Speaker 1: Or another edition of the CBS Mystery Theater. Come in, Welcome,
Welcome to the Mystery Theater. I'm hymen browse.
Speaker 2: The belief in ghosts and apparitions is as ancient as
man himself, and a ghost, as we all know, can
take many forms and shapes. Most of these spirits return
from an unhappy grave and haunt the living. But occasionally
a ghost will turn up who is kindly, good natured.
Speaker 1: And rather nice to have around. Our story involves just
such a ghost.
Speaker 3: Cousin Amy, come greatly greatly Russo is a strange man
in this room, Cousin Amy, Or was.
Speaker 1: Just a moment ago here?
Speaker 3: Where did you see standing.
Speaker 4: There right in the middle of the room, in front
of my dressing glass, staring at.
Speaker 3: Me in my nightgol and wrapper? I was terrified?
Speaker 4: Did he look like his clothes were the strangest fashion?
Speaker 3: And his neck, Yes, his neck was twisted.
Speaker 4: The head was tilted over to one side, as though
the head were just fairly.
Speaker 3: Attached to the rest of the body. You've got to
stay the night with me right here in my bedroom.
Of course, I wouldn't think of leaving you.
Speaker 4: We are not alone in this house, Believe me. There
is a third person here somewhere.
Speaker 2: Our mystery drama The Third Person is based on the
Henry James classic and was especially adapted for the mystery
theater by Stella and Arnold Moss. Its stars Marion Seldy's
Do You Know? The Year is nineteen hundred. In a
neat little village on the sea coast of New England,
Miss Susan Frush is a rather shy lady in her
early forties. In her well fastened hat, her white gloves,
her sturdy walking shoes, she is what might be called
a typical old maid. She has the appearance of once
having been pretty, but this is now somewhat obscured by
eyeglasses and teeth.
Speaker 1: Her kinswoman, Miss Amy.
Speaker 2: Frosh, ten years Miss Susan's junior, is brisk, eager, comparatively bold,
and equally unhusbanded. Until this morning, these second cousins have
never before met. Now they sit rather primly and a
little terrorized in the parlor of a roomy mansion to
which they have been summoned by a mister Willoughby, attorney
at law.
Speaker 1: Miss Susan Frush, Yes you are Susan Frush.
Speaker 3: Oh, yes, yes, I'm Susan Frush.
Speaker 1: Thank you, and you are miss A Mayfrash.
Speaker 3: Yes, indeed, I certainly am thank you.
Speaker 1: Ladies.
Speaker 2: You are both aware of why you are here. As
the sole remaining heirs of your great aunt, the late
Miss Abigail Frush, recently deceased at the age of ninety four,
you two are the rightful legaties and equal shares of
her entire properties.
Speaker 3: Do you mean that all?
Speaker 2: I mean, madden that, as executor of the late Miss
Abigail's worldly estate, I hereby declare you, Miss Susan Frush,
and you, miss A Mayfrash, the sole beneficiaries the largest
single item of her benevolentce says, of course this.
Speaker 4: House you mean, this house now belongs to the two
of us, to me and to cousin.
Speaker 2: Amy well, after a few legal documents properly sign if you,
ladies will permit me to say so. Miss Abigail's generosity
has been most remarkable, particularly in view of the fact
that you are both unprotected without the care of solicitude
of husbands.
Speaker 4: Aunt Abigail has indeed been generous well.
Speaker 2: Since, as I understand, you're both almost strangers to each other,
you may not wish to share this house between you.
The will directs that the house may be sold to
your joint advantage.
Speaker 1: Are there any questions?
Speaker 3: No, I don't think so, m miss Susan. You've made
everything quite clear. Thank you well.
Speaker 2: In that case, I shall take the liberty of escorting
you about the house and indicating some of its features,
the high points, we might say of this old mansion.
It consists, as you shall see, of thirty seven rooms,
twelve of which are bedrooms.
Speaker 5: Twelve bedroom or just the two of us on the
second floor shared by the two largest of these bedrooms,
installed some fifteen years ago.
Speaker 1: Is the marvel of this modern age in which we live.
Speaker 3: And that mister Willoughby is there.
Speaker 2: With all the latest paraphernalia and conveniences of indoor plumbing.
Speaker 1: Is the bathroom?
