Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome
to the sounds of suspense. To the fear you can
hear. Relax and listen to the strange tale of
a strange man. You're no more strange than anyone
who has suffered what you might call a mutilation
of the soul. And who of us is not at one time
or another? Suffered such a mutilation What means
did we use to restore ourselves? How quickly
did we recover? How well did we heal? The answers
vary even as we vary One man's answers are revealed.
Do we trust in the story which follows? I'm cold.
Oh my The darkness I mind the most not to be
able to see you Oh God Watch me. Let me help.
My God, where are you? Right here. Right here.
I can't find you. Keep talking. Keep talking.
Right here. Right here. I can't. Huh? Here you
are. Ridley Hour was written especially for the
Mystery Theatre by Elspeth Erick and stars Norman
Rose. I'll be back shortly with Act One. A person
who seems strange we call Grotesque, Incredible not to be believed.
We make a feeble effort to deny that he could
exist. But he does exist. There he is before
our eyes in all his strangeness. We do not believe
in him because we do not know him. Because once
we know, we will have to believe. And this can
be a long and painful process. Listen now to
the story of Martin Jerome. See if you can believe
it. Mr. Jerome, I only consented to see you because
your letter sounded quite desperate. As a rule,
I only see patients on referral. But your letter,
may I read it to you? Perhaps it will help us
to get started. Last night I heard you being
interviewed on a radio program. In the dark of
my room, in the darkest hour of the night, I
thought... Here is a man who can help me to solve
the awful predicament in which I find myself.
I enclose a stamped addressed envelope for your
reply since I have no phone. I am counting on
you. Sincerely, Martin C. Jerome. Well, Mr. Jerome,
the hour is passing and I don't want you to waste
your money. Take your time. Take your time if
you have difficulty in talking. I'll wait. Doctor.
Did you say something, Mr. Jerome? Doctor, you...
Yes. You are the first person I have spoken to
in 25 years. You said 25 years? understand your
silence can you tell me what drove you into this
silence I I married a woman yes the most desirable
woman in the world my Helen my adored one I never
thought that an insignificant man like myself
could even aspire to possess such a woman and
the day she said those words to me I could scarcely
believe my ears. You're a dear, Martin, and I'd
love to marry you. Helen, I can't think why you'd
want a man like me. Because you're sweet. Let's
get married right away. What about next week?
The world changed completely for me. Everything
became important, immediate. The sun shone just
to keep me warm, and the breeze blew to make
me cool. Me Martin Jerome me I had been so so
blessed Yes, it was a beautiful wedding Helen
had a great deal of money, and I was fairly well
off Many people came to the church and even more
to the reception people promise. I knew them
all all but one He was tall unusually tall as
I am unusually short. He was handsome, as I am
not. He was charming, self -assured, very much
at his ease, all of which I have never been.
You couldn't help noticing him. Helen, who's
that very tall man talking to your mother, the
pale man with the black mustache? I have no notion,
love. It's probably someone mother invited. Good
-looking, isn't he? Sort of. Come on, time to
cut the cake. We sailed for Europe. My head was
swimming with visions of the life I had embarked
on. The good life, the beautiful life. One night,
on the ship, we were at dinner. Helen, look over
there. To your right, against the wall, sitting
by himself. Isn't that the man who was at our
wedding? 500 people at our wedding, love. He's
getting up from the table. The tall man. mustache
your mother must have invited him you said well
then I guess she did after dinner we danced for
a while then headache but I should stay and enjoy
myself well I I tried but I couldn't enjoy myself
without her I was too much in love for that I
watched the dancers for a while drank a brandy
I managed to kill an hour and then I went down
to our stateroom When I stepped back out into
the corridor, there she was, coming out of another
stateroom about six doors from ours. Darling.
You weren't in our room. I didn't know what to
think. You said that you had a headache. I've
been doing a little detective work. You were
so anxious to know who the tall man was while
I found out. He's not precisely a friend. His
mother came to the wedding and dragged him along.
Helen. You were in his stateroom. Oh, I ran into
him in the corridor, and he said to come in for
a nightcap. Let's go to bed. Our stateroom is
much nicer than his, by the way. We went to Paris.
