Lights out for the devil and Mr. O. It is later than you think. Turn out your lights, now. We bring you stories of the supernatural and the supernormal dramatizing the fantasies and the mysteries of the unknown. We tell you this frankly so that if you wish to avoid the excitement and tension of these imaginative plays, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your radio now. This is Mr. O, Arch Obler. Our play today is titled Gravestone. Need I say more? We bring it to you after a message from your station. In a sanctum mystery. Hello, this is your host, welcoming you through the squeaking door. Not for a half hour of terror, but to tell you about Radio Nostalgia Magazine. Radio Nostalgia Magazine is a must for old time radio fans. It's a magazine with many photos and stories of old time radio and its stars. Our current issue features a 16 page article on the shadow. All subscribers will get a free Captain Midnight decoder badge, a Captain Midnight flight patrol membership, and a flight commander certificate from the Secret Squadron. To get your copy, send $1.50 in check or money order to Radio Nostalgia, Box 8007R, Union City, New Jersey, 07087. That's Radio Nostalgia, Box 8007R, Union City, New Jersey, 07087. Send now and get a free 8x10 photo of the Lone Ranger in Tonto, boys and girls. And now, if you haven't already done so, turn off your lights, fasten your safety belts, and off we go on a holiday titled Gravestone. Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh. Hey, that was swell. Now let's go to town. St. Louis woman with her diamond ring, kicking that man around. No, stop that, Kay. What's the matter? Am I scaring the horse? Oh, it seems like a sacrilege singing a song like that out here. It's beautiful, clean snow and blue sky. Now what's wrong with a hot song to keep us warm? If you think the St. Louis blues is going to dirty up the snow, you ought to hear Frankie and Johnny the way I sing it. Oh, stop it, Kay. You're not funny at all. Why can't you enjoy the fresh air without that cabaret sort of thing? Oh, just an old fashioned gal, eh, Florence? How about you, Edna? Don't you like my songs either? You haven't said anything for the last five minutes. I haven't been listening to you to tell the truth. I love to watch the snow sort of flow along under the sleigh. When you say that, gal, smile. Gosh, do you ever see more snow in your life? The man at the hotel said it had been snowing on and off up here for two weeks. I think coming out here to the country is the best thing we three have done since we started rooming together. Hiking in the snow is terribly healthy. Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. The healthier I get, the worse I feel. Crazy idiot. She does say the funniest things, doesn't she? I always say that Kay ought to... Whoa! Hallelujah, we're here. Is this as far as we go, driver? That's right, miss. Can't go no further down this road, account of the drift. Oh, my goodness. The drifts are too deep for a horse. How can we walk through them? My second emotion. Well, you young ladies don't have to worry none so long as you keep going down the valley over there. Snow ain't piled up that way all the way to Morgenton. Oh, that's marvelous. Come on, girls. Let's get started. So long. Take care of yourselves, girls. Come on, then. So long, Carol. Listen to the snow talking at us. It's very dry snow. Our feet rub particles of it together and the friction makes a sound. It's kind of scary, isn't it? Why? Oh, I don't know. It's just as if the snow was sort of trying to talk to us. I mean, as if it was angry at our trespassing. Hey, don't tell me we're trespassing. I don't want any country squire taking any potshots at my constitutional amendment with rock salt. No, thank you. Oh, don't talk nonsense, Kay. We're not trespassing. Why, this path through the valley here over to Mrs. Jenkins' house is the favorite hike of everyone who comes up this way during the winter. What's Mrs. Jenkins got anyway that makes people walk their feet off? Wait until you taste her cooking. Eat. Oh, boy. Let's go. It's awfully quiet out here, isn't it? Oh, that's the glory of it. I've had the roar of the subway in my ears so long. Oh, Kay, don't walk so fast. Come on, look what I found. Oh, come on, Edna. Oh, please. Let me take your arm. I'm getting out of breath. Well, take it easy. There's no hurry. Well, what is it, Kay? Look, through the circle of trees here. Look what I discovered. Well, isn't that interesting? It's a sort of a natural amphitheater. Sure. Say, who was this guy, Daniel Boone? What's an amphitheater? Well, that means an oval circling place with rising tiers of seats. It's, you know, like that place we went to for the horse show. Oh. Back in the times of the Greeks, they had outdoor theaters. Listen to the professor. And they had use of places just like this where the ground sloped up and made a sort of a natural arena or stage below. Theater. That's an idea. Sit down, gals, and I'll give you a special performance of the Kay Follies. It's awful snowy