Suspense.
Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Miss Agnes Moorehead in The Chain, a suspense
play produced and edited by William Spear.
Say Harlow, whom do you go to when you have a baby?
I, a baby?
Why, to a doctor?
I mean...
Oh, when you go to jail, I mean, or I rather I should say when you have a lawsuit, whom
do you go to?
A lawyer.
Baby, lawsuit.
What are you driving at, Hap?
The best spark plugs for your car, my good man.
Oh, well now you're on my ground.
Who knows more about the best spark plugs for your car than Auto Light's ignition engineers?
The men who design and build complete ignition systems for many of America's finest cars.
Why, it's the skill and know-how of these Auto Light ignition engineers that have made
Auto Light the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment
and made Auto Light spark plugs world famous.
That means they know how to build into spark plugs the best in quick starting, smooth performance
and gas mileage, eh, Harlow?
Right you are and say it's the skill of these same Auto Light engineers that made possible
the development of the Auto Light resistor spark plug, one of the greatest advances in
spark plug design for automotive use in the past 20 years.
So friends, go to your friendly Auto Light spark plug dealer and have him replace worn-out
spark plugs with world famous ignition engineered Auto Light spark plugs.
Whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type, you can't buy a better spark
plug for your car because you're always right with Auto Light.
And now with the chain and the performance of Agnes Moorhead, Auto Light hopes once again
to keep you in suspense.
All I did was write a letter, that's all.
You can't blame me for what happened.
I didn't start it.
It came to me and I followed the instructions because I was afraid.
Hundreds of people do it every day, so how can you blame me?
Everybody in town knows me, they respect me.
I've always been a good wife.
By the morning it started, I was fixing George's breakfast.
Not just toast like some women fix, but bacon and eggs and hot biscuits.
Coffee ready?
I asked you not to wander off.
Your bacon is burned to a crisp.
I told you I only wanted fruit juice and coffee.
I went down to the road to pick up the mail.
Why do you always run for the mail?
Are you expecting something you don't want me to see, George?
If there was anything I didn't want you to see, I could have it sent to the office.
Oh, could you?
I didn't know you were important enough to be permitted to receive personal mail there.
Leonora, that's enough.
Burt Reynolds was appointed district manager.
I should have gotten the job, but I didn't.
Now let's forget about it.
Maybe you can forget about it, but Abby Reynolds won't let me forget.
She has a high man to do her work now.
She can spend half her day in town, but not Leonora Coffin.
No, poor Leonora is bottled up here without a car, without anything.
Here's your coffee.
After all the trouble I've gone to, I guess I can throw the rest of the breakfast out.
What was in the mail?
Just this letter for you.
For me?
Who was it from?
I don't know, Leonora.
I have never opened your mail.
Well, you need me so sarcastic.
Oh dear.
From my cousin Emily, one of those ridiculous chain letters.
This letter was started by a holy man in Tibet to end all evil.
You must make two copies and mail them to others within 24 hours or the chain will be
broken.
Whoever breaks the chain will meet with evil.
A Navy pilot broke the chain and was killed in a crash two days later.
Such a ridiculous thing.
Now who can I send it to?
You can burn it and not send it to anybody.
Well, maybe you don't think so, but I think our luck is bad enough as it is.
I could send one to Abby Reynolds, of course, but I'd have to sign my name to it.
Since you're peeved with Abby, she's fortunately spared.
Besides, she'd tear it up.
Yes, she would.
That'd be just like Abby.
What's the name of the man they hired?
I don't know.
Kirch, something or other.
Kirchowski, Peter Kirchowski.
Peter Kirchowski.
You're not thinking of sending a copy to him.
Why not, George?
Why not?
Well, it's absurd.
You don't even know the man.
I send one to him and he sends one to Abby.
He probably won't send it to anybody.
But he will, George.
He's a foreigner, isn't he?
And they're all so superstitious.
You'd have to send it to her.
He may not even know anybody else.
Suit yourself.
Need anything from town?
No.
I'm going to be getting back to the office.
It's very early, George.
You never used to leave so early.
You used to eat a big breakfast.
