper office It's while you're at the typewriter pounding out the first publicity release on the Eagles nest frontier week that you met someone else Hello, hello, I'm Helen right I'm Mark. I know Mark Melville publicity genius gonna tell the world about eagles nest isn't it about time somebody did yeah That is my typewriter you're using oh Well, I'll be through in a minute use it Long as you like thanks You work here on the paper yeah Thrilling career bitter I Know the feeling What do you do about it? I? generally start looking around for Something new to take up my time Interesting idea usually works Like to discuss it sometimes Maybe Live close by no I live out about five miles Doing anything tonight Wasn't planning to Why don't you meet me here in town? I'm engaged to Jim better Lee Well, I guess that changes things yeah, I Better meet you out of town So now you have two things to amuse you mark the frontier week plans and Helen Soon you're seeing Helen every night late always meeting her out of town. So nobody will see the two of you together What a week or so later you begin to notice two things which disturb you first Helen is getting more serious and second her fiance Jim better Lee is Staring at you very curiously these days And then just before the frontier week open it all comes to a head After the final committee meeting Jim better Lee wait while the other members leave and then he comes up to you Alva oh Better Lee I want to talk to you Yeah, I Um, I suppose you want to be sure you've got the plan straight. I got them straight, but that isn't what I want to talk about No, no I Want to talk about Helen? Helen yeah, she's engaged to me that means I'm in love with and I want to marry her pretty soon What sure I hope you do but Melville all this stuff you're done for the town So far shows you got a lot of brains. You're pretty clever fellow. Just don't get too clever Look, I don't know what this is all about better Lee, but believe me. You've got nothing to worry about as far as Helen's concerned I'm glad you said that now though So don't forget it Jim better Lee walks out the door and you sit there at your typewriter thinking It doesn't take you long to make up your mind does it mark? One look at better Lee's face a few minutes ago has told you what would happen if he ever found out about you and Helen You're still sitting there at your typewriter Thinking about it when she walks into the newspaper office and comes over to you and suddenly she bends over you Helen not here Why not better Lee just left he might have seen you let him What I said and let him see me I'm tired of sneaking around meeting yotta town late at night. I Thought that was the way you wanted. I did it first. I thought I wanted to hang on to Jim then But now I know I don't Now I only want you Well as a matter of fact Helen I Want to talk to you about us. Yeah, I've been hoping you would darling. I don't think you understand mark You'll be leaving town after frontier week. Take me with you. I'm sick of this stupid little town Take me to San Francisco mark. We can get married there. Yeah, that's where we belong together I'm afraid not Helen What do you mean look we've had a lot of fun together, but Well things seem to have gotten a little beyond the fun stage So I think it would be best for all concerned if we just call it a day Call it a day Now let me get this real clear. Oh look, let's not you want to brush me off Helen Well, there's something you ought to know mark. I don't brush When there's something I want I hang on to it And if you think otherwise you're in for a lot of trouble trouble Look Helen. I don't like threats. This isn't a threat darling. It's a fact Jim better. He's got quite a temper Bluffing he's the last guy in the world. You tell is he I think I could explain things to him in a way that might look If you go to better Lee with a bunch of lies about us Helen, I'll tell him the truth And who do you think you'll believe me or you? Yeah, so do I and I know just what you're thinking that you could leave town right now and be in the clear Well, it wouldn't work Because once I told better Lee about us he'd follow you and he'd find you no matter where you went Don't think it over mark Better play it my way You'll be much safer much With the prologue of telltale brand the signal oil company brings you another strange story by the whistler Now that the holiday season is over most of us are settling down to some serious thinking about economy an Economy that's one place where signal the famous go farther gasoline shine Of course, if you've lived out West any length of time you already know that throughout the Pacific Coast states from Canada to Mexico Signal has an enviable reputation for mileage But mileage mind you is only half of signal story Just ask any driver who powers his car with signal gasoline You'll find he's equally enthusiastic about signals performance, which is only natural because good mileage and superior Performance go hand-in-hand both are the result of the extra efficiency today's signal gasoline coaxes from your motor That's why if you want to measure gasoline quality you will find your best yardstick is your speedometer It takes extra quality to go farther and remember signal is the famous go farther gasoline and Now back to the whistler It had been so simple at the start hadn't it marked so easy selling the citizens of Eagle Nest and the idea of a frontier week Celebration and you look forward to the day when it would all be over and you could ride out of Eagle Nest with three or four thousand dollars in Your