And now, another tale well calculated to keep you in...
...suspense.
Do you believe in ghosts? No?
Well then, how about poltergeists?
You know, those noisy, mischievous spirits that rap on the walls, move the furniture, rattle the windows, generally make a scary nuisance of themselves.
Do you believe in them, I mean?
Of course not. Neither do I.
And yet, now and then we hear reports, reports from people of honesty, integrity, about strange, unexplainable manifestations that have sent them screaming with terror into the night.
In a moment, Act One of Bells, starring Rosemary Rice and Bill Lipton, and written especially for suspense by Jack Bundy.
The lively crowd today agrees, those who think young say Pepsi, please.
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For those who think young, so go ahead and pick the drink that lets you drink young as you think.
And pick the drink that lets you drink young as you think. Yes, get the right one, the modern, light one, now it's Pepsi.
For those who think young.
Hi, honey, I'm home.
You call this home? Well, it won't be for long, because listen, listen Henry.
Listen to what? That blasted elevator practically tearing through our living room every couple of minutes, all day, all night, all week, all year.
Henry, listen. Listen to it, right on cue too. So help me, Lucy.
What's the use? Honey, seriously, if we have to live in this place much longer, I swear I'll go completely off my nut.
I know exactly what you mean. I felt that way myself. But from now on, Mr. Fielding, my dear, my darling Mr. Fielding, it won't be necessary.
Are you kidding? I've never talked to so many real estate agents, plowed through so many classified ads in my life, and what's it got me?
Darling, it's got you me. And listen to me, I've told you more than once that I'm psychic, and now I know that I am.
Ah, please honey, not that again. How about some dinner?
But it's true, and now I know it is. Now I can prove it.
You mean that so-called guardian angel of yours has found us a nice, quiet little home in the country that we can afford?
That's exactly what I mean, because listen, Henry, listen very carefully now.
Really, Lucy, I've told you a thousand times you can't seriously believe all that psychic stuff and all that junk about a guardian angel.
It's not junk. My guardian angel looks after me, and I'm sure of it now.
You are?
Yes, I am. Look, look at this newspaper. You see? It isn't the Herald Examiner at all, it's the Sentinel.
You mean because you picked up the wrong newspaper by mistake, that makes you psychic?
It wasn't any mistake. A few minutes ago as I was leaving the supermarket, for some strange reason I can't explain.
There was something, something, some strange feeling, some influence or something that just made me reach out and grab this particular paper.
Made me, Henry. I couldn't help myself.
So you're psychic. How about some dinner?
Well, I am. I must be, because look, look, here on the real estate page.
Honey, I've read them all.
Henry, not this one. Will you listen? Small, six-room, colonial cottage, with an easy driving distance of bell-manor development.
Ah, now, you know darn well we can never afford a section like that bell-manor yet.
Will you please listen? Excellent condition, bank-inspected, fully insured, two bedrooms, one bath.
And have they dared to put in the price?
Wait, large living room with stone fireplace, built on garage, full half-acre plot, ideal for young couple anxious to get away from the noise and dirt of the city.
And if this isn't just exactly what we've been looking for.
Sure, sure it is, but the rental on a place like that would be about, I'd say, three hundred and...
Henry, that's just it. The rental is one hundred and fifteen dollars a month.
Oh, now you are kidding.
Look for yourself, see? One hundred and fifteen dollars a month.
I can't believe it, but that's what it says in black and white.
Oh, Henry, it's a dream come true. And all because of my guardian angel and that strange, unexplainable feeling.
Well, there's something wrong with it. Let's face it, Lucy, there must be a rental like that for a place like that in this day and age.
Well, at least we're going to look into it, aren't we?
Honey.
Honey. But we have to. I mean, because of the way we found out about it, the way that something I can't explain forced me to buy this paper to find this particular ad.
Now, you're a good old guardian angel. Oh, please, dear, don't kid me about it.
Okay, okay, we'll look into it. We've got to lose. Who's the agent?
Oh, let's see. His name is... oh, here it is, Strickler, Orville Strickler.
I'll call him first thing in the morning. Oh, thank you, darling.
And if there isn't something wrong with it, well... well, honey, maybe I'll give in and admit that you are psychic.
In just a moment, the second act of...
...suspense.
When Napoleon met his Waterloo, the news was slow in coming across the Atlantic.
However, at that time, Americans, though interested, were little affected by what was taking place an entire ocean away.
Today, that ocean has shrunk proportionately to about the size of Walden Pond, with little of the serenity about it so admired by Thoreau.
Today, we want to know immediately what is going on all around the world.
Our concern is vital to the free world.
The worldwide network of veteran CBS News correspondents meets this need to know and know immediately.
Every hour on the hour, every day, Monday through Friday, this station of the CBS radio network brings you expanded CBS News coverage, the most complete network news coverage in broadcasting today.
