WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:19.120 Suspense! 00:19.120 --> 00:26.320 Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Mr. Ray Milan in Pearls are a Nuisance, a 00:26.320 --> 00:31.680 suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. 00:34.120 --> 00:39.280 Mr. Wilcox, what are the batteries for today's game? Why, my beauteous Bobby Sox 00:39.280 --> 00:42.840 neighbor, the batteries in today's driving game are the Auto Light Stay 00:42.840 --> 00:46.400 Full batteries. The batteries that need water only three times a year in normal 00:46.400 --> 00:50.920 car use. You don't understand. I mean... Certainly I understand. You mean the Auto 00:50.920 --> 00:54.240 Light Stay Full battery is right in there pitching with day after day 00:54.240 --> 00:59.160 dependability. And you're right in there catching all the advantages of longer 00:59.160 --> 01:04.440 battery life. 70% longer average life in fact than batteries without the Stay Full 01:04.440 --> 01:08.900 features. And this is proven by tests conducted according to SAE life cycle 01:08.900 --> 01:14.520 standards. But I mean baseball. Right over the plate, my girl. The Auto Light Stay 01:14.520 --> 01:18.280 Full battery has three times as much liquid reserve above the plates as 01:18.280 --> 01:22.760 batteries without Stay Full features. That's why it needs water only three 01:22.760 --> 01:28.400 times a year in normal car use. Mr. Wilcox, let's get back to... To the batteries. For 01:28.400 --> 01:32.600 today's car, it's Auto Light Stay Full batteries. The batteries that need water 01:32.600 --> 01:37.120 only three times a year in normal car use. And remember friends, you're always 01:37.120 --> 01:42.960 right with Auto Light. And now with Pearls are a Nuisance and the performance of 01:42.960 --> 01:54.400 Ray Milan, Auto Light hopes once again to keep you in suspense. It's quite true I 01:54.400 --> 01:58.560 wasn't doing anything that morning except looking at a blank sheet of paper in my 01:58.560 --> 02:03.800 typewriter and thinking about writing a letter. It's also quite true that I don't 02:03.800 --> 02:07.920 have a great deal to do any morning, but I like not doing anything. It gives me 02:07.920 --> 02:12.240 something to do. And I don't like telephone calls that interfere with it. 02:12.240 --> 02:17.080 That's why I have two telephones. One the public phone that I can ignore, the other 02:17.080 --> 02:21.920 a private phone. Which I'd better answer if I know what's good for me and I do. 02:21.920 --> 02:26.960 What did you say darling? I said good morning dear. How are you darling busy? Yes and no. 02:26.960 --> 02:32.800 Mostly no. Why? Somebody has stolen Mrs. Penroddocks pearls and I want you to find them. 02:32.800 --> 02:36.600 Stolen pearls? Well possibly you think you have the police department on the 02:36.600 --> 02:40.880 line. This is the residence of Walter Gage. Walter Gage speaking. If you aren't 02:40.880 --> 02:44.440 here in less than a half an hour you'll receive a small parcel by registered 02:44.440 --> 02:48.760 mail containing a diamond engagement ring. I'll tell Mr. Gage when he comes in. 02:48.760 --> 03:04.080 I went naturally. I even hurried. Ellen's voice has that effect on me. I think it's 03:04.080 --> 03:08.600 the way she says... Walter darling. Yes Ellen. Mrs. Penroddocks pearl necklace has 03:08.600 --> 03:12.880 been stolen. So you said on the telephone my blood pressure remains normal. It's a 03:12.880 --> 03:16.560 string of 49 matched pink pearls that Mr. Penroddocks gave his wife on their 03:16.560 --> 03:21.040 golden wedding anniversary. Only 49 pearls for 50 years of marriage. I wonder 03:21.040 --> 03:24.680 which was the bad year. Oh shut up darling. Yes dear. The worst part of it is the 03:24.680 --> 03:29.880 pearls are false. False? Evidently they were all bad years. Don't be silly Walter. 