Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome
to the sound of suspense. To the fear you can
hear. Welcome to the world of terrifying imagination.
Our story is about a very old man. Living just
outside a tiny village. A very old man. whose
long life has been lived close to the soil and
close to the people he loved. People still living
and people long dead. Lie still. Lie still, girl.
Is it very bad? I don't know. She's very dear
to me. If I should lose her... She's trying to
raise her head. She knows I want to help her.
Do you think you can? Young man, I never said
I was a doctor. But I thought... I mean the way
you... I'm just an old man. A very old man. Our
mystery drama, A Very Old Man, was written especially
for the Mystery Theatre by Elspeth Eric. and
stars Santos Ortega. I'll be back shortly with
Act 1. Look long and carefully at the face of
a tiny baby. Look carefully and long into the
face of someone who is very old. Do you see the
wisdom in both? The very young and the very old
have wisdom. In between, there is only accumulated
information. Oh, you're home. Good. Well, he's
done it again. Who's done what? Are you talking
about my father? You know I am. I warned him.
I said, Stephen, if it ever gets around, you'll
ruin my medical practice. People won't believe
in me. They'll only... Manfred, come sit down.
Now, what's he done? The same thing. Where is
he? Isn't he home? Not yet. He went to the cemetery,
as usual. But you still haven't told me what
happened. Well, Anna Brandt came to see me about
a month ago. Severe attacks of pain in the upper
abdomen. All the symptoms indicated appendicitis.
I sent her to Carl Weiss for the operation. Of
course, he examined her, too. And he agreed with
me. No doubt about it. The inflamed appendix
had to come out. But he operated the next day.
And that night, that same night, she had another
attack. Well, so it was. How could she have had
another appendicitis attack when he'd just taken
her appendix out? Well, he was as flabbergasted
as I was. Yes, but what's it all got to do with
my father? Stefan happened to be in my office
the day Anna Brant first came to see me. You
know how he loves to hang around the office.
Anna Brant wasn't ten feet out of the office
when he told me there's nothing wrong with her
appendix. Oh, not again. I can't have my father
-in -law, who's been a farmer all his life, telling
me, a doctor with a reputation, that I don't
know what's wrong with my own patients. Of course
you can't. For a minute I... I did think back
to that boy. The one with the asthma. What seemed
to be asthma, anyway. The Rothberg boy. Father
was right about him. I know, I know. He made
a lucky guess. Father went to see him every day.
Talked to him, rubbed his chest, his throat.
In two weeks, the boy was all right. The boy
was hysterical, over -aspirated, nothing more.
But, this business with Anna Brant, the day she
came to see me, Stefan was asleep in the waiting
room. I was explaining to Anna that I couldn't
perform the operation, simple as it is, because
of my hands, my arthritis. But I would send her
to Carl Weiss. Well, she accepted that. Everybody
knows about my arthritis. And she said something
pleasant to Stefan. That was the first I knew
that he wasn't asleep. Well, he didn't answer.
He just stared at her as though he'd never seen
her before. I reached for the phone to call Carwise.
Stefan got up, came over to the desk and took
the receiver out of my hand. Manfred. The Stefan
don't. It's not so. Not so. Have you had a bad
dream, old man? It's not so what you said to
Anna Brandt. There's nothing wrong with Anna
Brandt's appendix Stefan. Don't start diagnosing
again. You're not a doctor. There's nothing wrong
We had enough trouble after you diagnosed the
Rothberg boy the Rothberg boy never had asthma
All right, it turned out that he didn't but that
was a lucky guess And it didn't do my reputation
any good when word went around that you'd been
right. I never told anybody That's what the boy
did and his mother did and people started coming
to the house coming here all of them wanting
to see you But I told them to go away It's not
always that I can help. I keep hoping, expecting
God knows what miracles. Now are you gonna start
the whole thing up again with Anna Brandt? There
are three of them. Come on now, get your coat,
Stefan. They're dark, brown or black, and hard,
hard. It's getting late. They're the size of
olive pits. Are you talking about Anna Brandt?
I saw them close together. They were high in
the body about here Three of them you saw them
three of them the size of olive pits lying here
Above the stomach About here. Have you got x
-ray eyes Stefan? Is that it? No No, my eyes
are like everybody's well What do you mean you
you you saw them her body was transparent? I
could see right through it, as though the skin
had been removed. I could see everything. Carl
Weiss was as confident as I was before the operation,
and he was as confused as I was after. I swear
I don't know what made me say it, but I said
it. I said, Carl Weiss, could it be a stone,
a gallstone perhaps? Well, he was taken aback
a little, but he couldn't deny a possibility.