I'm just not hungry.
Maybe you'll be hungry by the time you get to town.
Then you'll have time for a second breakfast at the drugstore.
You might even meet Miss Holden.
She has her breakfast there.
Leonora.
She's very pretty, George.
Not at all like your former secretary.
Betty Holden's a very efficient girl.
If she's pretty, I've never noticed it.
Well, notice it, George.
Notice it while you're having your second breakfast.
I'll see you at dinner, Leonora.
George didn't fool me a bit.
He never did.
Some wives can't see the signs, but I could.
I cleaned up the house spotless.
That's where I kept it.
Then I sat down with a letter.
I made a copy and addressed it to Mr. Peter Kaczewski, care of Mrs. Abby Remill.
Then I made the second copy.
Whoever breaks the chain will meet with evil.
Hadn't spoken to George about this copy.
I sealed it in an envelope and addressed it to Miss Betty Holden.
I mailed the letters and I waited patiently.
I watched George's face the next night when he came home.
I had all his favorite things for dinner.
I even had my hair put up the way he liked it best.
Not that he was ever pleased with the things I did for him.
I wasn't the one he had on his mind.
You're not very good company tonight, George.
I find very little to say.
I passed your office today.
You seemed quite animated in there.
But perhaps you find Miss Holden's conversation more stimulating than mine.
We were discussing something that was very embarrassing to me, Leonora.
Oh?
Why did you send her that letter?
Well, it said send two copies and that's what I did.
Well, why Miss Holden?
Why not?
Because it was a stupid and childish thing.
Is that what she said?
She's too much of a lady.
But that's what she thought and so did I.
Oh, you and Miss Holden seem to think very much alike.
It's a pity you're not married to her.
Yes, Leonora.
It is a pity.
So it's true then.
You agree that I'm stupid and childish.
What other agreements do you have, George?
Why do you twist things so?
I said...
Do you think I'm deaf, George?
I'm not.
I'm not blind either.
She's my secretary.
That's all.
If that's all, then why don't you fire her?
For what cause?
Because I don't want her there.
That's cause enough, isn't it?
I'm your wife.
Isn't what I want important?
Not when it can cost somebody a job without reason.
Oh, you're so noble, aren't you, George?
But that isn't like you.
I know because I live with you.
You're a liar, George, and I could get her fired without your help.
I'll go to Burt Reynolds and tell him...
Leonora, if you do that, I'll...
Go ahead and hit me, George, because of her secretary.
It means nothing to you.
No.
That wouldn't do any good with you, Leonora.
You're not worth it.
You stay here and talk to me.
Where do you think you're going?
I'm going out to the guest room over the garage.
Where I go from there, I'll decide later.
You mean you're going to stay out there?
That's exactly what I mean.
You want to make a fool of me.
You want people around town whispering that you left me.
You want them to laugh at me.
They'll never know unless you tell them, Leonora.
You'll make sure that Betty Holden knows that they'll woke you.
George, George, come back here, do you hear me?
George!
I knew they were talking about me.
I could see it in their faces every time I went into town.
The woman is always to blame when something goes wrong.
But they didn't know what George was like.
I went to town every day, whether I had to or not, to show them I had nothing to be ashamed
of.
Thursday was the day Abby Reynolds did her shopping at the Bontan I planned to meet her,
accidentally.
Leonora!
Oh, Leonora!
I'm so glad to see you.
Hello, Abby.
I tried to phone you this morning.
Oh, well, I've been in town all day.
Bert told me to call you.
I'm glad I ran into you instead.
It's...well, there's something I have to tell you.
We know you meant no harm.
So George has been criticizing me to Bert.
Why, no, dear.
I meant about the letter, the chain letter you sent to Peter Kaczewski.
What harm could that do, Abby?
None.
That's what Bert tried to tell him, but he's a very quiet, strange man.
And, well, you see, Leonora, his wife died yesterday.
Oh, no.
No, Abby.
He got the letter a few days ago.
No.
He can't read English, so he usually brings his mail to Bert.
But his wife got sick that morning, and he took her to the hospital.
He didn't bring the letter to Bert until this morning.