here, isn't it? I'll trample it down with my spring dance. Welcome, sweet spring. You're not dancing in the snow. If I had that girl's energy, she'd be really grateful, isn't she? I'll bet if she went on the stage with the... Kay. Kay. Kay, did you hurt yourself? Oh, did I land on my dignity. Here, give me a hand. Here, I'll help you. There you are. Oh, did I take a flop? Did you hurt yourself badly? Oh, live. What in the world did I trip over? Oh, no wonder. Look at that rock under the snow. No wonder I did a nosedive. Oh, my goodness. The rocks like that all over. A person could break their neck if they... Girls, what's the matter? What is it? Kay, the rock you tripped over. It's... it's not a rock. What are you talking about? Of course it's a rock. Well, yes, but it's something... something more than that. It's a tombstone. Tombstone? Oh, no, it can't be. Look for yourself. It says, here lies buried the remains of one who reckless in life... Stop. Don't read anymore. Stop. And... and all these other stones laying flat on the ground. They're tombstones, too? Yes. Whew, what a place to pick to dance. What's the matter, Edna? What did you scream for? Kay, you... you danced on the grave. What? You danced on the grave. I saw you. I saw you. I saw you do it. You danced on the grave. Okay? Edna, stop it. What's come into her? Edna, stop acting like that. Edna, stop, for heaven's sake, control yourself. Okay. Kay, I'm so sorry for you. You danced on the grave. For heaven's sake, stop talking like that. Sure I danced on a grave. Yes, of course she did. It was perfectly accidental. And what if it was? What of it? The poltergeist. The what? Edna, Hanson, what are you talking about? What's that word you just used? Poltergeist. Okay, what have you done? You superstitious little fool. If you don't stop talking that way, I'm going to slap your face. What's the matter with you? I didn't do anything. You walked on the grave. You danced on the grave. Edna, be sensible. We all walked on graves. But it was purely accidental. Yeah. We had no intention of desecrating them. It doesn't matter, I tell you. It doesn't matter. The poltergeist will come. I know he will. Oh, what for you? She's crazy. Edna, what are you talking about? What's the poltergeist? What are you so frightened about? My father, he told me if you walk on a grave, if you dance on a grave, the poltergeist. Poltergeist? What? What is a poltergeist? An evil spirit. It comes out of the grave. It kills and destroys. It'll kill us. It'll kill us all. Stop it. It's the worst thing that's ever happened. Oh, please, lay off. That's way out of my head, Edna. It won't get me. I'll run away. Edna, come back here. I'll run away. She's gone insane. I'll get her empty catchers. Edna. Edna, don't run away. Nothing will hurt you. Nothing. Oh, Edna, look out. Kay, Kay, what happened? That stone. It hit Edna. Edna, Edna, open your eyes. Blood, blood all over her face. Kay, who threw that stone? Who threw it? I don't know. It came from the graveyard. Let's take a moment before we go on with our The Devil and Mr. O's story of gravestone and listen to a message. Mr. President, what does it mean to say, love makes all things new again? Love makes all things new again? Well, you see, if somebody's down in the dumps, that means they're very sad. I'd say, I care about you. And then they go, pew! Why is that? Well, when a person knows somebody cares about them, they just feel great. They go, pew! Oh, I see. No, that's the same thing as love. What's the same thing as love? Caring about people. Well, suppose there were two people down in the dumps, Mr. President. Well, I'd just say, I care about you, I care about you. And then they go, pew! Suppose 200 million Americans were down in the dumps, Mr. President. I'd say, I care about you, I care about you, I care about you, I care about you, I care about you, I care about you. Love makes all things new again. Pew! Hey, what was that? Another sound of love from the Franciscans. We return you to the Devil and Mr. O story of Gravestone. Oh! Now, girls, take it easy. Take it easy. Oh, doctor, she won't die. Tell me she won't die. No, no, of course not. And you're sure that her skull isn't fractured? Oh, absolutely not. Maybe a little concussion, that's all. Well, it's almost five. Our train, can we get someone to help us carry her down to the station so we can get her on board? Board? I'm telling you, that little friend of yours shouldn't be moved out of bed for a week. If you do, well, it might be just too bad. Oh, Flo, what'll we do? You go home, Kate. I'll stay with her. Oh, no, you won't. I'm not leaving you here alone in this godforsaken place. If you stay, I stay too, Kate. Please be sensible. Why should we all lose our jobs when you can... If you'll excuse me, you ladies, I've got to be on my way. Oh, yes, of course, doctor. Is there anything more you can do for Edna, doctor? Any medicine or something? No, I've done all I can do. She's sleeping comfortable now. Miss? Yes, doctor? The constable's sick too, you know, and he's sort of