pocket for masterminding the affair Yes, it was a perfect set up until you became involved with Helen Jim better leaves beyond say Now there's no telling how much trouble she'll make it She goes to better Lee with her version of what's happened and yet you can't leave town Not before you've collected the money that will be waiting for you at the end of the celebration You think about it in the days that follow and struggle to reach a decision Then frontier week open and you plunge into the thousand and one details of running the affair You manage to avoid Helen as much as possible And then on the night of the carnival as you wander around the ground you notice Helen at the distance She's with a stranger a man. You've never seen before and then as you watch them Oh Better Lee How's it going? How's what God why? Carnival pretty good. I want to talk to you a minute Melville. Well, I won't take long I want to get it off my chest. Why how come you're not making the rounds of the side shows tonight better Lee As I've been looking for you say I see you've got a friend to show Helen around Friend, yeah, I saw her with someone a few minutes ago. He's no friend. I've never seen him before Look Malbo Your vigilante's are doing quite a job better Lee that horse trough's got a lot of business. Yeah No, but quit changing the subject what I got to say isn't easy and I want to get it over with all right What is it last week you and I had a little talk remember? Yes, but I told you then I thought you and Helen have been seeing each other look better Lee the last couple of days I've hardly seen her and Now the night. She's with a stranger you Say you haven't seen her much lately now and Well Maybe I was wrong about you Melville. I Just want to tell you I'm sorry for shooting my mouth off the other day Why that's okay better Lee sure forget it It's difficult to hide your surprise and relief isn't it Mark? And now it looks like Helen has found a new interest the stranger Yeah Suddenly it seems that all your troubles are over doesn't it? It's almost two in the morning when you go back to your hotel room But then as soon as you close the door you see it the note on your pillow And as you read it you realize your troubles aren't over after all You tonight it doesn't matter how late I'll be expecting you it better not disappoint me Helen Well it looks like this is the showdown doesn't it Mark Ten minutes later you arrive at her house the shades are drawn But there's a light inside you open the door and go in Your eyes flick past the empty bottle on the table to Helen's sullen face He pokes silently at the coals in the fireplace with a poker and then straightens up and turns to you Decided to quit trying to hide from me, huh? Look, I haven't been trying to hide. I just wanted to get things straightened out in my mind Anyway, I'm sure your new boyfriend has kept you from getting too lonely boy for What are you talking about the guy you were with at the carnival? God don't make me laugh He was just in town for the celebration. I never saw him before tonight You always have made friends easily haven't you? You'll pay for that crack I Gave you a few things to think about the other day. Didn't I yeah, I've been thinking about them I've reached a decision. What is it come in the frontier week. I'm leaving town alone I Don't think you will I don't think you'll do anything about him will kill you when I tell him look a I don't think you have enough nerve to tell him be even if you do. I don't think you'll believe you now Forget it. You're gonna take me with you understand You're gonna take me with me to San Francisco. You must be out of your mind. You're too good for me, don't you? You think I'm just a small town hick Well, this is what I think of you. You shouldn't have done that I had something coming for a long time And I'm gonna stay away from me mark with that poker down. It's red hot mark Burn me Burn my chest with your little Moments later you're standing there in a daze bark staring at Helen's lifeless body on the floor Then at the angry x-shaped burn on your chest Finally your mind begins to clear you look around the room There's no sign you've been there and luckily you're almost certain nobody saw you leave your hotel You slip out the front door and look around there's no one in sight So you hurry back to your hotel room rip off your charred shirt and hide it temporarily in your closet Then you collapse on your bed The burn on your chest is throbbing painfully now, but you have no bandages or salve to put on it So you just lie there staring into the darkness and then finally just before dawn your eyes closed from sheer fatigue Yes, you're right away. Why? Yes, of course Uh Is anything wrong and you know what he means don't you mark Helen's murder? Probably this is just routine, but you've got to be on guard You put on a clean shirt and winces the cloth brushes against the burn Ten minutes later you walk into the sheriff's office With him are a circle of grim faced men Among them chambers Conklin and Jim better late the sheriff doesn't lose any time Questioning you where were you last night Melville last night why the carnival what time do you leave? Oh? Must have been almost to everything was closing up Why where'd you go after you left the carnival to my hotel room you leave your room at all after that no Look, would you mind telling me what this is all about some time between two and three this morning? Helen Wright was murdered Yeah, and I think you might have had something to do with it mobile Sheriff I'm getting sick and tired of