Maybe a remote one, but a possibility. I felt
like a fool, but I told him I thought he should
go ahead. And he did. This morning. And he found?
Gallstones. Three of them. The size of olive
pits. Lie still, Kerr. Is it very bad? I don't
know. She's very dear to me. She's trying to
raise her head. She's trying to tell you something.
She knows I want to help her. Do you think you
can, Doctor? Young man, I never said I was a
doctor. But the way you... I'm just an old man.
A very old man. Well, I took it for granted the
way you spoke. My son -in -law is a doctor. Manfred
Gottlieb. I live with him and my daughter Bertha.
Oh, then you know something. You've learned things
from him. No, I know nothing. Only what I see,
what I feel. When I passed you by the cemetery,
what were you doing? My wife is buried there.
Did I harm her? No. No, I even think she's a
little better. Her eyes, they look brighter.
Not so full of pain. You did nothing but touch
her. Stroke her a little and talk to her. Let
me look at your hands. Now, they're... they're
just hands. What should they be? Now, let me...
Well, your hands are warm. On a night like this,
more than warm. Hot. Very hot as though they
were... burning. Burning from inside! If it should
get around about Anna Brant... You don't think
I'd tell anyone? These things have a way of leaking
out. Look, you're not going to tell Father, are
you, that Carl Weiss found the three stones?
You think I shouldn't? He wouldn't tell anyone.
He didn't tell anyone about the Rothberg boy.
It was the boy's mother who shouted it from the
housetops. And look what happened. People showing
up here. When he saw them, he hid in his room.
And when they left, he went to the cemetery,
sat by my mother's grave. You think that he's
there now? I suppose. Sometimes he stays for
hours. I wish he'd get home before the rain starts.
Emily, my dear. Come now, Emily, my precious.
I need you. You are my strength. I can do nothing
without you. Come to me, my darling. Come to
me, my darling. I don't want him to start thinking
that any of this is real. He mustn't think that
he has some magical power. Listen, if you treat
him as though he were possessed in some way,
he might begin to believe it, and then his mind...
Who knows what might happen. Bertha, have you
thought that, well, perhaps it's already happened?
No. That he is deranged? I won't believe that.
He's my father. I love him. He's old and childish,
and sometimes I'm impatient. I am too, often.
But only the way I'd be with a child. In many
ways, he is my child. The only child I have.
My dear, I thought you'd stop brooding about
that. Oh, I have, I have. I stopped last year
when I turned 40. But that's why. Because I have
no child, he's twice as precious to me. I understand.
I do understand. You know that I'm fond of him.
Then let's leave him as he is. Don't let him
think he's different from other people. Whatever
you say. You know, the widow holder has been
asking for him. The widow holder? Why? They keep
telling me in the village that she has this great
swelling on her head. Big as an ape. Yes, I've
heard about it. She's afraid of doctors. Dorothy,
you don't suppose... The rain, it started. It's
coming down like crazy. Father, thank goodness.
I made it. Just in time. You shouldn't take such
chances. Why weren't you home for dinner? Where
have you been? I kept something hot for you.
Thank you, thank you. Give me your coat. That's
it. Where were you all this time? I didn't birth
a telly at the cemetery. You didn't go to see
anybody? No, I didn't go to see anybody. Here's
a plate for you, Father. Nice pot roast and potatoes.
Thank you, Bertie. I'm sorry I wasn't here for
dinner. I lost track of the time. I ran into
somebody. We talked a little. Manfred, let's
go up to bed. Father, you'll be all right? Of
course I'll be all right. Go to bed. Good night.
Good night, daughter. Good night, Stan. Oh, uh,
Manfred. Yeah? How is Anna Brandt? Anna Brandt?
I thought about her tonight in the cemetery.
Is she all right? Yes, she's fine. I thought
she was. I had a feeling... Good night. Enjoy
your dinner. Good night. He is asking about Anna
Brandt? He hasn't even mentioned her since that
day in the office. Bertha, could he have heard
about Carl Weiss finding the gallstones? Oh,
he'd have said so. He always has precisely what's
on his mind. There are times when I wish he didn't.
