Suspense.
And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure,
William N. Robeson.
The effect of the tropics upon the female of the species has held in a special fascination
for writers ever since the Pax Britannica assured an empire upon which, until recently,
the sun never set.
Richard Wheal is no exception to this predilection of offers.
He has written for us a tale of the South Seas under the Pax Americana, a triangular
tale of a woman's boredom, a man's devotion, and another man's love.
Listen then to Thou Shalt Not Commit, starring Mr. Victor Jory.
Now, Mr. Victor Jory in Thou Shalt Not Commit, a tale well calculated to keep you in.
Suspense.
My name Lou Ellie.
Me house boy for Dr. Blair.
And he worked for him and Missy Blair ever since they come to Mowee, maybe seven, eight
months ago.
When they first come, while we building house for them and other place Dr. Blair called
laboratory, they all the time happy, all the time laugh a lot.
But now it's different.
No more laugh.
Fight.
I'm fed up, Carl.
Fed up to hear I've had it.
It sounds as though you got up on the wrong side of your disposition this morning.
Very funny.
I'm sorry, darling.
Sorry isn't enough.
That's a pretty cruel thing to say.
You're a pretty cruel man, Carl.
Cruel?
And selfish.
Dragging me down here to keep you company, you said.
Well who's going to keep me company?
Lisa.
You know what I would give for just one leisurely luncheon at the colony and the opening night
of a Broadway musical and a few laughs afterward in the cub room.
You weren't exactly dragged here, Lisa.
We discussed this move at great length before we made it.
The only two white people on a dirty little South Pacific island a thousand miles from
nowhere.
I wouldn't say that dirty was precisely the word described.
Mowee-ee-ah.
And you out here in your precious laboratory ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day.
What am I supposed to be doing while you're saving the world from tropical disease?
Take me back to New York, Carl.
Back where I belong.
And we can't go back to New York, Lisa.
At least not for a while.
I can't leave my research now.
Not yet.
So a bunch of filthy natives are more important to you than your own wife.
No, but I know this sounds stuffy, but nothing is more important to me than my obligation
to humanity.
Great.
So you stay here and fulfill your obligation to humanity.
Me?
I'm going home.
If you insist on leaving, I can't stop you.
Or rather, I won't.
But I can try to keep you here with me, can't I?
How?
By trying to make you know how much I love you.
Give me three weeks.
It'll be three weeks before the Samoa bell puts in here again.
And my darling, a great many things are going to happen in three weeks.
No, Master and Missy seem happy, almost like before.
Master, don't spend so much time along laboratory.
No.
Here, Missy swim together and spear fish, and Missy start to feed again.
Master sit on the palm tree dressed in lava lava with a wreath of hibiscus around his
neck.
He so brown from sun and wind, he look like one of my people.
I think Missy like the way he look because Bambai, she put down brush and go over and
sit beside him.
Tired, dear?
No.
Just wanted to sit beside you.
That all?
No.
I also wanted to kiss you.
I think that might be arranged.
That was eminently satisfactory, darling.
Almost as pagan as your costume.
I'm not really pagan at all, Lisa.
Don't you think perhaps with a little encourage when you cook?
Perhaps.
But when the chips...
Hey, what's that?
What's what?
I think the proper technical expression is sail hole.
Where?
See ya?
Way out there.
A hole down on the horizon.
Oh, do you suppose it's the Samoa bell?
No.
A bell is a three master.
That boat has only two.
Is she heading this way?
Probably not.
Well, all play and no work, you know.
I must get back to the lab.
I know, dear.
Do we paint tomorrow?
Probably.
But early, my dear, who ain't taller?
And just what my little linguist does that mean?
You early taught it to me.
It means here on my wheel we live but one day at a time.
Oh, we find out pretty soon that boat Master C belong along one fella, Captain Burke.
Captain Burke, he anchored in Lagoon and Kamasur just about sundown.
I helping Master in laboratory when he talk along my Uncle Taiyere.
Now, these skin eruptions tell the whole story, Taiyere.
You're suffering from yours.
Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?
That's what I thought.
Tell him I'm going to take a specimen of his blood, Louie.
It won't hurt him.
There.
He can go now.
I want him back here by nine o'clock tonight.
It's important that he be on time.
Tell him that.
You better run up to the house now, Louie, and tell Missy Blair that I'll be there in
a few minutes.
Dr. Livingston, I presume?
Huh?
Unfortunately, the records don't reveal what Livingston replied to Stanley.
I'm Terry Burke, Doctor.