03:29.880 --> 03:33.840 I have a very simple solution for you. Call the police. Be quiet darling. Yes dear. 03:33.840 --> 03:37.320 The pearls were real enough when Mr. Penroddocks gave them to her. The fact is 03:37.320 --> 03:40.680 she sold them through an old friend of hers in the jewelry business and he had 03:40.680 --> 03:45.520 copies made for her. Those copies have been stolen. She tells the police Mr. 03:45.520 --> 03:49.160 Penroddocks sure to find out she sold the real one. So you've got to get them back 03:49.160 --> 03:52.720 Walter. What does it matter if they were false? Well she's terrified that the thief 03:52.720 --> 03:56.120 will blackmail her when he finds out they're only imitations. Mr. Penroddocks 03:56.120 --> 03:59.720 might hear of it. The cat's out of the bag. I begin to see what might be 03:59.720 --> 04:03.780 described as daylight. Good. But where do I start looking for these baubles? I know 04:03.780 --> 04:08.120 who stole them. The chauffeur we had here a few months Walter. A horrid big bruiser 04:08.120 --> 04:12.360 named Henry Eichelberger. He left suddenly the day before yesterday for no 04:12.360 --> 04:16.920 reason at all and without a word. I'm sure he stole the pearls. How big did you 04:16.920 --> 04:22.720 say he is? About six feet. In that case? Three. Three. Six feet three. Three. Oh I'm 04:22.720 --> 04:28.320 sure he didn't take them. Couldn't have. He tried to kiss me once Walter. Oh he 04:28.320 --> 04:33.240 did? Tried to kiss you eh? Well where is this big slab of meat darling? Here's the 04:33.240 --> 04:37.560 address he gave when he first came here to work. Sounds like an unpleasant 04:37.560 --> 04:41.100 neighborhood. Not half as unpleasant as it'll be for Eichelberger when I arrive. 04:41.100 --> 04:46.260 Tried to kiss you did he? The pearls are the important thing darling and be 04:46.260 --> 04:52.040 careful. He's six feet three remember? I find it difficult to forget. 04:56.760 --> 05:00.920 Eichelberger's address proved to be a seedy looking hotel upstairs over a 05:00.920 --> 05:05.200 Chinese lawn bay. At the head of the stairs was a door marked manager. I rang 05:05.200 --> 05:12.640 the bell. Full up bud roll. I am not inquiring for a room. I am looking for 05:12.640 --> 05:17.920 one Henry Eichelberger who I'm informed lives here. Down the hall Jack 218. Have 05:17.920 --> 05:24.080 the kindness to show me the way. Oh well what do you know? A duke no less. Okay 05:24.080 --> 05:32.440 your lordship pick up your feet eh? This is it. 05:34.000 --> 05:38.520 He's out eh? Have the goodness to unlock the door. I wish to go in and wait for 05:38.520 --> 05:44.520 Eichelberger. Two bucks and I won't even tell Eichelberger when he comes in eh? 05:44.520 --> 05:50.440 That is the deal. Here's your money. If you hear any noises later on ignore them. 05:50.440 --> 06:00.280 Sure sure eh? I searched all the likely places where you might have hidden the 06:00.280 --> 06:06.040 necklace. Then I searched all the unlikely places. No necklace. Then I heard someone 06:06.040 --> 06:12.440 at the door. How'd you get in here sonny? The explanation of that can wait. I'm 06:12.440 --> 06:17.680 looking for one Eichelberger. Are you he? Get you a real comedian. Well I loosen my 06:17.680 --> 06:22.760 belt before you make me laugh. My name is Gage Walter Gage. Are you Eichelberger? 06:22.760 --> 06:26.760 Give me a knuckle and I'll tell you. I am the fiance of Miss Ellen McIntosh. I am 06:26.760 --> 06:32.440 informed that you're trying to kiss her. What do you mean try? I hit him rather 06:32.440 --> 06:38.600 severely in the left eye. Then the right. Then I give him a crushing uppercut to 06:38.600 --> 06:44.600 the jaw. He looked at me with an air of patient resignation. Oh well. And then he 06:44.600 --> 06:57.520 hit me. I bent over and took hold of the room with both hands and spun it. When I 06:57.520 --> 07:01.200 had it nicely spinning I gave it a full swing and hit myself on the back of the 07:01.200 --> 07:07.680 head with the floor. I believe I lost consciousness at about this point. At 07:07.680 --> 07:20.240 any rate I was no longer aware of the time of day. 07:20.600 --> 07:25.440 Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Ray Milan in Raymond Chandler's satirical 07:25.440 --> 07:30.080 detective story, Pearls are a Nuisance. Tonight's presentation in radio's 07:30.080 --> 07:39.600 outstanding theater of thrills, suspense. 