this guy throwing nasty accusations at me two weeks ago He got the crazy idea. I was seeing Helen secretly even threatened me about it But you admitted to me yourself better leave that you were wrong just last night. Yeah, that was before I talked to Joe Merrill Joe Merrill Who's he drives a truck between here a little creek every night? He says he's seen Helen riding on the highway more than once lately the man. She was with look like you like me No, no better Lee Joe didn't make a positive identification. He said it was too dark Sheriff this whole thing is ridiculous Anyone that says I was ever with Helen is lying if I just had one little shred of proof now Well, just one little stretch you don't better Lee There's no case against Melville, and you know it Oh, there's no use arguing among ourselves if we could just locate that stranger and pick them up I got a strong hunt cheese our boy stranger You mean the man Helen was with at the carnival that's that yeah You think he might have been the one who killed it beginning to look that way Yeah Melville dropped out of sight drawing the night apparently left town. No trace at all of him I think maybe if we could only catch up to him. We'd find the brand Helen slapped on him brand yeah We found a poker and some charred bits of cloth on the floor beside her body Looks like she branded her killer Oh, I see look sheriff. I don't care what Melville says. I still think he's lying Listen, I think he was sneaking around trying to see Helen behind her back Maybe that's how it was. Maybe she refused to see him. So he killed her If I could just prove you'd been seeing her Melville better Lee. I I'm afraid that wouldn't prove much. What do you mean, Ed? Well, I have no particular friend of Melville's here, but All I say is if he was seeing Helen on the sly, he wasn't the first one. They're the only one What are you trying to say it Oh, I'm sorry better Lee, but well Helen Helen and I we were kind of running around together for a while too. That's a lie You keep all of this Helen and I had a few dates too Helen and you And Ed yeah I don't like to say this. Well, I guess it'd be the same with Ed as me Just as much Helen's ideas was ours. That's why I think probably it was this stranger that killed her Helen had sort of a Well, I I guess that's enough for now I'm sorry better Lee Melville, I don't think I'll need you anymore. You can go now The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime a brief weather forecast Winter rains ahead And every rain means more auto accidents Consider one out of every five deaths caused by autos occurs when roads are wet or slippery Another one in five deaths occurs when driver's vision is obscured Unfortunately, there are two precautions you can take to avoid these hazards One if a worn windshield wiper is leaving streaks across your vision Your signal dealer can install a fine new rain master blade while you wait And two if your tires are worn smooth Signal dealers can now equip your car with new eight rib Lee super deluxe tires The broader flatter tread on these new lee tires guarantees quicker stopping and greater non skid protection Well, there you have it two items that can play a big part in helping you prevent an auto accident So have your signal dealer check your windshield wiper and your tire treads this week You feel a lot better knowing your car is equipped to take you safely through the rainy months ahead And now back to the whistler It was a stroke of luck you hadn't counted on wasn't it Mark? Just when things looked darkest for you the unexpected character witness ed chambers and bud conklin took the pressure off you didn't they? The surprising light they threw on hillan's activities Makes the missing stranger a very promising suspect in her murder So now you're as good as in the clear and it's a very pleasant feeling isn't Even the burn under your shirt the killer's brand doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore You follow them in out of the sheriff's office Better Lee stands at the horse trough staring empty Lee down at the water and you go over to him very I'm Sorry about what happened Oh Hey, what's that bunch of men heads in this way for oh, that's the frontier week vigilante committee Landed committee. I haven't heard about what's happened. Oh, I guess not We better call the rest of this frontier week off melville. Yeah, I guess you're right Looks like the joke's on you melville. Come on take your medicine. What is this let go of me This frontier week remembering you don't have your hat on so you get your head duck. Yeah Just a minute. I'll get my head. It's right inside Come on get your shirt off. We're gonna duck it Knowledge get your hands off The brain That burn on his chest. You better call the sheriff Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler Each sunday night at this same time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure drive at sensible speeds be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life possibly your own me Featured in tonight's story where rye bills burry mercedes mccainbridge and william conrad The whistler was produced by george w allen and directed by gordon t hughes With story by bob rife and music by wilbur hatch and was transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service All characters portrayed on the whistler program are fictional any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental Remember at this same time next sunday another strange tale by the whistler Marvin miller speaking. This is dbs for columbia broadcasting system