 The signal oil program. Yes, the signal oil program The whistler that whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler I'm the whistler and I know many things for I walked 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 signal stations from Canada to Mexico Now the whistler strange story death of mr. Penney on the icy slope high above Clear Valley ski lodge the two people Racing down together side by side Appeared like two moving specks of black against a sea of white To the little man who had his field glasses carefully trained upon them the picture was far more complete He saw a very handsome couple the woman fresh radiant and wholesome the man tall athletic And as they swung to a stop at the end of the ski slope their happiness with each other seemed very apparent Yes, mr. And mrs. Frederick Eklund seemed perfectly matched The little man with the field glasses could not help but marvel at the strange course of true love How it could so neatly bridge the gap between the fact of Mrs. Eklund's almost fabulous wealth and the modest means of Mr. Eklund the mere ski instructor and the little man had to admit that the two were getting along Dying your favorite ski instructor my favorite Well, then you'll accept my criticism a little more graciously At last Christy was bad fine way to turn an ankle and be carried home by the tall bronze instructor I think I'll do it. I think you won't We're heading back to the lodge right now All right, darling, whatever you say I've still got that headache Barbara Yeah, something on your mind You were so quiet up there on the slope just before we came down quiet Just taking time to tell myself. I'm not in the dream that we're really together Married and so happy. Are you sure that's all? I'm sure that's all And the headache can either be cured or made worse by a dry martini. Shall we go take the camp? Oh, you don't have to suggest that twice I Wonder if you'll always be such an agreeable man. Yeah, as long as I'm thirsty. Let's go An agreeable man. Yes, Fred. You've been mad with Barbara Haven't you that and more then you know that she appreciates it that you've made her very happy But you also know that there is something disturbing of this afternoon Something more than a simple headache You worry about it yourself Bring it up again as the two of you sit by the roaring fire of the lodge and look out at the landscape through a giant picture window You have still don't feel any better, dear No I'm afraid I'm going to have to go upstairs nap for a couple of hours before dinner mine. You know, I don't What will you do to me yourself? Oh Look at the scenery It's not novel enough. You know it too. Well, oh, no, I see something different every time I look out the window Here, yeah, I'll prove it. Do you ever see anything like that? I don't see what you Mean that's a little man on the terrace. Uh-huh the one with the field glasses Looks like an African explorer Now you can't say I see anything like that every day No But I didn't mean people I Frederick, I If you don't mind, I'm going upstairs right now. Oh, but you haven't finished. I'm sorry darling. I don't want my drink Oh Well, I'll go up with you there. No, please I Uh Frederick, you could do something for me That new book I want the manager said they have it in the village now. Oh, I'll drive right down. I'll get it for you They are glad to but um, are you sure you're all right? Oh, I will be Just give me an hour. I'll be brought as a new penny That is a dollar a bite in a time. Hmm sounds worth waiting for go ahead darling. Thanks darling You watch Barbara turn away go to the stairs A moment later you get up start outside as if to get the car But at the end of the terrace you stop and wait a moment He goes right inside doesn't he Fred the funny little man that Barbara didn't want to look at You walk back and see him hurry up the stairs after her Ten minutes later. He's back down heading toward the cocktail lounge You walk in casually and slide into the booth beside him Well, mr. Penny, it's going very well. You got it. I did five thousand as usual I was a little worried this afternoon thought Barbara might have guessed something about you. Mm-hmm, but I was wrong Of course. Oh, Barbara threatened me today. She said this must be the last payment She's convinced that you'd be quite understanding about those letters I'd like to take a different tack. Yes or spoil the act Oh, they're really nothing, you know the letters She just feels that you'd be very hurt if you ever knew there'd been another man in her life once the married man I hurt You know freddy you are the odd one long as I've known you I always marvel What is it that keeps you from simply presenting your case to these women demanding all the money you want? Obviously my dear penny, you'll never know women There are things that cannot be told One of the things is that love alone is not sufficient to hold their man. You're right. I suppose Well, I've always left that part of it to you. Yeah, let's keep it that way, huh? I'll take care of the romancing you stick with the business end of the deal Uh, if you don't mind, I'll take my half the money now to be sure freddy to be sure As you conclude your present business with mr. Penny he excuses himself and hurries away A moment later you're conscious of the voice The song that comes from the large dining hall Susan a delightful girl, isn't she fred talented and beautiful Yes, and since you met her a month ago, she's been quite overwhelmed by your charm You stroll across the lobby and stand there at the entrance of the dining hall