Mystery Theater. Come in. Welcome. I am E .G.
Marshall. Welcome to The Sound of Suspense. to
the fear you can hear. Our tale is a blood -freezing
story inspired by a nursery rhyme, a sweet, simple
song. Ring a ring of roses, a pocketful of poses.
Achoo! Achoo! We all fall down. It sounds young
and innocent, doesn't it? But it is very old
and very sinister. For the ring -a -ring of roses
were the splotches that first appeared on the
faces of those afflicted during the Black Plague.
The pocketful of poses were the herbs that were
carried, hopefully to ward off the fatal disease.
The sneezing sounds, achoo, achoo, were the sounds
of the final spasms. And we all fall down was,
well, you can guess. Our mystery drama, A Ring
of Roses, was written especially for the Radio
Mystery Theatre by S. J. Wilson and stars Glynis
O 'Connor. Science has brought most plagues under
control, but not so those other epidemics of
the past. those that plague us with their unseen,
unknown, and unexpected terrors. And such is
the tale of terror you are about to hear. Draw
close to the guttering candle, for you will receive
no warmth from a ring of roses. You know, George,
I've heard about this place so often from Helena.
I'm just dying to see her home. And I'm anxious
to meet your friend, Helena. Oh, I'm sure you'll
like her. But will she like me, taking her best
friend away from her? Come on, George. You know
you're irresistible. Why do you think I'm going
to marry you? Well, for one thing, my beautiful,
exquisite, enormous pots of money. Oh, George,
wait! Look! Laurie! Get your hands off the wheel!
What do you think you're trying to... But we
passed it! It's the sign to the house! Back there!
Now, Laurie... Laurie, I never want you to do
that again. I'm not gonna let missing a sign
risk your getting hurt, you understand? I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have grabbed the wheel that way.
All right, forget it. But please, never again,
ever. And that is supposed to be the sign? Helena
warned that we might miss it. Why would anyone
use a rose -colored stone in a brass oval with
no name or any identification on it for a house
sign? Well, their name is Rauston. And Helena
said that generations back when their family
first moved to America, it was rose stone. And
so they put up a rose stone. Well, if they want
people to get that meaning from it. They either
enjoy guessing games or more likely just want
to keep themselves very, very private. Yes. Guess
what? As you said, they are very private. Well,
I got that impression before we got here. And
I also have the feeling that they're not very
friendly either. Oh, how can you say that? When
Helena's mother especially invited us over because
she personally wanted to give us our engagement
gift. Yes, and that's pretty peculiar too. How?
How many parties, I mean showers, did your girlfriends
give you? Four, right? No, three. The last one
was a dinner. All right, and Helena was invited
to every one, but she... I know, George. She
didn't turn up for any of them. You know, Laurie,
I've never seen you so wound up. What's spinning
around in that pretty head of yours? I don't
know, but... I am on edge. About what? I guess
about meeting Helena's mother. You see, she's
so strange. She seems so powerful and so terribly
uncompromising. I was trying to change things
for Helena, and then I let her down by becoming
engaged to you. Well, now don't tell me you weren't
gonna marry for poor Helena's sake. Well, at
least not until she married first. We were going
to share an apartment together in the city You
know what I'm gonna do Laurie I am going to turn
this car right around and head back to the city
this whole trip is more Foolish than funny. Oh,
no George. Please don't Hey, what's that you
hear something like like like singing Let me
open the window. It's a woman singing that old
nursery rhyme. What's that snapping sound? It
sounds like a piece of leather. It sounds like
a whip. George, what are you doing? I'm getting
out. Something's happening here that I don't
like. No, don't open the door. Please don't.
We'll go back if you want to, but don't. I'll
be right back. Keep the window shut and the doors
locked. No, don't leave me, George. I'm coming
with you. Wait. Okay, but stay close to me. It
seems to be coming from behind those hedges.
You know, it could be just kids playing games.
If that voice is coming from a kid, he's using
a bullhorn. Let's stop here. We might see through
the hedge. Please be careful. Holy Toledo. Look
at that. Let me see. That man. The old man with
the beard. He's trying to catch the girl with
his whip. She's teasing him. She's making fun
of him. If he lands that wagon whip on her, he'll
split her face open. Look at their clothes, George.
