And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Tonight the story of a little girl and the terror in a vacant lot.
We call it The Screaming Woman.
So now, starring Sherry Jackson, here is tonight's Suspense play, The Screaming Woman.
I'm Margaret Leary and I've got to tell you how it happened.
It was Thanksgiving Day and it was nice and sunshiny, almost like summer except cooler.
Mama was cooking the turkey and I was watching and Mama said to me,
Oh good heavens, I forgot.
Your Aunt Betty's made some cranberry relish for us.
Run over and get it Margaret so our feelings aren't hurt.
And hurry dear, this turkey's done to a turn.
So I ran to Aunt Betty's and on the way back I took a shortcut through Mr. Kelly's Lough.
It's a swell place to play Indians and cowboys or explore or hunting for treasure
because trucks dump all kinds of stuff there.
Loads of dirt and junk and even big things like old cars and big pipes and chunks of
concrete.
Well this day, coming back from Aunt Betty's, I saw that a lot of new junk and dirt had
been dumped there since Saturday.
They even covered up a swell big concrete pipe that us kids called our fort.
Covered it clear up.
Well I was looking around to see where it used to be when all of a sudden,
The sound was coming up out of the ground.
A woman was buried under the junk and dirt and glass and she was screaming all wild and
horrible for someone to dig her out.
I started to run.
I fell down and got up and ran some more.
It was an awful, awful long way to our house that day.
Mama, Mama!
Margaret!
Mama, Mama!
Margaret, haven't I told you not to slam the door?
Oh, is that the relish?
Listen, Mama, there's a screaming woman in the lot.
Wash your hands, Margaret.
She was screaming and screaming and screaming.
Mama, Mama, listen to me.
We've got to dig her out.
She's buried under tons and tons of dirt.
Well I'm sure she can wait till after dinner.
Oh, honestly, next year I swear I'm going to buy a bigger platter.
Mama, don't you believe me?
You've got to believe me.
Oh look, honey, I've got a million things to do.
Oh, good gosh, look at you.
How'd you get your knees so dirty?
Well, running back from the lot I...
Oh, never mind.
Scoot and tell your dad we're about to eat.
He's in the front room reading his paper.
Dad!
Oh, Dad, I've got to tell you something.
Getting hungry, baby?
Dad, there's a screaming woman in the lot.
I never knew a woman who didn't.
We've got to get picks and shovels and dig her up.
Dad!
Oh, I don't feel much like an archaeologist today, Margaret.
Can't think of anything but food.
Let's have an expedition next Sunday and dig her up.
We can't wait that long.
Dad, you'll die if we don't do it now.
Calm down now.
Dad, please!
Listen, dear, after our Thanksgiving dinner, I'll come out and listen to your screaming
woman.
How's that?
No, now, Dad.
Maybe she'll die if you don't come out now.
You've got to come now.
Margaret.
If you believe me, you wouldn't wait.
Margaret, listen...
You never believe me.
Mama doesn't believe me.
Nobody believes me.
Margaret, quiet down right this minute or I not only won't go with you, but you'll go
to your room and stay.
And without your Thanksgiving dinner, now, is that clear?
Yes, sir.
It's clear.
Margaret, you heard Mother.
Don't gobble.
But Dad, we've got to hurry.
My dear young lady, this is Thanksgiving dinner, an occasion when we do not hurry.
Oh, please, please, Dad.
Listen, if you pester me any more, if you mention her again, this screaming wutzus,
I won't go out with you to hear her recital at all.
Now, is that understood?
Yes, sir.
It's understood.
Well, now that I can be thankful for a full stomach, I guess we should consider what other
things we have to be thankful for.
Well, we're all healthy.
And I'm thankful for my big daughter, right, baby?
Yes, Dad.
And for my loving wife, who is still the most romantic woman I know.
Oh, silly.
I'm thankful I didn't marry somebody else.
You nearly married Dora Lampelle.
You even gave her a ring.
Oh, that never meant a thing.
No, you've only had one serious competitor since we were all kids.
Oh, who?
Helen Nesbitt.
Oh.
Yeah, Helen was my first love.
When she was about as old as Margaret, I gave her a present one Christmas and she gave me
one.
I still have it.
That paperweight on your desk.
Yeah.
It's funny how we hang on to things that were important when we were kids.
Dad.
Now, just a little longer, Margaret.
Oh, Dad, please.
Oh, go on, dear.
You'd better take her out to the lot before she collapses.
Okay.
Come on, Margaret.
Let's hear this wailing banshee of yours.
Now just where is this screaming woman of yours?
Lead me to her.
Over here, where our fort used to be.