depending on me to keep things straight. Now, just how did you say that little friend of yours got hurt? Well, it was just the way we explained, doctor. That rock came flying and... Yes, yes, I know, but who threw the rock? We...we don't know. What? That's true, doctor. We don't know. But somebody threw it. You can't change facts. Somebody threw the rock that cracked her head. For heaven's sakes, old man, you don't think we did it? No, Miss, I didn't. Doctor, you've got to believe us. It happened just the way we said. All at once that rock came flying through the air from the direction of the graveyard. It struck Edna and we just didn't see who threw it. All right, if that's your story. Well, you'd better stay in your rooms here. I mean, you'd better not believe it until the constable's on his feet and has a chance to talk with you. I'll be back in a few hours and see how the girl is. He doesn't believe us. What difference does it make? We know what we saw. But what did we see? She was running. She...she fell. Kay, well, let's not fool ourselves. There was no one there to throw that rock. There must have been. But there wasn't. Stop saying that. Aren't you brave enough to face facts? There wasn't any place for anyone to hide. I saw that stone. It seemed to come down out of the air so slowly. Florence, if you don't stop talking like that... I remember what...what Edna said. It throws things. Stop looking at me like that. You're giving me the jitters. She said the poltergeist throws things. Spirit of evil. Florence, Rob, have you gone crazy too? Why should we laugh at things like that? Why should we laugh at things like that? But why have we got to laugh? How do we know there aren't powers we can't see or understand? Powers of evil that revenge an insult just like an evil man. Kay, how do we know? What are you talking like that for? What are you trying to scare me for? You...you're supposed to be the most intelligent one of us all. You with your college degrees. Sure, sure I danced on the grave, but the dead are dead and they can't revenge a thing. You're afraid? I'm not afraid of anything. I tell you...what? Come on. Edna, we're coming to you. Don't be afraid. We're coming. Open the door, Florence. It's not locked. It won't open. Edna, what is it? What? Help! Edna, what? On your head. Oh...oh...oh...oh... Hey, what's going on here? I run a decent place and I don't want you... Oh! The...girl on the bed. Her head is crushed flat in by a rock. God in heaven. It's not a rock. It's a tombstone. It's a tombstone. I...I wish I could cry, but I haven't got any more tears. Oh, Edna. Edna. Florence, darling, please. You'll kill yourself if you keep on like that. Oh, this horrible night will only end. It was my fault. Mine. I was the one who got her out here. She didn't want to go. She hates the country. But I made her come. I made her. No. No, you're not the one to blame. I am. I danced on the grave. But it was so good, so sweet. Oh, why does that have to be Edna? Why? You're right. It wasn't right for it to be her, was it? Oh, no. I did it, not her. I did it. I danced on the grave. I danced on the grave. You deny what you see with your own eyes? But I tell you, Doc, nobody could have carried that tombstone up the steps without me seeing them, could they? But there it is, ain't it? Yeah, there it is. Either somebody's playing a terrible joke or...or... You don't have to say it, Doc. I know. That's just the trouble. You don't know and I don't know and nobody knows. Yeah. And...and that tombstone. Well, what about the tombstone? I...I ain't quite sure, but that's a tombstone out of the old burial grounds up at the bend. You're crazy. No, I ain't either. Well, that place is a good three miles from here. Yeah. I know. Who could have carted a heavy stone like that for three miles? Yeah. Who? Stop looking like that, you flappy-eared old fool. Human hands carried that stone in here and killed that girl? Sure. Yeah, the constable will find out who did it the minute he's on his feet again. You wait and see. No, he won't, Doc. You're smarter than me and all that, but... Oh, this time you're wrong. There ain't nobody that takes in breath and leaves out breath like you and me or the constable's gonna find out who killed that girl. You know that, Doc. Oh, stop talking. I wish the constable was here and this night was over. It's been a terrible night. Terrible. Terrible clock. Tick it. Tick it. Yeah, I know. I've been sitting here listening to it. I can't stand it anymore. I'll stop it. Why bother with it? Come on to bed, Kay. Please. I know you're sitting there. You won't help her. Yeah. Nothing can help her. But maybe I can help you. Me? It was my fault. Mine. I was the reason it happened. It killed her and it'll kill you and me too unless I stop. No, don't say that. It's true. But why should you be hurt? I'm to blame, not you. Listen, Flo. I'll go out there. There? Out there to the graveyard. What? I'll talk to her. Kay. I'll tell her that I didn't mean to do it. No. But I didn't know where I was dancing. Please. Maybe somehow it'll hear. Listen to me and then it won't hurt you. Oh, no. No, I won't let you go out there. It'll kill you. It'll kill you too, Florence. No, no. I'll hold you. You can't go. You can't. All right. Come on to bed, Kay. Please. In the morning, in the morning things will be different. But it won't. Dancing will hurt us. And then they're right outside the door. They won't let anything get at us. Oh, please, Kay. Please come to bed. Yeah. We'll pray. Pray? I don't exactly know how. Just say anything. Anything. Like this. If I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Now you. