And now, another tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
Arrest for Emily by Barrel Firestone.
Suspense.
Orrin, give me that pile of sock on the table.
Here you are, my dear.
My dear. What a laugh you are, Orrin Reed.
Thirty years a slave and on a dried up farm.
Thirty years a hatin' what you do and the woman you're livin' with.
Thirty years of debt and drudgery and you still say, my dear, weak.
Weak in a madder habit. That's what you are, Orrin Reed.
Don't start tonight, Emily. There's paperwork to be done.
So let's...let's...let's not start it tonight, please.
Paperwork? Figuring out your million dollar income tax paperwork?
Blast!
Huh? What's that?
I stuck my finger with a needle.
Darnin' socks, darnin' socks and cookin' meals with not enough food.
Talkin' to myself, livin' in this miserable place.
I'm dried up too, Orrin. Just like the land out there, dried up and tired.
We do the best we can, Emily. The good Lord made it so it'd be hard for us.
There's no use trying to make it out. It can be any other way.
The good Lord? But you made it hard for us, Orrin Reed.
A poor man in spirit and a poorer one in what he can do.
Where are you going?
I don't want to listen no more. I'm going out for a minute.
You come back here and you listen to what I say. A poor man.
You hear me, husband? A poor man, a poor farmer.
There's nothing inside you, Orrin Reed. Now you listen to what I say.
No, Aunt Emily, no more. No more tonight.
Oh, there'll be more tonight and the next night and the next.
Until you're in your grave with the words I say, spilling out of your head.
And giving the only life to the land. Now you come back here. You listen to me.
You shouldn't say them things. You shouldn't talk to me that way.
There was a time she had love for me.
And things in this house were better.
And she looked at me the way a woman looked for the man.
She don't look at me at all no more.
Around me, through me, but never at me.
Then you've got to stop talking to me that way, Emily.
I ain't going to listen no more.
She might just as well not talk to me that way.
Orrin, get back in here.
You've got to stop talking to me that way, Emily.
I'll talk whatever way the words come out.
If the truth comes out in bitter words, then that's the way I'll talk.
Now get the call.
Well, I'll not hear you any more, Emily. I'll not hear you.
Oh, you'll hear all right. Whatever else you've got, you've got good ears in your head.
Ears for listening to what I say.
Now I'll not hear any more.
She won't touch me any more.
Saying things no man should be made listen to.
You're putting a fire under that coffee?
The dry land is cracked. Well, that ain't my fault.
I do the best I know how.
It's no fault of mine the crops grow sick and the animals grow thin.
You've got no right to fault when things not my doing.
Who? You're not out there.
Now, then, some rest.
Man shouldn't have to hear that hardness for 30 years.
He should be able to sit with his woman in quiet.
Orrin, what's keeping you?
No more, Emily. No more.
What's that you say? No more. I'll hear no more.
You making that coffee hot?
What are you doing with that rifle?
No more. You'll not talk to me that way again.
Get that rifle away, you crazy old fool, and get the coffee.
There'll be no more your hatred in this house, Emily.
No more your nagging talk and hard words.
Orrin! No more!
No more!
No more.
In the morning, I'll put you to rest, Emily.
I'll give you a good grave and a barn,
covered with lice so you can be parred to land.
But now I... I'll rest a bit.
Have my coffee and then sleep quiet.
Good night, Emily.
Good night.
You'll never get away with it.
What? What's that you say?
Hello?
He found it so funny.
You'll never get away with it.
What'd they say?
They said it scared the death.
What's that you said?
I thought he jumped right through the phone.
Oh, Ted, you're a riot.
Now, really, you better be getting home. It's late.
Okay, okay. How about a good night kiss, Margeley?
Now, guess.
Good night, Margeley.
Good night. Don't forget our date.
I won't. Good night.
You'll never get away with it.
Loper Farm Supply Warehouse.
Oh, hello, Arn.
This is Loper.
What? What was that you wanted?
200 pounds a lie.
Well, it's after eight now, and Ted hasn't even started yet.
He's got to make four or five stops first,
but I guess he can get to your place around 11.
All right, Arn. I'll put it on your bill. Bye.
Ted! Ted, come on in here before you leave.
Did you call me, pot?
I called.
You put 200 pounds of lie on the truck and take it out of the Reed place.
I promised you'd be there before noon.
The Reed place? But, pot, that's on the other side of the ridge,
and I got a date with Mary Lee for lunch at noon.
I'll never be back in time.
Now, you do as you're told.
Get that lie on the truck and get out to Arn Reed before noon.
Here.
Oh, but, pot, come on.
No buts.
You think you're going to be late?
You can call Mary Lee for Mr. Reed. She'll wait.
Can't Mr. Reed wait till this afternoon?
I won't scot into you, boy.
Now, you get those orders out of the sub-Irland.
You'll really be late.
Too hot today.
You sit here in the barn and wait.
It's 11 o'clock.
Young Lope, we should be here soon.
Maybe this afternoon will be cooler.
I'll get your grave done, Emily.