Speaker 2: Imagine, ladies, the luxury of an indoor bathroom with running water?
Speaker 3: What's that?
Speaker 1: What is? What?
Speaker 3: Do you hear anything, Cousin Amy, Yes, I do.
Speaker 4: It sounds as if someone were running a bath in
our luxurious indoor bathroom.
Speaker 2: Hello, that you've seen the principal features of the house.
I remind you again that the will permit you to
sell it, should you be so minded.
Speaker 6: Oh, I wouldn't think of it, mister Willoughby. This dear
old house is exactly everything I ever dreamed of, and
you cousin Amy, Oh.
Speaker 3: I wouldn't part with it for all the money in
the world. It's beautiful.
Speaker 6: Having drunk deep of the cup of singleness, which I
confess is a rather bitter cup, this house represents a quiet,
peaceful harbor.
Speaker 3: Our solitude will come to an.
Speaker 1: End, and of course, with an assured roof over your heads.
Speaker 4: I adore every inch of it. I am sure the
two of us will get along splendidly, as am I.
Speaker 1: Ah.
Speaker 4: But you must understand, of course, that I take on
nap after dinner. Really, I could never rest then that's
when I'm most wide awake and keen us for talk.
I take minnt just before dinner. But I'm sure we
can arrange our time suitably, and there'll be so many
things to talk about, so many things we can do together.
Speaker 2: Yes, well, I take it then that you ladies are
fully prepared to share the house.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well, so be it.
Speaker 2: I am delighted that this charming house will remain where
it's been for almost two hundred years, in the hands
of the Fresh family.
Speaker 1: Well, now, if we may continue.
Speaker 2: With the inspection, I have saved this main entry hall
for the last of our little tour.
Speaker 1: Impressive.
Speaker 4: Just look at all those full length portraits.
Speaker 3: But those paintings must be. Are they are who we
think they are?
Speaker 1: Frushes, every single one of them.
Speaker 3: They are all of them are ancestors.
Speaker 1: Cousin Susan, Yes, indeed they are.
Speaker 4: Oh that fat one with powdered wig in the big
pot belly, funny, who is he?
Speaker 2: That is Josiah Frush, the man who built this house
in the year seventeen thirty one, a prince among merchants.
Speaker 3: And that one, the one in the colorful uniform.
Speaker 2: Colonel Benjamin Frush served with the greatest distinction under Sir
William pepperwellf in King George's War seventeen forty five.
Speaker 3: I remember reading about him. Isn't that perfectly screaming a
great here? I'm so romantic.
Speaker 6: Oh who's that stern looking one, the one with the frown.
Speaker 2: That is Elbridge Rush, lawyer, tourist, educator, political leader, one
of the founding fathers of this Commonwealth, first president of
fresh University.
Speaker 4: And that one cousin Susan Jeff. Look at him, which one,
the one to the right of the door, dressed in
the clothes of the American Revolution? Oh, isn't he just
the handsomest man you have ever seen in your entire life?
Speaker 3: And so young? He is beautiful.
Speaker 4: Those piercing blue eyes seem to penetrate.
Speaker 3: Right into York, do they not? But those eyes are
so sad. Which one of the fush did he? Mister Willoughby?
Speaker 2: And that lady is young Cuthbert fresh Cuthbert.
Speaker 3: I don't seem to remember hearing about him. When did he.
Speaker 1: Live in the seventeen seventies?
Speaker 3: What did he do? What was he favous for?
Speaker 2: You must pardon me, ladies, This is one subject I
do not care to discuss.
Speaker 4: Another cup of tea, Cousin Amy, if you don't mind.
Speaker 3: Cousin Susan, what a wonderful day. This is the first thing.
Speaker 4: Tomorrow morning I shall start delving into the complete history
of all of our ancestors, find out everything I can
about each of them.
Speaker 3: Cousin Susan.
Speaker 4: Yes, the portrait to the right of the main entry,
Cousin Cuthbert. There's something strange and fascinating about the expression
on his handsome face. Mister Willoughby knows more, I think
than he was willing to say. I must agree with you.
Let's me perfectly, frank, Cousin Susan. Doesn't that look in
Cuthbert's eyes do something to you? Really, Cousin Amy, I
haven't a s life start, you know how, dear cousin,
you said.