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Kay? Kay, are you asleep? I can't sleep anymore. Kay, tomorrow, I mean when it gets light and everything, do you think people will believe us? You think so, Kay? I'm not quite sure what happened. I always used to be so sure about things. And now I. Kay? Kay, where are you? Kay, where? The window. She went out the window. She's gone out there. To the graveyard. To talk. To it. Oh, Kay, why did you go? Why did you go? I'll go out there too. Wish I'd be so frightened out there alone. I'll go too. I'll go too. Oh, so cold. My hands. Snow so sharp. Cutting my legs. Oh, why did you go out there, Kay? Why did you? I've got to find you. Wind. Oh, why doesn't the wind stop? Snow blows our winter wind. Though I'm not so unkind. Oh, I've got to find you, Kay. I've got to find you. Snowing. I love snow. Edna didn't like snow. Where are you, Kay? Where are you? I'm lost my way. I lost the road. Where are you, Kay? Kay, where are? Oh, Kay. I heard you, Kay. I heard you. I'm coming to you, Kay. We'll talk to it. We'll talk to it together. We'll say that we didn't mean any harm, won't we, Kay? Poor Edna. We can't help her, Kay. We can't help Edna. But I'm coming to help you, Kay. I'm coming. I'm coming. Yes, I hear you. I hear you. I'm coming, darling. I'm coming to help. I'm coming to help you. I'm coming. I'm coming. I hear you. I hear you calling my name. I hear you. Yes. Yes, I hear you. I hear you. Where are you? Where are you? No. No! No! This way, Lipper. They must have come this way. Climbing out the window like that in the middle of the night. They must have gone crazy, the both of them. Let's not worry about that now. We've got to find them. Here, give me that lantern. What is it, Doc? What have you found? One of the girls' shoes. My gosh, stuck in the snow. We're going the right way. Come on, move fast. We've got to get to them. Doc, look at this. What is it? Over there. Ain't these footprints? Yes. Yes. Yes, that's right. Footprints. Hello! Up ahead! Hello! Doc, we're getting pretty close to the old burying grounds. Well? Maybe... Oh, look here, Doc. Let's not be fools. Let's wait till morning. What? Let those frightened girls freeze to death? Get along. But, Doc, I... You come with me or the whole town will know what a yellow-livered no-good yard. All right. All right. You don't have to get so sore, Doc. Hello! Hello! Anybody up there? Hello! Doc! Doc, look! What? There they are! Up ahead! Glory be, they're alive. They're both out. Come on, Doc. Doc, look at them. That's the burying ground up there. And they're dancing. Dancing on the graves. Well, they must be out of their heads. Come on. We've got to stop them. Doc! Doc, wait for me! Oh, Doc, it's... it's Doc again. Where are they, Doc? Where are the girls? Have they... have they stopped dancing? Yes. They've stopped dancing. Did... did they ever dance? What are you talking about, Doc? We saw them. We saw them dancing in this place with our own eyes. Did we? The moonlight. Here it comes again. See with your eyes again. Oh! Oh, no! Both of the girls froze stiff to the ground, each with their head crushed by a tombstone. This is Mr. O. R. Jobler. Can such things happen? Well, mischievous, revengeful spirits doing all that sort of thing. In Africa once I saw a native chief's home where rocks and pans and everything else were flying through the air, and no one was in the room. No one. I, too, have only questions, no answers, except about our next story, after a short message from your station. These are underwater recordings of the humpbacked whale, now almost extinct. Why save the whale? We no longer need whale bone or blubber. But today, as man seeks how to adapt to life underwater, the whale has much to teach. How it navigates. Why it sings. What it may be saying. For the whale, like man, is a mammal. Efforts to save this great beast may just be turning the tide. The American Museum of Natural History is playing a leadership role. There are 200 scientists at the museum dedicated to the preservation of all animals, including man. Come see our exhibition, Never Say Die. It's the story of the endangered species. The American Museum of Natural History, 79th and Central Park West. Open every day. This is Mr. O again. Our next play in the series is titled Ancestor, and it's a ghost story, pure and simple. A girl is being held captive by criminals, and as she tries to... But that's next time. It is later than you think.