Throughout the weekend, too, timely news reports at frequent intervals.
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And these pictures, Henry! Oh, isn't it beautiful?
Gorgeous, huh?
Yeah, Lucy, it looks real nice, but when were these pictures taken, Mr. Strickler?
Only a couple of days ago, Mr. Fielding. Took them myself as soon as we got the place for a listing.
It's no wonder we've had so many calls on it already.
And we certainly can't argue with this bank report on it.
That's right, Ms. Fielding, the bank wouldn't dare to lie about the place.
I still don't understand this low rental. Can you explain it?
Well, of course it isn't in Bell Manor. It's two or three miles out. Real country, farm country.
That's what I like about it.
But it has gas and water and electricity already to use. And, well, of course, the telephone's the old fashioned kind.
I mean, you have to call the operator.
Who cares? Darling, this is it.
Yep, yeah, I guess it is.
Thanks, darling. And now do you believe?
Sure, sure. Anything you say.
Believe what, Ms. Fielding?
Mr. Strickler, you won't believe...
Pay no attention, Mr. Strickler. My wife's a bit superstitious. Thinks she's psychic, is all. Think nothing of it.
Psychic, did you say?
What's the matter, Mr. Strickler?
Oh, nothing. Like your husband says, nothing at all. It's just that the last folks in the house, well, you know how it is.
The noises. Some folks aren't quite used to out there in the country.
Like the tree branches hitting on the roof when the wind blows.
Well, now, let me tell you young ones something.
Yes?
I just want you to know that I stand back of every deal I make.
So, you take along both copies of this lease. And when you've seen the house, make sure it's right for you.
Then you can mail my copy back to me.
Oh, I'm sure that isn't one bit necessary.
Well, that's just about as fair a proposition as we could ask for, Mr. Strickler. Now, if you let me have the keys.
Yes, sir. Here you are.
Thanks.
And good luck.
Phew. I never realized we'd had so many things in that stuffy little apartment.
Unless we'll have to buy to fill up this place. Now, where do you want this chair? This side or over there near the fireplace?
Oh, anywhere.
Okay, then I'll put it right here and put it to use. Ah.
Well, we'll still have to buy things for one whole bedroom, though.
For guests?
Hmm?
Then bring their sleeping bags. By the time we get all this stuff set, we'll be glad it's all we have.
Why, you lazy bum, there's still an awful lot of unpacking to do.
Oh, hum, just let me relax for a minute, huh? Some of this furniture was pretty hefty to push around.
Well, I still think the movers should have stayed to help.
Say, did you hear one of them say they moved the last family in and out of here?
Hmm?
Those men were certainly anxious to get away once they'd unloaded that truck. I wonder why.
Boy, so they want to get back before the storm broke.
Afraid of our back country roads, I guess.
Henry, how do you think these drapes will look here on the... Henry, come on, help me, hmm?
Huh? Huh? Oh, oh, I'll be right with you as soon as I finish this cigarette.
You'd better.
Oh, listen to that rain out there. Isn't that soothing?
You know, I just knew this was going to be it for us, Henry.
After buying that other newspaper that way, for no reason at all except that weird, strange feeling that I had to.
Yeah, yeah, regular miracle.
You know, I didn't tell you this, but I was out in this section with an agent just last week.
And do you know the lowest rental we could find?
Two hundred and a quarter I was out here, too.
Mm-mm, two hundred and fifty. And not nearly as nice as this.
Yeah, that sweet old guardian angel you're always talking about must be working overtime.
Henry, don't joke about it.
Okay, then prove it. Now, here's your chance to prove it, Lucy.
Call in some friendly poltergeist to help me move the rest of this furniture, huh?
Oh, now stop it, you lazy bum. But you are a nice lazy bum.
Yeah, best there is.
Ah, listen, that lovely rain out there and the thunder, nothing ominous, menacing, or frightening.
Well, I should hope not.
Just nice and peaceful.
You know, I guess the land up this way can stand a bit of rain, too. The crop's a lot of good.
Crops, did you say?
Yeah.
Oh, now look, little city boy, don't try to sound like a farmer just because there's a little plot of land around us.
And will you please get up out of that chair and help? Henry!
Whoa!
Sure, sure, sweetie. You don't have to hit me over the head with a thunderbolt.
Oh, that was a close one. Out here in the country all alone this way it's kind of scary.
All alone, did you say, huh?
The phone!
How about that? We barely move in here, somebody calls us up on the phone.
Come to think of it, he did tell us the phone was all hooked up. Where is it?
Oh, I'm glad it is hooked up. Now we can call up some of our friends and have them come out and see us. I wonder who it is.
Well, here it is under this crate. Here now.
Hello?
But don't invite anybody up here just yet, not till we're settled, okay?
Don't worry. Hello? Hello?