They're dressed like settlers. Back in the early
1800s. Yeah. You know, they could be rehearsing
a play. If they are, he's lost his mind in his
part. That man's going wild with that whip. But
she's provoking him. Why doesn't she stop? Hey.
Hey, you there. What are you two doing? George,
you shouldn't have done that. And who is it who
is ordering me and questioning me? I am. Over
here. That's a terrible thing you're doing. Oh,
George, please don't go in there. They know we're
here. We must meet them. That's a dangerous whip
you're using. That young woman can be killed
by it. I see by your clothes you are a stranger.
And I can also see that you are a kind human
who wishes no harm to come to another. But this,
this wench is my daughter. And what I am doing
is the true way to gain the obedience of a child
who will stray. But what in heaven could she
have done? to deserve being whipped I did no
harm to no person or to him I have broken no
law of God or man strumpet hold your witch's
tongue believe me young woman when I tell you
that she has the demon in her playing and wenching
with the young master who owns this land Well,
I'm out here working at clearing their forest
lands she's up there in the great house with
her enticements and tricks and enchantments and
If it has already come to this that he has given
her a gift for favors promised or already bestowed
the gift of a ring and already He gave it to
me fair and with the holy vow that he will marry
me in the month of the next full moon. Marry
you, Willie. You can have fair to read and write.
You who are lower than his mother's kitchen scullion.
You give me that ring. I won't. I swear by the
name and the soul of my sainted mother that you
will never get this ring. Then until I do, though
it mean your own death, you get the whip. Stop
it! Don't! Why can't you be a little more reasonable?
She may be telling you the truth. I am. I swear
it on my dead mother's Bible, I am. Well, then
if you are, why don't you give him the ring and
let your young man personally tell your father
of his plans? No! No, he'll do no thing like
that. He'll bury the ring in some secret spot
and drag me away before the fall of night. For
he doesn't want me to marry to no one but to
stay with him and clean and cook and wash for
the rest of his devil life. As you can see, she's
beyond talking of matters with sense and decency.
She's been taken up with her planning and scheming
to get away from me for the purpose of harlot's
gain. And she hardly of marrying him. I'll kill
you! George! She has an axe! An axe! She's going
to kill him! Stop! Stop! For God's sake, stop!
What happened to her? There she is! She's running
away! Hey! Hey, come back! Come back! You can't
get away! It's you who will never get away! The
ring will circle you! George! George, don't try
to catch her! She's like the wind! I'll never
get my hands on her! She's almost in the forest!
Come back! Come back! We're not gonna hurt you!
She's disappeared. Even before she got to the
forest. But George, look what I found. It's the
ring. She dropped the ring. Let me see it. You
know what it's like? It's just like the road
sign. It's the same shape. The same color stone.
It's smaller, but it is just like the road sign.
Rose colors George George we've got to get help
the police somewhere Of course the house we've
got to get to Helena's house This ring so rosy
this ring so red does it belong to the living
Return shortly with Act II. Let us return to
the evil of a ring of roses and to our young
friends who have been wrenched back through space
to a time when a young woman raised an axe and
split in more ways than one. But did she leave
that strange foreboding ring with its bloody
rose stone? What does the ring mean? Does it
possess a tragic magic? Oh Why doesn't someone
answer why don't they hurry take it easy Laura?
Thank you. We've got to see a moment, please
You are Miss Thornton? Yes, but we've got...
And you, Mr. Williams? Yes, and we've come to
see... Mrs. and Miss Roston are expecting you.
Won't you follow me, please? Miss Thornton and
Mr. Williamson. Oh, Laurie, how wonderful. Oh,
but something's wrong. Your hair. And Lori, you're
so pale. Something frightful has just happened,
Helena. Can... Can I see you alone? I don't want
to disturb your mother. My dear, you're not disturbing
me in the slightest. This room has no secrets.
Its acoustics are incredible. I'm Helena's mother.
Hello, Mrs. Rauston. We've just had a very...
a very unusual experience. Laurie's pretty badly
shaken by it. Yes, so I see. Helena, why don't
you take Laurie to your room, let her refresh
herself. Perhaps Mr. Williamson will tell me
something more about what's happened. I think
the police should be notified at once. The police?