07:39.600 --> 07:45.560 Let's see now. A pinch hitter is a substitute. Ah but there's no substitute 07:45.560 --> 07:48.800 for that famous Auto Light stay full battery. The battery that needs water 07:48.800 --> 07:53.000 only three times a year in normal car use. Mr. Wilcox we weren't discussing 07:53.000 --> 07:57.680 those batteries. Why Dora they're the batteries for today's game. I mean car. 07:57.680 --> 08:01.960 This power-packed Auto Light stay full battery has a fiberglass retaining mat 08:01.960 --> 08:06.280 protecting every positive plate to hold the power producing material in place 08:06.280 --> 08:10.400 and lengthen battery life. Why recent tests conducted according to SAE 08:10.400 --> 08:14.960 lifecycle standards prove that the Auto Light stay full battery gives 70% 08:14.960 --> 08:19.880 longer average life than batteries without the stay full feature. Oh I give 08:19.880 --> 08:25.120 up. Nobody but nobody would give up an Auto Light stay full battery. The battery 08:25.120 --> 08:29.440 that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. That marvel of 08:29.440 --> 08:33.280 engineering know-how has three times as much liquid reserve above the plates as 08:33.280 --> 08:38.720 batteries without stay full features. That's why the Auto Light stay full 08:38.720 --> 08:43.520 battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use. So friends see 08:43.520 --> 08:47.560 your Auto Light battery dealer and have him install an Auto Light stay full 08:47.560 --> 08:52.600 battery in your car. And remember you're always right with Auto Light. And now 08:52.600 --> 08:56.800 Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Ray Milan as water gauge 08:56.800 --> 09:03.320 with Hal March as J. Henry Eichelberger in Pearls are a nuisance. A muscular drama 09:03.320 --> 09:12.360 replete with situations well calculated to keep you in suspense. While I was 09:12.360 --> 09:15.320 thinking about the possibility of getting back to my feet in the very near 09:15.320 --> 09:20.160 future a wet towel began to slap at my face and I opened my eyes. Oh boy. The 09:20.160 --> 09:24.000 face of one Henry Eichelberger was very close to mine. I thought maybe it was 09:24.000 --> 09:29.420 Kilchak. You got a stomach as weak as Chinese tea. Oh what happened? As if I 09:29.420 --> 09:34.160 didn't know. You tripped on itty-bitty tear in the carpet. Feel like getting up 09:34.160 --> 09:41.160 your head. Thank you Henry. May I call you Henry? No tax on it. You look okay now. 09:41.160 --> 09:46.160 Why don't you tell me you were sick. Eichelberger you swine. That does it. Oh 09:46.160 --> 09:51.440 cut it out will you. You must my hair. I wish you'd fall down when I hit you 09:51.440 --> 09:56.040 Henry. Just once. It would work wonders for my morale. You and me could get along 09:56.040 --> 10:01.880 Jack. Look I never kissed you girl. Even if I ain't saying I wouldn't like to. Is 10:01.880 --> 10:05.800 that all that's eating on you? No there is another matter. Well sit down and tell 10:05.800 --> 10:11.280 me the score. Only no more haymakers. Now give me a headache. Promise? I promise. 10:11.280 --> 10:17.320 Tell me why did you leave the employee of Mrs. Penradic? Well you tell me. Am I 10:17.320 --> 10:23.560 what you might call a good-looker? Well Henry. Don't sulk me. No I wouldn't call you 10:23.560 --> 10:27.600 handsome exactly but unquestionably you ate your spinach as a child if that's a 10:27.600 --> 10:34.720 consolation. Get you a real comedian. Why do I loosen my belt? Look suppose you fell 10:34.720 --> 10:39.400 for a doll with stars in her hair. A guy like me that looks like a taxi going 10:39.400 --> 10:43.640 down a street with both doors open. And suppose you get a job where you see this 10:43.640 --> 10:50.040 doll all the time and every day. And no it's