You'll have a decent place to rest.
And, Emily, you can't scare me anymore.
Trying to make me think I had a phone call last night.
I know it was you.
Now, Emily, your evil's done.
I won't listen to you.
Lying on the floor in the parlor, a quiet tongue.
Still and quiet.
You can't make me listen to things that never happen.
You're going to have company, old Sarah.
Emily's going to join you here in the barn.
She'll be here before morning to rest with your foal that died
and the chickens never born and dogs long past.
More lodges for the barn.
Mr. Reed!
Hey, hey, Mr. Reed, you around?
In here, young Lope, in the barn.
Hot enough for you, Mr. Reed.
I'll bet it's a hundred in the shade.
Did you bring the lye?
Yeah, sure did.
Where do you want it?
In here, in the barn.
Okay, I'll get it off the truck.
I'm going to dig up the potatoes out back there
and then I'm going to turn the soil and that's why I need it, see?
I'm going to turn the soil.
What?
You'll never get away with it.
What's that?
What'd you say?
I said you'll never get away with it.
Why, you don't have a third what you'll need for that job.
Tell you what, I'll bring you another 500 pounds tomorrow.
That should do it.
So you don't think I'll get away with it?
Oh, no, sir.
Not with this much.
And you didn't lie to me, Henry.
There was a call.
Boy...
Did you say something, sir?
Boy, why don't you mop the house with me?
I got some cold beer in the icebox.
Go right well on a hot day like this.
Take the dryness out of your mouth.
Well, I don't think I want any beer, sir,
but I tell you what I'd like to do, if you don't mind.
I'd like to call my girl and tell her I'm going to be a little late for our date.
If you don't mind.
I don't mind a bit.
You just do that now.
We've both got the house, and while you make your call, I...
I'll do what I have to do.
Phone's over there on the corner table.
Oh, thanks, Mr. Reed. I'll just be a minute.
Take your time, boy. Lots of it.
Bye.
Hello?
Mary Lee?
Oh, Ted! Oh, thank heavens you called.
Oh, it's terrible, Ted, just terrible.
You've got to get back here right away.
Hold on, honey, hold on. What's so terrible?
What's happened?
Oh, Ted, it's your pa.
Well, what about Pa? What's happened to Pa?
There's been an accident.
Accident?
He's hurt bad, Ted, in the county hospital.
They called me about a half hour ago to find out if I knew where you were.
He wants you, Ted. He's bad.
I'll leave right now. You tell Pa I'm leaving right now.
I'll see you at the hospital.
Mr. Reed! Mr. Reed, I'm going.
I've got to get back to town right away.
Wait, wait, hold on, boy. You ain't going nowhere.
Mr. Reed, I've got to. It's my pa. He's hurt.
You stay where you are, boy.
What do things say to you?
Mr. Reed, put that rifle away.
I've got to get to town. My pa...
I said hold, boy. He ain't leaving.
I don't know what you're doing, but I've got to go see my pa.
Stop, boy, stop. Don't start out that door.
Mr. Reed!
I told you, stop. I told you.
Now the next shot's going to be closer, boy.
There's things to do.
And I don't want to kill you now.
Kill me? What for?
What's it all about?
You close the door, boy.
Close the door and come in here.
Please, Mr. Reed.
Mr. Reed, my pa's hurt bad.
He's at the county hospital. He hurt bad. He needs me.
I've got to go and get to him.
That's a shame. For certain it is, and I'm right sorry about it.
But it would have been better if a strong back boy like you
hadn't been snooping around where it didn't belong,
saying things he had no right to say.
I don't know what you're talking about.
You like to talk on the telephone, don't you?
Like to call people in the middle of the night?
Tell them things you've got no right knowing about?
What things? Talking about what things?
Don't think I'll get away with it, do you, young lover?
I was talking about... last night.
Oh, Mr. Reed, Mr. Reed, I'm sorry, but that was just a big joke.
I was just playing a big joke. I didn't mean nothing.
Please, please, Mr. Reed, let me go.
I can't bring the sheriff here.
Sheriff? Why would I want to bring the sheriff here?
You're not so smart, boy,
pretending you don't know anything about it
after calling me last night.
I told you, that was just a joke.
And now you know you're going to help me.
You're going to carry and dig.
A strong back like yours should be able to get the whole thing done
in the right smart time.
Carry? Dig? Mr. Reed?
In the parlor, boy. Get in the parlor.
That's where she is.
Right where she was when you called last night.
Don't you understand? My pa's hurt.
I've got to get him. He's over to the county hospital.
The parlor, I told you, in the parlor.
Now the next shot will be closer.
And the next one even closer.
Until... now you get in the parlor.
This is Reed.
Mr. Reed, she's sick.
She's all in a heap on the floor.
Take her up. She's dead. She's been shot.
Are you trying to make out like you didn't know?
Pick her up, boy, and carry her out to the morgue.
I didn't know. I didn't.
I was, Mr. Reed. I didn't.
It was just a joke.
Now you know for sure there ain't no joke out there
in Reed's place, huh? Now pick her up.