Speaker 3: Yourself that his eyes seemed to look right into you.
Speaker 6: I suppose I did, didn't I But they are sad
and so melancholy looking. They seem to be saying, help me, please,
I need you desperately.
Speaker 4: Exactly the feeling they gave me. Have you any idea
why mister Willoughby was so reluctant to discuss Cousin constant?
Speaker 3: Do you hear anything? Music of some somebody's whistling?
Speaker 4: It's a Yankee doodle seems to be coming from that window.
Come let's see. Please be very careful, Cousin Amy, open
the drapes slowly, Cousin Susan, quickly, quickly, come here with
what is it?
Speaker 3: What's wrong? Look out there in the dark. Do you
see what I see?
Speaker 4: Where up there among the branches of that huge tree?
Speaker 3: It can't be Do you suppose it is?
Speaker 4: The faith and head of Cuthbert rush fut it over
to one side, loating in the air.
Speaker 3: We'ved in a kind of eerie blue light, just his
head and face, nothing more, with.
Speaker 4: Out a body I can't believe, and his eyes seemed
to be pleading for something, just exactly the way it
is in the portrait.
Speaker 3: I will not look at it. It's terrifying. Driven. Why
don't we go to our bedroom.
Speaker 4: We're both very tired, which maybe why we're seeing things
that cannot be here that you say, after a good
night's rest, we'll both of us laugh at what we
think we've just seen. Yes, but we did see it.
Imagination plays strange tricks sometimes.
Speaker 3: Oh, let's admit it.
Speaker 4: We've had cousin Cuthbert on our minds ever since mister
Willoughby showed us the portrait.
Speaker 3: It naturally follows that we should see his head and
face floating in the air outside in the among the
branches of that old tree. Talk about it in the morning.
Speaker 4: Tell me just take your lamp and follow me up
to our bedrooms.
Speaker 3: Huh. I'm sure you know best.
Speaker 4: And all these wonderful portraits. Good night, Colonel Benjamin Frush.
I'm sure, General Pepperwell was very proud of you. And
good night to you, Cousin Elbridge, president of Fresh University.
And sleep well, cousin Josiah.
Speaker 3: And you.
Speaker 4: There's that whistling again, Cousin Susan, hold your lamp a
little higher. Yes, under the portrait of Cuthbert Frush, what
is it?
Speaker 3: What's wrong?
Speaker 4: But I can't tell whether it's the lamplight throwing strange
shadows up?
Speaker 3: Do you see what I see?
Speaker 4: Tell me what you see the same portrait of Custard
Frush we saw this afternoon.
Speaker 7: But with one horrible differences. Body is there but poor
Cuspert head.
Speaker 1: No head, just whiz or whahs cusput Fresh?
Speaker 2: Is it possible that in some way his spirit still
lingers on in the old Fresh Mansion? Can we say,
with the poet Longfellow, all houses wherein men have lived
and died are haunted houses? Through the open doors, the
harmless phantoms on their errands glide with feet that make
no sound upon the floor.
Speaker 1: We will learn.
Speaker 2: More when Mystery Theater returns shortly with Act two. The
cellars of the Fresh Mansion are sound, cool and dry,
like the crypts of ancient churches. Several mornings after taking
possession of the old house, Susan and Amy Brush decide
to explore the vaults of these underground labyrinths. A recess
in the thickness of one of the walls has yielded
a small chest bound with hoops of iron. Slowly and carefully,
the two ladies are doing their best to pry it.
Speaker 3: Open, careful, covening me, we don't want to break it.
Speaker 4: I think I have it. It's coming God.
Speaker 6: Good, Ah, wish this chest hasn't been open, I'm sure
in almost a hundred years oh more.
Speaker 4: Since this exciting Let's see what we have. Newspapers and pancier.
Careful how you handle them, they'll fall apart in your hands,
and two, no three packets of letters yellow with time.
Look at that little package tied into a small bundle
with a sprig of tale blue ribbon. Oh sweet, anything else?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 4: I had hoped it might be filled with old golden
guineas ordered by some.
Speaker 3: Ancient miser of a frush.
Speaker 4: I find not, or even a handful of duckets, the
bloom pieces of air stored by an unknown pirate ancestor
of ours or some evil panton of a privateer. Captain Brush,
who roamed the Seven Seas and preyed upon his helpless victim.