What's going on here?
Who is it, Henry?
I wish I... Hello? Hello?
Number, please.
What?
I said number, please.
Well, yeah, yeah, I know you did, but listen, didn't you just ring here?
No, I did not, sir.
Are you sure about that?
Of course I am, sir.
Well, okay, I'm sorry.
That's funny.
Who was it, Henry?
Nobody, nothing. I guess you must have rung us by mistake.
Oh, now, will you give me a hand with these drapes, please?
Yeah, sure, be glad to.
Oh, hold everything. This time I hope there's somebody on the line.
Hello?
Well, now, just a minute. What is this? Hello? Hello?
Number, please.
Number, please? Listen, this phone just rang again.
You must be mistaken, sir. I didn't ring you.
Well, somebody did operate it. My wife and I both heard it.
Well, there's no call for you on the switchboard, sir.
Well, then why'd you ring?
I did not ring, sir.
Now, don't tell me... Okay, okay.
Henry, there was nobody there again, was there?
Nobody but the operator and those funny little... she claims she didn't ring.
That's very funny.
Yeah, funny. Only it is in this time. Hello?
All right, all right, let's have it. What's the gag? Hello? Hello?
Number, please.
Now, look, operator, don't tell me you didn't ring the phone this time.
Henry.
I'm sorry, but I did not, sir.
Well, I'm sorry too, but you must have. I tell you, this phone rang.
It rang before, too, in spite of what you say. Now, let's cut out this foolishness.
I am very sorry, sir, but you must be mistaken.
What do you mean? What are you talking about?
It could only have been rung through this switchboard.
I'm on duty alone here and I did not ring it.
Oh, no?
And now, if you will excuse me, I have another call to handle.
All I have to say is that somebody around here, and it isn't me, is a cockeyed... Hello?
Son of a gun, she can't hang up on me. Just what does she think she's up to?
No, wait, Henry. Losing your temper won't help.
Now, wait a minute. Hello?
Operator!
Get out! Get out!
What? What?
Get out! Get out! Get out!
Wait, now. Wait, will you? What is this?
Get out! Get out! Get out!
Operator!
Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!
No. This is crazy.
What is, Henry? What is it? Tell me.
Sure, I'll tell you. It's a crazy gag or something.
A gag?
Well, I've had enough of it. I'm tearing out this phone.
Henry!
We'll have no more of that nonsense.
Darling, I've never seen you this way. What's the matter?
Nothing. Not now.
The cord broken off, it won't happen again because it can't happen again.
No!
No is right!
Henry, tell me what is and what happened.
And the telephone.
How could it ring after you?
Couldn't. It's impossible.
So it didn't.
We... we were hearing things.
No, no, Henry. You know that isn't so.
Yes, yes, it has to be. You know it, I know it.
No.
We just... we only...
Now, Lucy, we only thought we heard it ring again.
That isn't true.
It has to be. Anything else simply doesn't make sense.
And you were hearing something on that phone before, weren't you?
Weren't you, Henry?
All right. Yes.
Yes, I was hearing something. A lot of laughing, chattering, screwy.
A lot of little tiny...
And a woman's voice. Only...
Oh, don't you see it was only some practical joke or it had to be.
No, no, Henry, I'm afraid not.
Well, what else could it be? Some of your supernatural spirit friends, I suppose?
Yes.
Oh, Lucy, Lucy, don't be ridiculous.
Please, Henry, you must listen to me.
No, no, the whole thing's ridiculous. Not only ridiculous.
No, Henry, you said a woman's voice.
All this work, the excitement of getting here, that's all it is.
You said a woman's voice, Henry.
Forget it. Just forget it, Lucy. It's just that we're... we're excited.
Now, listen. You go out, make a pot of coffee.
We'll sit down, relax and be real calm about this.
We'll sit down, we'll calmly...
Well, don't you see we're overwrought, we're overworked with all this moving, Lucy, and...
All the excitement, that's all it is.
I wish to heaven I could believe it.
Oh, it has to be, I tell you.
No.
It's the only possible explanation there can be for a...
Henry, no.
Lucy, just...
Oh, it's all right. It's a doorbell.
Okay.
Henry, please don't answer it.
Where's a bell that makes some sense for a change?
No, what if it...
Just take it easy now.
Yeah?
Huh?
Henry, Henry, please, dear.
There was... there was no one there.
Darling, are you sure?
Yes, yes, I'm sure. I'm absolutely sure there was no one there.
Henry, don't you see what this means then?
It's this house.
Oh, no, Lucy, no, no. What you're thinking is just a lot of crazy superstition.
Please listen to me. You know what it means to us, this house.
Okay, I'm going to find out what it means.
Henry.
Yes, hello. Who are you? Who rang this bell? Where are you? Who are you?
No. No, do you believe?
No.