Fort?
The big concrete pipe.
It's all covered up now.
Kelly is really getting the slot filled in.
All right.
Where's the lady?
Right about here, Dad.
Listen.
Don't hear a thing except the wind.
You better button your sweater, Margaret.
Listen.
No, it's the trolley over on Aspen Street.
Hey there.
Screaming woman.
Hey.
I'm afraid your screaming woman's let you down.
But she was here, Dad.
Right under where they've dumped all this dirt.
I heard her screaming and screaming and screaming like she was underneath in the fort.
She's dumped tons and tons right on top of our fort.
Well, that's too bad they buried your fort, dear.
I saw two of Kelly's big trucks here last evening and there was a dump truck in here
this morning, too.
It isn't because they covered the fort.
It must be your screaming woman doesn't like grownups.
Only delivers her solo for kids.
Maybe she can't scream anymore.
Well, I'm going to take a nap now.
Let my dinner settle.
Aren't you going to help me, dear?
Don't you think this is a sort of silly game?
It's not a game.
All right.
Dear, but don't stay too long.
Mama probably would like some help with those dishes.
Dad, Dad.
I know I heard her scream.
I know it.
Darn, darn, darn.
You are there.
You are there.
Hey, screaming woman.
Why didn't you scream before?
Why didn't you scream so Daddy could hear you?
Oh, just don't scream for me.
I can't help you all by myself.
Dad, Dad.
Dad, she's screaming again.
Right after you left, she started to scream.
You've got to come back.
Oh, there now, Margaret.
Come here.
Come here.
Let me feel your head.
Please, Daddy.
Please.
Please.
Oh, you've got a fever.
Please, Daddy.
You're going to lie down, young lady.
We can't leave her down there, Dad.
We can't.
Come along in your room.
It's awful, Dad.
It's awful for her to be screaming and screaming and nobody listening or caring.
Margaret.
She'll choke when there isn't any more air and then she'll die.
You're going to lie down the rest of the afternoon before you make yourself sick.
No, I've got to dig her up.
I've got to go back.
There's all those comic books you've read, darling.
Now, I forbid you to leave the house.
Close your eyes and take a nap like a good little girl.
What am I going to do?
What am I going to do?
You are listening to The Screaming Woman, tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding
theater of thrills, Suspense.
Today begins Red Cross Month, a reminder to all Americans whether or not you have ever
benefited personally from the far-flung effective relief and rehabilitation programs of your
Red Cross.
Your month of March donation to the Red Cross, which you are urged to make, will keep Red
Cross activities in progress, but you are urged to take a still more important step
in addition.
You are urged to be an active member of your local Red Cross chapter.
Remember, the Red Cross is people helping people.
Join and serve more effectively to benefit should the need arise.
And now, we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Sherry Jackson, starring in tonight's production
of The Screaming Woman, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
After a while I stopped crying.
I had to get back to the lot where that woman was screaming, but I was locked in.
So I tied a sheet to the bed and let it out the window and shinnied down to the ground.
Then I ran to the garage and got shovels and ran to the empty lot.
The sun was almost down and it was getting cold.
I started to dig fast.
Hi, Maggie.
It was Dippy Smith.
He goes to my school.
What are you digging for?
For Screaming Woman.
She's down on the ground and I'm going to dig her up.
You can help me dig, Dippy.
There's an extra shovel.
I don't hear nothing.
Well, listen.
Just listen.
No, I don't hear nothing.
Well, just listen.
You will.
Hey, there.
There.
Did you hear it?
That's okay.
Do it again.
Do what again?
The scream.
Do it again.
Go on.
I'll give you this Aggie if you teach me to do it.
Hot dog!
Did you get that friend Krog was booked for a dime from the magic company?
You got one of those tin things in your mouth?
I won't tell you unless you help me dig.
Okay, give me the shovel.
Hot dog.
And you've got to dig fast, like this.
Boy, you think she was right under our feet.
You're wonderful, Maggie.
What's the Screaming Woman's name?
You made up a name for her yet?
Oh, sure.
Her name is Shirley Miller and she's a rich old lady, 160 years old.
And she was buried by her crook names.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I don't fire
She really did.
And she was buried by her crook name Sp damaging her foot.
People over there.
Come on, Dippy.
Dig.
Dippy.
Dippy.
There's a woman buried there.
Oh, sure.
Don't you believe me?
I wasn't throwing my voice.
Honest, I wasn't, Dippy.
Hey, you couldn't talk and scream together.
There really is a woman here.
That's what I told you.
Come on, let's dig.
How she breathing, you think?
I think she's in the fort.
Remember?
Sure, that's where she is.