Speaker 3: You are an incurable ROMANTNI a lot of old papers
and letters.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 4: You can't wait to read them any more than I
can trough.
Speaker 3: Only I dare not handle them myself. They're so delicate.
This is a job for the minister.
Speaker 4: Not only does the reverend mister Patton preach an excellent sermon,
but he's also president of the town's historical society. If
anybody can help us with these, mister Patten, can, I'm sure?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 6: They should provide many interesting evenings before the fireplace. Cousin Amy,
has it occurred to you that we might find things
in these letters that we might not want to learn about?
Speaker 3: Well, like what? I'm not quite sure.
Speaker 4: But if we should discover something bad about an ancestor
of ours, anyone, I don't think.
Speaker 3: I would want to know.
Speaker 4: Well, suppose it was something about our mysterious cousin Cuthbert.
Speaker 3: Something really naughty. Wouldn't you want to know about? Sho
I'd have to think about.
Speaker 4: Oh, No, you wouldn't, and neither would I. If anything
human happened with Cuthbert or any other fresh with all
those dignified pill of society in the entry hall.
Speaker 3: I would be delighted. What cousins, anything really?
Speaker 4: And the only thing I do in the morning is
to get in touch with the reverend mister Amos Pettingill Patton.
Speaker 3: We'll need his help with these letters. Come quickly, quickly,
coming in, and what's wrong? What's the matter?
Speaker 4: Keep your voice steady alone, coming in. I just heard
you scream. I know, I know. There there is a
man in this room here in your bedroom. Oh how
was that poss No, but just a moment ago there
was someone in this room who I told you a
man were under the bed just standing here.
Speaker 3: Oh, please hold me, cousin. I'm shaking up a leaf over.
Speaker 4: There there, and I'm just trying to be calm. Why
don't we both just sit here.
Speaker 3: At the foot of the bed. Now, would you like
a glass of water?
Speaker 1: Now?
Speaker 3: Tell me quietly. This man that you saw he was
standing you say, where, right in the middle of the room.
Speaker 4: He was standing before my dressing glass with the lights
still on, and I lowered them.
Speaker 3: I had not yet gone to bed.
Speaker 4: Why do you suppose he was standing before your dressing
glass to look at himself, to admire himself.
Speaker 3: Oh, I see, you don't believe me. Of course I believe.
He had his back to the glass. He was standing
there staring looking at me.
Speaker 4: My light garland wrapper.
Speaker 3: Oh, so terrified. I couldn't move. I'm so ashamed. I'm selfish. Now,
please try to remain cold. What did he look like? Oh?
Speaker 4: His clothes were stangeous fashion from another age, knee breeches,
long stockings, a lace, ruffle about his neck, cocktail, that
sort of thing like the period.
Speaker 3: His face, what did he look like? All the light
wasn't right enough for me to make up the features.
Speaker 4: I was too frightened to notice, But I do remember
that the neck was dense sort of. The head was
tilted way over to the one side, to one hour.
It was awful, as though the head were just barely
attached to the rest of the body. Oh, you've got
to stay.
Speaker 3: Here with me. I will not say in this room alone.
Of course. Of course, I wouldn't think of leaving you.
Speaker 4: Cousin Amy, We're not alone in this house. Lisa, food
person here somewhere.
Speaker 3: Just lie down now and close your eyes. I know
what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4: It may well be that all I talk about those
old letters we discovered.
Speaker 3: I did not imagine anything. I saw him.
Speaker 4: The walls we touch in this old house, the floors
we walk on, all have secrets, all secrets, some remembered,
some forgotten. We'll both get used to it, I'm sure
after a while. Now close your eyes and try to
get some rest. Well, good night, cousin names, and thank
you not at all until you fall asleep. I'll sit
here in this old rocking chair.
Speaker 3: Miserable. Heavens, what's wrong?
Speaker 4: There is a man sitting in this rocking chair, and
I'm sitting in his lad.
Speaker 3: No, and he's whispering in my ear. What's he's saying?
Did he saying?
Speaker 4: I beg your pardon, cousin Amy, but you're sitting on
my lap?