no dice. What would you do Jack? Me I 10:50.040 --> 10:58.280 just quit the job. Ellen? Yeah. Henry I'd like to shake your hand. Go ahead. Now 10:58.280 --> 11:02.320 there's one more thing. I am empowered to arrange for the return of Mrs. Penradic's 11:02.320 --> 11:07.920 pearls which you have no doubt stolen. Oh you got nerve Jack. You think I stole 11:07.920 --> 11:12.680 some marbles and I'm sitting around here waiting for a flock of dicks to swore me. 11:12.680 --> 11:16.040 The police have not been told Henry and you may not be aware that the pearls are 11:16.040 --> 11:23.040 false. False? You mean a false? Exactly. And you think I would bother myself the 11:23.040 --> 11:28.240 hooks and phonies? You didn't mean to steal the necklace Henry? No. Now look if 11:28.240 --> 11:32.560 they was ringers I wouldn't be bothered and if they was real I wouldn't be holed 11:32.560 --> 11:37.040 up in no cheap flap in LA waiting for a couple of carloads of bulls to put the 11:37.040 --> 11:42.040 sneeze on me would I? That is exactly what I thought Henry. Well as long as you 11:42.040 --> 11:45.280 didn't steal them how would you like the job of helping me recover them? You're 11:45.280 --> 11:49.600 kidding? No Henry it's obvious that if you didn't snatch those marbles I believe 11:49.600 --> 11:53.280 that's the expression. Someone else did and you can help me find them. Now how 11:53.280 --> 11:59.560 about it? Well why not? Why not indeed? You got any ideas where to start? Yes I have. 11:59.560 --> 12:04.520 I feel that we must as they say tap the grapevine. When a string of pearls is 12:04.520 --> 12:08.680 stolen all the underworld must be seething. Well maybe you got right but 12:08.680 --> 12:12.680 this underworld it's doing all the seed and ain't gonna seed much over a string 12:12.680 --> 12:17.320 of glass beads or am I punchy? I am thinking Henry that the underworld 12:17.320 --> 12:20.440 probably has a sense of humor and a thief who went to the trouble of stealing 12:20.440 --> 12:24.360 some worthless trinkets would be the butt of considerable cost humor. Yeah 12:24.360 --> 12:28.680 there's a nucleus of an idea in that all right. I would say something like that 12:28.680 --> 12:32.840 could get around a pool rooms or start a little wholesome chuckling all right? Yes. 12:32.840 --> 12:39.160 Now all we need to do is to locate a reliable crook. Yeah see as a gay 12:39.160 --> 12:43.960 named Lou Scandese that runs a blue lagoon downtown might be interested in 12:43.960 --> 12:48.080 some marbles but he don't like being asked questions. He sounds dangerous. 12:48.080 --> 12:53.320 We'll turn him inside out and take a look at his liver. Very well let us go and 12:53.320 --> 12:59.000 beard this Scandese character in his malodorous den. Yeah leave us do what you 12:59.000 --> 13:09.480 said. Mr. Scandese's blue lagoon was not difficult to find it was a rather 13:09.480 --> 13:13.840 soiled establishment bathed in an unpleasant blue light. Henry and I went 13:13.840 --> 13:18.400 through a small dim dining room to a door marked private. Wasn't it awful we 13:18.400 --> 13:24.440 didn't even knock. You Scandese? Who wants to know? Me and my friend here wants to 13:24.440 --> 13:29.800 talk to you. So talk I'm listening. It's about some pearls 49. Is that right Walter? 13:29.800 --> 13:35.160 Quite right. I don't think I heard about him. Try and remember maybe if I pulled 13:35.160 --> 13:38.680 off one of your ears it might help. Oh well now Henry you seem to be doing all 13:38.680 --> 13:43.560 the work do you think that's quite fair? Okay Walter you wake him over. These fat 13:43.560 --> 13:47.400 guys brew something lovely. Look take it easy I ain't heard nothing. 13:47.400 --> 13:53.240 You guys insurance man. Give him my card Walter. This is my personal card it has 13:53.240 --> 13:59.080 my phone number on it. Okay thanks. You may be surprised you may get a call. What 13:59.080 --> 14:03.160 do you think Walter? You think this muzzler is leveling with us? I dare say he 14:03.160 --> 14:07.400 wouldn't be above telling us an untruth. I'll get you a real comedian while I 14:07.400 --> 14:13.040 loosen my belt. You give us a straight good Scandese. Straight goods absolute. 