and watch her as she sings Hmm. Oh penny. I thought you were leaving. I'm going in to have dinner Now look penny bob will be coming down soon. She isn't pleasant to be with when you're around Your wife is resting freddy. She won't be down for some time, but I want to listen And so all else above I'm waiting for the man Wonderful wonderful Oh, excuse me things beautifully. Does she not freddy my boy? She's um quite a girl quite a girl. Yes Another one of your many side interests. You've always had them, haven't you? Ha ha ha freaky my boy Let's go out in the terrace for a moment. I want to talk to you come along The idea we've already talked everything out. No, not quite my boy After you all right. What's on your mind penny susan? I want to speak to you about susan Oh, you're quite interested in her aren't you? Oh, I don't know Just for laughs. Maybe oh, I see Then you won't mind if I ask you to stay away from her to stay You're asking me Ha ha ha Wait a minute freddy. You don't mean that you You find it amusing how boy why she wouldn't even look at you But freddy she has many times so often that I don't want you to see her anymore. Oh just like that And just what do you do if I ignore your advice? Love a boy Oh I could make things rather unpleasant for you Really, I could really like what? Tell your wife that you're my business partner That we're blackmailing her together. You know what I do. No, what would you do freddy? I tell you forced me into it a trick I was only playing along with you until I saw my chance to turn you over to the police Barbara is very much in love with me pennies. She'd believe it. Yes. Yes. I suppose she would Well in that case I should have to tell her about the Carson widow The incident at sun valley two years ago What that the police are interested in finding the man who went skiing with a Carson woman the morning she was killed Accidentally now wait a minute penny. I could tell your wife what really happened freddy So be a good boy and stay away from excuse me With the prologue of death of mr. Penny the signal oil company brings you another strange story by the whistler Here in hollywood where the whistler is produced. This is the week when the movie folks decide who's going to win the coveted oscars It's too bad there isn't an Oscar for gasoline because I'm sure that signal gasoline would run away with the honors for outstanding performance Just as some actors become typed in certain roles You may have typed signal gasoline for economy because of its reputation as the go farther gasoline But economy mind you is only half of signal story You see the thing which makes signals good mileage possible the extra efficiency today's signal gasoline coaxes from Your motor also makes signal the logical choice for more dramatic performances Calling for instance starting flashing pickup or smooth effortless power So if you want your car to perform As if it had just won an oscar just you keep these two points in mind the next time you buy gasoline One it takes extra quality to go farther and two Signal is the famous go farther gasoline came as a shock. Didn't it threat? Mr. Penny's warning And you wonder if your odd little partner really means to carry out his threat to make trouble for you if you continue to see susan He could make things quite difficult reviving the Carson incident at this time It would never do if your wife Barbara found out about that, would it? What in the days that follow you decide to risk it to test mr. Penny's threat And then one evening at the lodge as you sit in the cocktail lounge with Barbara Fred yes dear Did you happen to run over to shelville the night before I shelve them? I know Betty mentioned it's afternoon She and greg thought they saw you there. Oh, no, they were mistaken. Oh, I did go down to the village here That's the night. I rented a higby an old friend of mine You remember darling. I called you told you I'd be late getting back. Yes. I know as a matter of fact Higby and I spent most of the evening at the buccane cafe talking over old times See here, Barbara. You don't think I'd I'd lie Of course not darling You know how Betty is wrong as usual um See if you can get the waiter will you dear I think I'd like another brandy before turning in Pretty my boy. I could say that this is a pleasant surprise, but it isn't really I've been expecting you Can I come in? Well, I was about to retire, but thanks I won't take up too much of your time. Oh, no, hurry. Fix yourself a drink my boy. Thanks again Oh, none for me. I have my glass of milk. You see Well, here's to you penny The winner oh It's all yours Susan I mean I'll stay away. Oh good. Good You uh, you told Barbara you saw me in shelville the other night, didn't you? Did I it was just a warning just in case I had any ideas about not playing ball Well, I could have told her you were with Susan, but uh, I didn't thanks. Thanks was big of you. I thought so However, Freddie my boy if you insist I know I know I'll stay away from Susan. It's all settled Uh settled No, no, not quite. I've been thinking Freddie my boy. What about the money we collect from your wife 5,000 every three months. Well, it doesn't seem worthwhile. Now wait a minute I wouldn't push Barbara too hard 2000 more isn't such a push. But there might be trouble. I wouldn't try Let's leave it the way it is. Huh 5,000 is good enough Perhaps but uh when one has to split it two ways. I said it's enough for you perhaps, but not for me Yes, I've been thinking Freddie I've been thinking I should dissolve our little partnership. What yes I think that from now on I