Quiet Please - Dialogue for a Tragedy

Quiet, please.

Quiet, please.

The American Broadcasting Company presents Quiet, please.

It is written and directed by Willis Cooper,

in which features Ernest Chappell.

Quiet, please, for today is called.

Dialogue for a Strategy.

Yes?

Yes?

Yes, I know the pistol's loaded.

Yes, it's perfectly easy to see that it's pointed up my head.

Let me congratulate you on a very steady hand.

You've had it without moving for almost a minute now.

I've been glancing at the clock.

Certainly I know what you're supposed to do.

You're supposed to squeeze the trigger of the pistol

just the tiny little hairs bred to the time.

Squeeze it softly, gently, just as you were taught to do

out of Fort Rally all those years ago,

when you were a fat little bucked private in the cavalry.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the way Ike Martin used to teach you.

Squeeze the trigger until you squeeze the bullets right out of the muzzle.

Right out of the muzzle right up my head.

And the reason you squeeze the trigger of gently

is so you won't know the exact name of the hammer calls on the firing pin.

The firing pin sticks against the cap and the cartridge

and the gas begins to expand.

And then I look at you like the young subaltern in Kippling's

grave of the hundred head, remember?

With a big blue mark on his forehead

and the back blown out of his head.

Yes, I remember the grave of the hundred head.

I like Kippling.

Remember a Snyder squid in the jungle

somebody laughed and fled.

And the men of the first chicories picked up the subaltern dead.

With a big blue mark on his forehead

and the back blown out of his head.

Very, very, very pretty.

I'd out very much if I'm going to be able to dump you out of it.

You've got most of the slack taken up on that trigger

and now the real squeeze begins, doesn't it?

Now you can feel the steel pressing against the steel inside the gun itself

pressing back against the pressure of your finger.

Is it that you're reluctant to give that last irrevocable fraction of an inch?

The fraction of an inch that'll let slip

at thirty grams of copper jacket at death.

I never could remember the names of those parts inside the pistol

that make the last final deal with a lot of physics and ballistics.

I remember the seer, whatever it is,

and the disconnector and the firing pin.

That I never could keep in separate from a mind.

And now the seer and the disconnector and the firing pin

and the firing pin sprain.

The early odd shaped little gadgets inside that gun are conspiring

to make a mess at a mind that never could keep in separate.

Very fine piece of poetic justice indeed.

No, no, don't just crypt your finger on the trigger.

Remember how like Martin said, squeeze your whole hand.

Squeeze even the fingers are not touching the trigger.

That takes longer. It makes a better game of it.

Squeeze your whole hand.

The trigger finger will squeeze that along with the others, and presently.

You have feet tucked out of it, please.

Well then, perhaps I have time to tell you a few things about yourself

before the hammer falls and puts a permanent period

for my simple declarative English sentences.

If you don't know the exact second the hammer will fall,

I don't know what either.

It'll be an interesting interlude.

All right, I begin.

Now, fight itself here.

A nice and China has a man's capitalist and clean to the eye,

but within a stifling the asthma of horror.

Did you I'm talking about?

You was a pistol pointed at my head.

A few of your fingers closing on the trigger.

You're a stifler.

I've got something that I've got to talk to about here.

It's true that there's a gap between us.

It's true that there's a gap between us.

And they have something picking up that idea

that if you look right about your will.

I think they're both sure that there was another will,

eating all her money to them instead of to you.

I know my credit is good.

Yes, they said they knew she was in another will

in her own handwriting.

A hundred graphics will, if you never recall it.

I know if you made that real eating all the money

to you a long time ago before the children were adopted.

No, I don't like this guy to be there.

I said, you deserve it, didn't I?

But they knew that you were sweet.

Well, they knew how sweet you were to dislike you

for some fancy wrong or something that I don't know about.

And they said, you know how sweet was about her heart.

They said she's made a will cutting you off.

Yes, I know you're her brother.

It's true cutting you off and being in your entire state to them.

They said they knew where she's cutting the will

and when they went to find it, it disappeared.

Why do they seem to have some of this wonderful idea

that you, of course, I don't believe it.

No, they haven't got a sense.

And they really get the idea of doing

with you being the sole heir to all her money.

Pete.

Rich man.

Pete.

People don't search out and destroy unfavorable wills

in real life, do they?

