By transcription.
Yes, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine, because Roma wines taste better.
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And now, Roma wines of Fresno, California, that's R-O-M-A, Roma wines bring you suspense.
Tonight from New York, Roma wines present Miss Eva Legallion, distinguished star of the New York stage in Phobia,
a suspense play produced, edited and directed for Shanley by William Spear.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater thrills, is brought to you by Roma, R-O-M-A, Roma wines, the greatest name in wine.
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Now, Roma wines bring you Eva Legallion in a remarkable tale of Suspense.
Yes, I'm the Emily Haven whose pictures you saw in the papers. You can tell, of course, by the wheelchair.
I thought it was very unkind of them to take full-length pictures.
It isn't that I resent the wheelchair, but people have funny ideas about such things.
The way they wrote about me being a sweet little lady. You'd have thought I was at least a hundred and a helpless invalid.
Well, I can tell you right now I'm neither. I'm not supposed to have any excitement.
But goodness knows we've had enough of that around here with the murder and all.
You probably wonder why, with all our money, I don't have one of those new type modern chairs.
It's just that I can't stand the feel of metal. No. No metal.
It affects me like snakes or spiders do some people. I've always been that way.
When I was a child, Mother let me use knives and forks with bone handles, and I still use them.
I'm certainly glad that the papers didn't find out about that or about Grace.
They almost found out about Grace once and printed large headlines, Police, Question, Wealthy Woman.
You probably don't remember it because they never did learn why she was questioned.
That was some time ago. Grace had just returned from shopping.
Emily, I'm home. In here, Grace. Did you bring my book?
Yes, here you are. And I brought another one I thought you'd like. I'm tired.
Sit down. We'll have Anna bring some tea. Let's have a look at your loot.
What do you mean by that? The things you bought, of course.
I guess I'm so tired I'm jumpy. Come.
There's two gentlemen to see you, Mom. Oh, bring some hot tea please, Anna.
Do you like something to eat, Grace? Not till dinner.
Just tea then, Anna, and show the gentlemen in. Yes, Mom.
Why don't we let her go and get someone who doesn't answer yes, Mom, to everything.
We know we couldn't replace Anna. She knows us too well. Why do you say that?
You are jumpy. Only meant that she knows our likes and dislikes and humors us.
I suppose you're right. But I don't like the way she watches.
Oh, that's just Anna's way. She doesn't mean anything by it.
Miss Haven. Yes?
I am Henry Lane. I'm an assistant store manager at Bradlock's.
Oh, yes, Mr. Lane. One of our store detectives observed your sister's unusual actions today
and reported them to Sergeant Cole. Oh, pardon me. This is Sergeant Cole.
How do you do? I didn't want to turn it in till I talked to Lane here.
Yes. Yes, Sergeant Cole wisely came to me and we are here to rectify the error.
I'm afraid I don't follow you, Mr. Lane.
I'm sure there's a satisfactory explanation to your sister's behavior.
Well, get to the point. What he's trying to say is that I took some things from the store without paying for them.
Grace. That's what was reported to me. You admit that you took these things?
I just admitted it. Why, Grace? Impulse, I guess.
But you have plenty of money. I know. I think that's what starts the impulse.
You mean you've had the impulse before? Is that an official or a social question?
Don't be flippant. I'm not. The whole thing is a farce.
We've always gotten everything we want by signing a check and we'll continue to do so.
Do you think if I were anyone else we'd be sitting here like this?
Miss Haven, I... No, I'd be sitting in jail waiting to be questioned.
I must last... I've taken things before and probably will again.
Mostly I don't even want the things. It's a thrill of taking them.
You've said enough, Grace. Are you going to arrest me now, Sergeant?
Arrest you? I... Grace, Grace, will you see if Anna's made tea and bring two extra cups?
And a checkbook? Grace!
I'm sorry.
This comes as a shock to me.
It's anything I ever heard. Believe me, I regret having to trouble you like this.
Oh, you've been very considerate. I'm sure we can rectify the entire matter if you'd care to estimate the amount.