Listen. Listen, he's talking to himself in the
kitchen. Sounds as though he's calling someone.
Manfred, he's an old man. Leave him be. Please
close the door. Come to bed. It sounds like...
like Amelie. What? Did you say Amelie? Wasn't
that your mother's name? No. No, it was my sister's.
Bertha, I never knew you had a sister. You never
told me. It was so long ago, before I was born.
Their first child. She only lived an hour. My
mother told me they'd just agreed on a name.
Father leaned over the crib to kiss her She was
dead But that was 45 years ago all these years
he's never mentioned her what was that the door
opened downstairs He's gone out in this rain.
There's only one place. He's gone to the cemetery
When those around us cannot understand, where
do we turn? When the world is dark, where do
we go? To the unknown? Or to the once familiar,
the once well -known, the once well -loved? To
those who have left the dark earth and moved
into light? I'll be back shortly with Act Two.
Now, come back with me to the story of a very
old man and the people who loved him and could
not comprehend him. Or could not comprehend him
because they loved him. Or because they tried
too hard. Breakfast on the table, Manfred. All
right, darling. Well, did you talk to him? He's
still asleep. Oh, let him sleep. After last night.
Yes, we're lucky if he doesn't come down with
pneumonia. He was drenched, Bertha, soaked clear
through, lying across your mother's grave with
a rain beating down on him, crying, Amelie, Amelie,
as though his heart was broken. Amelie is buried
next to mother. Bertha, are you going to ask
him about her? Oh, it's been so long, 45 years.
You know, in all that time I've never heard him
say her name. Naturally, I never mentioned it.
She died years before I was born. Your mother
never talked about her? Oh, just that once when
she told me she wanted to be buried near her
and how she died. Menford, she was only one hour
old. Yes, crib deaths. They happen. We don't
know why. They thought of naming me Amelie at
first, my mother said. It's a pretty name. Now
who's that? So early in the morning? Yes. Is
this the Gottlieb house? Yes, it is. And you're
Manfred Gottlieb, Dr. Gottlieb? Yes, I am. But
I don't see patients at home. My office is...
Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm not a patient. The patient's
outside. Well, bring the patient to my office
in about an hour. No, there's no need. She's
quite well, completely cured. Well, then what's
the point of... I hoped I could see the old man.
You're... father -in -law is he Stefan what's
this about my father madam good morning beautiful
morning isn't it after last night all that rain
you you wanted to see my father if I may what
about he's asleep oh oh I'm sorry well um when
he does wake up would you tell him the patient
recovered and is better than ever Lively, frisky,
enjoying life to the full, romping in the fields.
What patient is this? You said she's outside.
Yes, right there. Look, look, the picture of
health. I don't see any... You don't mean...
not the horse? Yes, my prize mare, my favorite.
I thought I might have to have her put away,
but your father, madame. Oh, yes, it's all due
to him. When was this? When did you meet, Stefan?
Last night. Just before the rain started, didn't
he tell you? Oh, well, come inside. Have some
coffee with us. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Sit
down. Manfred, get another cup. May I introduce
myself? Otto Krauss. Well, I'm Bertha Gottlieb.
This is my husband. But then my father must have
told you he lives with us. Your father is quite
a man. Your coffee. Oh, thank you. Thank you.
Yes, you see... Was returning to the village
and I was passing the cemetery Suddenly the mayor
sank to her knees her legs seemed to give way
completely and There she lay on her side in the
middle of the road. I I was frantic I I thought
perhaps a stone bruised, but but I looked at
all four hooves nothing and there I was half
a mile from home my precious horse stretched
out on the road in a storm coming up and then
I heard a sound coming from the cemetery, someone
calling a name. Was it Amelie? Yes, yes, yes,
something like that. I shouted for help. In a
minute, an old man appeared. My father? Yes.
I asked him to help me, but I wasn't sure he
even heard. He seemed very distraught. He went
straight to the mayor, knelt down and took her
foreleg in his hands and started rubbing it very
gently. He knew which one was hurting her and
after a while the pain went out of her eyes Couldn't
understand it. It it was something about the
way he he touched her I I asked to see his hands
and he held them out and Even before I touched
them. I could feel the heat Spreading out from
them heat what heat? Haven't you ever noticed?