And then because she loved to ski, we went to
St. Moritz. She was very good on skis. Effortless
as a bird flying. I watched and watched and never
got tired of watching. And then one day... He
was again, the tall man. I've got to catch the
ski -tow. Wait for me. Helen, Helen, he's here.
Who's here? The man from the wedding, the man
from the ship. Oh, is he here? Oh, so he is.
Well, I'm off. Wait for me. After St. Moritz,
we came back to the city and moved into an apartment.
I went to work. We made friends. Helen grew lovelier
every day, and she was her loveliest the day
she told me that. We would have a child. Tell
me about that. Well, Helen was very, very light
-hearted, very casual about the prospect, but
I, I, yes. How did you feel? Well, it's hard
to tell you, Doctor. Oh, I know every man is,
is what, excited, happy, I don't know, but I
felt bowed down, Doctor, actually crushed by
my own good fortune. Like myself, so petty, so
pitiable. Should be given a child by a woman
like Helen. Have you always thought of yourself
as petty and pitiable? I have. Why? Because I
am. Go on, please. I could scarcely concentrate
on my work once I'd heard the good news. Helen
was on my mind all the time. And one day, I certainly
couldn't bear being in the office. Couldn't bear
being anywhere except where she was. And I rushed
home. I suppose you know what I found. I think
you'd best tell me. I hurried to the bedroom,
looking for her. I burst through the door, and
in the bed, our bed, there he was. The man from
the wedding, from the ship, from the ski tow.
He looked at me, standing in the doorway. He
said not a word, but his red lips smiled. And
then she said... to Helen had built up a sort
of pride. I thought if she loves me, then I must
be something. Oh, it is not a good thing, Doctor,
to build your pride on what other people think
of you, or seem to think. No. No, it isn't. So
I cleared out. That was 25 years ago. I took
a one room flat with a little kitchen, a bed,
a chest of drawers, an easy chair with an ottoman.
And to one side of the chair, my hi -fi stereo
set and my records. To the other side, my books.
After my work, I'd sit in my easy chair with
my feet on the ottoman, listen to my records
and read. Only writers who were dead, however.
I'd read till about... in the summer. I shut
down the office for two weeks and take my vacation.
Where do you go? I take a train, two trains actually,
and a bus to a little town on the coast called
Marsh Hills. You've probably never heard of it.
I'm afraid I haven't. No one has. There's no
reason why anyone should. And you spend your
two weeks in Marsh Hills? Oh no. No, I merely
stable my horse there. You have a horse about
15 miles from... marsh hills doctor close to
the sea there is a cave hollowed out of the rock
by the waves and when I get to marsh hills I
arrive every year on the same day they they have
my horse ready for me and I ride the 15 miles
to the cave and there I spend my vacation in
a cave for two weeks I walk I canter my horse
on the beach I gather what edible herbs there
are growing in the rocks I boil them. They're
very tasty, really. And at the end of two weeks,
I return my horse to the stable and take my bus
and the two trains back to the city. And you've
lived this way for 25 years. Oh, yes. But, Doctor,
last summer, last summer, something happened.
I arrived in Marsh Hills, as always. My horse
was waiting for me, as always. And we started
off at a walk. for the cave by the sea there
is always a certain excitement when i begin to
smell the sea and i know that soon i shall be
out of sight and sound of any human being there
will be only the sea sun the wind and my cave
it is the most thrilling moment of the year for
me i suppose it's the only one soon i will have
my solitude at last I'm on the sand. My horse
feels the excitement as I do. I feel him extend
himself. And as we round the last bend in the
shoreline, I see it. I see it, my cave, my refuge.
never heard before in that deserted spot. And
the sound doctor was coming from inside my cave.
Never, never had I felt such anger. I was faint
with hatred. I dismounted and I crept to the
side of the cave where I knew it sloped to the
ground. Quietly climbed the roof. I found a tiny
chink in the stone, no more than an inch. I put
my ear to it. Beneath me I heard laughter. Laughter
and tender words and all the sticky, silly sounds
that lovers make. Are you my girl? Oh, so much,
you girl. Ah, how much? This much. I can't hardly
see how much is this much. It's too dark in this
place. Then come here. Oh, darling, darling,
love. We're using my sacred sanctuary for love
making. I almost fell from the roof of the cave.