Five or six of us kids could get in it,
so it's big enough.
Hey, what do you kids think you're doing?
Hello, Mr. Kelly.
I'm tired of chasing you out of this lot.
If only they get hurt, maybe your folks would sue me.
But Mr. Kelly, there's a woman screaming.
You kids beat it, you hear?
Yes, sir.
But listen, Mr. Kelly, don't you hear?
There.
I don't hear anything, and neither do you, and I'll beat it.
Come on, Maggie.
Mr. Kelly, somebody's got to dig her up.
Don't argue with me or I'll phone your folks.
This is my property.
Do I have to put up a fence?
Why should I spend money to keep people off my property?
I'm putting up a fence.
Dippy.
Dippy, it's him.
He's the one.
He murdered Mrs. Kelly.
He hit her on the head and stuck her in the fort
and dumped loads of dirt on top.
But she wasn't dead.
She came, too.
Why, you saw him.
He stood right there when she screamed
and wouldn't pay any attention.
Hey, that's right.
He stood right there and lied to us.
What do we do, Maggie?
There's only one thing to do.
We'll phone the police and tell them to come and arrest
Mr. Kelly.
Hey, they sure got here fast, Maggie.
Shh.
Don't make a sound.
Stay down.
Mr. Kelly might get desperate and shoot or something.
Oh, oh.
Oh, yes.
Officer?
You Mr. Kelly?
Yes, sir.
Well, what can I do for you?
Is Mrs. Kelly at home this evening?
Why, sure.
May I see her, sir?
Why, sure.
Sure.
Hey, Anna.
What's up?
Well, we got a call.
Oh, good evening, ma'am.
What is it, officer?
Well, I'm sorry, folks.
We got a call that Mrs. Kelly was buried alive
in some empty lot.
It sounded like some kid calling,
but we had to make sure.
We always check.
Well, I can't understand.
It's those blasted kids.
If I ever catch them, I'll break their necks.
Maggie, cheese it.
Boy, if Kelly telephones my dad, I'll get a lickin'.
What'll we do about the screaming woman?
Oh, to heck with her.
I'm not going near that lot again.
Wait a minute, Dippy.
I know why you didn't hear the screams.
Kelly's sort of deaf.
Mama says he's hard of hearing.
Well, he heard us, didn't he?
He heard the cop.
He reads people's lips, but he couldn't hear
the screaming woman because he couldn't see her.
Dippy, come on.
We gotta go dig some more.
No, sir.
We got to.
We're in a pack of trouble because of your old darn old
screaming woman.
I'm not going to get in any more trouble, no, sir.
So long, Maggie.
And he went off and left me all alone.
It was dark now, and Dad would be hunting for me.
If he found me, I'd get a lickin' and be put to bed,
and then nobody would help the screaming woman at all.
There was only one last thing to do, to go all over the
neighborhood from house to house and find out who was
missing.
So I rang bells and knocked, but everybody was home.
And I was about to give up when I came to the Nesbitts'
house.
I was so scared.
I was so scared.
I gave up when I came to the Nesbitts' house.
The house was quiet, like nobody was home.
I saw a dim, spooky light inside somewhere.
So I just kept knocking and knocking and knocking.
What do you want?
Uh, nothing, Mr. Nesbitt.
I want to see Mrs. Nesbitt.
She's not here.
She's going to the store.
Oh.
Then she ought to be back pretty quick.
I'll come in and wait.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, wait a minute.
I'll just sit down here and wait.
I sure like a rocking chair.
Uh, don't mind me.
Go right ahead doing whatever you were doing, Mr. Nesbitt.
I wasn't doing anything.
Oh.
It looks like you were packing or something with all
those boxes and trunks around.
Going away?
No.
Mrs. Nesbitt's been sorting things out, getting rid of a
lot of stuff.
Oh.
Burning it up in the fireplace.
Oh, yeah.
That's right.
Dad always burns our junk out in the alley.
Cloth smells awful when it burns.
I think that...
Uh, look, kid.
Helen may have gone on from the store to visit a friend.
Well, if she doesn't come soon, I'll leave.
Yeah, and I'll tell her you were here.
What did you want to see her about?
Oh, nothing much.
Hey, that's too bad.
What?
I guess you lost the key to that box.
You had to break the lock.
It, uh, was, uh, broken already.
I bet your folks don't know where you are, kid.
No, sir.
They think I'm in bed.
What friend did Mrs. Nesbitt go visit?
I don't know.
Uh, I mean, uh, look, kid, I ought to tell you,
she won't be back tonight.
Oh?
No.
She went to the store, like I said, but she was going from
there over the beachward to visit her mother on the bus.