The extraordinary heat from his hands? I can't
say that I have. Oh, but it's true. His hands
give off a warmth. I can't believe you've never
noticed it. Well, it could have been on such
a wet, cold night. It only seemed that way to
you. You imagined it. Oh, I suppose that's possible.
But I didn't imagine it when the mayor got to
her feet. Was she was all right? I walked her
home. I couldn't quite believe it all. I bedded
her down. And this morning, all I could think
was I must tell the old man about it. There are
stories going around about him in the village.
Perhaps you've heard some of them? Well, I'm
only here on a visit to see my aunt. I don't
live here. Well, he doesn't really do anything.
He's just around. and people love him they like
to think because he's such a sweet old man that
he can do things doctors can't do and because
he's such a very old man we wouldn't want him
to start thinking that there was anything miraculous
about well about anything that happened quite
naturally well you think it might might affect
him might might affect his mind in some way he's
a very old man it it could happen well i Suppose
it's possible she wasn't really lame. Of course
it's possible only Ask him will you about his
hands those amazing hands. Yes. Yes, we'll ask
him. I mean giving off that heat I I felt it,
you know Well, I'll be getting along my my aunt's
expecting well, we'll tell him you stopped by
yes Yes, I wish you would tell him and please
tell him. Thanks. We'll tell him Do you think
we should wake him? Come on, it's time. Yes.
We have to tell him about the young man. And
the horse. But we won't make anything out of
it. Nothing at all. Just say that he dropped
by. To say thanks, yes. Father? Stefan, are you
awake? What time is it? Oh, it's almost nine
o 'clock. Why aren't you at your office? Well,
it... It seems that a young man stopped by to
see us Stefan actually father he wanted to see
you but we told him you were sleeping Why me?
Well, it seems he met you on the road last night
at a horse Married once that's right. The horse
that is sweating. Do you feel well enough to
get up now father? I think so. You're sure after
last night. I'm all right Alright, now just let
me help you out of bed, Stefan. I can manage.
Give me your hand. Come on. That's it. Here are
your slippers. I'll splash some water on my face.
And then you'll have breakfast. Bertha. Bertha,
his hands are as cold as mine. Colder. That young
man did imagine it about his hands. You know
how it is. If your hands are cold, anyone's feel
warmer, even if they're only a little warmer
than your own. And he'd been riding back from
the village on horseback. Yes, so of course his
hands were very cold. Of course, of course. My
head is clearing a little. Oh, good. I'll go
down and have some coffee ready for you. Thank
you, my friend. And two eggs, four minutes. Your
clothes are on the bed, Father. Thank you, Bertha.
Father... Last night when Manfred and I came
up to bed and you were eating your supper Anyway,
that's what we thought you were doing. It's what
I was doing. Well, we heard you talking Was I
talking what you kept saying? We heard you say
Emily I said what over and over Father were you
talking to Emily? What do you know about Emily?
Only what mother told me. What did your mother
tell you? That Emily died. That she only lived
an hour. She was her first child. Forty -five
years ago, Father. She died in the crib. I remember
her so well. Why do you talk to her now, Father?
Why do you call to her? Because... Because she
comes back to me when I call her. Father, you
don't mean that. She comes back to me. To me.
Not to anyone else. Only to me when I call her.
You don't believe in ghosts. Amelie is not a
ghost. Her spirit comes back to me when I call.
Father, you can't believe this. I am the only
person left on earth she remembers. Her mother
is dead, the midwife is dead. When I am dead,
there will be no one for her to come back to.
No reason to come back. You can't believe what
you're saying. I don't have to believe or not
believe. I know. I won't let you. You have nothing
to say about it. Nothing. I will not stay in
this house and listen to you tell me that my
Amelie will not come when I call. I'm going to
her now. Father, wait! Father, come back! Stefan,
what's the matter? Get out of my way! Stefan!
Father! Oh, Father! He came tearing down the
stairs. He brushed right past me. What's the
matter with him? I talked to him about Amelie.
I made him angry. Where's he gone? Do you know?
to her to Emily Emily I need you darling Come
be with me my darling Your father needs you.
I need you my sweet, Emily Old man. Oh, my Emily.
This is Stefan. Emily. Stefan, can I help you?
No, no. You remember me, don't you, from last
night? The man, young man with the mare. She
was lame. You should see her now. They told me
she's better. Better than better. Come, come
have a look. Please, please come. Look there.