Here? Did you have an accident? Well, not exactly,
but we happen to see something that can only
be described as... grossom, I guess. And the
police should be notified. Mother, do you think...
Helen, dearest, this is not the time for speculation.
I shall be glad to have the deputy's office call.
But can you give me some indication of what they'd
be told? We don't like bothering our officers
unnecessarily. They have enough to do as it is.
But someone's just been murdered! Oh, no, not
again. What? Now, Helena, restrain yourself,
dearest. Laurie, you say someone's been murdered.
Who? Well, we don't know who he is, but he was
trying to whip a young woman. And Mr. Williamson,
she took an axe and killed him. You know? How
could you? I was praying that it wouldn't happen
to you. Oh, poor Laurie. Now, why don't you young
people make yourselves comfortable? A glass of
sherry might calm you. But Mother, you told me
that it would never happen again. That... Thing,
Helena, I said I had taken every precaution not
to have it happen. But who am I to promise I
will control the uncontrollable? Are you saying
that this has happened before? Laurie, maybe
Mrs. Rauston wants to explain. Well, not really,
but I feel I'm obliged to. However, it is difficult.
How does one explain the inexplicable? I think
they're ghosts. There are no ghosts, Helena.
Dr. Medvek, the last scientist I consulted, said
it was undoubtedly an instance of photally sensory
projection. Helena poo -poos it. But, uh, has
either of you ever heard of that discipline?
Oh, vaguely. It once came up in a course on parapsychology
that I had at school. No one has ever proved
PSP, Mother. Well, they've never proved ESP either,
but a lot of serious scientists work with it.
But, but, George, what does that... Photo -whatever
-mean. It's quite complicated. Fatalysis is the
means by which light can affect the arrangement
of chlorophyll grains in leaves. Chlorophyll
grains? Leaves? There's a man not more than a
mile from here who's been murdered! Now calm
yourself, my child. There is no such man and
no such daughter. This has happened before. I've
seen it. Helena has. A very few close friends
have. Unfortunately, you have too. Mr. Williamson,
do you think you'd still like to try an explanation
of PSP? Well, it's spooky in a way. By that I
mean the scientific explanation of it. You see,
we're all supposed to give off certain light
and heat waves. And what is it happens in the
case of individuals who are emotionally stimulated,
let us say... people in love well the theory
has it that people in a very intense emotional
state give off more highly concentrated waves
well i just don't understand what chlorophyll
and and leaves and light waves have to do with
a man being murdered. You see, it's tied up with
photosynthesis. And scientists aren't sure how
that process really works. But with the unusual
intensity of light, the cells of chlorophyll
rearrange themselves and are forced to give off
some of the excess carbohydrates in which there
is an unusual amount of stored energy. I'm not
following this at all. My dear. Helena speaks
of you as having the patience of a saint. So,
if you'd like me to telephone the deputies, I
suggest you give your fiancé a chance to finish.
There isn't much more, Laurie. Just at the openings
in the leaves, they're called stonemates, tend
to react like projectors. And through the magnification
of additional oxygen, are supposed to be able
to relay an episode they once absorbed when they
were in the receptive state, like film. Are you
talking about something... Something like motion
picture film? Yes, Laurie, but it means something
like a projector with a memory. A memory of blood,
in this case. Well, it happens that chlorophyll
is very much like hemoglobia, except that it
contains magnesium instead of the iron found
in blood. Are you saying that what we saw was
a motion picture? Nothing more? Well, essentially,
that's it. But when and where the original was
recorded, we have no idea. But there's a building!
There's a cabin out there! And there's a man's
body bleeding! Why don't you go and see for yourself
if you don't believe us? No, Laurie. There's
nothing there. Helena, you too? Yes. As Mother
said, I've seen it. Others have too. Around here,
they call it the Enchanted Forest. But if you
go out there again, you won't find a cabin or
a man. Nothing. The police know all about it.
They'll come and you'll just feel foolish. I...