They don't rob orphans, children in real life, do they?

Don't they, Pete?

You're rich, aren't you, Pete?

The kids.

A girl. Her name was Celeste.

She's married now, got four kids.

Lives above a saloon down in Baltimore.

That's her money about that gun you're aiming at me.

The boy.

Got a little devil, wasn't he?

Seventeen minutes happened and he accused you right out, didn't he?

You shouldn't have kicked him so hard.

Too bad he died, it won't be fun meeting him when you die.

No, it won't be fun, not if it's only justice

to the other side of the grave.

He was a very young fellow.

There's just his money and his money.

That's what propaganda wasn't it?

Makes you cringe.

But I noticed your fingers still on the trigger.

Turns your wife, Norma.

She was sorry for the kids too, but what could she do?

You never let her know exactly what the kids did.

There's a lot of things you never let Norma know.

Now come on, look at me.

A lot of things you never let Norma know, weren't there?

That's my man now.

Norma doesn't know what's going on in here, does she?

We weren't answering her really.

She'll go away.

Maybe Norma thinks you're asleep.

Norma doesn't know you're sitting here with your finger on the trigger of the gun.

Norma doesn't know.

Now she's gone.

No, that's the things Norma doesn't know.

Trader.

I almost forgot them about Frederick.

Isn't it?

Long, long, long time.

They're all credits.

I almost forgot them at Norma and Frederick were married to each other once, isn't it?

Trader.

So do you know that's down your hand pointed at my head?

Get straight here.

I know who to come to.

I decided you're the best friend I've got.

No, you aren't like it.

You don't listen to you.

Anything you'd ask.

Yes, of course.

Yes, of course I'm in a fix.

And if Norma finds out, Norma will leave me.

She'll leave me.

That's all.

And I couldn't stand to have Norma leave me.

I can't help it.

I love Norma.

No.

Don't dare tell her about it.

Money, of course.

I could put it back.

Nobody knows about it.

I covered my tracks.

Yes, I was coming enough to cover my tracks.

But now, now.

I'm not going to be able to cover my tracks.

But now.

Now.

Tomorrow.

Today.

Now, I don't know.

Yes, yes, I do know.

They'll catch me.

And if they do, Norma.

I tell you I love Norma.

I don't want to break Norma's heart.

There's nobody but you to ask.

No.

I don't need money.

It's not the money.

I can put back the money.

I never know it.

I know I said that.

Now, all you've got to do.

Know it's nothing criminal.

No, that's all.

You're my friend.

And you helped me cover up for the dangerous past.

Now, I'll always be.

I am your friend.

Thank you.

How can I thank you?

If Norma never find it out, she'd hate me.

I...

I die.

So long ago.

So very long ago.

I'm Gretchen.

I almost forgot when you were married to Gretchen.

I met Gretchen.

Gretchen loved you.

Now, I asked Gretchen, poor little fat Gretchen,

and her big feet.

Poor little Gretchen that discovered bathtub gin

when she was 26 years old.

Remember that horrible concoction?

She used to make the Jack Perks awful gin

in a quarter of orange sherbet.

Orange ice she always called it.

Poor Gretchen was a blotchy face

in the way she used to wheeze when she climbed the stairs.

Gretchen loved you.

Gretchen loved you when she was slim

and queued up there in Kansas City.

And Gretchen loved you when she was fat

and her hair was stringy

and she had that little orange paddle of gin

always in her apron pocket.

Gretchen loved you drunkly sober.

Then she really was a harmless gentleman, wasn't she?

Hertz.

Doesn't it?

I remember the first drink she took

with you.

She was up at the place on Harbor Street.

She drank what gin made the faces

at the horrible tinny taste of it.

She loved you.

Then, until a day she died.

That was long before you sister died

from the kids, the kids and her will.

It was such a perfect set up, wasn't it?

Why isn't it murdering?

Don't forget you are going to shoot me.

Your hands are relaxing a little.

I'm a gun I thought I'd better remind you.

Reminiscing we forget the present.

Don't we?

Don't we murder?

The doctor there got me to come and tell on me for a moment.

Yes, they're just best for the great stuff.

You're not going to talk about it if you don't mind.

Yes, if you were his best friend.

You're right to talk about it with me.

How could you possibly not know what he was doing?

He was not only his best friend.

You were his superior too.