Look, look at her. Am I fine? Not a sign of lameness.
I came to your house a little while ago. You
were sleeping. They told me you were there to
say thanks. There was no need for that. Oh, I'd
like to do more than just leave my thanks. I'd
like to invite you to my aunt's place. Oh, no,
no. I couldn't. No, no. I'd like you to meet
my aunt. Please. Your aunt won't mind? No, not
a bit. Come on. We'll both ride the mare. Here.
I'll give you a leg up. You're assured about...
Oh, she'll be delighted. She doesn't get out
much these days. Is she very old? Well, she's
not young. But that's not why she stays home.
She has this disfiguring growth on her head.
It makes her shy. She should see a doctor. No,
no, she won't. Absolutely refuses. Won't hear
of it. Hates them all. Oh, that's very wrong.
Oh, yes, yes. All the money in the world and
won't go to a doctor. So she sits in her parlor
and reads her Bible. Ah, there. There's the house.
Oh, yes. The big stone house. You know the house?
I've admired it since I was a boy. My aunt bought
it when my uncle died. My uncle was Fritz Halder.
You've heard of him? The manufacturer? I don't
think so. Ah, around here I understand my aunt
is known as the Widow Halder. Some folks are
afraid of one thing some are afraid of another
Everyone who's afraid wants to run and hide it's
natural most natural thing in the world But what
may be hiding in the hiding place? That's the
question It could be something else to be afraid
of I'll be back shortly with act 3 A very old
man is mounting the steps of a big stone house
in the company of a very young man, whose aunt
is known to the village as the Widow Holder.
Listen now. My aunt is in. Otto? There you are,
just where I knew you'd be. Come in, come in,
Stefan. Where have you been all morning, Otto?
I missed you at breakfast. Oh, you, you... You
brought someone with you? Yes, this is the very
wonderful man I met near the cemetery last night.
When my mare went lame, Stefan, this is my aunt,
Mrs. Halden. How good of you to come by. I don't.
I don't have many visitors, not anymore. And
I seldom go out because of this on my head. I
don't like to be seen. I hope it doesn't offend
you. No. No. It doesn't offend me at all. Well,
it offends me. Perhaps I'm too sensitive, but
that's the way I am. So I sit here and read my
Bible. And that Bible's too heavy for you to
hold in your lap all day. But it's the family
Bible. It's the one I'm used to. I love this
Bible. All right, all right. Sit down, Stefan.
I'm all right. I understand. Both of you, sit
down. And Otto, you tell me where you've been
all morning and why you weren't at breakfast.
Now, I told you last night how the mayor went
lame and how I met Stefan near the cemetery.
Well, this morning I let her out of her stall
and she was dancing on her toes. I couldn't believe
it. Stefan hadn't done a thing but rub her pasta
in a bit. Is that really all you did? I did nothing.
Well, he talked to her, rubbed her foreleg and
talked to her. How remarkable. You're a remarkable
man. No, no. You're staring at me. Why? I apologize.
It's this awful growth. Otto, fetch me my shawl.
I'll cover my head. No, no. Please, please. It's
in my bedroom. I am not offended. I give you
my word. Otto, don't go. No, no. It's all right.
I'll be right back. Mrs. Alda. I am not offended.
I am sorry I stared so. I will not stare again.
Please forgive me. It's quite all right. Please
be calm. Sit down. I can't. Otto mentioned that
you live with your daughter. Is that right? My
daughter, Bertha. And your son -in -law? Manfred.
They have children. No children. How sad. Here
comes Otto with my scar. Mrs. Holder, forgive
me, but I must take the Bible from you and...
Stefan! Stefan, are you going mad? Forgive me.
I could not help myself. Aunt, Aunt, are you
all right? I think so. I saw him take the Bible
off your lap. Stefan! He hit me with it. He brought
it down on my head with all his strength. Forgive
me, I didn't know what I was doing. I wouldn't
hurt you, Mrs. Holder. I wouldn't hurt anybody.
When I feel this way, I see things. I feel things.
The Bible seemed to put itself in my hands. I
didn't think what I was doing. I could not think.
The feeling was so great that I must smash this...
this thing on your head. That's all I wanted
to do, Mrs. Holder, to get rid of it. And it
looks to me as though you'd done that, Stefan.
I... Ant! Go look in the mirror. I know I'm not
always in control of myself. I do things. I don't
know why. I see things. I don't know why. But
I would never hurt anyone. It's unbelievable.