14:13.040 --> 14:20.160 We'll cooperate. I'll bet you get a call. Okay so long Scandese and keep your 14:20.160 --> 14:23.760 schnauzle clean if you don't want to be looking for it under your desk. Yes 14:23.760 --> 14:31.200 remember that. Well what now? I think you've done an adequate day's work Henry 14:31.200 --> 14:34.760 and the procedure would seem to be for me to go home and wait for the telephone 14:34.760 --> 14:39.320 to ring bearing glad tidings from the underworld. What about me? I would suggest 14:39.320 --> 14:43.780 that you wend your way homeward also. Here's my private number. Call me in the 14:43.780 --> 14:56.160 morning after you do your sitting up exercises. I'll get you a real comedian. 14:56.160 --> 15:00.840 I went home and waited for the phone to ring. I must have fallen asleep after a 15:00.840 --> 15:06.760 while it was quite dark out when the call came through. Well here goes. 15:06.760 --> 15:14.560 Walter Gage speaking. Walter Gage Acme Insurance Company. Oh it's you Ellen. 15:14.560 --> 15:18.400 Why didn't you call in the private phone? I didn't have the number handy. You 15:18.400 --> 15:22.120 haven't found the pearls yet. How did you know? We just got a phone call. From whom? 15:22.120 --> 15:27.200 He wouldn't say. All he said was he heard from somebody named... Scandese? Yes that's it. 15:27.200 --> 15:31.000 That we were looking for the pearls. Has he found out the pearls are false? No and 15:31.000 --> 15:34.100 I didn't tell him. All right now don't worry we have an idea how to get them 15:34.100 --> 15:41.880 back. We? Who's we? Henry and me. Henry? Henry who? Michael Berger. I've hired him to help me 15:41.880 --> 15:46.680 find the pearls. Are you out of your mind? Didn't Henry take the pearls? Of course not. 15:46.680 --> 15:50.920 He only left because he was in love with you. Oh Walter that big brute how could 15:50.920 --> 15:54.880 you say such a thing? But Ellen I thought you'd be flattered. Flattered? I never want 15:54.880 --> 16:00.920 to speak to you again Walter Gage. Goodbye. Ellen! Ouch! Women I sometimes 16:00.920 --> 16:05.320 wonder. Oh honey I'm so glad you called back. Now listen darling. Who are you calling 16:05.320 --> 16:12.560 honey sweetheart? Who is this? Am I? Your name Gage? Yeah. A guy named Scandese he says you're 16:12.560 --> 16:16.280 looking for some oyster fruit. A frail named McIntosh says you're the guy to 16:16.280 --> 16:24.000 talk to. Possibly. Well I got 49 of them. Pink ones. Five grand the price. Why that is 16:24.000 --> 16:28.400 entirely absurd. Those pearls happen to be false. Quit your kidding you heard me. 16:28.400 --> 16:32.800 Five G's. I'll give you until tomorrow afternoon to scrape it together then I'll 16:32.800 --> 16:36.200 call you let you know where to meet me. 16:44.120 --> 16:48.920 Hello? Ellen this is Walter. I told you I never want to speak to you again. All 16:48.920 --> 16:52.800 right I won't speak to you. Just tell me the name of the man who sold Mrs. Penroddick's 16:52.800 --> 16:56.680 pearls for her. Gallimore. Roger Gallimore. He has a jewelry company 16:56.680 --> 17:03.120 downtown. Thank you. Walter darling. How do you like it darling? 17:08.120 --> 17:13.840 I went to see Mr. Gallimore. He was a tall pink man of about 70 and he listened 17:13.840 --> 17:17.800 to my narrative of events with considerable interest. Five thousand 17:17.800 --> 17:22.640 seems like a great deal of money for a string of false pearls. Yes indeed. That 17:22.640 --> 17:27.320 Mr. Gallimore is why I came to see you. I believe I can hazard a guess as to the 17:27.320 --> 17:30.920 reason for such an exorbitant demand and I further believe that you were in a 17:30.920 --> 17:34.880 position to confirm my impression. And what might that impression be Mr. Gage? 17:34.880 --> 17:40.240 I believe that the pearls are in fact real. You were a very old