And without thinking, of course...
He read it to him?
Bert tried to reason with him, but he didn't seem to hear.
He just kept staring.
Then he turned and walked out of the house.
He blames me?
He thinks it's my fault.
Why did you ever send it to him, Leonora?
Why did you pick him?
Well, I meant no harm, Abby.
I swear it.
I swear it on my heart.
I just meant...
You better tell George about it, in case there's any trouble.
Yes.
Yes, I'll tell George.
You see, if I'd sent the letter to Abby, it never would have happened.
That's what I would have done if she wasn't always trying to make herself better than
I was.
I wouldn't have been in this if it wasn't for her.
I left the Bonton and went to the square.
The Country Hill bus wasn't due for half an hour.
I couldn't stand there, so I walked out of town, and I crossed the wooden bridge over
the river.
The side road was pitted with ruts left by the rain, and I stumbled, and the heel of
my shoe broke off.
I sat down on a patch of grass and tried to fix it, and I heard a branch snap in the trees
behind me.
Hello, Mrs. Carpenter.
It was a voice I'd never heard before, but when I turned, I knew the face.
It was Peter Pratchesky.
He was all dirty and unshaven, and he had a half-empty bottle in his hand.
You afraid, huh, Mrs. Carpenter?
You stay away from me!
Stay away!
Do you hear?
No!
He started for me.
I threw the shoe.
It caught him in the face and a nail tore a gash in his forehead.
I turned and started to run up the hill.
I got you!
I could hear him behind me.
He was getting closer and closer, and the house was still a quarter of a mile away.
A quarter of a mile away!
I get you, Mrs. Carpenter!
I got you, Mrs. Carpenter!
Otto Light is bringing you Miss Agnes Moorhead in The Chain, tonight's production in radio's
outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Say Harlow, what ignites the ignition system?
I, uh, I'll ask the Otto Light ignition engineers.
And what sparks a spark plug?
Uh, that's another for Otto Light ignition engineers.
If anyone knows spark plugs, it's these same Otto Light engineers who design coils, distributors,
and all the other vital parts that make up the complete ignition systems used as original
equipment on many makes of America's finest cars.
They really know, eh, Harlow?
Yes, sir.
And look at the Otto Light resistor spark plug they developed.
It's one of the greatest advances in spark plug design for automotive use in the past
20 years.
Can they talk about spark plugs like you, Harlow?
Sure they can.
And your friendly Otto Light spark plug dealer can tell everyone listening to this program
as much about world famous ignition engineered Otto Light spark plugs as I can.
No.
Sure.
So go to him and have him replace your worn out spark plugs with world famous ignition
engineered Otto Light spark plugs.
And whether you choose the resistor type or the regular type, for smooth performance and
the best in gas mileage, you can't buy a better spark plug for your car because you're
always right with Otto Light.
And now, Otto Light brings back to our Hollywood sound stage our star, Agnes Moorhead, in the
chain.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
My lungs were ready to burst.
I wanted to scream but no sound had come.
And there was nobody to hear me.
Nobody but Peter Kaczewski.
He was standing along after me.
I heard the bottle drop and break.
I could see the house now in the clearing through the trees.
I stood there and heard the sound of the engine.
I heard the sound of the engine.
I heard the sound of the engine through the trees and I started to cry.
I couldn't run any faster.
I just couldn't.
He was almost up to me.
He reached out and I fell.
His hand turned at the back of my coat and then he fell.
He fell.
I heard him go down but I didn't turn to look.
I crossed the clearing, up the steps of the house.
I tore at the clasp on my handbag to get the key.
We've always been stuck.
Kaczewski staggered into the clearing.
I remembered the spare key under the doormat.
Got it?
And opened the door.
He'd reached the port steps.
I slammed the door and locked it in his face.
Oh my.
He'd reach the port steps, I'd slam the door and lock it in his face.
Come out. Come out, Mrs. Gashwin.
Go away, do you hear me? Leave me alone. Leave me alone.
Don't get away from me.
Nobody wants to help you.
You don't get away. I can't wait for you.
I leaned against the door trying to get my breath.