The growth is gone. Will you forgive me? There's
no blood. No blood at all. All the same, I'm
going to get you to a doctor. No doctors, no.
A blow on the head like that... No, no, no, I'm
all right. My head is clearing now. It was just
a shock. And that awful, ugly thing is gone.
I don't need a doctor. Let me take you to my
son -in -law. He's a fine doctor, a nice man.
Maybe you've heard of him? Manfred Gottlieb?
Gottlieb. Gottlieb? You will like him. Manfred
Gottlieb is your son -in -law. A wonderful man.
A good doctor. But you must be Bertha Gottlieb's
father. You cured the Rothberg boy. And I've
heard talk about Anna Brandt. Look what you did
for Otto's mayor. Look what you've done for me.
Why? You're the man I've been trying to find.
I've been asking for you. It was God's hand let
you hear. Let me take you to Manfred's office.
I don't need him. I only need you. If I've hurt
your aunt in any way, we'll soon know. Otto,
I don't want these spells that I have. I don't
ask for them. Only sometimes a pain gets so great.
What pain? The pain of living. It seems more
than I can bear. I go to the grave of my wife
and my baby daughter, my Amelie. And I call to
her, my little one, who only had one hour of
life. And she comes to me and gives me comfort.
and courage and belief. I believe that even though
I can do nothing about the great pain of living,
there are other pains and I can do something
about them. I know I'm not quite myself when
I'm like that. I know I'm not really strong or
courageous, but when the spell is on me, the
people in pain, they become transparent. You,
you mean... You can see through them. I do see
through them How do you explain your hands? Why?
Yeah, just hands. Oh, no, no, no the night you
massage the mayor I took hold of your hands and
they gave off a glow a sort of Radiating warmth.
I know I felt it. They they burned like a steady
flame Perhaps I grow feverish when Emily is with
me Now, you go home and rest, Mrs. Holder. Come
back in a few days and I'll change the bandage,
or you can do it yourself. I'll do it myself.
She's all right, Doctor? Right as rain. Well,
what was it? I mean, the growth on her head.
It was a win, a common, ordinary win, a hardened
cyst. If you'd come to see me, Mrs. Holder, I
might have recommended that you have it removed
by surgery. Oh, no. On the other hand, I might
have done precisely what my father -in -law did,
broken it with some heavy object. Probably not
the Bible. Come, Aunt. I'll take you home. Thank
you, Dr. Gottlieb. You may get more of these
growths, these winds on your head, Mrs. Holder,
or someplace else on your body. Now, if you do,
call me and I'll... Oh, no. No, thank you. I
know whom to call. And you'll come, won't you,
Stefan? Of course you will. No offense, doctor,
but I put my faith in Stefan. Goodbye. Goodbye.
Thank you. Goodbye, Stefan. No offense, doctor,
but I put my faith in Stefan. Why did I bother
to become a doctor at all? Why all those years
at school? Why did I take examinations, get my
license? What good is it if everyone would rather
put their faith in a farmer? Manfred, I'll never
do it again. Come in. The door's open. Oh, you
again? A doctor. Those pains are back. Well,
of course those pains are back because you've
been drunk day and night. What do you expect?
Can't you do something, doctor? No, I can't.
Only you can. Stop drinking. You've been drinking
steadily for 30 years and you have cirrhosis
of the liver. But the pains are awful. Stop drinking
for a month and then come back and see me and
don't come back before. Silly old fool. Hasn't
been sober for 10 minutes since he was 16. I
can't help him if he won't... Manfred. Manfred,
he has a... An obstruction of some kind. He has
a diseased liver. But he has an obstruction in
the intestines. Now look, you're not starting
all over again, are you? I saw. I could see.
It's getting to be more than I can take, Stefan.
You're interfering. I saw. He was standing in
the doorway and I saw. His body was transparent.
I could see everything. In his intestines there
is an obstruction. And that's what gives him
pain. Stop it, Stefan. I'm warning you. It's
all so... Clear, I know. I'm just going to stop
it if I have to. My friend, take the hurts on
my throat. No, no, no. Oh, Stefan. Stefan, I'm
sorry. I didn't mean to do... Stefan. I'm all
right. I'm all right. I'm all right. Let me loosen
your shirt. Oh, Stefan, I don't know what possessed
me. I lost control. It's all right. Stefan, look.