Speaker 3: That was lords clamshot. It isn't a bit of wind
tonight from the rocking chair. Look at it. It's rocking
in four oh by itsel. Let's get out of here,
quick break. We'll lock ourselves in my room tonight. Wait
wait for me. I'm coming right with you a bit more, bacer,
mister Patton. Another egg.
Speaker 2: No, thank you, my dear, thank you so much, Oh
bless my soul. Perfectly delightful breakfast, miss Amy.
Speaker 3: I'm Susan.
Speaker 2: Mister Patton, I am a Oh yes, of course, of course,
so you are. You've already told me twice now, haven't you?
Hey one of my words faily.
Speaker 4: About the letters and papers we found in the chest,
mister Patton.
Speaker 2: Uh, yes, indeed, I've gone through almost half of them.
Should complete the first reading of all of them by tomorrow.
Speaker 1: More coffee, Oh, I thank you, Miss Susan.
Speaker 3: Have you found.
Speaker 4: Anything at all thus far that might be of any
interest to us?
Speaker 2: We know that depends a bit on what you ladies
would consider interesting, he doesn't it?
Speaker 4: Well, we were just curious as to whether you might
have come across anything that might show one.
Speaker 3: Or two of them to be a little.
Speaker 2: Less, a little less proper, a little more human, shall
we say, little chinks in their armor.
Speaker 4: Exactly, Nothing really shocking, just something that might possibly explain
certain things.
Speaker 2: Well, there's nothing like that in the letters as yet.
Speaker 1: What certain things? May I ask?
Speaker 3: Any means? Have you found anything in the letters that
might tell something.
Speaker 4: About well, Puss Rush, who cousin Cuthbert Frush?
Speaker 3: That rascal rascal? Why do you call him a rascal?
Speaker 1: Everybody knew it it's practically town.
Speaker 4: Can we asked mister Willoughby about Cuthbert, He did not seem.
Speaker 3: Eager to provide us with any information.
Speaker 2: Well, now, Thomas Willoughby is a bit of a stick
in the muney, isn't he, Mister Patten?
Speaker 3: Certain strange things have been happening here in his house.
Speaker 6: Things that we do not understand, Things that we are
convinced may possibly stem from whatever may have happened to
the man that you call a rascal.
Speaker 1: Exactly what has been happening for.
Speaker 4: The time being, that must remain our little secret, my
cousins and mine. In the meantime, it is of the
utmost urgency that we know everything there is to know
about cousin Cuthbert. Why did he die so young? And
how did he?
Speaker 1: Well? My dear dear ladies.
Speaker 2: The fact is that Cuthbert Frush, born in seventeen forty seven,
as I recall, came to his end in seventeen seventy
five at the age of twenty eight, hanged by the
neck until he was quite dead, on that old oak
tree there outside the window.
Speaker 3: I am not a going to take your customary after
dinner nap comes I couldn't get any unto nervous.
Speaker 4: The first of this dreadful storm, and then the Reverend
patents expected almost.
Speaker 3: Any moment with the rest of the letters. He did
say he'd be here at eight he did. I can
hardly wait.
Speaker 4: I am so excited, though my any I cannot get
used to the idea that darling cousin Cuthbert was among
a stout limb of that old old tree out there
where we saw his head the other night. That's why
it was so dreadfully twisted all the way over to
one side, because hanging breaks the natro But don't say,
but it's a most peculiarly sect. And that also explains
that look of pitiful sadness in those young, hauntingly beautiful eyes. Indeed, Ah,
mister Patten's usually so prompt cousin Susan had him the
slightest suspicion, the faintest inkling of what our damned young
cousin might possibly have done to deserve the fate of
dangling from the end of a stout rope, none whatsoever.
Let us hope we shall now find.
Speaker 6: Out the poor poor boys.
Speaker 1: My heavenly soul, which quite a night, quite a knight,
isn't it.
Speaker 3: Miss Amye?
Speaker 1: No, yeah, of course, of course.
Speaker 3: May I take your raincoat and hoarse?
Speaker 1: Oh, thank you, thank you indeed, miss Amy?
Speaker 4: Correct, correct the paper, the letters you brought them, of course.
Speaker 2: Right here, wrapped in this oiled skin, here we are,
and I have good news for you both, the most
splendid news.