I could feel Kuczynski on the other side of it like a big crazy ape.
What did he want to hurt me for?
I took a chair and braced it under the doorknob.
Then I heard him move.
He padded down the port steps, but he wasn't going away.
He was moving around in the back door.
I reached through the house. The door was locked.
So were the store windows on the lower floor.
I ran upstairs to the bedroom.
Georgia Service Revolver was in the bureau.
I got it and opened the window.
Come down, Mrs. Gashwin.
Get off this property.
Look, I've got a gun and I know how to use it, you understand?
Will you go?
You killed my wife, Mrs. Gashwin.
I did it. I did it. I never saw. I never knew her.
You stand in the cell.
Then she died.
You go away. I warn you. I shoot.
Fire!
Shoot! Shoot!
I didn't hit him.
He started back away across the clearing.
I fired again and again.
He kept backing away, looking at me with that mean, horrible face.
I tried holding the gun with both hands and squeezing the trigger as Georgia talked to me.
I couldn't hit him.
He backed into the trees at the edge of the property.
You're going to pay for what you do, Mrs. Gashwin.
I'm going to go back.
I'll see you again.
You're going to pay.
I held the gun in my lap and waited until I could see him going down the road towards town.
Then I unlocked the bedroom door and slipped down the stairs to the telephone.
Number, please.
Town 3417.
Just a minute.
Castle Insurance Company, Reynolds speaking.
Bert, this is Leonora.
Oh, yes, Leonora?
Is George there? I must speak to him.
He's out for the afternoon making some calls.
Is Miss Holden there?
No, I think George gave the afternoon off.
Oh, I see.
Is anything wrong, Leonora?
No. No, Bert.
Did you tell George about Kertesky and the letter?
Yes, Leonora, I told him.
And he told me why you sent it.
Is there anything else I can do for you?
Well, if George comes in...
I'll tell him to call you. Goodbye, Leonora.
Bert, I meant...
George knew. He knew and Betty Holden knew.
She was keeping him in town.
This was what they wanted.
They wanted something to happen to me.
It'd be getting dark soon.
Kertesky would come back and I'd be alone. I'd be all alone.
Number, please.
This is Mrs. George Carpenter of Country Hill.
Will you call the police and ask them to send a car out?
Somebody's trying to kill me.
He doesn't try to break the door down
or get in through any of the windows?
No, but...
Well, Mrs. Carpenter, he wasn't carrying a weapon
and he never actually touched you.
I can't arrest him for attempted murder.
There isn't even enough evidence for a simple assault.
I want that man arrested. Do you hear me?
Well, what you want has nothing to do with the law, Mrs. Carpenter.
You're supposed to protect people. That's what we pay taxes for.
Kertesky pays taxes too, Mrs. Carpenter.
You fired a gun at him.
If you're smart, you'll drop it.
Haven't I the right to protect myself and my own house?
In the house, yes, but you were behind locked doors
firing at a man out in the open.
If you'd killed him, you'd have been charged with murder.
Now, take my advice and don't use that gun again
unless somebody breaks in.
But that man is crazy. He's just crazy.
If I had a simple mind like his and the same thing happened to me,
I might be crazy too.
But I can't locate my husband. I'm alone here.
You've got to find that man and arrest him. I demand it.
All right, all right, all right.
But all I can charge him with is trespassing.
We can hold him until his fine is paid and that's all.
Well, I don't care what you charge him with. Arrest him. Just arrest him.
He may bring countercharges against you.
What charges could he bring against me?
I've never hurt anybody. I've never done anything to anyone.
Well, I'm glad to hear that, Mrs. Carpenter.
I like nice people. Goodbye.
If you see my husband, tell him to come home.
Tell him I'm alone here. I don't know what I'll do alone.
When we're fine, Kaczewski, I'll call you.
It started to get dark and I sat there listening to every sound.
Then it started to rain.
I heard it pounding on the roof. It frightened me.
If somebody came up to the house, I wouldn't be able to hear them.
Seven o'clock came and then eight, nine, ten.
I didn't dare light a light.
Then I thought I heard a car.
George. It had to be George.