friend of Mrs. 17:40.240 --> 17:43.880 Penroddick perhaps even a childhood sweetheart. When she gave you the pearls 17:43.880 --> 17:48.520 to sell you did not sell them Mr. Gallimore. Instead you gave her $20,000 17:48.520 --> 17:51.440 of your own money and returned the pearls to her pretending that they were 17:51.440 --> 17:56.560 imitations of the original necklace. Son you think a lot smarter than you talk. 17:56.560 --> 18:03.160 Then I am correct. Embarrassingly so Mr. Gage. The pearls are real. Now what would you 18:03.160 --> 18:09.520 like me to do? Entrust me with $5,000 with which to retrieve them. Son it is so 18:09.520 --> 18:15.160 long since I heard anyone talk the way Jane Austen writes that it is making a 18:15.160 --> 18:26.200 sucker out of me. Thank you sir. I know that my language is a bit stilted. 18:26.200 --> 18:32.200 And so Henry Mr. Gallimore gave me this check. You mean he gave it to you? 18:32.200 --> 18:36.920 5,000 fish just like that? You have said it. Kid you got something with that 18:36.920 --> 18:41.560 daisy chain chatter of yours. Thank you Henry. At any rate all that now remains 18:41.560 --> 18:51.960 is for the phone to ring. Aha. You're gonna say that again. Aha. Hello. Gage. Yes who 18:51.960 --> 18:57.800 is this? Yes you got the money? It's in my pocket at this exact moment. If I have 18:57.800 --> 19:01.240 any assurance of honorable treatment I am prepared to go through with it. Okay. 19:01.240 --> 19:06.880 Tonight at 8 sharp you'll be in Cathedral Park. You got that? Yes. At the end of the dirt road. 19:06.880 --> 19:13.000 Be there at 8 sharp. Come alone. No guns, no funny business, no smart work, no slip 19:13.000 --> 19:17.520 up and nobody hurt. That's the way we do business. Very well. Oh one last thing. 19:17.520 --> 19:24.040 Where did you get my phone number? From Scandisi? Who else? 8 o'clock then and no 19:24.040 --> 19:32.200 tricks. That is very interesting. What? The telephone. Yeah yeah. Hooray for 19:32.200 --> 19:38.920 Alexander Graham Watson's name. What did that guy say? Hmm? Oh oh yes yes it's all 19:38.920 --> 19:43.000 arranged. I am to meet them tonight all by myself and give them the money. All by 19:43.000 --> 19:48.640 yourself huh? Got you a real comedian. Why do I why do I loosen my belt all by? 19:48.640 --> 19:52.120 They'll take the dough and leave you laying there bleeding all over yourself 19:52.120 --> 19:57.280 and they'll still have the marbles. I ought to go with you. Henry it is my duty 19:57.280 --> 20:02.280 and I must brave these monsters and human guys alone and unattended. Of course 20:02.280 --> 20:07.720 I I do have a big car and you could hide on the floor under a rug. It's a cinch. 20:07.720 --> 20:12.100 But maybe. Walter the only thing wrong with you as far as I can see you got 20:12.100 --> 20:16.240 holes in your head. All I'm trying to do is keep you from getting another one. I'm 20:16.240 --> 20:19.000 going with you. 20:20.800 --> 20:26.560 So it was settled. Henry was to go with me. That afternoon I stopped at the bank. 20:26.560 --> 20:31.920 Where I cashed Mr. Gallimore's check and changed it into a hundred dollar bill. 20:31.920 --> 20:38.240 Forty six hundred forty seven forty eight. You counted as though it were your own. Five 20:38.240 --> 20:43.760 thousand. Five thousand. Now a roll of quarters please. A roll of quarters 20:43.760 --> 20:49.040 please. There's an echo in here. Leave them in the wrapper. Quite heavy aren't 20:49.040 --> 20:56.920 they? Yes aren't they? 20:56.920 --> 21:02.280 And so late that evening I found myself in Cathedral Park with Henry Eichelberg 21:02.280 --> 21:08.200 a boy in the back of the car. I was very nervous. I think Henry was also. Neither 21:08.200 --> 21:14.440 of us were any too sure what was going to happen that night. Oh my back. What's the 21:14.440 --> 21:19.440 matter Henry? Aren't you comfy back there? I'm comfy all right only my heater 21:19.440 --> 21:24.120 keeps digging into me. Are we there yet? We're getting close now stay down this is 21:24.120 --> 21:26.520 business. 