shall keep all the money. Wait a minute I'm the one who gave you Barbara's letters in the first place So far you think I'll hold still for you cutting me out. What my boy there's nothing you can do about it because of sun valley Mrs. Carson why you oh Please don't get excited. I ought to ring your scrawny little neck, but you will not you will do nothing Now, please go. I'm quite tired Good night, Freddie For a moment you stand there staring at the little man You watch him as he calmly drops a sleeping capsule into the glass of milk As he raises it to his lips he smiles at you And you know he has you at his mercy, don't you friend You whirl and rush out into the corridor and as you hurry back to your room the rage within you mounts with each step Yes, mr. Penny has complete control of the situation for the present But you're not going to let him get away with it. Are you? No, the money he gets from your wife means too much to you And you know that somehow you're going to get rid of mr. Penny and the threat he holds over you It isn't until the following afternoon that you know just how you're going to do it On an errand for barbara. You stop at the village drugstore pop grandons place That'd be all fettie. Yeah, I guess so pop Oh say, uh, you going back up the lodge. Yeah, why I wonder if you'd mind dropping off a prescription for me Oh, of course not. You can just drop it off the desk. Come on back. I'll make it up right away. You walk with pop grandon to the back of the shop Watch him as he prepares the prescription Then your eyes wander over the shelves lined with bottles At the far end of the lower shelf you see a bottle filled with tiny red capsules Just like the one you saw mr. Penny drop into the glass of milk last night So dreaded that telephone Hey, excuse me. Really pretty. Oh sure sure never sought to feel every time I get back to that door Couldn't have picked a better time As you take the bottle down off the shelf the idea hits you doesn't it? Yes, this could be the way couldn't it fret quickly you unscrew the cap Drop a capsule into your pocket and replace the bottle then your eyes skip along the shelf And finally stop on a small bottle filled with white powder marked poison deadly poison fret Sorry to be so long Freddie that was mrs. Ferguson, and you know how she is talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk Hey, now where was I the prescription? Oh, yeah, I'll only be a minute Freddie If you're nice of you to do this little favor for me not at all pop not at all It's a pleasure You're thankful that Barbara is out when you return to your room at the lodge Quickly you empty the contents of the red capsule into the wash basin Then you fill the capsule with the white powder you took from the shelf at grand and drugstore Moments later you leave the room the capsule containing the deadly poison Safely tucked away in your pocket Early that evening you pay another call on mr. Penny. Oh come in Freddie. My wife come in Thanks. I'm going out shortly. You don't mind if I finish shaving. Do you no no go ahead Make yourself at home a wife pick yourself a drink. Thanks. I'll skip this one as you wish Tell me what do I owe the honor of this visit? Well, I uh, I I thought maybe you'd reconsider What after the way you double-cross me with Susan not a chance my boy not a chance I'd uh, I'd take a smaller cut And as a matter of fact, I've been seriously thinking of asking your wife for more money I told you before that would be a mistake. She won't pay it. We shall see We shall see What are you doing Freddie? Hmm? Oh just looking at this magazine on your nightstand Holidays, huh planning a trip perhaps God look Penny. I need the money. Why can't we make some sort of arrangement? You're wasting your time a boy This is too good a thing for me to share with anyone I am rather surprised and annoyed too that I didn't think of handling the matter this way long ago You uh, you you won't change your mind. No After all you still have Barbara. She's a wealthy woman. You begrudge me a few thousand dollars now, then All right That's the way you want it. Yes, that's the way I want it my boy Good night. Good night. Uh, no hard feelings Freddie. No, even the morning then. Yeah Maybe you will penny Then maybe not It's done, isn't it Fred? There were only four capsules in the box You replaced one with a capsule containing the deadly poison And now all you can do is wait And you know it won't be long Or mr. Penny takes a sleeping capsule every night You're a little disappointed the following morning at breakfast when you see mr. Penny sitting at his usual table It was a little too much to hope for wasn't it Fred that he'd take the poison capsule the first night But then there are only three capsules in the box now The next morning you're in for another disappointment Or as you enter the dining hall you see mr. Penny again sitting at the table near the window He looks up as you and Barbara seat yourself only a few tables away It's mild Not then returns to his morning paper and then something that Barbara says startles you Only two left Fred. What? Only two empty tables left I'm glad we came down to breakfast when we did I hate to wait Oh Oh, yes Oh goodness dying You jumped so something wrong. No, no, no, of course not. I I had my mind on something else Hey, you were thinking of the capsules in the box weren't you Fred? There are only two left now And it's an even money bet However, the following morning when you arrive at the dining hall mr. Penny is absent It's almost 11 o'clock when you and Barbara leave your table and there's