I don't know what to think. It all seemed so
real. Well, now why don't we come back to the
present and the truly real? Because I have the
real pleasure of giving you our gift to celebrate
your engagement. It's a complete surprise. Even
I don't know what it is. Laurie, dear... It isn't
that what we're giving you is expensive or valuable,
but it is dear to us. We hope it will be your
first family heirloom. Here it is. No pretty
wrapping, but it seems too lovely a box to cover
with silly paper. Mother, I've never seen that
box before. Well, now isn't it nice that I can
still have some surprises for you? That's a great
-looking box, Mrs. Rauston. Those are roses painted
on ivory, aren't they? Oh, it's so beautiful.
I feel as if I'm depriving you of something very
special if I accepted it. Oh, no. Please, take
it. It's little enough and... You know what I
think that box would be perfect for? It already
has its purpose, dear. What I was going to say
was that it would be the perfect place to keep
a lock of your first baby's hair. Wouldn't it?
And I'm afraid it's going to stay empty for some
time. Oh, George, we don't know that. Not yet.
We will have to find you another container for
that when the time comes. This box already has
its occupant. You mean there's something inside?
Well, look and see. Well, go ahead, Laurie. My
heart's beating so loudly. She's been like that
all day, so excited. Darling, do you want me
to open it? No, no, I'm all right. Just let me
take a deep breath. Oh, no! Hey, that's... that's
the same... Laurie! What's wrong? Mother! Oh,
it's music! Give me the box, Laurie. And inside!
Inside! Oh, the ring! I got her. Put her on the
couch. Yes. Laurie? Laurie? Mother, do something!
Don't just stand there! Helena, control yourself
and get some water. Oh, Laurie, my poor Laurie.
Wake up. Laurie, come out of it, honey. Darling?
She's trying to open her eyes. Slowly, Laurie.
It's me, George. Who? What happened? You've just
passed out for a moment. Here, give her this
water. Here you go. Sip this slowly. I don't
need it. But did I really see it? See what? The
ring. Yes. Yes, I've got it. What ring? This
ring. The same one. With a rose -colored stone.
Mother, how dare you? That's mine. You know what
that ring means to me. Oh, please take that thing
away. I don't want to look at it. Don't worry.
You won't have to. Here, Mrs. Rothstein, take
it back. And I hope it isn't a sample of your
sense of humor. Just one moment, Mr. Williamson.
I don't particularly appreciate your tone or
your attitude. What do you mean by my sense of
humor? If you and your daughter know all about
that axe murdering scene that we saw earlier,
then you must have known about the ring. What
about it? It's mine. That ring. It's just like
that road sign you have on the highway. Yes,
the sign was copied from the design of the ring.
It's been our family hallmark, so to speak, for
generations. Is that why the girl who killed
her father did it? Because of that ring? What
do you mean? She had it. She teased him with
it while she sang that song. That same nursery
rhyme in the box. Oh, no. That couldn't be. That's
my ring. She couldn't have had it. Are you too
sure you saw this ring? Well, that girl in the
field. She dropped it when she ran away. Then
where is it now? Well, George, you had it. What?
You sure? I thought you put it into your purse.
Well, I'll look. Well, it isn't in any of my
pockets. No, it's not here in my purse. How could
it be? There is only one ring, this ring. It's
been in the Rosten family for generations. It
was brought here by a Rosten early in the 18th
century. And it has always belonged to the oldest
child in each family. In which case it would
be your daughter's. Since you are a Rostan by
marriage. Yes, that would be so if it were true.
You're not going to tell them. Well, why not?
It's time that silly cloud you've been hiding
behind was blown away. Don't, Mother, please,
I beg you, don't. Nonsense. I am a Rostan. That
ring belongs to me. Helena's father died in the
Southeast Asian war, shot down even before he
knew I was going to have a child. Mother, I hate
you for this. I hate you. Helena, don't say that
to your own mother. Why not? She's hated me ever
since she learned that her father and I had never
married. Imagine that, in this day. A girl making
such a fuss about legitimacy. Stupid mother,
please! We don't have to hear anymore, Mrs. Boston.