21:30.440 --> 21:37.840 This is the end of the line Henry. Be careful they're probably watching me. Okay. 21:37.840 --> 21:46.280 What's that? Me Walter. My gun is breaking my back. Well stop sitting on it. I did. 21:46.280 --> 21:53.200 Anything stirring? No keep quiet. I'll make like a little mousy. 22:00.840 --> 22:06.000 Don't you think we've waited long enough Henry? Well we only been waiting 15 22:06.000 --> 22:11.560 minutes. You sure this is the place? Yes. Let's get out of the car and see if 22:11.560 --> 22:16.400 anybody shoots at us. Then we'll know somebody's around. That seems to me the 22:16.400 --> 22:20.880 difficult way of finding out but let's try it as I personally feel sure that 22:20.880 --> 22:30.480 there is no one here but you and I. Suckered. You know what happened Walter? 22:30.480 --> 22:36.320 What do you think Henry? It was just a tryout to see if you'd show. Suckered. I 22:36.320 --> 22:40.440 ought to go back and twist that scant easy so he spends the rest of his life 22:40.440 --> 22:45.920 looking up his left pants leg. Well Henry what is the next move? Beat it on 22:45.920 --> 22:50.600 home I guess. Anyhow I won't need this gun anymore my back is sore enough from 22:50.600 --> 22:52.600 it. 22:54.160 --> 23:00.080 We stood there and looked at one another Henry and I. He doubled his hands into 23:00.080 --> 23:05.440 fists and shook them slowly in his sadness. I too was melancholy. In the 23:05.440 --> 23:09.880 brief time I'd known Henry I had grown very fond of him. Yeah that's it all 23:09.880 --> 23:14.680 right. Nothing else to do but beating on home Walter. That's all is left to us. I 23:14.680 --> 23:20.040 took my right hand out of my pocket. I have large hands. In my right hand nestled 23:20.040 --> 23:23.640 a roll of quarters I'd gotten from the bank that morning. My hand had made a 23:23.640 --> 23:28.720 large and heavy fist around him. Henry didn't notice. What are you looking at me 23:28.720 --> 23:34.080 so funny for Walter? I just wanted to say good night Henry. You had two strikes 23:34.080 --> 23:40.480 on me and this is the big one. I don't get it Walter. He got it then. My fist with 23:40.480 --> 23:43.400 nearly a pound of metal in it caught him squarely on the jaw. For a moment he 23:43.400 --> 23:47.200 wavered back and forth on his feet then. 23:47.200 --> 24:06.480 Henry Eichelberger lay motionless on the ground as limp as a rubber glove. 24:06.480 --> 24:12.160 I found the pearls twined around his ankle inside his left sock. Well Henry I 24:12.160 --> 24:16.400 said although he couldn't hear me you are a gentleman even if you are a thief. 24:16.400 --> 24:20.320 You could have taken the money a dozen times today. You could have taken it a 24:20.320 --> 24:24.480 little while ago when you still had the gun but even then that repelled you. You 24:24.480 --> 24:28.200 threw the gun away and we were man-to-man but still you hesitated. In 24:28.200 --> 24:32.720 fact Henry I said for a successful thief you hesitated just a little too long but 24:32.720 --> 24:37.600 as a sporting man I can only think more highly of you. Goodbye Henry and good 24:37.600 --> 24:41.600 luck I said. I put a hundred dollar bill in his chubby little fist and withdrew. 24:41.600 --> 24:45.920 End of story. But how did you know it was Henry darling? You told me so little 24:45.920 --> 24:49.440 lemon cookie you were quite sure of it. Well I know but you must have had proof 24:49.440 --> 24:53.480 of some kind. There was one other minor little detail that convinced me Henry 24:53.480 --> 24:58.280 was the guilty party. I gave Scandese my phone number but I have two telephones. 24:58.280 --> 25:03.720 One is a private line. Only two people had that number. You were one of them 25:03.720 --> 25:07.400 Henry was the other. When Henry's accomplice got in touch with me he used 25:07.400 --> 25:13.080 the phone number I'd given Henry not the one I gave Scandese you see. Oh darling 25:13.080 --> 25:24.160 you're so clever. Oh of course you may kiss me if you like. 25:24.160 --> 25:28.360 Months after Ellen and I were married we received a letter postmarked Honolulu. 