I struggled to stay where I was, and my feet
dislodged a shower of stones. What was that?
Sounds like a rock slide. Yes, some rocks in
front of the entrance. Lots of them. Hey, maybe
we'd better move them. Oh, we can still get out.
Let's stay a little longer. I love this place.
John! much. Light and life. I'll be back shortly
with act two Marvin Jerome 50 years old has not
uttered a single word to a living soul in 25
years But now in the office of an attentive psychiatrist,
it seems the dear man can't stop talking after
I had pushed and shoved the big rock into the
entrance to the cave doctor I Stood for a few
seconds panting from the exertion and oppressed
by the silence There was only the sound of the
wind and the water I thought of the lovers I
felt that I must hear their voices again, as
though their words which had driven me near to
madness were essential now to keep me sane. I
scrambled back to the roof of the cave and put
my ear once again to the narrow crack through
which I could hear them. George, there was a
little light before, now there's none. More rocks
must have fallen. I didn't hear them. I had something
that didn't sound like rocks falling. Come on,
we've got to clear the entrance. Come where?
I don't know where the entrance is anymore. It's
so dark. Take my hand. I think I know which direction.
I can't even see your hand. Don't you have a
match? I may have one. Yeah, I have a few. Well,
light one. I will, I will. the one that went
out was right by my foot. Let me light it from
yours. Good girl, good girl. All right, George,
there's the entrance. Don't let your match go
out. Don't you let yours? Hey, look, see, just
a whole bunch of stealth. Come on, let's start
clearing them away. Oh, both matches. No. That's
all right. We know where we are. We're right
by the entrance. Come on, let's get started.
hear every word. George, it isn't getting any
lighter. Shouldn't it start to get lighter? Yes,
it should. Oh, why doesn't it? How should I know
why? I'm sorry darling. Oh, that's all right.
I'm sorry. Forgive me. All right, let's try together
now. One... just took our strength. You haven't
had anything to eat since this morning. We need
to rest for a little while. Then we'll be able
to move it. You're probably right. Tell us. Let's
lie down right here by the entrance so we know
where we are. First I want to light a match.
Why do you want to do that? When we wake up,
we'll find our way into the light. Sleep now,
my darling. The thought of them, lying there.
No, the vision of them, for I could see them.
The image was so strong. The two of them pressed
close. Their arms entwined, their hands clasped.
The two young bodies fitted so tightly together
against the dark. it was I remember. in my flat
and I resumed my old routine. Didn't you, didn't
you ever think of them? I'd shut them out of
my mind just as I'd shut them in the cave. You
didn't worry about them or anything? Oh, they
had each other. Mr. Jerome, I have to tell you,
I'm, I can't help being shocked. It may sound
strange. Indeed it does. I began imagining what
they might be saying to each other. I couldn't
know for sure, of course, but I imagined. I'm
cold. So am I. I'm hungry. I can't find you.
Keep talking. Keep talking. I'm here. I was suddenly
seized with the desire to hear their voices once
more before, well, before they were silent forever.
I closed the office, closed the flat, took the
two trains and the bus to Marsh Hills. They were
surprised if the state were to see me back again
so soon, of course, but they saddled my horse
and I set off. If we only had something to eat,
anything. Don't think about it. You think there's
any use trying to move that big rock again? No.
I guess you're right. Well, we've got about a
third of the energy we had to start with, we...
finds us. It's possible, isn't it, for somebody
to find us? Of course. I'm thirsty. Can you find
the place where that trickle of water runs down
the side? I think so. Feel along the cave wall
to your right. It's so black in here. You should
be there by now. Light the match. It's the only
one we have. George, on there is sort of a ridge,
an indentation where the water trickled down
in some moss. That's right. And I... I think
I've found it. Oh, good. There's no water. There
must be. There isn't. Then you're in the wrong
place. Then you find it. You're so smart. I know
exactly where. It's about here. I remember this.
I'm gonna be right here They probably slept a
lot. I know that I didn't hear anything more
after that until much later. I wonder what day
it is. It was Saturday when we came down here,
wasn't it? Yes. Well, it must be... I don't know.