Oh, yes, yes, you do. George, can't we get out
of here quickly? You can go whenever you like,
Miss Thornton. But out of your friendship for
Helena, you must take that ring with you. No,
I couldn't. I won't let her give it to me. Helena,
what are you doing? The ring, she tore it out
of my hand. I've got it and no one will ever
get it from me. Let her go. She'll be back. And
with the ring. She knows it's wrong for her to
have taken it. Eventually the ring must come
to you, Laurie. We don't want it. But it will
come to you. It can do you no harm. It's a silly
superstition, but only Rawstons are supposed
to be vulnerable to the ring. And Laurie, if
you are Helena's friend, as you say you are,
you will take it. But she wants it. She insists
that it stay hers. Only as an excuse. But what
sort of an excuse could the ring give her? The
excuse not to marry. And why not? She considers
herself fated, ill -starred, if you will. You
see, at one time, the superstition arose that
if the firstborn was female, the ring would prevent
her from marrying. It's high time that ring is
out of frost and hands. Why don't you just throw
it away hot with Helena carrying on as if possessed?
Well, we just do not want it I'm sorry, but we
must get back to the city. Yes. It's a long drive
and we'd like to make it before dark I regret
this has turned out to be so unpleasant, but
then perhaps it couldn't have been avoided perhaps
But it's over now George, let's go Oh, I can't
get away fast enough. I don't know what the speed
limit is here, but whatever it is, we'll break
it. Helena, I order you to come out of your room
at once. At once! Mother, don't hurt her. She
is my only friend. The only friend I have in
the whole... Run from the ring. Run for your
life. But without a ring, what's a husband or
wife? We'll return shortly with Act 3. Let us
try and penetrate the shrouding darkness of the
final act of a ring of roses. Laurie and George
have been plunged into a strange, unreal experience.
As the twilight lowers over the countryside,
they are fleeing from the Rostans, the malevolent
nursery rhyme, the flashing axe, the avenging
curse, the fatal ring. But can flight outrace
those forces of evil? That woman at mrs. Rauston
She's monstrous. Oh, I'm so sorry for Helena.
Yeah. Well, I didn't see any halos around her
head either Yeah, but just imagine having to
live with that mother Why did she have to tell
Helena that she and her father never married?
Do you believe it? Well, why would she lie about
something that important maybe out of just plain
malice? Or... Or what? It just occurred to me.
Couldn't she have invented that story about the
curse the ring puts on firstborn Rost and girls?
To what end? Simple. It'd be a guarantee that
she'd never be alone. That she could hold on
to her daughter for life. Like the woodcutter.
Oh, don't remind me of him. Anyway, I can't see
how the ring and whatever it's supposed to do
fits. Well, if she made up the business about
fate keeping her from marrying Helena's father,
now wouldn't that be a kind of evidence, proof
for Helena that the curse was real? Well, then
why would she give us the ring? Well, I'm only
guessing, but couldn't it have been Mrs. Rauston's
way of telling her daughter that she wouldn't
marry even if the ring was off the premises,
so to speak? But, George, whatever we think of
Mrs. Rauston, she's still a mother. And what
mother would sentence her daughter to a lifetime
of misery? Look, I'm sorry I got you into this
mess. I didn't dream it would be that horrible.
Well, you had no way of knowing. Well, looking
back, I should have. Helena, always so strange,
so withdrawn, and so mysterious about herself,
her home, and her mother. It should have been
a warning. Honey, let's find a happier subject.
Such as? Well, let's see, uh... Okay, it's not
original, but it'll do. For instance, if and
when we have our first baby, would you want a
boy or a girl? Oh, don't be corny. Why not? Corn
is fine as long as it doesn't... George! George,
isn't there someone in the road? Where? Well,
look, straight ahead. Oh, yeah, that's a woman.
Well, we're not stopping for a man or beast or
any mixture of the two. There, that should get
her off the road. Because if it doesn't, then
she may be another bit of PSP, and we can drive
right through her. Darling, slow down. She's
waving at us. George, slow down! No way. If that's
a living body and it wants to stay that way,
she'll get off the road. Oh, please! She isn't
moving from the middle of the road! Damn her
teeth, whoever she is! George! George, you're
going to hit her! Laurie, you all right? Yeah,
I think so. That stupid woman! It's Helena! Yeah!
Well, just wave goodbye and we'll get going Laurie
Laurie, please. I must speak to you. Tell her
your phone are on Halloween Hey, wait Laurie.