25:28.360 --> 25:34.680 It was from Henry. My dear Walter, due to the bulls finally putting the squeeze on me I 25:34.680 --> 25:39.680 have only just received the joyous tidings that you and Ellen are embarked 25:39.680 --> 25:46.440 upon a happy tide of holy matrimony. I am so glad for you. I often think of you 25:46.440 --> 25:52.000 Walter particularly with an overwhelming curiosity as to what it was you struck 25:52.000 --> 25:58.920 me with that night. Oh well I dare say it can only be conjecture in my part now. A 25:58.920 --> 26:05.800 hammer perhaps. At any rate I entertain no feelings of ill will toward you. On the 26:05.800 --> 26:11.800 contrary I am indebted to you greatly. The ease with which you talk Mr. 26:11.800 --> 26:17.480 Gallimore to $5,000 has changed my life. I have been taking English lessons 26:17.480 --> 26:22.560 myself and I'm now practicing on a wealthy widow woman not without 26:22.560 --> 26:32.800 financial success. Ah too surely sport. Defaultily Henry. P.S. was it perchance an 26:32.800 --> 26:41.560 animal? I wonder. You know Henry wasn't such a bad fellow. All I really disliked 26:41.560 --> 26:47.080 him for was his barbaric English. Now he's changed there. Maybe I should have 26:47.080 --> 26:54.240 married him. What do you think Walter? Yet you a real comedian. Little I listen to my belt. 26:54.240 --> 27:08.160 Suspense presented by Auto Light. Tonight's star Ray Milan. Mr. Wilcox what's 27:08.160 --> 27:13.200 your batting average? Very high Dora. 400 as a matter of fact. You see I'm batting 27:13.200 --> 27:17.880 in Auto Light's big league of more than 400 fine products made by Auto Light for 27:17.880 --> 27:22.200 cars, trucks, planes and boats in 28 plants coast to coast. These include 27:22.200 --> 27:25.620 complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many makes of 27:25.620 --> 27:30.520 America's finest cars. Spark plugs, batteries, generators, coils, distributors, 27:30.520 --> 27:35.120 starting motors, bullseye sealed beam headlights. All engineered to fit 27:35.120 --> 27:38.800 together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. 27:38.800 --> 27:43.760 So friends don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and 27:43.760 --> 27:47.760 insist on Auto Light original factory parts at your neighborhood service 27:47.760 --> 27:53.080 station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember you're always right with Auto Light. 27:59.880 --> 28:05.360 Next Thursday for Suspense our star will be Agnes Moorhead. The play is called The 28:05.360 --> 28:18.080 Chain and it is as we say a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. 28:18.080 --> 28:22.720 Tonight's Suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by 28:22.720 --> 28:27.000 Norman MacDonald. Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Morawek and 28:27.000 --> 28:31.720 conducted by Lud Bluskin. Pearls are a Nuisance is an original story by Raymond 28:31.720 --> 28:36.180 Chandler adapted for radio by Ronald McDougall. Ray Milan appears by 28:36.180 --> 28:40.000 arrangement with Paramount Pictures whose current release is Captain Carrie USA 28:40.000 --> 28:44.600 starring Alan Ladd and Wanda Hendricks. Auto Light wishes to thank the readers 28:44.600 --> 28:49.400 of Radio Mirror magazine who have voted Suspense the best mystery program for 28:49.400 --> 28:53.280 the second consecutive year. In the coming weeks you will hear such stars as 28:53.280 --> 28:57.080 Claire Trevor, Donald O'Connor and Charles Boyer. Don't forget next Thursday 28:57.080 --> 29:03.880 same time Auto Light will present Suspense starring Agnes Moorhead. 29:05.960 --> 29:10.400 You can buy Auto Light staple batteries, Auto Light resistor or regular spark 29:10.400 --> 29:13.400 plugs, Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers. 29:13.400 --> 29:33.080 Switch to Auto Light. Good night. This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system.