He's closer to the area.

How he could be feeling and feeling from you.

But I thought he was clever than any of us thought.

Yes, it was a shock of course.

It's only he hadn't done it that way.

I was always thought that suicide was a coward's way out.

Yes, I was thinking about it in one.

No.

I think I'd rather forget him.

It's like a bad thing when I want to forget him.

He's doing so good to me.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Why it's like that?

I'm afraid I'll throw this away.

I'm afraid.

What would question you?

I don't know what dress you dreamed of.

Smelling peacefully in her sleep on the broken bathroom port

in that sour smelling flat you had.

A fat and tidy child would once you off,

bubbling your way through glamorous paint greens.

A seconding smell of raw gin lying thick against the grimy curtains.

Better was Gretchen and once you loved you.

Didn't she?

And you'd just normal.

Haven't you?

You're murderous.

I'm so flexible, Gretchen.

Poor Gretchen.

You and I both had our pleasure, Gretchen.

Poor Gretchen.

And now, poor Gretchen.

Yes, these guys bring these together as well.

You were very good to me when I said this.

I guess I'm sorry to be a cause.

Was it really honey?

No, I'm sorry.

Yes, I was telling her about poor Gretchen.

With me?

Did she really?

Oh, it was partly looking.

How can I know?

Yes.

Yes, of course, Gretchen.

I know how lonely I was when poor Gretchen.

Poor Gretchen.

Murderer?

Of course you could get a death certificate

where people were dying like flies from poison liquor that year.

I have the poor Gretchen failed to get hold of poison liquor.

I know I suppose she died happy.

Wait a second, I think that's not enough of the door again.

That was very...

That's not enough.

No, no, no.

We're talking about it in here.

No, no, no, no.

You sure there's anybody in this room?

Of course you locked the door, didn't you?

Here, are you in there?

Don't say a word.

Here, are you listening?

Be quiet.

I don't know where you're from.

Here, we've got companies.

You've got companies.

You reminiscing.

Don't want a company in here, do you?

Here, it's somebody to see you.

Go away, Mama.

Now she's gone again.

Company, huh?

Company-wide itself will care.

How long have you been married?

Let me see, Frederick died in 1928 in people.

That was when Frederick struck out of the window of his office 11th floor

was about Webster Place.

It was after all that Gretchen died.

October...

November, 1928.

And you and Mama were married just before Christmas this same year.

Beware before your sister adopted those two kids.

The kids just stole the money from them not very long ago.

The money that went to buy the gun and the billets that are going to kill me.

1928.

December.

How much you need, Evelyn?

How much you need, Evelyn, murderer?

Fate.

How are there any other names I can give you?

Liar?

Wouldn't it be strange if that's Evelyn?

Wouldn't it be something that Evelyn is confident in your house?

Sitting out there in your living room and asking,

Mama, where's your husband?

Where's your husband?

I really thought it was here until sorry.

I don't see the dead before him.

I'm off the side, huh?

Did you want to see him on a business matter?

Or should I propose you to start a business?

And again, perhaps you wouldn't.

You'll try to listen to his office, I suppose.

I know I shouldn't.

Is there something I could do for you?

I could sign, though, and how long have you been married to him?

There's a lot of years.

You're a very attractive woman.

Because I have to.

You're much older than I, of course.

I'm sure I don't know.

I'm pretty.

Really?

Of course I've never been married.

Oh, no.

That's why I look so much younger.

I'm deaf.

I always thought that the love of our husband

compensates for the loss of one's youth.

What about married women whose husband don't love us?

Really?

I don't know any married women like that.

He doesn't know.

I do.

I haven't known my husband for a long time.

I don't think I should have mentioned your name.

Did I mention my name?

I don't know.

I can't have any attention.

You don't have known your husband for a long time.

Oh.

You know as long as you have it no matter what.

I have very little to say.

Are you sure he isn't hiding from me?

Harding?

I must see him.

I don't know where he could be.

You said you said he's in his room.

Well, I don't know.

But every day I met him, sir.

I'd like to go with him and see him.

Well, he's really.

Where is his room?

I'm afraid I can't take you around the house.

In there?

I see a young woman.

It's a good girl.

Really?

Now that she's too much in here.

I'm sure I don't know what.

I hear someone talking.

I don't know how to bring her here.

The man.

The man's here.