Speaker 3: Shall we sit here close to the fire?
Speaker 1: Thank you?
Speaker 2: Now, if I may, I should like to begin with
a question, truthfully, why are you, too, dear ladies, so
anxious to find out whatever you can about an ancestor
of yours who's been dead for over hundred and twenty
five years.
Speaker 1: Since seventeen seventy.
Speaker 2: Five, particularly since you think there may have been something,
shall we say, a try for naughty in his background.
Speaker 4: We've always he told you, mister Patton, we want to
know everything there is to know about all our.
Speaker 1: Answer and uh, I think I understand, mister Patton.
Speaker 4: What would you say if we were to tell you that,
although Cuthbert may have been hanged, that in some strange
way we cannot explain, Cuthbert.
Speaker 2: Is still with us in spirit, of course, as are
all the freshers.
Speaker 4: Cuthbert is still here living with us in this very house.
Speaker 3: We've seen it.
Speaker 4: And he's trying to tell us something wants something from us.
Speaker 1: Will bless myself.
Speaker 3: You don't believe us.
Speaker 1: Do you?
Speaker 2: Well, you must admit the idea does stretch one's powers
of belief just a trifle.
Speaker 3: Then come with us to the Alter haolway.
Speaker 2: Right this minute, as you wish, missir Amy. We want
you to see something delighted. Delighted, my dear.
Speaker 3: Now is the light good enough for you to see?
Speaker 1: Or certainly? All right?
Speaker 4: Then cast your eyes up as that oil painting of
Cuthbert Frush.
Speaker 2: I know it well, I've seen it so many times.
Oh no, no, I will not believe it.
Speaker 1: The painting is an absolute blank. There's absolutely nothing on
the canvas.
Speaker 3: First the head was gone, Now it's the whole body. Oh,
mister Patten, will you please come back with that into
the parlor and be good enough to tell.
Speaker 4: Us what you found in the paper and why cousin
Cuthbert was put to there. It might help us to
understand why this fIF third person is still hanging about
the house.
Speaker 2: It's said that even the most welcome guest gets to
be a bit of a nuisance after the first three
and that applies, in some measure even to the engaging
spirit of cousin Cuspert. The longer he stays, the more
demanding his presence seems to become. For he has presented
a dark and challenging mystery to his two spinster cousins,
and they are determined to unravel Cusperts one hundred and
twenty five year old secret.
Speaker 1: And so am I.
Speaker 2: We'll learn more about that when Mystery Theater returns shortly
with Act three.
Speaker 3: Ooh, my kids love chocolate milk. This isn't just ordinary
chocolate milk.
Speaker 2: A footstep, a loath robbing in the walls, a noise
of falling weights that never fell, weird whispers, bells that
ring without a hand, door handles that turn when no
one was at the door, and bolted doors that open
by themselves. So did the poet Tennyson describe some of
the possible goings on in a house shared by a ghost.
Amy and Susan Frush believe in what they see and hear.
Their present task is to convince the Reverend pattern if
they can.
Speaker 4: Now do you believe us, mister Patton? Do you believe that?
In some inexplicable way?
Speaker 3: But has left that thing to frame and is wandering
about the house. Cousin Amy and I have actually seen.
Speaker 2: Him, and you think he's staying on because he wants
you to do something.
Speaker 4: And it would help tremendously if we could know why
he was hanging.
Speaker 3: Have you come across anything in the letters?
Speaker 4: Were there an unhappy love affair that ended in his
committee murder?
Speaker 3: Did he kill someone a jealous husband? Or what he
had dashing hired to was captured by the King's navy
after a bloody battle?
Speaker 4: On I see what speakable things did he do to
deserve to be hanged?
Speaker 3: Oh? Please tell her?
Speaker 2: I will, I will, if you'll give me a chance.
Was nothing quite as ramatic as you suggest?
Speaker 3: H What did mister Paton?
Speaker 1: Now you both read your early American history? Think back?
Speaker 2: What was one of the weightiest things on the minds
of the American colonist's one of the things, in fact,
that led to the American Revolution?
Speaker 4: Paying taxes they considered unfair? Huh, taxation without representation?
Speaker 2: Right on ahead, miss Amy, and the only way a
patriotic colonist could show his defiance of what he considered
inequitable taxes put.