Were there any wet footprints on the porch?
No, there wasn't any wet footprints, there weren't any dry footprints, there wasn't anything.
Then it proves it, Henry. It's a warning.
We've got to leave, we've got to get out of here.
Get out of here.
Yes, now before it's too late.
Why? Why, Lucy? Just because of that telephone? Because some crazy voice on it said we should?
Is that what it said? Then we've got to.
Because this house is haunted. It's full of evil spirits.
Oh, no, no, that's nonsense. You know it is and you've got to get over this crazy idea that anything that happens, anything you can't explain is supernatural.
It's haunted. That's why the phone rang and the doorbell rang and there was nobody there.
There's some evil, evil spirit.
No, no, Lucy, no, no. It's some practical joke, that's all. Now stop this nonsense. Get a hold of yourself. Come on.
It was for the rent of Solo. Nobody will stay here. It's why that agent was so startled when you told him that I'm psychic.
Lucy.
I am Henry and there is something wrong with this place. We've got to get out of here.
No.
You've got to believe it. We've got to leave or something terrible will happen to us.
And I say you've let your crazy ideas go too far.
Where else can it be?
I don't know, I don't know, but there has to be some logical explanation.
No.
We've got to get out of superstitious hogwash.
Okay, now we tear that thing off the wall. Right off the wall.
Okay.
All right, here, look at it.
Now it's stopped.
Now you listen, Lucy.
Please, please, you listen. You're only losing your temper, refusing to see what this really means.
This is a storm. The air is full of electricity. The long wires that were hooked up to these things.
No, no.
The long telephone lines out there and the lightning, that's what did it.
Now be sensible. We've got to keep our heads about this.
The voices you heard, can you explain them?
Yes. Yes, I can.
The wires got crossed up in the wind and that's all.
And when it rang again, afterwards...
Our fatigue, our excitement. I tell you, we were excited. We only thought we heard it.
No, no, you're wrong. Please, Henry, I'm begging you. Let's leave. Let's get out of here.
Go back into town to some hotel.
Lucy.
Look, some hotel in town is this far away from the terrible things in this...
And I say why?
Has this thing rung again? Has this doorbell rung again since I ripped it off the wall?
Please, Henry.
No, of course it hasn't.
Oh, Henry, let's get out of here.
Don't you see, honey, what all that guardian angel stuff, all that psychic talk has done to you?
No.
It's made you believe in all this impossible stuff and how it's frightened you because of it.
Get out of here.
Henry.
No.
I can't see.
I can't see.
It's impossible.
Here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Fielding, room 314.
I'll just set these bags here in the rack.
There you are, sir.
Fine, fine. Here you are, son.
Thank you, sir. Anything else you'd like? Maybe from room service or something?
No, no, that'll be all.
Yes, sir. Oh, well, the telephone is right there in the night table if you want it.
Telephone? No, thanks.
Yes, sir. Oh, if you'd like a little news and music, I'll put on this radio for you.
Fine.
Take a few seconds to warm up.
Okay, thank you.
I don't know how good it'll be, though, after that big storm we had.
Well, night, sir.
Good night.
Feel better, honey?
Thanks, darling.
I feel a lot safer now.
Lucy.
Lucy, I still can't help wondering if we weren't a little foolish
letting our imagination run wild with this out there
just because we were tired and...
And what's this?
...making every effort to locate a Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fielding.
Henry, listen.
According to our report, they were the new tenants of a small home
on the outskirts of the Bellmatter development that was struck by lightning
during the heavy rain and thunderstorm that ended a short while ago.
Lucy.
Fortunately, there was no fire,
nor were any other homes in the area affected.
But that single bolt of lightning struck the Fielding home with such force
as to completely demolish the living room,
where a neighbor had reported seeing lights on,
people moving about only a few minutes before.
However, no sign of either them or their car has been found at the scene,
and it's barely possible that they left before the lightning struck.
Good Lord.
This has not been confirmed.
They did leave, whatever their reason.
We can only say it was indeed providential they weren't in that house
when this catastrophe occurred.
If anyone has any information as to the whereabouts of a Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fielding,
please notify this station or the Dorchester County Police.
Henry.
I know, darling.
Your guardian angel.
Suspense.
You've been listening to Bells, starring Rosemary Rice and Bill Lipton,
and written especially for suspense by Jack Bundy.
In a moment, a word about next week's story of suspense.
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Suspense is produced and directed by Bruno Zorato Jr.
Musical supervision by Ethel Huber.
Heard in tonight's story were Tony Darnay, Lawson Zerbe, and Larry Robinson.
Babe Ruth was a great.
But these days, with other factors, other techniques, can there be a greater than the greatest?
CBS Radio Network's Battle of the Batters will be heard instead of suspense this following weekend only.
Suspense will come to you here the following weekend.
This is the CBS Radio Network.