We've been here a week, I think. Much more? About
a week and a half. Oh. You think it's Wednesday?
I... Yeah, I think so. If it's Wednesday, then
we've been here 11 days. Something like that.
What difference does it make? I'd just like to
know that's all. Oh, don't be angry, darling.
Doctor, I had the craziest impulse to whisper
to them. It's Tuesday. I almost laughed. Why
do these ludicrous ideas come into our heads
at the weirdest moments of our lives? Perhaps
it wasn't as ludicrous as you thought. Of course
it was. I was there to watch these people die.
listen to them die is more like it. And I still
wanted to tell them what day of the week it was.
If that's not ludicrous, I don't know what is.
Tell me, what happened next? I went to sleep
on the roof of the cave. After the sun came up
in the morning, I got a sandwich out of my saddlebag
and a flask of brandy, and sat on the sand for
a while, watching the ocean. And then, I went
back to my listening post. George? Yes? I'm going
to try walking around a little. Oh, Lord. This
darkness is driving me mad. No, it's not. No,
it's not. Let me have a match. No. Oh, give it
to me. I won't. What was that? I heard something.
A stumble over something. Well, look, look, look
for it. The fish are on. Look what I'm doing.
It's like a little sort of a pan. Pan? Well,
about four, five inches wide. Enamel, I think.
Feels like enamel. It's a little pan to cook
things in, the sort of thing campers might use.
Wait, wait, that means somebody's been here before.
And that means whoever was here could come back.
Or somebody else could. I mean, this cave is
a place people come to. We're not the only ones.
We're not the first. Other people have... They'd
stumbled across the little enamel pan I had used
to boil my herbs. I couldn't bring myself to
speak to them, but I took a packet of matches,
a cardboard kind, and I wrote on it, I am here.
Just that. The most cherished trio of words in
our language consists of I love you. But surely
there are times of trouble when I am here is
even more welcome. I'll be back shortly with
Act 3. of not listening the melody of not marking
that I am troubled with all so said Henry the
fourth according to William Shakespeare but the
disease that troubles Martin Jerome is listening
too closely and his malady is marking too well
I pushed the packet of matches absurd message
down through the crack in the cave with a little
stick. I heard it drop. I knew it had reached
them, even before I heard Marion speak. George,
something just dropped onto my shoulder. George,
light the match. Marion, it's our last match.
I can't light it. I have to know what fell on
my shoulder. I don't like to use up our last...
George, please, if you don't... All right, all
right. Take it easy. Did you see anything? It
hit my shoulder, and then it... There it is!
Joyful! It's matches! It's a whole fold of matches!
You're kidding! I'm not! There's something written
on it here, Joe. Wait a minute. It says, I am
here. Who? Who's here? I don't know. I... Oh
my God, that's the end of the match. I held it
till I burned my fingers. I'm sorry, I couldn't
help it. All right, we have matches now. Can
you see? It isn't signed at all. It just says,
I am here. That's all. But who? Who's here? Doesn't
matter, does it? Somebody's here. That's what
counts. Why doesn't he say something? Call out
to us as something. Tell us that everything will
be alright. Maybe he's going for help. Oh yes,
that must be it. Yes, that is it. It's alright
now. It's alright as long as somebody's here.
I couldn't stand their joy over my simple -minded
message. They seemed like silly children, as
silly as I felt myself. George, I can't stand...
How should I know? Stop asking me. He wouldn't
give us a message like that. He wouldn't write.
I am here on a package of matches and then just
go away, would he? How do I know? You keep asking
me as though I had an answer. I'm not hungry
anymore. I haven't been hungry for a long time.
I just feel terribly weak. Dammit, I know. I
know. Now will you shut up? Just shut up. Shut
up! We'll die here, George. Be quiet. No water.
No food. But we'll die here. I said shut up!
Whoever wrote that note must have been a mad
man. Wherever he was, wherever he was, he's gone
away. Yes. And we'll die in this cave. I don't
intend to die in this cave. No. Just what do
you think you'll do about it? Something. Nothing
you can do. I'm just not gonna die. Yes. Not
yet. Yes. You are. Make up your mind to it. What
are you doing now? I'm going to light a match.