That's my schooner, the wanderer anchored out there in the Lagoon.
Oh, I've heard a great deal about you, Captain Burke.
Welcome to Maui here.
Thanks.
You see, I've heard a lot about you, too.
Quiet, don't argue.
Oh, come on now, Doctor, no false modesty.
You're quite well known considering the short time you've been on the islands.
Well, now it's my turn to thank you.
Louie?
Yes, my son?
Go up the house and set out some drinks and tell Missy that we have a dinner guest.
Oh, forgive me, Captain, you will dine with us, won't you?
I want you to meet my wife.
I'd be delighted, Doctor.
I've heard a lot about her, too.
Yes, Mrs. Blair, he was quite a guy.
They called him Bully Hayes.
He sailed the islands from the Philippines to the Marquesas, doing as he pleased, making
his own laws and taking what he wanted.
He sounds utterly fascinating.
If you like pirates, that is.
I heard Louie referred to you as Bully Burke, Captain.
Did you earn your nickname that way?
Not exactly.
How did you get it then?
Oh, I skipped her to PT Boat in the last war.
Well, I guess you might say I ran a taut ship.
Not happy, maybe, but taut.
So my crew called me Bully Burke.
Behind my back, of course.
Where was this, Captain?
Oh, he played tag with Tojo all over the South Pacific.
I had it right up to here.
Were you at it long?
Started in as an enlisted man, ended up with two stripes on my sleeve.
You don't do that in 20 minutes.
Why didn't you stay with it, Captain?
I should imagine that for a man like you...
They tell you what to do in the Navy, Mrs. Blair.
And I was never much good at taking orders.
Like Bully Hayes, Captain, doing as he pleased, making his own laws and taking what he wanted.
That's about it.
Do you take what you want, Captain Burke?
I'm strong enough to get away with it.
Yes.
Captain, you've just had civilization back 5,000 years.
Now, I must ask you to excuse me for a little while.
But, Carl...
I told Tatieri to be at the lab at nine.
It's a question of timing his treatments.
Luele, I'll need you with me.
Yes, Master.
I'll be back shortly.
Excuse me, please.
You know, Mrs. Blair, I know a fellow once.
Over and over, mayor.
Who owned the most beautiful pearl I've ever seen.
It was flawless.
Perfectly formed.
And it glowed as though it were lighted from inside.
The minute I saw it, I knew I had to have it.
I told him the name was Price, but he said he wasn't selling.
That must have been pretty frustrating for you.
Oh, it was pretty stupid of him.
You see, he didn't guard it as carefully, and he should have...
Captain Burke, you didn't.
I'll show it to you sometime.
As a matter of fact, I'd like to see it against your skin.
I wonder why I'm not as shocked as I should be.
You're not shocked at all.
You'll love it.
Am I as obvious as all that?
Maybe not to some men.
Certainly not to your husband.
But to me...
Each of us knows what the other is thinking.
That's right.
If, for example, I said that I wanted to take you out on the lanai and show you my orchid...
That's easy.
You want to be kissed.
But if it happened in here, you'd be in plain sight of the laboratory.
Correct?
I'm afraid so.
Well?
Why not?
No more tears.
No more, Jerry.
Not now.
Take me back inside and give me a chance to pull myself together before cur.
No.
Wait.
Put your arms around.
Kiss me once more.
Oh, Jerry, Jerry.
What are you doing to me?
Well, that winds up another day's work.
Oh, Carl, I've been trying to persuade Captain Burke to spend a little more time with us.
And I was telling Mrs. Blair that I can't possibly do it, at least not this time.
I have a hole full of copper that's due in Papi 80 right now.
But you will come back, won't you?
Oh, please say yes.
We'd love to have you.
Well, I'll tell you, Mrs. Blair.
I figured on having my boat hauled out while I was in Papi 80, but if it's all right with
you and the doctor, I'll come on back here and my crew can careen it right down on the
beach.
We'd be delighted to have you, wouldn't we, Carl?
We wouldn't need.
Of course, there's a condition attached to it.
What's that?
You're going to have to tell me some more of your fascinating stories.
You mean about, uh, pearling?
Particularly about pearling.
I like those best of all.
All right.
I'll be back in two weeks.
Three at the outside.
That gives us something to look forward to.
Same here.
Well, I got to get aboard.
We're sailing at dawn.
I'll be back.
You can count on that.
You can count on it, doctor.
I'll be back.
In a moment, we continue with...
Suspense.
We continue with Thou Shalt Not Commit, starring Mr. Victor Jory.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Captain Burke, he come back just like he say.