She'll be gone two or three days.
Oh, that's a shame.
Why?
Mama was expecting Mrs. Nesbitt to come over tomorrow,
maybe just so.
You better not tell your mother.
You see, it's a kind of a secret about Helen going away.
She doesn't want people to know for a while.
Oh.
You know how to keep a secret, kid.
I guess so.
I'll give you something for not telling.
I'll give you a reward.
Now, let's see here.
All right.
Here's something for a kid.
A doll.
A doll?
Yeah.
Helen was going to give it to you.
I heard her say when she was sorting this stuff.
I'll give this to the little leery girl.
That's funny.
Mrs. Nesbitt always calls me Margaret.
Well, sure.
That's what she said.
Margaret.
You see, it's quite a doll.
Old fashioned.
It's made of leather.
And the face is china or something.
You see?
Uh-huh.
Thank you, Mr. Nesbitt.
It's a reward for not saying anything about Helen being
gone, you understand?
Now, now, now, come on.
I'll step on the porch light.
Mr. Nesbitt, I saw your dump truck in the lot this morning.
What do you mean?
Were you in the lot this morning?
No.
No, I was home.
I looked out the window.
Please, Mr. Nesbitt, let go of my arm.
You been playing out there today?
Answer me.
Don't.
That hurts.
I wasn't playing.
It's no fun now with the fort covered up and.
The fort?
What's that?
Nothing.
Nothing, Mr. Nesbitt.
Tell me what you're talking about.
Nothing, nothing but that old concrete pipe.
You know something.
That's why you came here.
You've been snooping around that lot
and you found out something.
What do you know?
I don't know anything.
Let me go.
Mr. Nesbitt, if you don't let me go.
What?
Oh!
Hey, come back.
Come back here.
I'll give you something else.
I'll give you something else.
Come back here.
Come back.
Mr. Nesbitt yelled because I kicked him and bit his hand.
Then I ran, but I heard him run after me.
It was dark and quiet and scary on the street
and more scary out there in the lot.
I ran straight across the place where
I'd heard the screaming and it was so quiet.
And all of a sudden there was a man in the lot right in front of me.
Margaret, Margaret, stop.
Oh, Dad.
Margaret, where have you been?
Do you have any idea how your mama's worried?
Do you know how late it is?
Dad, Dad, he's after me.
We've been up and down alleys and clear down to Clark Street.
I was about to call the police.
The screaming woman.
It's Mrs. Nesbitt who's down there.
I'm going to give you a good licking.
Mr. Nesbitt killed her and now he wants to kill me.
I've had all of this idiotic talk.
I can stand.
It's true.
He said she's gone away and he was burning her things.
You've got to believe me.
Margaret, that's enough.
Now stop it right now.
What have you got there?
Where did you get that doll?
Mr. Nesbitt.
I gave it to her, Larry.
Kid stopped by the house and I remembered Helen said she wanted to throw it away.
Helen said to throw it away.
He's lying, Dad.
He gave it to me so I wouldn't tell about her.
It was locked up in a box.
He didn't have a key.
He broke it open.
She's a high-strung kid, Larry.
All the stuff she was telling me.
He's lying, Dad.
Why are you lying, Charlie?
Lying?
How do you get that to work?
Helen was going to give it to Margaret on her birthday.
She told me so.
It was a present I gave her a long time ago.
She wouldn't have thrown it away anymore that I threw away the paperweight she gave me.
Why are you lying, Charlie?
I'm not.
Don't look at me like that, Larry.
As God as my riddlers.
It's her, Dad.
It's the screaming woman.
As God as your witness.
No.
Margaret, run to the house.
Phone the police and tell them to hurry.
Hello?
Hi, Dippy.
Everything's fine.
Everything's worked out, King.
The screaming woman isn't screaming anymore.
They got a lot of people down there digging her up.
Hey, Swell.
Hot dog.
And you know what else, Dippy?
They uncovered our fort again.
And now we'll be able to get the kids and play in it tomorrow.
Suspense, in which Sherry Jackson starred in The Screaming Woman by Ray Bradbury.
Next week, the story of a man who tries to escape his past and is faced with no future.
We call it, Nobody Ever Quits.
That's next week on Suspense.
Suspense is produced and transcribed by Anthony Ellis.
Adaptation was by Sylvia Richardson.
The music was composed by Lucian Marwick and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Featured in the cast were Paula Winslow, John Danaer, Richard Beals, Howard McNeer, Joe
Cranston, Herb Butterfield and Eve McVeigh.
Join the FBI in peace and war Wednesday nights on the CBS Radio Network.