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Now, Roma Wines, R-O-M-A, made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. Roma Wines

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presents Suspense.

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Tonight, Roma Wines bring you Mr. Henry Daniel as star of The Last Letter of Dr. Bronson,

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a Suspense play produced, edited, and directed for Roma Wine by William Spear.

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Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines.

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That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines, those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness

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to the way you live, to your happiness and entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of

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everyday meals. Yes, right now, a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma Wines bring

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you Henry Daniel in a remarkable tale of Suspense.

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My dear Mosher, forgive me if I dash this letter off rather hurriedly. There are but

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a very few minutes remaining for me, the few minutes between now and midnight. You've always

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protested my fascination with the subject of death. It irks you to hear me discuss the

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latest electrocution or hanging. You alone, Mosher, will know how this fascination has

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led me to this terrible moment. I should like you to have the facts. First of all, let me

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recall a conversation which we held here in my study a little over a year ago.

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There you go again, Bronson, death and murder. Really, you're unhealthy. You're...

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Please, please, Mosher, just answer my question. Why do men behave as they do? What keeps them

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from breaking loose? Why don't they kill one another as animals do? Why, because they aren't

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animals. But my dear Mosher, being neither vegetable nor mineral, they must be animals.

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What I mean is... If you don't know the answer, I do. So? I have been studying the question

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for some time, and I am prepared to prove, in fact, I am going to prove, that there are

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five basic checks which serve to restrain man from murdering his fellow man. Really,

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Bronson, I... The obvious corollary is that murder occurs only when some stronger drive

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overrides these five basic checks. You make it sound very simple. It is simple. And what

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are these five basic checks? A murder is composed of four elements. The murderer, the motive,

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the opportunity, and the victim. I shall select five men, each of whom I shall predispose

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to murder, and then restrain from murder by the particular check I am testing on him.

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Personally, I'd rather play with rattlesnakes. Then, having found my men, I simply supply

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each with a motive. Greed, revenge, jealousy. I see. And your next step must be to give

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each man an opportunity. Precisely. And finally, I must supply a victim. You will ask this

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victim to face five men, each standing to derive satisfaction or profit from murdering

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him? Correct. His only chance of survival being the correctness of your theory of checks

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in all five instances? Yes. And do you seriously imagine you will persuade any man to have

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such utter confidence in your reckoning? There is one such man. Who? Myself. Thompson, this

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is insane. Why? Why should I hesitate to risk high stakes on a sure thing? But your life.

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I tell you there is no danger whatsoever. When will you begin your experiment? I suppose

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in about... well, why wait? Why don't we begin right now? Mosher, I invite you to kill me.

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What? There's a revolver right here in my desk. You're joking, Branson. What possible

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motive would I have for murdering you? Motive. Well, we are known to be associated rather

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closely in our work. You will come naturally into my entire practice. I'll put that in

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writing. Why, it's preposterous. Why? Why don't you kill me then, Mosher? Why, there

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are dozens of reasons. In the first place, I'd go to the electric chair for it and...

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Ah, there you are. A perfect illustration of the first and most obvious check. Man refrains

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from killing because he himself will be killed by law. The first? What about the last? Ah,

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that my dear doctor remains to be seen. For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you Henry

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Daniel in The Last Letter of Dr. Branson, a radio play by Richard Crake and Leonard Sinclair.

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Roma Wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.

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Between the acts of suspense, this is Ken Niles asking our suspense audience to allow

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me to make an important announcement to Roma wine dealers throughout America. For many

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can wisely recommend Grand Estate Wines by Roma. And so, through you gentlemen, America's

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leading wine merchants, I take pleasure in presenting Grand Estate Wines by Roma, the

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crowning achievement of vintner skill. And now, Roma wine bring back to our Hollywood

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Sound stage, Mr. Henry Daniel. In the last letter of Dr. Bronson, a tale well calculated

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to keep you in suspense. And so, my dear doctor, you yourself illustrated the first of my five

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positive checks which restrain man from murder, fear of the law. That was more than a year

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ago. The remaining checks have not been so simple. I had to locate my four subjects.

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I had to cultivate the friendship of each so that when the time should come to confront

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him with my proposition, I should be certain of how he would act. The first of my four

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potential murderers was a clerk named Totten. Totten was badly in death. His wife was in

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the hospital about to undergo an extensive operation. And he was a deeply religious man.

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We went to church together on Sunday evenings at St. Stephen's, right around the corner

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from my apartment. One Sunday evening after the service, I asked him up to my apartment

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and we walked along and we talked. You know, Dr. Bronson, I was talking about you to my

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wife the other day before they took her to the hospital. I was saying what a great comfort

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it was to be with you these Sunday nights. Oh, now come Mr. Totten, you embarrass me.