When he anchor in lagoon and row ashore, missy, she stand waiting.
He get out of boat and say, you a runner?
And she put wreath she make from ginger blossoms round his neck.
And they walk up to house together, just the two.
Mas are not there.
He busy in laboratory.
Carl asked me to make his apologies, Terry.
He seems to be on the verge of discovering whatever he's trying to discover.
He's been out there in the laboratory now for at least 20 straight hours.
And what have you been doing for those 20 straight hours?
Trying to sleep, at least part of the time.
And if you must know, not doing too good a job of it.
Why not?
Because, because I was waiting for you.
I haven't had a good night's sleep since you left.
And he knew all kids since I was here last?
Suppose we look after dinner.
We may not get a chance.
The barometer's been falling for the past 24 hours.
What does that mean?
At this time of the year and in this neck of the woods, just one thing.
Typhoon.
And we can't get away tonight?
We?
Yes.
You've made up my mind, Terry.
Are you sure?
I'm sure.
Then we'll get away.
It's not tonight, then tomorrow, or the day after.
We'll get away.
More coffee, Captain?
No, thanks, Mrs. Blair.
Oh, that wind, it makes me so nervous.
It's only blowing about 30 miles an hour now.
We're in for it.
By midnight, it'll be doing better than 100.
I don't like it.
It's not the wind, Mrs. Blair.
It's the atmospheric conditions that go with it.
You notice anything unusual, Doctor?
Well, since you mention it, I do.
A feeling of apprehension as though something indescribably dreadful were about to happen.
That's right.
That's what a typhoon does to you.
By the way, do you have storm shutters?
Indeed we do.
Better get them up.
That's a good idea.
Louelle.
Yes, Master.
Captain Burke says we'll be needing the shutters.
Get a couple of the boys to help you put them up.
Yes, Master.
I'd better go and see if things are secure in the laboratory.
If you'll excuse me, please, I'll be back shortly.
Are you sure you want me, Terry?
I think you know the answer.
But I'd better tell you right now that there aren't any guarantees.
We may be together twenty years from now, or I may leave you on the beach the first port
we come to.
You won't.
Maybe not.
Maybe someday you'll walk out on me just like you're walking out on him.
No, of that I'm sure.
Carl is sweet, he's good.
That means he's tame and drab and commonplace.
But you, you're a man.
That's what I need, Terry, a man.
That's what I've searched for all my life.
That's what I've got to have.
I'll tell you this much, you won't be...
What is it, Carl?
What's the matter, Loeli?
We fixing shutters in the laboratory all of a sudden.
Master make funny noise.
It's my side, Lisa.
A pain here.
Sit down, Carl.
I'll get you some water.
No, thanks.
Oh, I need a little rest.
It's subsiding already.
Just the same, I'm going to put you to bed.
Help me, Loeli.
Want me to give you a hand?
No, thanks, we'll manage.
Come, Carl.
Yes, Leeli.
Take it easy.
I will, Captain.
You'll take care of Lisa, won't you?
She's never been through a typhoon before.
I thought he'd never go to sleep.
How's the pain?
We said it was better.
I gave him some phenobarb and it seemed to help.
It isn't anything serious, is it?
I hardly think so, he's just been working too hard.
Well, what do we do now?
You had your instructions, didn't you?
By the way, just how do you take care of a lady during a typhoon?
Like this.
Oh, yes.
Like this.
Oh, Jerry.
All I want in the world is to be near you.
To be in your arms like this.
Oh, I...
I'm sorry.
Carl!
Now look, Doc, I can...
I'm sure you can, Captain.
Well, I can't say you didn't warn me, can I?
You told me very emphatically that you took what you wanted.
What are you going to do about it, Claire?
There isn't very much I can do.
You see, within 36 hours I'll be dead.
Carl!
Yes, Lisa?
I have acute appendicitis.
Oh, no!
Look, just as soon as this blow is over, I'll put you aboard my boat and we'll...
The nearest doctor is seven days' sail from here.
I have it outside a day and a half.
There must be something we can do.
Well, Captain Burke, under my direction, might be able to perform an emergency appendectomy.
Carl, that's impossible.
No, it isn't.
It's been done before.
I've read about it.
But not under these circumstances.
Hey, Captain?
You think I can do it?
Undoubtedly.
All you have to do is follow instructions.
But the question in my mind...
I know.
I'm asking myself the same question.
When do we start?
Sooner the better.
You'll want Lou Ely to help you.
No, Lisa.
I want you to help.