Speaker 1: Upon him by the British.
Speaker 2: Was to smuggle articles like tea, brandy rum molasses into
the country without paying the taxes.
Speaker 3: You mean, cousin Cuthbert was a smuggler, a.
Speaker 2: Good many of the townspeople here, being so near the sea.
Speaker 1: Made a very bold living out of smuggling.
Speaker 3: Is that why they hanged him?
Speaker 2: If they lived by smuggling, sad it is to say
that some of them proudly and defiantly died for it.
Speaker 3: Like cousin cut.
Speaker 2: Several of these letters speak of his smuggling activities. He
was admired here as one of the best until he
was unlucky enough to be caught and hanged for what
was then considered a capital crime.
Speaker 3: Hanged for a little thing like smuggling.
Speaker 2: In the eyes of King George the Third's offices, it
was not such a little thing.
Speaker 1: Cuthbert did commit an error, a human error. But as
we know to er, he is human, to forgere give divine.
Speaker 4: Of course, that's it exactly.
Speaker 3: What's what, exactly?
Speaker 4: I know what's bothering Cusat you do? The first thing
we must do is to visit his grave in the
old churchyard. The way I look at it, the only
crime Cuspert was really guilty of what's the crime of
being caught? Ooh oo, kind of food it good boy.
The entrance to the churchyard must be through that gate,
so it is Cristin Susan.
Speaker 3: Here's the fresh section of the burying ground.
Speaker 4: Oh just look at all those beautiful headstones and monuments.
You know, it's hard to make out some of the names.
Speaker 3: Who's that? That's Benjamin Frush the soldier.
Speaker 4: Here is the grave of dear dear Cuthbard o cousin Susan.
Put the little raise of flowers at the foot of
the grave. They are lovely, they should please him. Do
you mind if I begin? No, not at all, dear
Cuthbert Frush cousin Susan, and I know why they hang you.
We would like you to know that not only do
we not look down upon you for what you did,
but that we do not in any way disapprove of
your actions.
Speaker 3: We are sorry, of course, that you were.
Speaker 4: Caught and hanged on the oak behind the parlor at
the tender age of only twenty eight. We also sense
that you are unhappy and restless in this grave.
Speaker 3: You want to be forgiven, don't you?
Speaker 4: You want peace and rest and that pleading look in
your eyes tells us you're trying to say something that
possibly you want our help. What is it you want
us to do? The vase of flowers stuggled over and
brooke cousin cord Is this your way of telling us
you hear us?
Speaker 3: Who answer us? Cuthbert, talk to us for your cousin, Susan.
Speaker 4: Dear, Oh well, that was sweet of you, Thank you, Cuthbert.
What was that? Cousin Cuthber just kissed me ever so
gently he did on the forehead. Oh yes, Cousin Custy
is saying some fish.
Speaker 3: O course, dear Cuthbert.
Speaker 4: Now I know exactly the kind of thing you want.
Speaker 3: Us to do.
Speaker 1: What is it?
Speaker 3: What did he say?
Speaker 1: Susan?
Speaker 4: I hope you won't mind staying alone for the next
few days.
Speaker 3: I'm leaving in the morning.
Speaker 4: Where too, Why what are you planning to do just
for a few days?
Speaker 3: A very important.
Speaker 4: Errand ah, but we have the fourth of July celebration
coming up. We've invited mister Willoughby and mister pat Oh.
I have no intention of disappointing them. Oh, don't worry,
I'll be back by the fourth of July. I am ma'am,
You're sure you've packed them well, I have a long trip.
Speaker 1: Yes, ma'am, I have.
Speaker 2: Indeed, just be sure to keep the package dry away
from any.
Speaker 1: Heat, of course.
Speaker 3: Oh, you're sure I'll be able to manage them myself.
Speaker 1: Just take usual precautions.
Speaker 3: I adure the red, white and blue ribbon you've tied
it with I'm so appropriate for this time of the year.
Speaker 1: Fourth of salan Oh, we try to please, ma'am.
Speaker 4: On the day we commemorate the birsty of our country's independence.
Speaker 3: It is my.
Speaker 4: Hope that a certain person will be celebrating his independence too,
that his spirit will become as free as our countries
were in seventeen seventy six.