Look at my hands. Look how they move. My fingers.
No pain from the arthritis. What does it mean?
It means... Well, it must mean the arthritis
is better. It's gone perhaps. Oh man Fred. The
way I unbuttoned your shirt So fast no trouble.
No pain. Is it possible? It's true. Look Look
how I can move them Stefan the way you used to
Stefan Stefan I I Felt the warmth Otto was talking
about the heat from your hands When you were
trying to tear my hands from your throat, I felt
it. A warm glow. You really felt it? Yes. A glow.
A radiance. Stefan, give me your hands. Yes.
There it is. It's a fire. A fire! Bertha! Bertha!
Manfred, please. I think you're wrong. How can
I be wrong? Look at these fingers. Look how they
move. Watch me unbutton my coat. Oh, Stefan,
I had to lose my temper. Tried to choke you in
order to touch you. I might have killed you.
No, you wouldn't have. Where is Bertha? Bertha!
Manfred, you're excited now. Excited? I'm delirious.
I can go back to surgery. We'll be rich again.
Our lives will change. Yours too. I don't want
my life changed, Manfred. It means my daughter
thinks me mad. deranged. Oh, she won't. It's
only when my Amelie is with me, my little one,
that I see him. It's Amelie who gives me the
power. Bertha! Bertha, where are you? Are you
upstairs? I have nothing without Amelie. It's
her innocent soul that enters into me. What are
you doing home at this hour? Bertha, where were
you? Oh, I was taking a nap. Bertha! Bertha,
look! My hands! Look! Look how my fingers move!
What happened your father your father happened
his wonderful hands Bertha you remember the young
man with the mayor how Stefan put his hands on
the mayor's foreleg and the mayor got up and
walked We don't know that it's true. It's true.
You haven't seen the mayor. It happened to me
to me. Believe me I can't I didn't believe it
either but but then mrs. Holder came to the office
mrs. Holder Yes, she's the aunt of the young
man with the mayor Stefan went to see mrs. Holder.
He didn't her nephew took him Bertha, and Stefan
broke the wen on her head with a big Bible. Oh,
no! He did right, Bertha, right! It was only
a wen, and he was right! He didn't know what
he was doing, and he was right! Manfred, Manfred,
you must stop this, this talk! Bertha, Bertha,
after Mrs. Halder left, an old patient of mine
came in. The man has been a drunk for years.
I was sure his liver was enlarged, diseased.
I sent him away, and then your father said...
Manfred, you are wrong. The man has an obstruction.
His intestines are blocked. You believed him?
No, I didn't believe him. I was out of my mind
with rage that he would dare to tell me that
I was wrong, and I... But Bertha, I took him
by the throat. He tried to tear my hands away,
and it was then... Bertha, it was... it was then
that I felt the heat, the blessed heat from his
hands entering into mine. Now look. Look! Bertha,
if he can use his hands, be happy. Father, how
long will it last? How can I know? Your moods,
your spells, they've bewitched us all. I never
meant harm. Well, they've got to stop. I want
you to stay away from the cemetery. I'll stay
away. I'll watch you every minute. If you like.
I won't let you out of my sight. I'll treat you
like a child. As you were. Because you are a
child. I am a very old man. From now on, you're
my child. No. From now on, you will have your
own child. A real child. Not me. What? I can
see the child is growing inside you. Soon you'll
know it yourself. Next spring you will bear your
child and it will be beautiful a little girl
And you will I Hope you will give her the beautiful
name of Emily Father then my Emily can rest I
Won't have to call her anymore She can Rest.
Did you believe our story? For that matter did
I. Now, really. What difference does it make
if you believe it or if I do? For the truth is
that none of us knows what transpires in the
mind and heart of a very old man. I'll be back
shortly. Ever happen to look up the word murder
in a dictionary? No? Then I'll tell you how the
dictionary defines it. To kill with premeditated
malice. The wrongful intentional slaying of one
human being by another. But don't let a wee bit
of murder upset you, friends. The people on Mystery
Theatre don't mind being killed. Not a bit. Because
every one of them... is a deadhead. Our cast
included Santos Ortega, Norman Rose, Bryna Rayburn,
and Billy Redfield. The entire production was
under the direction of Hyman Brown. This is E
.G. Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery
theater for another adventure in the macabre.
Until next time, pleasant dreams.