The signal oil program, the Whistler. That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program, the Whistler. I am the Whistler, and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. Yes, friends, it's time for the signal oil program, the Whistler. Rated by Independent Research, the most popular West Coast program in radio history. And signal gasoline is top two, tops in quality. It takes extra quality, you know, to give you extra mileage. And signal is the famous go farther gasoline. So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies friendly dealer-owned signal stations from Canada to Mexico. And now the Whistler's strange story, Wedding Gift. It wasn't according to the rule book, but somehow Chris didn't care. Here on the day before the wedding, the groom had dared to call on the bride at her apartment. And both of them standing in the middle of the room in each other's arms, through tradition in the latest edition of the Book of Etiquette, out the window and were happy. John, darling. Happy, Chris. Oh, I'm in heaven. I'm not supposed to see you today, dear. Will you make it right with Mrs. Post? She'll understand. Well, your attitude might as well fix up the wedding dress, will there? Well, what's wrong with that? I saw the dress in the store. I like it. So you went ahead and fixed it out for me. Oh, that reminds me, darling, you've got to go now. The dressmaker will be here any minute. Well, if you insist. Oh, by the way, I'm being married tomorrow. Church of the Pine. Do drop around. Love to have you. I'll see if I can fit it into my schedule. It's been a long time coming, Chris. An uphill fight against poverty and squalor in the commonplace. A fight that turned a nobody into a somebody in a few short years. A battle that took you to the topmost rung of the ladder and made your name a synonym for career girl. Yes, it was a brilliant fight, Chris. And it will end tomorrow in shining victory in your marriage to John Gray. There's music inside you now. A song of triumph as at five minutes before noon, you wait for the dressmaker to arrive with your wedding dress. And just five minutes later, the song suddenly changes to an ominous one as you open the door for him. Marian. Hello, Chris. Why, why, Marian. Darling, it's been so long since I've seen you. I thought it was the dressmaker. That's why. It is. I'm the dressmaker, Chris. Well, Marian, I didn't even know you were in town. I saw your order in the file. Made it a point to get the assignment. Well, good heaven it's been years. Since you and father. I'm trying to forget that now, Marian. I wish I could forget it. You've come a long way since Denver, haven't you? Up and forward, the Horatio Alger girl. That is over and done with. Not for me. It'll always be there in front of me. The picture of you worming your way into my father's affections until he thought you loved him. Until he told my mother he was through. Marian, will you please. That was number one. The step number one, wasn't it? The girl secretary who wanted to go places and wouldn't let anything stand in her way. Your father was a very irrational man, Marian. I remember hearing you say that before. To the coroner. I had nothing to do with his killing himself. Of course you didn't. They called it suicide. And it was all a coincidence that father had just signed over the controlling interest in his business to you the week before. Marian, I'm very sorry about all this. I've tried to be pleasant. It just won't work. Please take the dress and go. I'll make other arrangements. I don't think you will. Why not? The man you love has his heart set on this dress. He might wonder why you changed your mind. I'd be only too happy to tell him. Now let's get on with the sitting. I'll take the dress out. All right. There. You like it? Yes, of course. Long, white. Reminds me of the one Nora was wearing. You'll get around to that sooner or later. I wonder where Nora is now, Chris. I wonder what she's doing. What she can do now that... All right, Chris. Why must you hate me? Hate? It's a terrible, practical hate, Chris. What do you mean? I mean that standing here right now, if someone put a gun in my hand, I would have to kill you. I'd kill you. With the prologue of Wedding Gift, the Signal Oil Company is bringing you another strange story by The Whistler. Incidentally, if we of The Whistler cast sound a bit on the excited side tonight, there's good reason. That marks the beginning of the fifth consecutive year for the Signal Oil Program, The Whistler. Even through the summers when so many programs go off the air, Signal Oil Company has continued The Whistler and steadily its popularity has grown so that for many months, The Whistler has ranked tops in popularity among all Pacific Coast programs. Well believe me, we of the cast are mighty grateful for your loyalty, which has made this record possible. In fact, there's only about one thing I can think of which could make us any happier. That is, if when you stop at a signal service station, you'd mention to the operator that you listen to his program, The Whistler, that would make both him and us feel as pleased as well as pleased as a driver who has just tried his first tank full of signal gasoline. And now, back to The Whistler. Yes, Chris, you've come a long way since Denver and the years of struggle. Those other years, that other life you've conveniently locked up in a cabinet and filed away to be forgotten. And that's why it hit so hard, this coincidence that struck like a thunderbolt when Marion Lance walked out of the pants. Now of all times, when your hopes, your dreams, everything is reaching fulfillment