It sounds like a bribe. No, no, not at all. Let us say retribution.
Oh, I don't know.
I feel that it's only right that you should receive something for your time and regard, Sergeant.
I don't know, lady. I... I don't want to press charges.
And in the future, Miss Elaine, if you will assign someone to watch my sister when she's shopping in your store,
you may send the bill for the unpaid items to me.
Yes. There may be a slight fee.
Oh, yes, yes, I understand.
Now, if you'll hand me my pen and checkbook.
Of course.
Thank you. Hmm, let me see... there.
There you are.
It's heaven. I... I think I hear Anna coming with the tea.
With a dreary tea, there were little frosted cakes. Sergeant Cole dropped crumbs all over the rug.
And Miss Elaine said, uh, bop, bop, bop, between noisy sips.
Grace seemed to enjoy it, though. She sat and watched one and then the other. She had an unusual sense of humor.
That was the way Mr. Lane started coming to our house.
I don't know how it happened, but eventually we were calling him Henry.
He was pleasant enough, and I think we might have been friends, if he hadn't learned about me, too, entirely by accident.
He'd been bringing up presents from the store, and although I suspected that he'd gotten them in the same manner that Grace did,
it was a nice, thoughtful thing to do. One night when he came, he was feeling playful.
Well, how are the two lovely ladies tonight?
Very well, thank you, Henry.
Isn't he gallant tonight?
It isn't difficult to be, uh, gallant with you.
Now put your heels together and kiss our hands.
Oh, great!
Want to see what I brought for you?
Yes, Uncle Henry.
Uncle? Oh, you have such a charming way of jesting.
Yes, we do have our little jokes.
Don't tease, Henry.
Show us what you brought.
You shall be surprised first.
How nice.
And I will put it on you. Now turn around and give back to me. No, no, no, don't look.
Ah, there.
A necklace, a silver necklace. Just what I wanted.
Very attractive on you, Grace.
Thank you, Henry.
And now for Emily.
Oh, don't ask me to turn my back.
No, no, no, no, just hold out your hand. Close your eyes and hold out your hand.
Oh, that seems so childish, Henry.
Play the game.
Oh, very well.
Are you ready?
There.
Henry! No!
Emily.
Emily, what is the matter? It's only a silver compact.
It's the metal. I can't stand the feel of metal.
It may sound silly and it may be silly, but I do think my phobia saved my life.
As you know, we have a large amount of silver in the house.
And although I have an aversion to touching it, I like to see it around.
Grace is always bringing home some piece.
Reminds me, I wonder if she...
Oh, no matter.
Why?
I'm awfully tired.
So awfully tired.
Would you excuse me a moment? I...
I think I'll just have to lie down for a moment.
Yes, sir.
For suspense, Romo Wines are bringing you Evil Agallion in Phobia.
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And now, Romo Wines bring back to our New York sound stage, Evil Agallion as Emily Haven in Phobia.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Oh yes, where was I?
Oh well, one night Grace was out for the evening and Anna had gone to bed.
I was sitting here in my chair reading.
Suddenly I thought I heard someone moving in the hall.
I called out but no one answered.
So I thought it was my imagination.
And then I heard it again.
I sat very still listening and watching the hall door.
As I watched, the knob began to turn.
Someone was slowly pulling the door open.
Anna!
Grace!
Anna, is that you? Answer me!
Who are you?
Why do you have your face covered?
Keep quiet.
I will not keep quiet.
What do you have in that case?
I said keep quiet.
Silver? That's our silver.
I don't want no trouble with you.
You put that silver back or you'll have trouble.
I'll phone the police. I'll call for help.
This says you won't.
Don't point that gun at me. You can't scare me with that.
I haven't long to live anyway.
You ain't gonna have long to live if you don't stop that yapping.
Stay where you are. Do you hear me? Stay away.
Now look here, sister. I ain't kidding.
Now you look here.
You ought to be ashamed, the great big man with a gun robbing a helpless lady in a wheelchair.