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No, I mean it. In the world today, too many people seem to feel that they no longer need

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their God. Yes. Their lives are void of the great thing you have in your faith. Church

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is a great comfort to me. And I do need something to cling to in times like these. Totten, you

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could make rather good use of $5,000, couldn't you? He doesn't like you to make fun of my

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poverty. I am quite sincere. Do you know what even $100 would mean to me? And at present

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more than ever? Yes, with your wife's misfortune. Isn't this your apartment that we're passing?

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I want to go in the side way. We should be unobserved. Unobserved? You'll understand

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presently. Please come into my study. Now, you'll take this chair opposite my desk. Thank

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you. Totten, you said that even $100 would be a great help to you. Here in my desk, I

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have this little package containing $5,000. It's yours. What could I do for you that would

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be worth all that money? Let me explain. My doctor called on me yesterday and he told

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me, well, to be quite frank with you, Totten, he said that I was slowly going mad. Oh no,

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doctor. That couldn't be. I'm quite all right at present, but it's only a matter of time.

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I'd rather not have to face it. I believe you can understand that. But there must be

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something you can do knowing in advance. There is. And I want you to help me. I don't understand.

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Put on these gloves. Take them. But why? As soon as you have them on, I shall hand you

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this small bottle. Notice, I am clearly impressing my fingerprints on it. Finally here on the

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desk, I'm leaving this note explaining that I have committed suicide. Suicide? When the

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bottle is in your hand, I want you to remove the stopper and empty the contents upon my

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outstretched tongue. Thus, I will be dead within a few seconds. Then you may leave by the same

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way we came in. You will be quite unnoticed. And with the $5,000 in your pocket. $5,000?

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What do you say? I... You can't die yet. You're not ready. Shall I be any readier when I

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have gone mad? Of course it's... But... You can't take the matter of life and death into

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your own hands. Precisely. I have certain scruples in the matter. That's why I'm asking

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you to do this for me. I'm very sorry. I can't oblige you. If it's the law, you fear...

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No, it's not that. You seem to have arranged that perfectly. Then what is it? I am an honest

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Christian. I thought you were, Dr. Brotzer. If you don't understand why I can't do this

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monstrous thing, I suggest you look up the Sixth Commandment. Good night.

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So Moshe, my second point was proved. Man refrains from killing because it is against

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his religious principles. Hands to the clock now read fifteen minutes to midnight. One

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quarter of an hour in which to complete this report. My third proposition called for an

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entirely different sort of man. In fact, the very antithesis of Totten. For a number of

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nights I frequented the rougher districts of the city. At first I had no luck. Then,

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one night, I came upon my man very unexpectedly. I was walking along one of the darker streets

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with no one in view. He was a man slumped down beside an ass can. He had been shot in the

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chest and left arm, severing an artery. He was bleeding profusely. I tore off his shirt

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and made a tourniquet for his arm. Oddly, no one came into the alley to investigate. Never

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mind me. Get away. Was this a gang shooting? What do you think? I think you're going to

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the hospital. No, no, no. I had to squawk to the cops. Come on. I'll help you to your

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head. No, I ain't going. You'll die, man, if you're not treated quickly. I ain't going,

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I tell you. No cops. No cops. No. His name was Matt Doyle. I visited Doyle in the hospital

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almost every day. Several months later, I decided to put him to the test. I found Doyle

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in one of his hangouts and brought him to my apartment. And for the second time, I carefully

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explained my proposition. Oh, that's the angle, huh? Then you understand. Here are the gloves.

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Here is the suicide note. And here is the.45 caliber automatic. You are familiar with this

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type of weapon I take it? Familiar? You kidding, bud? Is this on a level or are you nuts? Absolutely

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on the level. And I am not nuts. You're what? The water dough is mine if I kill you? That's

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right. And nobody will know I done it? No one. Well, these gloves is kind of small for

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me. That's all right. They'll do. Yeah, yeah. You want me to put on the other one? It's

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safer. Yeah, I guess it is. Doyle, I want you to understand exactly what you're doing.

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Without any justifiable cause, merely for the sake of money, you are going to murder me.

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You understand that? Yeah, sure, sure. You've been hired to do this before. Well, yeah,

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I suppose you ain't going to hate to talk about it now that you're going to. But you've

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never killed a friend, have you? Well, yeah, yeah, I have. Anyway, there was my pals until

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they got into the boss's way. But when the boss would say slip it to him, that was just

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another job to me. But you, I don't know. What? No, no, I can't do it. But I thought

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you'd say. Here, here, take these gloves. Afraid of the law? No, I'm not. What's the

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matter then? Is it because I'm your friend? No, it's more than that. It should be an act

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of true friendship. No, I can't do it. Look, I'm sorry, Doc. I ain't the guy. Look, you

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saved my life. So that's it. I'm sorry. I wish you could help me. Yeah, yeah, me too.