The headlights flashed through the windows as the car turned into the driving
and a moment later I heard his key in the lock.
What? Leonora.
What's the matter, George? Are you surprised to see me?
All the lights were out. I thought you were in bed.
Oh, is that what you thought?
Is that why you waited so long to come home? Where were you?
Where I go is no longer any concern of yours.
You were with her.
All right, Leonora, I was.
For the first peaceful evening in ten years, but not the last.
What are you saying, George?
I'm going to divorce you, Leonora. I'm moving into town tonight.
I'll be at the hotel.
I'll stop you. There isn't anything I won't do to stop you.
I know. I can depend on you for that.
The wife doesn't mean anything to you, George. You don't know what I've been through.
You don't know what happened today.
I know you tried to kill a man with a gun.
How do you know that?
Everybody knows it. The police are looking for Kachewski.
You have no feeling about what you've done to that poor, confused devil, have you?
I haven't done anything to him, the superstitious idiot.
All I did was send a silly letter. That didn't kill his wife.
I'm sorry she's dead. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
No, no, you're not.
You're only sorry because you're afraid for yourself.
How can you say that to me?
Because I know you, Leonora. After ten years, I really know you.
You didn't send those letters the way other people send them.
I...
You sent them with a curse out of the evil of your heart.
You can't kill people with a curse.
Which is fortunate for me.
I'm not talking about the act, Leonora. I'm talking about the intent.
I want to get my clothes.
You can't. You can't. I won't let you.
All right. I can get others. Goodbye, Leonora.
I forbid you to leave this house.
Get out of my way.
No, George, no, I'm your wife.
Remember how things used to be with us?
They can be that way again, George.
Let go of me.
You know I can make you happy. Kiss me. Just kiss me once.
Get out of my way.
Oh, George.
Oh, don't leave me.
I tried to sleep, but I couldn't.
The rain got heavier.
Each time the lightning flashed, I could see the river below.
It was beginning to wash over the bridge.
A shutter tore loose and started to bang.
Hello. Hello.
Hello. Who is it?
Lieutenant Marsh at police headquarters, Mrs. Cumber.
Have you found Kaczewski?
Yes. The boys brought him in about a half hour ago.
I did all I could.
What do you mean?
Trespassing is a minor charge, Mr. Carpenter.
Bail was set at $25.
Mr. Reynolds just came in and bailed him out.
You mean he's free? You let him get away?
You've got to send somebody up here.
You can't leave me alone if he's loose.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Carpenter, but there's a storm emergency
besides the bridge has washed out,
and I'm tying up the line talking to you. Good night.
Lieutenant. Lieutenant. Lieutenant.
Oh, you...
Operator.
Operator. Get me Mr. George Carpenter
at the Clearview Hotel.
I'm sorry, but the lines are open for emergency service only.
But I must speak to him. I must.
I'm sorry, but the storm has washed out most of the lines.
We only have three circuits open for emergency.
But this is an emergency. I'll tell you.
It's a matter of life and death.
Just a moment.
I have a clear line.
Oh.
Please make your call brief.
All right. All right.
Hello. Hello.
Here's your party.
Hello.
George.
Oh, George, it's Leonora.
You've got to help me, please.
They arrested Kerchesky, but Bert Reynolds bailed him out.
I know it. Bert told me.
You... You know it.
You let him do it. You want me to be killed.
He took Kerchesky home and put him to bed.
But he won't stay there. He's crazy.
Come out here, George. I need you.
The bridge is out. There's no road on it.
Well, he'll find a way to get here.
Oh, do you want me to go mad, George?
I'll give you a divorce. I won't fight it.
I promise you, George, only don't let me die.
Leonora, you're hysterical. It's after midnight.
I'll be...
Go on, George. Go on.
George, please, George.
George.
The line was dead.
Dead like I was going to be dead.
Kerchesky would come.
They didn't know it, but I did.
The rain stopped, and I sat there
listening to the ticking of the clock.
It struck one, then two.
That was all.
It was so peaceful,
and I almost dozed off.
So...
something was moving outside.
I went to the window and saw the figure of a man
turning into the shadows behind the house.