Don't lower the window. Well, she's in trouble
better her than you There can't be any danger
in finding out what she wants. Haven't you been
through enough? How about that? We're in a hurry
telephone Laurie tomorrow. No, don't go please.
Let me explain George. I don't have the heart
to do this. Are you sure that's hell of it? Of
course Her face. It looks so strange. What's
strange about her face? Look at her eyes. They're
washed out. They're sunken as if... as if she's
taken some kind of drug. That's probably because
she's been crying. I'm lowering the window. And
you're also raising my temper. Well, what do
you want me to do? Just wave goodbye and we'll
get going. Oh, she's gone to the front of the
car now, George. Oh, she does look dreadful.
Why not? She is dreadful. I've got to find out
what she wants. Just one minute. Let me talk
to her for just only one minute. Okay. Sixty
seconds. But don't lower the window more than
an inch. Helena? Helena, over here. Now, what
is it? Oh, thank you, Laurie. If you only knew
how miserable I am about what happened today.
It was all my fault. You don't have to apologize.
It wasn't anybody's fault. Mother... Had only
the best intentions in giving you the ring? Sure
she did. Nothing like unloading something on
a couple of strangers that isn't yours to give
away. But the ring does belong to her mother.
Only to be given to her child, which excludes
you. That's true, but you see, after me there
won't be any, Rostens. But you will marry Helena.
Just wait and see. I doubt it. And even if I
did... My children won't be Rostens. Helena,
this has been the weirdest day in my life. Frankly,
the sooner we get away from here, the better
off we'll feel. Just one more thing. Prove to
me that you are still my friend, and please take
the ring. No, Helena. Thank you, but I couldn't.
Absolutely not. Helena, why don't you just throw
that ring away somewhere? I can't. I'm not allowed
to. It has to be given to a Rostener. or to the
person closest and dearest to me. But how could
you expect me to take it? Every time I'd look
at it, I would remember that terrible scene in
the woods. I swear, the ring has nothing to do
with what happened out there. It never has before.
This is the first time. And it'll be the last
for us. Okay, Helena, stand away from the car.
I'm backing up. Laurie! If you don't take the
ring, I'll die. I know I'll die. You won't die,
Helena. Why should you? Because it will mean
that I've lost my only friend and that I have
no one to turn to. And I'll be stuck here in
this prison with my mother. And she'll never
let me go. Never. So long, Helena. If I return
to the house with the ring, my mother will do
something terrible. If you don't take the ring,
I'll throw myself in front of the car. I don't
care anymore. I don't care. Helena, give me the
ring. You mean you will take it? Oh, Laurie,
you've made me so happy. I've indebted to you
forever. Forever. You're angry with me, George,
aren't you? No. I'll probably never see her again.
And if it meant that much to her, well... What
probably meant even more to her was that she
could twist and bend you in any way she wanted.
Well, in a way, it was her last hope of getting
out of that house. That's why I finally took
the ring. Actually, what harm could it do? I
don't know, Laurie, except that anything connected
with the Rostens seems dangerous. That's because
the Rostens are difficult to understand or explain.
That may be. But why we might never get to the
bottom of that axe job in the woods, there must
be a key somewhere to the Rostens. After all,
they're not ghosts or optical illusions, they're
people. Living breathing humans Still for all
we know about them. They're just as haunted as
that phantom woodcutter and his crazy daughter
Let's stop talking about them. I will if you
do me an important favor if I can you can Throw
that ring away you mean now right the second
open the window and throw it out Why? Honey,
I consider it a special favor to me if you got
rid of that ring. Well, I have no intention of
keeping it, but I don't want to just throw it
away. What do you want to do with it? Give it
away. To whom? I haven't thought yet. Try thinking
about it right now. You sound as if you're ordering
me to do it. Actually, I'm begging you, Laurie,
begging you to get rid of the damn ring. I said
I would. But when? When I find someone to give
it to. Someone who would appreciate it. It just
doesn't make sense to just throw away something
that's probably valuable for just anyone to find
or to have it crushed under a car. Say, I know
what I could do with it. Drop it, Laurie. It's
only going to get us into an argument. No, I'm
serious, honestly. I just thought of where this
ring could do the most good. Fine, you do what
you want with it, but let's not talk about it.