Me?
Precisely.
I thought we'd keep this as sort of a family affair.
Let's get on with it.
I like your attitude, Captain.
You seem to be every bit as eager to know how this little experiment is going to work as...
as I am.
Now, even the average layman is familiar with most of these things, Captain.
Scalpels, scissors, forcibly.
I know what they are.
Good.
Now, the first incision is made right here.
That's what we call McBurney's Point.
You do it with this scalpel.
A cut of approximately an inch and a half.
Then you go deeper with this one.
Tell me something, Blair.
Are you scared?
Not in the least.
Are you?
Nope.
Just curious.
So am I.
What are you curious about?
I want to find out all I can about the man my wife is going to leave me for.
Well, Captain, the anesthetic will take hold in a moment.
We'll be ready to begin.
Just one more thing before we do.
Regardless of how this works out, be good to Lisa, won't you?
You see, I happen to love her very much.
Now, the first incision, Captain.
That's scalpel Lisa.
That's perfect, Captain.
Pads Lisa.
Now we look for the aponeurosis.
That was scalpel Lisa.
That's it.
We go through two layers now.
I must tell you, Captain, the tiniest false move at this point would assuredly cause my death.
And you couldn't possibly be blamed for it.
It's worth considering, Captain.
Now, that one really shook the house, didn't it?
It might just as easily shake your hand.
I don't need you to put ideas in my head, Blair.
What do I do now?
Now we expose the rectus muscle, Captain.
As you see, it's in sort of a shield.
Now, the clamps, Captain.
Job is done.
All right, good job, I'd say.
Lisa, my dear, you'd better pour yourself a drink.
You look like you could use one.
Is there anything more we must do?
Oh, yes.
The demerol hypo you prepared.
Here.
That's right.
Just a moment, Lisa.
You haven't removed the excess air.
That, too, could be fatal.
I'm sorry.
I guess I am a bit shaken.
Now it's all right.
Thank you.
There.
I'll be asleep in a moment.
Well, Captain, Lisa, I don't imagine I'll be seeing you again.
I want to thank you for what you've done.
And I want to wish you both a great deal of happiness.
How do you figure a guy like that?
What he should have done was take a shot at me.
No, and Carl, I'd say he was afraid to.
That's just it.
You don't know him.
He's not afraid of anything.
He proved that when he let me stick knives in him.
It seems to me he had very little choice in the matter.
It was either that or...
Wrong again.
He could have performed the operation himself.
That's been done, too.
Could?
Why didn't you tell him to do it then?
I guess I was just as anxious as he was.
To find out what kind of a man his wife was leaving him for?
That's right.
And did you find out?
Yeah.
Well, the wind's easing off.
I'd better get down to the lagoon and see if my boat's still in one piece.
Goodbye, Lisa.
Goodbye?
Just like that?
Goodbye?
What about me?
What happens to me now?
I don't know, Lisa.
You'll have to work that one out for yourself.
But I know this now.
Somewhere, some day, on some beach,
I would have left you.
It's better that I leave you here now, on this beach.
I haven't got what it takes to love a woman like you.
He has.
He still does.
Goodbye, Lisa.
Terry!
Terry!
Goodbye, Lisa.
Hello, Ailey.
Yes, Master.
The storm is over, huh?
Oh, yes, Master.
Since this morning early.
And Captain Burke?
He's gone, Master.
I see.
May I have a sip of water, please?
Yes, Master.
I get from other room.
Luely?
Oh, Missy!
Luely not know you're still here.
But I am Luely.
And I'll take that tray.
Yes, Missy.
Carl?
Lisa.
I brought you water, Carl, but you only need to have a spoonful.
Lisa, I thought you were...
I thought I was too, but I didn't.
That makes me very happy.
I don't know why it should.
I'm not much good, you know.
Don't judge yourself too harshly.
After all these other tropics...
Were all sorts of things blow in from the sea.
And blow back out again.
Like our first typhoon.
That's right.
And you know, I don't think it did any permanent damage.
I don't think it did either.
Suspense.
In which Mr. Victor Jorry starred in William M. Robeson's production of
Thou Shalt Not Commit.
Written for suspense by Richard Weill.
Listen.
Listen again next week.
When we bring you another tale, well calculated, to keep you in...
Suspense.
Supporting Mr. Jorry in Thou Shalt Not Commit were Ellen Morgan, Ben Wright,
Joe DeSantis, and Andy Giona.
This is the CDS Radio Network.
This is your personality station in Scranton, WGBI 910 on the dial.