in your marriage to John Gray. Naturally, there's nothing else but the wedding on your mind during the ceremony. But after it's over, after the congratulations, the well-wishers, the champagne at the reception, after all that, there's still an intangible feeling of dread even as you sit next to John driving off on your honeymoon. Well, Mrs. Gray? Yes, John? You're awfully quiet. Aren't you at all curious? About what? Where we're going. Well, on our honeymoon, I suppose. I like to be surprised. You will be. I'm taking you up to my sister's place, though. I didn't know you had a sister. We didn't have much time to find out about each other, did we? After all, three months. We did rather rush it along. I might be perfectly horrible when you get to know me. I love you, John. That's all that matters. And you love me, don't you? I married you, didn't I? Uh-oh. I'm going to fall into this restaurant. Oh, what's the matter? The car isn't acting right. You can run in and have a sandwich while I take it over to the garage, huh? This is the last stop before the mountains. I'd hate to have anything go wrong. All right. Chris? Yes? There's nothing wrong, is there? Somehow you don't seem yourself. I'm sorry, John. I guess I'm just a little tired. The wedding, you know. Sure. All right, go on now. Run over to the restaurant. You'll feel better after a good hot cup of coffee. John, I... What is it? Nothing. Nothing. Go on, dear. I'll see you in a few minutes. You're away from Marion now, Chris. She's somewhere behind you in the city, and yet you know it isn't over. But now it's catching up with you. Somehow you've got to prepare for it. Sooner or later, John is bound to find out. When you're wondering what to say to him as you slide into a booth in the roadside restaurant, idly pick up a menu, unconscious of the man who walks quietly up to the table. You feel his presence there even before you look up at his face. Edgar. Hiya, Chris. You startled me for a moment. Sorry. You don't mind, of course, if I join you? How have you been, Edgar? It's been a long time. It has, but I'm getting along, Chris, somehow. I'm glad. Sure. I heard you were getting married. The wedding was this morning. Yeah, I was just having a drink on it. Sorry, I missed it. Edgar, what are you doing here? I plan to have dinner. Anything unusual about that? No, only I... Only I saw Marion Lance yesterday. She worked on my wedding dress. How nice of her. How is Marion? She came to the wedding, too. Well, did you already know? Always sparring, aren't you, Chris, wanting to be sure of your ground? What's so odd about seeing two old friends? You've certainly got plenty of them around. Then you didn't know about Marion. The two of you... What is it, Chris? You're worried about your husband? Think he'd object to us? Certainly not. My husband loves me very much, Edgar. I don't... He'd probably object to Nora, too, don't you think? What about Nora, Chris? Ever see her anymore? Not for some time. Sorry, Edgar, but I must be leaving. John, it's probably... Oh, no, Chris, don't run off. Not when we've got so many things to talk about. I haven't time now. The model agency, for instance. How's it doing? Thriving as usual? I no longer have the agency. Well, neither have I. But I'm sure it went out of your hands with a nice profit. Business is business, Edgar. Not that kind. Oh, Chris, your way of operating was something else. Something... something wonderful, I thought at first. Wasn't I a fool? Does it still hand your laugh? I never laughed at you, Edgar. I've always been very fond of you. You know, I really believed that. Once. I didn't know it was all part of a plan. A plan to steal my business away from me, gaining my confidence while you destroyed the confidence of my clients. That's not true. You shouldn't have started drinking so heavily. That's what ruined everything for you. Can you blame me for that? Watching you take over everything and not being able to do anything about it? You can't blame your clients for not being willing to listen. You weren't responsible. Well, after you came along, I wasn't. No, Chris, you were good. You did a thorough job, a neat, clean job of taking everything and tossing me out in the snow. Edgar, you're raising your voice. All right, Chris. All right, I'll lower it. Because I shouldn't tell the whole world that if I had the opportunity, I'd kill you. Let me go. Leave me alone, Edgar. I've done nothing to you. His laughter follows you across the room, doesn't it, Chris? But as you reach the door and glance back, you see that he hasn't moved. That for some reason, he remains at the table looking after you as you rush outside. Chris, you didn't have to do that. Come after me. John, I'm really not hungry. I don't want to stop for dinner. Can't we go on? Well, I'm not too happy about the car. Well, it'll be all right. I've been getting a headache, John. You know, all the excitement, I feel much better riding along. Well, it'll make you feel any better. It will, John. I know it will. John. Yeah? I guess I'd better tell you. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. Oh, II can tell you, I – I have been worried. Well, I was right then. Dear, you know, whatever success I have had has been made from almost nothing. I admire you for it. I'm glad. But along the way, John, no matter how hard I've tried to be fair, I have made enemies. Well, that's a natural thing, isn't it? I just wanted you to understand. To know that – well, you might hear things about me from time to time, you know. I even meet people who say things you won't like to hear. Oh? Darling, if that should happen, will you come to me? Will you hear my side of it? I said I wanted to marry you, Chris. No one could ever change that. Darling, you're the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. Well, let's not even talk about anything else, Chris. Besides, I've got deep, dark worries of my own. Oh? I like the way this motor's missing. Everybody on the road's passing. Well, aren't we almost there? Yeah, just a few more minutes, and it's a good thing. Well, here we are, Chris. What do you think of the place? Oh, oh, John, it's beautiful. My sister usually stays up here the year round. Come on, keys on the porch. I had no idea it was going to be so... so isolated. What? Afraid of your husband? No, it just seems far away. Yeah, here's the key. Yeah, my sister says it's like her own little world. Huh? I believe it. May I? Oh, John. Oh, John. Cross the threshold. New life. I'm so happy, John. Well, I'm glad you're in a good mood, Mrs. Gray. Makes it easier to tell you I've got to leave for a while. Leave? No, that car. Believe me, we just limped in. If I don't have it taken care of right away, we'll be here all winter. Hmm. Was that bad? Well, it's very impractical. I'll just run it into the village, be back for you now. Oh, do you really have to, John? All right, go on. Say it, men are all alike. Think more of their automobiles than of their wives. I won't say it if you'll kiss me. Sure. Hmm. Darling, please don't be gone long. Don't worry. Respect yourself at home. Look the place over. He waves as he drives away, Chris. And you stand looking after him for a moment. Then you close the door, start across the big living room toward the stairs. You wonder idly about the fire already going in the hearth, and then stop at the sound of voices from the next room. Yes, I passed them on the road, too. Too bad you missed the wedding. Very interesting. At first you think you're imagining things, that it's because you have Edgar and Marion on your mind. But the voices continue, and you feel yourself drawn as if by a magnet to the other room. It's interesting talk at a little roadside inn. Did you remember Nora to us? I'm sure she's wondered about Nora. They're sitting there talking idly. No. No, it can't be. They don't even look up as you stand there. Marion's hands continue to manipulate a pair of long, heavy knitting needles. Edgar's moves slowly across the barrel of a hunting rifle he's cleaning as he talks. As you walk toward them, you tell yourself that you must fight down your terror. Try to bluff it through with a calm you've already shown before. You seem to get to talk very much about poor Nora, she held. Hello, Chris. Well, Christine, would you two mind telling me exactly what you're doing here? We meet so often of late. Yes. How nice, isn't it? But surely you're not our hostess. Where is she? I don't know what you're talking about, Marion. My husband and I are spending our honeymoon here, and we said we'd... It all sounds like some sort of dreadful mistake. What a shame, Edgar. And you'd hope to stay on and do some hunting. You've wasted time cleaning your rifle. Oh, I don't know. Obviously there's been a mistake. I don't want to seem rude, but I must ask you both to leave. But, my dear, we were invited. Yes, we have as much right here as you. That's ridiculous. Perhaps, but true, and we're staying. Aren't we, Marion? No, I wouldn't drive that mountain road again without a night's sleep. Impossible. I see. Well, you must have something in mind. Let's get to it. I know how you feel about me. You think I've done wrong. We do, Chris. And I think I've done absolutely nothing wrong. In a business transaction, that would put us at an impasse. However, you're both old friends. Thank you, dear. Now, I want to see the right thing done. Exactly why we came, Chris. Our very feelings. You're not going to anger me, Edgar. Or frighten me. No? Strange, I had the feeling that you're trembling so inside, you'd almost like to scream. You're wrong, Edgar. Let's have a drink, shall we? I'll go fix it. Delighted. Bring soda for mine, Chris. I never learned to drink like Edgar. I'll get them right away. Where's the phone? Oh, here. I'll just get through to someone. Operator? Operator. I'll take a listen closely. I can only say this once. This is Christine Gray. My husband, John Gray, is at the garage there in the village. Yes, Mrs. Gray. Get a message to him. Tell him I'm in danger of my life. Please, if you can't reach him, send someone up here right away. White Oak Lodge. I know the place, Mrs. Gray. I'll have someone up there very soon. Oh, thank you. You've never been so thankful to anyone as to that operator, have you, Chris? Because Edgar is right. You're trembling so inside that you could scream. And as you set up their drinks, your hands shake almost uncontrollably. But the knowledge that someone, maybe even John, is on the way steadies you. And you're able to act composed as you join them again in the other room. I'll just set the tray here. We can all fix our own. Good. We were talking about Nora, Chris. You said you hadn't seen her for some time. No, I haven't. Well, she was in the hospital for so long, I guess quite a number of her friends forgot. I didn't forget, Edgar. No, no, no, no. Of course. You were busy. It was just as well. Chris never liked to look at unpleasant things. Poor Nora. She's not a pretty sight. Steve doesn't even know where she is, you know. Her husband? Yes. It was a terrible accident. Was it, Chris? I'd like to believe that. So would I. But it solves things much too conveniently, Chris. I don't know what you're talking about. She was the only one in your way, wasn't she? And Nora