I warned you.
Besides that, you're very rude.
Take your hat off in the house.
Say, what is this?
If you want to come into my house, you learn some manners and then knock on the door.
Now set that silver down and leave the room.
Looks like I'm gonna have to tie something over your face and then I can get away with it.
Don't you touch me! Don't touch!
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
What is it, ma'am?
A man.
A man? What man? What did he do?
The gun. The metal.
He touched my neck.
With his gun!
Anna became very excited and called the police, heaven knows why.
The man was gone and he had left the silver.
I put her in her place by having her wash all the silverware and put it away.
Sergeant Cole was furious when he came.
It seems that he wanted to check for fingerprints.
He was mollified, however, when he found fingerprints on the floor.
He was very upset.
He was mollified, however, when he found fingerprints on the silver cabinet.
I hadn't thought of that, so Anna had to wash that, too.
Sergeant Cole came back to tell us that the fingerprints belonged to a man by the name of Mr. Scorchy Hood.
He was wanted by the police because he had escaped from some penitentiary and was what Sergeant Cole called a killer.
Mr. Hood was called Scorchy because he always shot people from close range and usually in the neck.
Sergeant Cole thought it was very amusing when I said if he was going to kill me, he would have to stand back.
I wouldn't have him touch me with that gun.
Did you read those uncouth headlines in the papers?
Wealthy woman, match for murderer, haven defeats Hood?
They made me sound like a pugilist.
The papers are so unkind to people's money.
One morning Anna came into the room without knocking, so I said,
Anna, I didn't ring.
I've got to talk to you, Mom.
Very well, Anna. What is it?
It's about my brooch, the one my mother gave me.
What about your brooch?
It's gone, Mom.
You mean you lost it?
No, I didn't lose it. It was in my room and now it's gone.
Well, you probably mislaid it.
No, no, I didn't, Mom. I always keep it pinned to my Sunday dress and it's not there.
I don't see how I can help you.
I thought maybe you'd like to replace it.
Oh? What kind of pin was it?
It was a canio, but this time I thought I'd like to have one with some diamonds and little pearls.
I don't understand.
I've been cleaning Miss Grace's room and she's got a lot of strange stuff there that nobody knows how she come by.
She's even got a gun.
You've been snooping, Anna?
Just cleaning, Mom. I did kind of look for my brooch.
I see.
Do you want your pen, Miss Emily?
Oh, yes, Anna. Hand me my pen.
Thank you.
Let me see.
There you are.
Do you think that will replace the brooch?
Oh, yes, Mom.
Thank you, Mom.
Well, payday in the middle of the month?
Yes. I mean, no, just a little...
Token, Miss Grace.
Token of what?
Let's call it pin money. That will be all, Anna.
Thank you, Mom.
Now, Mom, can you tell me what this is all about?
It's nothing, Grace, really.
When you sign a check, it can't be classified as nothing.
It was a pin for Anna.
That isn't very funny, Emily.
Pin money for a pin? What about a pin?
She lost it.
Lost it? Oh, I see.
Now, let's not talk about it anymore, Grace.
But I want to talk about it.
Poor dear, anyone can get money from you.
Can't they? Grace, please.
I may have my impulses,
but I've never taken anything from the servants yet.
Grace, where are you going? What are you going to do?
To collect and deliver.
You just purchased a pin,
and I'm going to find it and wear it.
Grace is so impulsive.
She's always been good to me.
She brings me nice surprises.
Sometimes I get a bill for them,
and when I don't, I enjoy them even more.
Grace is really very serious-minded,
and she worries about trifles like leaving me alone with Henry.
Henry never was dull, always full of new ideas.
I've never told her that he proposed to me.
It came as a complete surprise.
We were sitting before the fire.
Emily, I need more money.
I gave you a check last week, Henry, for your relief funds.
Isn't it clear what relief fund that was for?
That doesn't matter.
The point is that I need a great deal more money.
What is it for this time?
For me, Emily.
Henry, you disappoint me.