Not gonna die. Not yet. Not me. Not me. I knew
even before I tried that I wouldn't be able to
do it. But my mind was working brilliantly. I
ran to where my horse's saddle and bridle lay
on the sand. And after taking it all apart, I
began working to put it together again for a
new purpose. Oh, I used everything. The girth,
the reins, the stirrup leathers. And in an hour,
I fashioned a crude device. I led my horse to
the cave entrance. Somehow I wrapped the girth
around the boulder and made it firm. The reins
circled my horse's shoulders. And then I stood
back and gave him a sharp rap on the flank. He
moved. And the boulder moved. The boulder moved
away from the entrance to the cave. There was
room for me to squeeze through. Just inside.
I found them. She lay there in a faint. He lay
across her. And his teeth. His teeth. Would you
like to wait till another time to tell me? No,
no, I must tell it to you now. I carried their
bodies out and I put them on the back of my horse.
I threw a halter over his head and led him the
15 miles to Marsh Hills. It took all day because
I stopped every hour to be sure that they were
both breathing. There's a doctor in Marsh Hills
and I left them on his doorstep. I rang his bell
and fled. The next day I waited outside the doctor's
house until I saw an ambulance drive up and take
the young couple away. They were able to walk,
so I knew they were all right, or soon would
be. I went back to the city, but not before I
had memorized the name of the hospital, which
was printed on the ambulance. And from the city
I wrote to the hospital. I pretended to be a
concerned relative. They answered me. They said
that the girl, Marion, had already been discharged,
but that they were keeping the young man for
a few days more. They would let me know when
he could go home. And they did let me know. I
remember it was on a Sunday. And as he walked
out of the hospital, I was waiting for him. He
didn't seem at all surprised to see me. I took
his hand. He came with me quietly. We boarded
the bus. We took the two trains, no trouble at
all. When we got to the city, we went to my flat.
He undressed, bathed, and got into my bed, and
he went to sleep. That was six months ago, Doctor,
and he's been there with me ever since. He's
all right? Oh, he's very well. I sleep on the
floor now. He sleeps in the bed. I cook his breakfast,
come home from the office and cook his lunch.
And of course, I make dinner for us both at night.
And, uh, we listen to music. I read a book, but
he... Well, he just listens to the music. Oh,
yes, yes, he's in good health. Mr. Jerome, the...
Hours up. You want me to leave? Not quite yet.
You've told me an amazing story. As amazing a
story as I've ever heard. But tell me, just what
is it you expect of me? What do you want me to
do for you? What? Oh, why, why nothing, Doctor.
Nothing. Nothing at all. I, I don't want help
from myself, Doctor. I want help for the young
man. You see, in the six months he's been staying
with me, he hasn't uttered a word. Not one word.
Go see the doctor, young man. Yes, George. He
can help you to unburden yourself. He will make
the words pour out in full confession and you
will feel the better for it. Why, look! Look
what he has just done for Martin Jerome! As the
deadly hour passed. I'll be back shortly. You
heard of the seven wonders of the world? the
Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, Niagara Falls, and
I forget the other four. No matter. Because they
are simple things compared to the human mind.
In all its deviousness, all its twists and drifts,
I could sit in wonder at the human mind for the
rest of my life. Our cast included Norman Rose,
Marion Seldes, John Barragray and Jack Grimes.
The entire production was under the direction
of Hyman Brown. And now, a preview of our next
tale. That's impossible. Why is it impossible?
It's alright for the simple -minded hicks up
here to swallow that superstitious nonsense,
but me, I'm a doctor. There has to be a reasonable,
logical, rational explanation for what happened
to George Morrissey. Oh, there is, there is.
He offended the spirit of the mountain. Oh, you
consider that reasonable, logical, rational?
Would you feel better if I said there's something
up in that mountain of virus, of bacillus, of
fungus, which somehow causes immediate aging?
It would be a more rational explanation. You
mean more acceptable. I want to know what you
believe. I believe the evidence. If you go up
there, you can die. Radio Mystery Theater was
sponsored in part by the Kellogg Company, makers
of Kellogg's Special K Cereal. This is E .G.
Marshall inviting you to return to our Mystery
Theater for another adventure in the macabre.
Until next time, pleasant dreams.