had a charm and beauty about her that couldn't be ignored. It only destroyed... You're drinking too much, Edgar. A match, one tiny little match dropped on an inflammable dress. Stop it, Edgar. It must have happened so fast. She almost burned to death. I tried to call the others. It was too late. Yes, you waited a few moments too long, didn't you, Chris? I told you it was a hideous accident. Everyone believes me. Everyone except Marion and Nora and me, Chris, we know better. We're three people who know that you haven't any right to live. Now, if you'll excuse me... Where are you going? My drink's a little warm. I believe the ice is in the kitchen. What is all this, Marion? What are you going to do? I thought I made that clear yesterday when I brought your dress. You can't mean... That's exactly what I do mean. At the moment, I don't know which of us it will be, but for what you've done to us, one of us is going to kill you tonight. You've no right to condemn me this way. No matter what I've done, you're not justified in killing me. Perhaps not, Chris, but sometimes hatred goes beyond the bounds of reason. Of course, my husband will be back any minute. I'm sure that doesn't worry me, Chris. Certainly it doesn't bother Edgar, and least of all, Nora. If she were here, you... Well, you are a jumpy archer, Chris. I wasn't sure it was possible. I'm not staying in this house. I'm going outside, you understand? And you're not stopping me, neither are you. You're not going anywhere, Chris. Me going... Get back in action. That won't do any good. No one can hear you this time, Chris. There's no one to lie to this time. Wait. He's back. You're wrong, Marion. You're wrong. There is someone. It's my husband. Did you hear? He's back. I got a message through to him. I fooled you, Edgar, again. I fooled you. Chris. Oh, Charlie. Charlie, you came back. It was a time, Charlie. It was a time. The Whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story. Meantime, let me give you a clue toward solving another mystery. How to make today's shrinking dollars buy more value. When it comes to your gasoline dollars, if you want to be sure you're choosing the gasoline that gives you the very maximum in performance and mileage, there are just two things to remember. One, in gasoline, it takes extra quality to go farther. And two, signal is the famous go farther gasoline. Yes, it's a fact. Your best yardstick of gasoline quality is mileage, the thing signal gasoline is famous for. After all, in order for a gasoline to give you more miles per gallon, it has to help your motor run more efficiently. And when your motor runs more efficiently, naturally you enjoy quicker starting, faster pick-up, smoother knock-free power. In other words, the superior performance you expect of a superior gasoline. That's why we say to be sure of the tops in gasoline quality, just remember two things. One, in gasoline, it takes extra quality to go farther. And two, signal is the famous go farther gasoline. And now back to the Whistler. It seems far away now, doesn't it Chris? The danger, the terror there by the flickering fire as Marion and Edgar calmly announced they were going to kill you. And you're safe in John's protective arms, sobbing like a frightened child. Somehow you'll understand Chris, somehow you can explain away those two vicious people standing quietly at the other side of the room. It was awful John, they were going to kill me. Christine. They hateful, jealous people John, they resent my success. Chris. What? Chris, I want you to meet my sister. I picked her up tonight at the telephone office. She's the operator you talked to a few minutes ago, on the telephone. Nora. Hello Chris. John. Nora. You knew her as Nora Lancaster. Her maiden name was Grey. Nora. Nora, your sister. Yes Chris. You didn't destroy my voice. That's about all you left me. John. John what is it? What are you doing? I'm going now Chris. If my car will get me down there, I'm going down to the village to notify the police. You can stay here with your friend. It'll be too late. John you love me, you said you loved me. I never said I loved you. I said I wanted to marry you. You know what you're doing John, you're doing. Yes you do know. You're part of it too. We were helpless all of us until you made one mistake Chris. You fell in love with me. John that's why. That's why I married you. John listen to me. I didn't mean it John. I didn't think what I was doing. I was poor. I couldn't stand being poor John. I couldn't stand not having a family I could be proud of. I worked and I slaved John. I never wasted a cent. I never wasted a moment. John I never let anything stand in my way. John! Your husband is gone Chris. And this is his wedding gift to you. This house and the three of us. Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the Whistler. Each Wednesday night at the same time brought to you by the signal oil company. Marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories. Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure, drive at sensible speeds, be courteous and obey traffic regulations. It may save a life. Possibly your own. Featured in tonight's story were Betty Lou Gerson, Jeanette Nolan, John McIntyre and Arnold Moss. The Whistler was produced by George W. Allen with story by Merritt Stone and David Clark, music by Wilbur Hatch. And was transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. Next Wednesday for a full hour of mystery over most of these stations, tune in a half hour earlier. Enjoy the saint as well as the Whistler. This is Marvin Miller speaking. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