So much more fun when you try to fool me.
I'm tired of that.
I think I'd like to marry into the family.
That's out of the question.
I'm sure Grace would never consider it.
Grace?
Well, good heavens, you don't mean...
Oh, yes. You, Emily.
Now, why would you want to marry a woman in a wheelchair?
You just gave the reason.
You haven't longed to live, Emily, after you're gone.
As your husband, I'd inherit a great...
I think you'd better go, Henry.
Go? Not until I've had my answer.
What kind of proposal is that?
Will you and your money marry me?
Oh, no.
You'll have to do better than that.
Perhaps I can.
Henry, what are you doing with that candlestick?
I'm going to persuade you.
Oh, you can beat me to death. I won't change my mind.
You misunderstand, Emily. I'm not going to beat you.
I'm going to caress you with it.
Henry, you wouldn't!
Your hands, your arms, your throat, your back, perhaps.
No, Henry! No! No!
Now listen to me. Let's talk.
I don't want to talk. I want to caress you.
No, keep away! Don't touch me! Keep away!
I will.
Put the candlestick down.
Very well.
I don't like to excite you like this. It isn't good for you.
How soon do you want to be married, Henry?
Immediately.
How about tomorrow?
So soon.
When you make up your mind to do something, why wait?
I suppose you're right.
Oh, I would like some tea. Henry, would you...
Shall I ring for Anna?
Oh, she's asleep by now. Why don't you get it?
Yes, leave it to me. Just leave everything to me.
I was annoyed at Henry for his crassness.
It was very tiresome of him to be so crude.
I've wheeled my chair about the room.
I have a habit of doing that when I'm disturbed.
Presently, I heard Henry returning with a tea.
The door opened a little.
And then there was that deafening explosion of a gun.
The house was filled with echoes.
The door stood motionless for a moment.
Then slammed shut.
I was too stunned to move.
I just sat and looked at the door.
I tried once to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
I was still sitting there when the police came.
It wasn't Sergeant Cole. It was a new man called Inspector Wells.
I think there was a man with him, but...
I'm a little confused about that night.
Henry had been shot and was lying against the door.
That was why the door wouldn't open.
The gun was on the floor beside him.
The inspector asked a lot of questions and everyone talked at once.
I'll tell you like I told him.
After the shot, I don't remember hearing footsteps or the door outside close.
It may have happened, but I was too excited to remember.
Anna tried to make the inspector believe that Grace had killed Henry.
She told him about the gun. Anna has spells of being difficult.
I think it's because of the pin.
She doesn't like Grace to wear it.
They took Henry away and we went to bed.
The hall was a mess. We had to have the carpet cleaned.
And there were still some teeth chains on the walls.
The next morning I made a discovery that I thought would interest the inspector.
So I phoned him and he came right out.
Morning, Miss Haven.
Come in, Inspector.
You say you found a brooch in the hall?
Yes, this one. Under a chair, Inspector.
Do you know who it belongs to?
To our maid Anna.
Kind of fancy for a maid, isn't it?
Diamonds and small pearls.
I bought it for her.
That's quite a gift.
We like to keep our help satisfied.
I'd like to talk to her.
I'll call her.
Who killed Henry, Inspector?
Don't know yet. We're having a gun check for fingerprints.
Is that all the police do? Check fingerprints?
You ring, Mom.
Yes, Anna, come in.
The inspector wants to ask you some questions.
Yes, Mom.
Did you see Henry Lane last night?
You mean while he was alive?
Yes. Did you see him before he was shot?
Only for a minute.
When was that?
I heard a noise in the kitchen and I looked in to see who it was.
That was when he went for the tea.
Trust Anna to look in.
Did you speak to him?
Maybe a few words.
Did you like Mr. Lane?
Like him? I did not. He was no gentleman.
Why do you say that, Anna?
He used to say unkind things to me.
Is this your pin?
Why, yes. Where'd you get it?
It was found under a chair in the hall.
It couldn't have been. I didn't have it on last night.