Speaker 1: Yes, indeed, that'll be three dollars and a half ma'am.
Thank you, and come back soon.
Speaker 4: Have another marshmallow, mister parton you, mister Willoughby.
Speaker 2: Ah, what a wonderful way of celebrating the fourth don't
you agree, mister Patton.
Speaker 1: I certainly do, mister willelmy fine dinner.
Speaker 2: Now, this bonfire keeps reminding me of the famous words
of John Adams. On the eve of July fourth, seventeen
seventy six, he said that the anniversary of independence should
always be remembered with pump and parade, with shows, games, sports, bells,
bonfires and fireworks.
Speaker 4: Cousin Susan, Yes, gentlemen, I would like to contribute one
of those items to our celebration.
Speaker 3: These what's in that for the package?
Speaker 4: Chinese are crackers, and these.
Speaker 3: Are Roman candles.
Speaker 4: And here are thin wheels, and these are called salut.
Speaker 2: We'll firecrackers and fireworks displays. Now where on earth did
you get it? Don't you know what's against the Lord
to bring those things into the state.
Speaker 4: Shall we toss the fire crackers into the bonfire one
at a time? Look, here's the package for you, Cousin Susan.
Run for you, mister Patrick, and run for you, mister.
Speaker 2: Call them into the.
Speaker 1: Fire, my soul, miss Amy, what have you done?
Speaker 3: You went away the budes?
Speaker 4: How can anyone properly celebrate the fourth of July without
biocrackers or fireworld? You journey somewhere to another state where
you could buy them legally, and brought them into this
state illegally.
Speaker 3: Oh top, some more of them into the fire.
Speaker 1: The eyes of the lore.
Speaker 2: This crush, won't you if time would be considered smirking.
Speaker 3: Wouldn't it.
Speaker 4: It's nedly wonderful, Amy, you become a smuggler.
Speaker 1: Why what is.
Speaker 4: Your cousin Cuthbert, that we crushes are perfectly capable of
taking the same kind of receiving, capable of the same
kind of bowl.
Speaker 3: Being He's been puntful, you see.
Speaker 4: He wanted us to perform a punishable act of whitey
danger as he wants did. I did what I did
to prove to him that we considered his act a
human one.
Speaker 3: As you said, mister pattens to Err, is human.
Speaker 1: To forgive if I but that was quite a risk
you took.
Speaker 4: If it works, it will have been worth it.
Speaker 3: Comby fuck up to the old oakture.
Speaker 4: It's cousin Cuthbert, the whole of him. And for the
first time, Cosbert since we've.
Speaker 3: Known you, your eyes are not sad. In fact, you're
actually smiling. Cousin Cuspert, you are beauty.
Speaker 6: If he's beginning to fade, I can see right through him.
Speaker 3: He's getting fatter, in fainter, hope, Please stay, Cousin Cuspert.
He's going away. He's God.
Speaker 4: I I rather think I shall miss him. It was
comforting to have a handsome young man about the house.
Wasn't it, even if he was a mister Willoughby.
Speaker 2: Mister Patton, yes, miss Amy.
Speaker 4: You must think our behavior a trifle a peculiar.
Speaker 6: Well, if you saw or heard anything unusual, do forget
it please.
Speaker 2: I didn't see a thing, did you, mister Patton. Oh no, no, no,
not a thing. I didn't hear anything either.
Speaker 4: It's getting a bit cool, isn't it. Shall we have
our coffee inside in the parlor.
Speaker 3: The coffee will only take a moment, gentlemen.
Speaker 1: Look what is it?
Speaker 4: The portrait, the painting of Cuthbert Fresh.
Speaker 1: Well, bless my soul.
Speaker 3: It's all again.
Speaker 4: The four portrait is back on the canvas the way
it was to begin with. Oh you're a bit harder,
and look closely. Do you notice any other difference? The eyes,
of course, the eyes, where they were once rather sad
and mournful, they now sing to have a twinkle in them.
Speaker 1: And so they do.
Speaker 3: Goud nay, yeah, did you see what I saw? Cousin
Cusper just wnted us.
Speaker 1: I'll be back in a moment with a final thought.
Do you know what's in your credit files? You should?
Others do? No, you can if it's happening now, you're
hearing it now on w m a Q. We are
all news, all day, every day,