I found the gun where I left it
under the sofa pillars.
I couldn't shoot him until he broke into the house.
I rolled to the kitchen and waited.
He was fumbling with the door.
There was a metallic sound.
He was forcing something into the lock,
and then it clicked. The door swung open.
He was framed in the center of it, and I fired.
He fell.
I backed through the house,
opened the front door,
and started to run.
The road was a sea of mud.
I knew he was dead,
but I could beat him behind me,
chasing me.
I got to the river.
It was starting to flood, but there was a boat coming across.
I just cried with relief.
When it landed, I ran to it.
A man jumped out.
Hello, Mrs. Carpenter.
No! No, you're dead!
You can't hurt me!
You're dead!
My wife, she's dead, Mrs. Carpenter.
Look at me, lady.
Look at my face.
I'll give you money. I won't say anything about this.
Why do you do this thing to me, Mrs. Carpenter?
Why?
What did I ever do to you?
My husband!
My husband was the one.
He told me to do it. I didn't want to.
He made me.
You lie, lady. Your husband is good, my...
You're choking me!
Don't you like to die, Mrs. Carpenter?
You like to write letters.
You like other people should die.
You must have killed me. You must have just run.
No one punish for it. You know that, don't you?
You're going to punish me later. You...
I didn't mean to shoot you up there tonight.
I thought you were hurt.
I was coming down to get a doctor for you.
I...
You just came across the river.
You couldn't have gotten down here before me.
George!
It was George!
I killed George!
You killed your husband?
I thought it was you! I mean...
I don't know!
You killed him!
You killed your husband, Mrs. Carpenter!
You killed him!
Now they're going to make you pay!
It was an accident! An accident, I tell you!
An accident!
It was an accident!
You should catch him and put him away because he's dangerous, I tell you.
I came back here to the house and I found George.
I left him just as it was, sir.
You could see it was an accident, lieutenant.
I called you as soon as I got the phone line working.
Yes, I see, Mrs. Carpenter.
Did you get all that on the wire recorder, Chuck?
Yeah.
I'm sorry, sir.
I'm sorry.
Did you get all that on the wire recorder, Chuck?
Yeah.
Good, shut it off.
Well, you better get your coat, Mrs. Carpenter.
Why?
You mean I'm being arrested?
On suspicion of murder, Mrs. Carpenter.
Oh, but you're making a mistake.
All I did was write a letter.
And kill your husband.
But that was an accident!
Why should I kill George? I had no reason.
But you did have a motive for killing him.
A very strong motive.
He was divorcing you. He was going to marry another woman.
And you knew all that before you shot him.
But I didn't! I...
It's on the recorder.
Oh, you don't believe me!
Don't worry about me, Mrs. Carpenter.
It's the jury you've got to convince.
All I did was write a chain letter.
Suspense.
Presented by Auto Light.
Tonight's star, Agnes Moorhead.
Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.
Have your test stating my belief that every car owner can be happy if his car is equipped with a set of the world famous ignition engineered Auto Light spark plugs.
So be sure to have your dealer give your spark plugs a spring check up.
Auto Light makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, planes and boats in 28 plants coast to coast.
These include complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many makes of America's finest cars.
Spark plugs, batteries, generators, coils, distributors, electric windshield wipers, starting motors, bullseye, sealed beam headlights.
All engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team.
So friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good.
Ask for and insist on Auto Light original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop.
Remember, you're always right with Auto Light.
Next Thursday for Suspense, our star will be Miss Joan Bennett.
The play is called The Statement of Mary Blake and it is as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Tonight's Suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald.
Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Morrowek and conducted by Lud Bluskin.
The chain is an original play written for radio by Joel Murcott.
Agnes Moorhead may soon be seen in the Warner Brothers production, Caged.
In the coming weeks, you will hear such stars as Claire Trevor and John Lund.
And don't forget, next Thursday same time, Auto Light will present Suspense starring Joan Bennett.
You can buy world famous Auto Light resistor or regular spark plugs, Auto Light staple batteries, Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers.
Switch to Auto Light. Good night.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.