You mean you weren't wearing it when you shot him?
Shot him? Oh, my goodness, you don't think I shot him?
Right now we suspect everyone.
I didn't kill him. Honest, I didn't.
Oh, please, tell him I didn't, Mom.
You tell him.
Oh, Inspector, it's just occurred to me.
I've made a horrible mistake.
I remember now that I saw Anna wearing that pin when she served breakfast this morning.
So?
She couldn't have dropped it last night.
Oh, thank you, Mom. Thank you.
I don't think the Inspector was convinced when he left.
He didn't say he wasn't. He looked unconvinced.
Was kind of a fib, but it was worth it.
Anna has been an angel ever since.
She cleans Gracie's room and never sees a thing.
She even returned some things that Grace didn't know were missing.
I gave Anna the pin and she put it back on her Sunday dress.
The Inspector phoned around noon. He was very excited.
He said the blurred fingerprints on the gun belonged to Mr. Scorchy Hood
and that we should be very careful, and he hadn't been caught and he was dangerous.
I asked him how we should go about being careful.
He said to lock the doors and windows, and they would send a man to watch the house.
I didn't think we needed to worry,
because somehow I couldn't believe Mr. Scorchy Hood wanted to hear me scream again.
But about ten o'clock, Grace and I were sitting here discussing Humphrey Bogart
when the whole hall door opened.
Don't move.
I've no intention of moving. What do you want?
Shut up, sister.
Don't call me sister. My name is Emily, and this is my sister Grace.
How do you do?
This ain't no social call.
I'm glad to see you've uncovered your face.
I don't know why you should cover it. It really isn't an unpleasant face at all.
Don't start. I won't do you no good.
Did you come to kill us?
You guessed it, sister.
Grace.
Hey, what are you doing to me? Trying to confuse me?
Why should you want to kill us, Mr. Hood?
Because you made people laugh at me.
The papers made fun of me. I can't stand that.
It seems to me you brought it on yourself. You came uninvited in the first place.
What kind of talk is that? Sure I did, and I come the same way this time.
If you're going to kill me, you'll have to stand away from me.
You see, I have a phobia.
A what?
A phobia. It's something I can't help.
Oh.
Why don't you stand over there?
Why?
On account of my phobia.
It would be better if you stood there.
Here?
No, no. Well, a little farther.
Now?
Yes, I think that's better.
Oh, Grace, will you straighten the rod?
Never mind.
It worked.
I guess he's unconscious.
I'll call the man across the street.
Oh, Grace, look what you've done.
When he hit his head on the table, he spilled the flowers.
Now that water will make white spots on the varnish.
That's the way it happened.
You know the rest.
How Mr. Hood was wanted for several murders, so they executed him.
I'm rather sorry it's all over.
It seems dull around here now, but I did so want to enjoy my last days.
The doctor says I've only six months at the most.
I haven't told Grace my time is so short.
It would cause her to fret.
Grace worries so.
That's why I didn't tell her that I took the gun and shot Henry as he opened the door,
and then tossed the gun into the hall before he slumped against the door and pushed it shut.
I hadn't even told her that Mr. Scorchy Hood dropped his gun that time when I screamed.
You see, I didn't handle the gun with my shawl to save his fingerprints.
It's just that I...
I can't stand the feel of metal.
Can't stand the feel of metal.
I've been so kind, everybody.
Here, I mean, in the prison hospital.
Oh, you must excuse me. I'm so drowsy.
They've let me have my own bed even from home.
I couldn't lie on the prison cot they have, you know, with the metal and all.
Suspense.
Tonight, Roma wines have brought you Miss Eva Legallion in Phobia,
a suspense play written by Joel Hunt.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Mr. Alan Baxter as star of...
Suspense.
Produced by the
produced for Shanley by William Spear.
In the coming weeks, Suspense will present such stars as Alan Baxter, Gloria Swanson, and others.
Make it a point to listen each Thursday to Suspense,
radio's outstanding theater of thrills.
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The preceding program was transcribed.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.