Take her up.
Take her to the barn.
And we'll give Emily a decent rest in place.
Dr. Murray? How is he? Will he... I mean...
It's not too good, Mary Lee, but there is hope.
He does want to see Ted.
Did you get in touch with him?
I talked to him just before I came over here.
He's on his way over.
Can I see Mr. Loper, doctor, please?
No, I'm afraid not, Mary Lee.
You better wait out here for Ted.
Yes, sir.
Ted? Ted Boy?
I better get in there.
Ted?
Oh, it's me, Mr. Loper, Dr. Murray.
Ted's on his way here now.
I want to see my boy. I want to tell him.
Try to be quiet. Just try and rest.
But I've got to tell Ted.
When his ma died, I tried to do all I could.
Tried to be everything.
I've got to tell him how I tried.
Tell him I love him.
He's a good boy, doctor.
Ted's a good boy.
You've got to rest, Mr. Loper.
Come on, no more talk, please, now.
I want to see my boy.
Ted.
Doctor, how are we...
He's asleep now, Mary Lee.
He'll sleep for a while.
We're doing all we can.
Look, as soon as Ted gets here, you have him get in touch with me.
Yes, doctor.
Oh, Ted, hurry. Your pawn needs you.
Put her over there, boy. You have a stall.
Now take that shovel and start digging.
Please let me go, Mr. Rhee.
I promise I won't tell.
My pawn's hurt.
Please, Mr. Rhee.
Dig, boy, and dig deep enough and wide enough for two.
Near one o'clock.
You ain't done too good for a boy with such a strong back.
Mr. Rhee, please let me go to my pawn.
Come with me, if you like.
I'll come back with you.
Do anything you want, I promise.
But let me see him.
Please.
Mr. Rhee, please.
There's some things a man's got to do.
Stop an evil lion mouth, protect himself, work his farm.
But I love my pawn. He needs me.
I love too, boy. I love this farm, and it needs me.
I have to tend it, nurse it, make it strong.
Help me, Pa.
It was Emily who kept the farm from being strong and healthy.
She said so.
She was all dried up, and she made the land dry up, and me.
And now it'll be different.
Now dig, young Lopa, and we'll get on with it.
What time is it, doctor?
It's almost 1.30.
What time did you say it was when Ted called?
11.30, nearly two hours ago.
Doctor, he's all right, isn't he?
Ted's all right.
He should have been here long ago.
Ted's all right, Mary Lee.
We'd have heard if he weren't.
Maybe the truck broke down on this heat.
But he'll be here. Don't worry.
Don't worry, Mary.
I can't, I can't, I can't anymore, Mr. Reed.
I'm sick with worry.
I can't do anymore.
Go ahead and kill me.
I don't care now.
Do it now.
That's the heat, boy.
Take a rest there this time.
Take a rest for a while, and then you can get on with it.
Please let me go.
The more you do, the more you'll get on with it.
I'm sorry, Mr. Reed.
Please let me go to my pa.
Let me see him.
Take a rest, boy.
He needs me.
Is it him needs you, or you him?
Boy, what is it?
He spoke.
He can't live without love and needing.
Without it, I'd be just as soon dead.
So kill me now.
But let me go to my pa.
Man can't live with hate.
That's why I had to stop Emily.
There was no love here, and I had to make room for it.
But, Mr. Reed, I've got love.
I don't have to look for it, and it's killing me not to show it.
So don't make no difference.
You kill me, or I die inside.
Please.
Please.
I'd help you if I could.
It's not easy to watch a thing die inside.
I did it.
For 30 years, I did it, and I know how hard a thing it is.
But what can I do?
The farmer'd die if I wasn't here.
I got a lot to do.
The grain would be finished, and the lye poured.
Then I can work in peace.
The lye.
The lye, Mr. Reed.
If you use the lye, they'll know you aren't telling the truth.
When you say your order wasn't delivered.
When you call the warehouse and tell them your order's not come,
and the lye's not on the truck,
they'll know you're not telling the truth.
There's much in what you say, but I need it.
The lye will make you and Emily part of the soil.
Let me go. Please.
No, what am I going to do?
Mr. Reed, please, let me go.
I need it.
I've got to get to my part.
Emily.
Emily.
What should I do?
Oh!
Boy, what are you doing?
I don't care what happens to me.
I've got to...
I've got to go. I've got to go there.
Mr. Reed.
Mr. Reed.
It's all right, boy.
Yes. Yes, it's all right.
I didn't mean...
It's all right. It's all right.
Oh, you're part.
Emily, why did I think I could let you rest alone?
Why?
Suspense.
You've been listening to Arrest for Emily, written for suspense by Barrel Firestone.
Third in tonight's story, where Abby Lewis and Emily are caught in a fight.
Third in tonight's story, where Abby Lewis is Emily, Bill Smith is Orrin, and Lee Graham is Mary Lee.
Others in the cast included Larry Robinson and Ralph Bell.
Listen again next week, when we return with A Grave is for Sleeping, by Edna Rowe.
Another tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.