Well, I don't hear anything.

As long as it's the man.

Well, do you tell him I was here then, please?

Let's tell him that Evelyn was here.

And Evelyn is very anxious to talk to him.

Evelyn?

Evelyn?

Who?

Are you?

First Evelyn.

That'll be enough for him.

First Evelyn.

You'll remember.

It is Evelyn, isn't it?

You heard her at the door.

Didn't she?

You recognized her voice.

Now you're putting down the pistol.

That's bothering you now.

There's nothing Evelyn can do to you.

Her rather, there's nothing Evelyn will do.

Evelyn's a clever girl.

Evelyn knows how to keep her mouth shut.

Evelyn's clever mouth shut for more than 20 years.

Very normal.

I know what she's been missing in those 20 years.

If now I knew how much money you've given Evelyn.

Money should have been hers.

For how she gave Evelyn.

But everything you gave Evelyn

should have been enormous.

Doc?

Great, enormous heart.

You really do care for Mama, don't you?

You really don't have enormous heart to be broken.

Mama has been a good wife, hasn't she?

A good, sweet, loving, ignorant, brine wife.

Certainly she has something coming to her.

You've taken enough from her.

Evelyn, not what takes matters, doesn't she?

You thought Evelyn would never come here.

You thought Evelyn had everything she wants.

She was satisfied with what you gave her.

You thought she could straighten everything out

and make a menu for everything.

A mama would never know about Evelyn.

And may you sit with your gun in your lap

and the mezzles pointed straight at my head

and Evelyn's out there with Norma.

But maybe Evelyn will go away.

No more never find out about her.

You said Evelyn snapped at night.

Right, should she turn now and now?

I must have even remembered what's happened in the past.

I must have she know what had suffered there.

I must have she know, Steve.

Thirder.

Murderer, liar.

You can kill me and that'll solve everything.

It'll solve everything if Evelyn doesn't tell her.

But if Evelyn does tell her,

wait, wait for the kind of second.

No, wait.

Come over here with a girl so you can listen.

Listen to what your wife and Evelyn are talking about.

Listen to Evelyn.

Listen to Evelyn.

I came here to take him away.

Who can't take my husband away from me?

I took him away from you once.

No.

You love him?

Yes, of course I love him.

You love him a lot of what he's done?

Listen to Evelyn.

Listen to Evelyn.

I came here to take him away.

Who can't take my husband away from me?

I took him away from you once.

You love my husband.

Murderer.

Yes, I love him.

Tell me something.

Well, when you love him,

no matter what he's done,

I do love him.

Listen to her.

Then, what if I told you something?

Nothing you could tell me would make any difference.

But anything I could tell you would make any difference to you.

No.

And tell me what I could do.

Listen to me.

I know so many things.

Tell me if you dare to.

No.

You haven't told me anything.

Where are you going?

Well, then.

Well, then, Rama will never know.

Because you trust Evelyn, don't you?

But Evelyn sees something in Rama's eyes that her battered to speak.

Where she reluctant to break another woman's heart.

Lift up your gun, wicked man.

Lift up your gun.

Rama is safe.

And I goodbye.

Your finger is tightening.

Tightening.

Tightening on the trigger.

A Snyder squirred in the jungle.

Somebody laughed and fled.

And none of the first chicadas picked up a severed indent.

There's a big blue mouth in his forehead.

And a face.

No.

I don't know any reason why he's withered.

No.

I don't know any reason why he did it.

We heard this shot.

We found the chewing and wrapped the doors.

I don't know.

There wasn't anyone else in the room.

Only right.

Sitting in front of the mirror with a big blue mouth in his forehead.

The title of today's Quiet Please Story is dialogue for tragedy.

It was written and directed by Willis Cooper and the man who spoke to you was Ernest Chappell.

We can't think what that played.

Rama, Adam, Stella, was Evelyn and Frederick was played by John D. Seymour.

Music for Quiet Please is by Albert Brown.

Now for the word about next week.

Here is our right of director Willis Cooper.

Thank you for listening to Quiet Please.

Next week, Easter Sunday, Quiet Please returns to its regular time.

5.30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

And I shall have a story appropriate to the day.

The story called the Shadow of Ghost Leaves.

And so into next week, the 5.30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

On Quietly Ours, Ernest Chappell.

The American Broadcasting Company.