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But not that, Doc. Look, if there's any other person you want me to take care of, that's

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a no, no, no, there's nothing. Thank you. Just the same. There was my third proposition.

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Man will not kill fellow man if a sufficient degree of gratitude has been invoked. Even

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a professional killer, one of the lowest examples of human life such as Doyle, could not bring

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himself to murder his benefactor. My next subject was altogether different in temperament.

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With Judith Ainsley, I used a special technique. I first encountered Judith Ainsley when I

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operated on Barrett Sheffield, the actor. You will recall that Sheffield was brought

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to the hospital with a lung abscess. As I was preparing to do the rib resection, I noticed

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that the nurse standing beside me was greatly agitated. Retract his doctor. Thanks. Doctor,

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do you think this is advisable? What, what? His dyspnea is more pronounced. Listen. A

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daintily, another hematopathy. But he's getting blue. Doctor, do you think he really should?

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He's, he's dynotic. It's Ainsley. I'm sorry, doctor, but it's anything. Doctor, doctor.

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Cathy, quickly. Please, quickly. Here it is. Well, that's that. Yes, that's that. Miss

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Ainsley, what's the matter with you? You've been acting strangely all through this operation.

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You killed him. You killed him. You should have never gone ahead. You know that. I warned

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you. I shall see to it, Miss Ainsley, that you are never assigned to one of my cases

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again. What's the matter with you anyway? Have you never seen a poor manuever before?

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Or does it upset you to see a handsome actor like Barrett Sheffield die? Yes, it did.

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Oh. Yes. We were going to be married next week. If I ever saw hate, cold, undying hate,

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within that girl's eyes, I had made the most implacable enemy of my life. I inquired about

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Miss Ainsley and learned she'd done four years of medical and was now interning at Peders

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of Lebanon in the hope of picking up a resident fellowship. I went down to the hospital and

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waited for her in the doctor's lounge. Presently, she came in with another intern. I stood up.

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She turned and looked at me. I saw again in her eyes that inexorable hate. She had never

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forgiven me for what she incorrectly felt was my error in judgment. I walked towards her.

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Excuse me, please. I see you remember me, Miss Ainsley. Yes. Will you excuse me, please?

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Miss Ainsley, you may not believe this, but I have come here especially to talk to you

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today. To talk to me, Dr. Bronson? Yes. Sit down, won't you? Miss Ainsley. Dr. Ainsley,

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if you please. Oh, yes. Of course. Doctor, I have a little proposition to make to you.

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First of all, there are two facts I'd like to be sure of. A, you are unable to set up

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your own practice because you don't have the money to get started. Is that right? I don't

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see what business that is of yours. It happens to be true. Fine. Fact B, you still hate

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me and feel a strong desire to be revenged for the wrong which you consider I have done

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you. Yes, I'm afraid that's true, Dr. Bronson. Good. Good? Yes. You see, I want to pay someone

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to murder me. So once again, taking this set forth of simple conditions. I'm not sure that

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you're entirely sane, Doctor. Go on, you interest me. You see, it's my heart. I've had considerable

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damage. Coronary occlusion. Had to spend six weeks on my back. Just got out last week.

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Naturally, I was given digitalics. Yes, yes, I see, Doctor. You've been heavily digitized.

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If someone were to give you an injection of calcium gluconate, you would have an immediate

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heart block. Dead within a few minutes. Exactly. A simple error of judgment, unavoidable. I

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spent $2,000. My own practice. You'd better be careful, Doctor. You may tempt me a little

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too far. I thought you'd find it an attractive proposition. It'll only be an error. I will

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say that I'm feeling badly again, a recurrence of my pericardial pains. I'll go back to bed

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and ask that you be assigned to take care of me. The rest is simple. No one would ever

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expect you to know I had been digitized. Still, if I were on my toes, I would naturally go

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over your case history before giving medication of any kind. Well, yes. I suppose that's true.

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Professional people might think you've been a little lax. Might not have the highest regard

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for a new doctor who launched a career with such an unfortunate, such an unprofessional

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incident. And just a slight stain on your reputation for just for a very short while.

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You're very clever, Doctor. You knew that would do it, didn't you? I want to thank you.

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You've done me a great service. You mean you'll do it? You've reminded me that nothing, no

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money, revenge, nothing can be worth the slightest shadow of suspicion in a doctor's career. No.

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No, they'll never say that I lost my patience because of an error in judgment. You see,

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I once knew a doctor who did. There, Mercer, is my fourth check. Man, or in this case woman,

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trained from killing because of the fear of loss of reputation. Now, I come to the testing

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of my fifth subject, a man who would not murder because he couldn't bear the sight of blood,

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much less the responsibility for shedding it. Ladurn was my man, and I found him shortly

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after my search began. On that day, I saw him turn a ghastly white as a fast moving

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car ran over a small dog which had run into the street. Ladurn touched his throat and

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sent him a dead faint. I, of course, made it my business to become acquainted with him.