Oh, you'll agree? I bet you will. Oh, honey,
do you realize that since we've known each other,
we've never had so many disagreements? But I'm
not disagreeing with you. Good, then let's change
the subject. Or better still, let's let everything
take a rest. If that's what you want, fine. Laurie,
what are you doing? Nothing. Laurie, what are
you doing with that ring? Nothing, I said. Besides,
you don't want to talk about it. Why are you
wearing it? I was playing with it. I just wanted
to see if it fit. Will you please take it off?
What are you getting so excited about? That ring,
if you can't throw it away, at least put it away.
You're getting awfully bossy, George. You're
doing it only to get a rise out of me. You can
forget about it. Because I'm going to give it
to that thrift shop around the corner from where
I live. Great idea. Now please take it off. All
right. Anything for some peace. Hey, that's funny.
What is? The ring's stuck. I'll get it off. You
shouldn't have put it on if it was too small.
But it wasn't. In fact, it felt too big. Isn't
that strange? I... I can't even twist it. Get
the flashlight out of the glove compartment.
Now turn it on and hold your finger under the
light. There. Can you see it? Your finger doesn't
look swollen. No. It isn't swollen. But... But
the ring won't budge. George? George, do you
hear something? Hear what? That voice. The singing.
Don't you hear it? No, I don't. Wait. Yes, I
do. It's that song. Where's it coming from? I
don't know. It seems to be surrounding us. I'll
turn the bright lights on. You keep trying to
get that ring off. I am trying, but it's as if
it's cemented to my finger. And that's singing.
It's the same as the girls in the forest. Get
rid of the flash and give me your hand. What
for? Maybe I can get it off. Well, you can't.
You're driving. There's no traffic, Laurie. I
can manage the wheel with one hand. Why don't
we wait till we get to a gas station? Then I
can get it off with a little soap. Come on, give
me your hand. All right. No, wait. I can't. Why
not? Oh, I just can't, George! Laurie, you were
about to drive me out of my head. Why can't you
give me your hand? Because... because I remembered
something. What, for heaven's sake? What, Laurie?
Well, what Helena said back there when she wanted
me to take the ring. She said a lot of hysterical
things. That if she couldn't give the ring to
a Rostin, it would have to be to a person nearest
and dearest to her. Well, Helena's all whacked
up. Now give me your hand, Laurie. But what if
it's true? Oh, that voice! A terrible voice!
Why doesn't it stop? Laurie, please give me your
hand. No! Because if you can get it off, then
you'll be stuck with it. Who cares? I don't want
anything to happen to you! Not for anything!
George! George, look straight ahead! Oh, no!
It's them! The two of them! The old man and the
girl! He's got an axe! I'm stopping the car!
It was a tree we had. Only, only a tree, Laurie.
You hear me? Only a tree. Laurie, the ring. The
ring? What did you do? It's not on your finger.
Your finger. Good Lord. She's dead. So you gave
Laurie the ring, Helena. Yes, Mother. As you
told me to. Now give me the box. And we'll see
if the ring has worked wonders once more. Here
is the box. The one with the roses. Open it.
Yes, Mother. The music? Why isn't the music playing?
It's a good sign that it's not playing. It's
the sign that the ring has done its work. Your
friend Laurie will not marry ever. Not ever.
But the ring, Mother? Where is the ring? You'll
find it in the woods. In the clearing. in the
same place where I killed your great -grandfather
143 years ago. Go and bring back the ring that
will keep us alive forever. Forever. Forever,
you ghosts. Forever, you sing. But your death
is as forever as your grim, rosy ring. I'll be
back shortly. Let us end our tale of ring, a
ring of roses. For as we also know, roses are
red, roses are blue. But the rose of death is
meant for... who? Our cast included Glynis O
'Connor, George Petrie, Sidney Walker, L. Speth
-Erik, Holland Taylor, and Carol Hilliard. The
entire production was under the direction of
Hyman Brown. This is E .G. Marshall inviting
you to return to our Mystery Theatre for another
adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant...
Dreams?