been no sign of him Your sure. He's dead and you're free at last. Aren't you Fred? Yes With mr. Penny out of the way the sun valley incident is closed It'll be a simple matter with your connection to find someone more trustworthy than penny to do your black mailing As Barbara hurries upstairs for her scarf the desk clerk calls out to you. Oh, uh, mr. Eggland. Yes What is it a message for you, sir this envelope? Oh, thank you For a moment your puzzle stare at the envelope then you rip it open Suddenly an icy hand closes around your heart As a tiny red capsule tumbles out of the envelope into the palm of your hand Penny is known all along hasn't he friend He must have watched you in the mirror when he was shaving Saw you place the poison capsule in the box a cold wave of fear sweeps over you as you realize what he'll do now Your first thought is for you and Barbara to get away You hurry to your room upstairs And as you're about to open the door you hear Barbara's voice Well, yes, whatever you say. No, not here I'll meet you at the point Inspiration point tonight Yes Nine o'clock mr. Penny Mr. Penny isn't wasting any time getting his revenge is he friend Your first thought is to get away and then suddenly you realize it's useless to run He'd find you and Barbara sooner or later No, you've got to take care of him now once and for all And this time you can't afford to miss That night you're standing in the shadows of the fir trees near the point You see Barbara hurrying up the path. Mr. Penny is not far behind Hello, penny. What? Oh Oh, it's you freddy. What are you doing here? I could ask you the same thing But I know what you're doing here Too bad you'll never keep that appointment with my wife penny. What take a look down there It's an awful drop, isn't it? What are you? What are you going to do? You're a smart little operator penny You ought to be able to figure that out The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story When you passed a signal service station during the past few days You may have noticed the picture of the happy bluebird on the sign outside Oh, mr. Bluebird is there to remind you that if you want your motor to sing this spring You'll be wise to make your next oil change a change to the improved type signal oil That does so much more than just lubricate signal premium compounded motor oil Naturally signal premium has 100 pure paraffin base the finest lubricant known But in addition signal premium contains scientific new compounds that protect your motor in ways no regular oil alone can do For instance one compound in signal premium compounded motor oil Actually cleanses your motor of carbon gum and varnish A second compound in signal premium protects costly bearings from corrosion And still other compounds do other important jobs to keep your motor happy as a bluebird Good reason i'd say to make your spring oil change a change to signal premium compounded motor oil So lonely at signal service stations It's all over isn't it Fred mr. Penny is out of the way at last The threat he held over you was gone and now you're free Back at the village the buckhorn cafe You spend the next several hours chatting with old friends and then Shortly after midnight you return to the lodge to your room as you enter you're surprised to see Barbara pacing up and down Where have you been the village dear? I told you I had to Did you hear about it? Oh man who fell off the cliffs, yeah They were talking about it in the lobby when I came in matter of fact the sheriff is down there now talking to the manager the Man's name was penny You knew him? Yes he was Blackmailing what? He came to me about a year ago with some lettuce i've written Foolish lettuce He wanted five thousand dollars for each one night I laughed at him he meant nothing to me and I threatened to call the police you he'll threaten. Yes, I I threatened to Then mr. Penny showed me some other lettuce A woman's lettuce Carson, this is Her lettuce to you Fred When you're at Sun Valley, he said the police would be anxious to see them I couldn't believe you've done anything wrong Then when he said send the lettuce to the Idaho police I I was afraid he's been blackmailing you all this time because of those lettuce to me Barbara listen to me. I've got it's not true. Is it Fred the skiing accident? You didn't kill it did you he told you that this morning He called me on the phone told me he could prove it that you'd killed him Let it look like an accident. That's not true Then he was lying Oh, I knew it darling. I knew it all along But I agreed to meet him at the point tonight. He said he'd bring all the proof I needed Let us documents all the evidence. He He had all that with him tonight. Yes But he never arrived He fell off the cliff on the way Yeah, hey fell off the cliffs. Oh I'm so glad mr. Penny was lying if he'd had any evidence on him Police certainly would have discovered it when they found his body Wouldn't they yeah Yeah, I guess they would I'll go Barbara I'm sure it's for me Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each sunday night at this time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil And fine quality automotive accessories Featured in tonight's story where gerald moore dorothy love it and jeff corey The whistler was produced by george w allen directed by gordon t hues with story by joel malone and apien john doe And music by wilbur hatch all characters portrayed on the whistler program are fictional any similarity of names or resemblance to persons Living or dead is purely coincidental. This is cbs. The columbia broadcasting system