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I hadn't seen him for more than four months until tonight. He changed, I noticed, as he

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took his place at my desk. He's thinner. His dark eyes seem blacker than ever. And so now,

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for the fifth and last time, I explain the necessary details. And I have arranged everything

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necessary, Ladurn, to give the appearance of suicide. Here is the farewell note which

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I have written. It will look like suicide. That's right. And here is the knife. It is

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with this knife that apparently I shall have killed myself. Notice how sharp it is. Notice

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I am carefully putting my fingerprints on it. You've arranged everything? Everything.

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No one knows I'm here? No one. You want me to kill you now? I... Yes. Of course, it'll

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be a bit messy when a person is stabbed, his blood usually spurts out, but if you keep

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to one side... Why do you want to die? My doctor says I'm going insane and that I haven't

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got much longer. That's strange. About going mad? About him saying that you're going mad.

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Yes. It was a shock. I don't mean that. What do you mean? That's the same thing they told

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me. That is... They what? They told me over a year ago that I was going mad. But I just

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laughed at them. Over a year? Well, do you? Have you noticed any change? Not much. At

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least no change for the worse. That's good. In fact, I'm really much better. I've been

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having fewer and fewer of those sick spells. You remember how I was the day that dog was

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run over. But, Anne, you don't mean you got over those sick spells? I haven't had one

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in three months. Then, there isn't any check. What check? Nothing. Well, this is going to

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be a pretty messy business. Might as well get it over with. Nice gloves you got here.

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Nice and smooth on my hand. Then you're going through with it? I've got my gun right here

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too. Beauty, isn't it? Yes. Then, if you'll give me back the knife. Oh, no. I'd like to

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use the knife. I've used this gun a lot the last three months. Killed about fifty dogs.

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You've done that? It's very interesting. I do it after midnight. You have to know just

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where to hit them. Kills them instantly. But the noise. Aren't you afraid? Ah, silencer.

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See? I don't like to wake people up when I kill their dogs. But they'll find the bullet.

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They'll trace it to your gun. They're sure to get you. In a suicide, the weapon stays

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right beside the body where it falls. Who says this is suicide? It's murder. I'm going

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to murder you. That's what you asked me to do. Look here, Lydane. This has gone far enough.

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I was only joking. I don't want you to kill me. Yep. Five thousand. It's all here. Listen

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to me. I was only joking. So I do it now? No. Wait. You want it through the heart, don't

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you? Not yet. Can't you wait? Just a little while. What for? Well, I've been conducting

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a little experiment. I'd like to write an account of it before I go. What sort of an

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experiment? I don't think you'd understand. Well, I'll wait till midnight. Then I've got

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to go. There's a German police dog. A big ugly brute. But I'll wait. Thanks. Ten minutes

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past eleven. Yeah. You've got fifty minutes. I'll wait by the window. And so, Mosher, my

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experiment has ended. Strange, isn't it? That the one thing I didn't count on was the choosing

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of a subject who would not respond to my checks. Who in fact has no checks at all. For insanity

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knows no restraint. Dr. Bronson, it's midnight. He's waiting at the window. It's strange.

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I'm beginning to understand exactly what is going on in his mind. I wonder why. Now, I

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shall sign my name for the last time and lay down my pen. Then I shall look up and say,

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All right, Ladurn. All right, Ladurn.

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Suspense. Presented by Roma Wines. R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout

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the world. Now, this is Ken Niles for Roma Wines. Ladies and gentlemen, between the act

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of suspense, you heard me announce to Roma dealers the first release of grand estate

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wines by Roma. Now, I'd like to tell you, the discriminating wine users of America,

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more about these superb triumphs in taste luxury, grand estate wines. Naturally, I want

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you to try grand estate wines to see and taste the difference. Because I know you'll recognize

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in grand estate the brilliant clarity, tempting fragrance, and rich taste luxury so characteristic

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of truly great wine. The patient perfection of winemaking methods by Roma is reflected

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in each bottle of grand estate wine. The perfect wine for your every entertaining and dining

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pleasure. So, remember the name, grand estate wine. Your assurance of unvarying excellence.

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Enjoy grand estate wines by Roma. Crowning achievement of Vintner skill. Henry Daniel

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will be soon seen as the star of Lewis and Young's stage production, Lady Windermere's

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Fang. Thursday, same time, Roma Wines will bring you Miss Joan Loring as star of Suspense.

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Radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Produced by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company

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of Fresno, California.

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Suspense is broadcast from coast to coast and to our men and women overseas by short

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waves and through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is

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CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

