Beyond Midnight - The House was a Sphinx

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Beyond Midnight – The House was a Sphinx

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Airdate: March 13, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode is a classic radio drama from the "Beyond Midnight" series, titled The House was a Sphinx. The story evokes the tension, mystery, and melodrama characteristic of radio plays from the Golden Age, centering on a haunted family home, a forbidden romance, the secrets behind locked doors, and the tragic consequences of love, suspicion, and misunderstanding.

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Main Theme and Purpose

The episode explores the allure and foreboding nature of old family secrets, set against the backdrop of a sprawling, empty, mysterious estate (“the house was a sphinx”). Through the troubled romance of Bonnie Daniels and Davy Snowden, the drama unfurls themes of class, suspicion, the legacy of family, and the dangers of manipulation—culminating in a tragic consequence that reveals the house's metaphorical riddle.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Atmosphere and Setting

• [02:19] Narrator: Describes the deserted, imposing house:
  “The house was a sphinx squatting on the hillside. It had the dark, sullen look of all empty houses, but its size also made it seem tragic…”
• The young couple, Bonnie Daniels and Davy Snowden, arrive and reminisce about the history of the house:
  • Family’s loss, memories of childhood, the house always being rented out, and the mysterious locked room [03:43].

2. The Locked Door Mystery

• [05:46] Davy finds a door that won’t open; Bonnie reveals it's always been locked, forbidden by her father.
  • “No, no, it isn't stuck. It's locked. It's always been locked.” – Bonnie Daniels [05:54]
• Davy jokes about family secrets:
  • “Maybe it's full of hanging women, like Bluebeard's castle. Or I tell you what, maybe it's where the family jewels are hidden.” [06:33]
• Bonnie is fearful; she wants to leave the door alone.

3. Romantic Defiance and Family Confrontation

• Bonnie and Davy are discovered together by Bonnie’s mother, Mrs. Daniels [08:11].
  • Classic confrontation: mother fears for her daughter’s reputation and inheritance, suspects Davy’s motives.
• The couple reveal they have secretly married:
  • “We were married in Elton this afternoon.” – Bonnie Daniels [08:59]
• Mrs. Daniels determined to annul the marriage, believing Davy is after money [10:27–10:31].

4. Young Love and Insecurity

• Bonnie struggles with self-image and Davy’s motives.
  • “Do you think I'm plain?... Tell me the truth, Davey.” – Bonnie Daniels [12:08]
  • Davy reassures her: “I think you're beautiful.” [12:08]

5. Desperation and the Mock Suicide Plot

• Legal threats: Davy consults lawyers, learns that Mrs. Daniels may undo the marriage [14:39–15:14].
• To prove their love, Davy concocts a plan: Bonnie will fake a suicide attempt to shock her mother into accepting the marriage [16:00–17:13].
  • “What would your mother think if she thought you were really serious about killing yourself? Wouldn't that make her change her mind in a hurry?” – Davy [16:23]
• Bonnie is hesitant, but Davy convinces her to act [17:03–17:49].

6. Tragic Consequence

• Bonnie takes sleeping pills as part of the ruse, but she does not wake up as planned [19:08–21:00].
• The plan goes awry, and a terrible secret is revealed:
  • “Not with Bonnie's heart… she's had rheumatic fever when she was [a child]. Her heart's been weak ever since.” – Mrs. Daniels [23:01]
• Bonnie's death is the unintended result of the deception and her underlying illness.

7. Aftermath and Final Revelation

• Mrs. Daniels handles Bonnie’s estate, clarifying Davy inherits nothing—Bonnie’s inheritance reverts to her mother [24:24].
• In a gesture of cold resolution, Mrs. Daniels gives Davy the old house:
  • “Anyway, it's yours, Mr. Snowden. You have complete possession of the land, the house and everything in it.” [25:16–25:40]
• Davy is given the keys; he finally opens the locked room [26:29–26:33].
• The final twist:
  • The locked room contains nothing but rotten floorboards—a deadly trap overlooked by Bonnie’s miserly father [28:00–28:19].
  • “I knew there was nothing behind that door except rotten floorboards… someone might fall through that terrible overhang and be dashed to pieces…” – Mrs. Daniels [28:12]

8. Coda

• The metaphor of the house as a sphinx is realized: it held danger, secrets, and loss, with the tragedy springing from what was hidden—both in rooms and in people’s hearts.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the House
  • “The house was a sphinx squatting on the hillside. It had the dark, sullen look of all empty houses…” — Narrator [02:19]
• On Forbidden Secrets
  • “It's locked. It's always been locked… Daddy once told me never to go near this room…” — Bonnie Daniels [05:54–06:11]
• On Young Love
  • “I love Bonnie, Mrs. Daniels.” — Davy Snowden [09:45]
  • “Tell me the truth, Davey. Do you think I'm plain?” — Bonnie Daniels [12:08]
  • “I think you're beautiful.” — Davy Snowden [12:08]
• On Manipulation and Desperation
  • “What would your mother think if she thought you were really serious about killing yourself? Wouldn't that make her change her mind in a hurry…” — Davy Snowden [16:23]
• On Tragedy
  • “Not with Bonnie’s heart…she’s had rheumatic fever…Her heart’s been weak ever since.” — Mrs. Daniels [23:01]
• On The House’s Real Secret
  • “I knew there was nothing behind that door except rotten floorboards…someone might fall through that terrible overhang and be dashed to pieces…” — Mrs. Daniels [28:12]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:19 – Description of the house as a “sphinx”; set-up of the episode’s central mystery
• 05:46–06:33 – Discovery and discussion of the locked room
• 08:11–11:08 – Confrontation between Bonnie, Davy, and Mrs. Daniels (marriage revelation)
• 14:39–15:19 – Davy seeks legal counsel; desperation sets in
• 16:00–17:49 – Davy devises the fake suicide plan
• 19:07–21:00 – Bonnie takes the pills; plan starts to unravel
• 23:01 – Mrs. Daniels’ reveals Bonnie’s heart condition; the true danger
• 24:24–25:51 – Mrs. Daniels gives Davy the house, revealing her motives and closure
• 26:29–28:19 – Davy finally enters the locked room; the house’s secret is revealed

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Tone and Presentation

• The episode maintains an ominous, suspenseful, and melodramatic tone throughout, echoing the style of mid-century radio mysteries:
  • Narration is descriptive and atmospheric.
  • Dialogue is emotionally charged, with youthful passion and parental suspicion.
  • The ending carries a somber, moralistic weight, reflecting on hidden dangers—both literal and figurative.

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Summary Insight

A Gothic radio drama that uses the motif of a locked room to explore generational secrets, tragic love, and the heavy cost of manipulation. The “sphinx” house is a metaphor for the questions and dangers families hide, with the ultimate tragedy revealing the peril in both what’s concealed and what’s left unresolved.

If you missed the episode, this summary covers all key narrative developments, themes, and memorable lines—without needing to hear the show itself.

Transcript

[Bonnie Daniels]

Are you really buying a car online on Autotrader right now? Really? I can get super specific with dealer listings and see cars based on my budget. You can really have it delivered or pick it up. I think kid is walking up the slide. Really? Autotrader, Buy your car online? Really?

[Narrator]

I do know, though, that if a bedroom door is locked, I cannot rest until it is opened. Perhaps you feel like that too. Davies Noden did you he had a few ideas about what might lie on the other side of a certain locked door, but he could never have guessed with any accuracy. You see, a mere turn of a handle sent him on a journey into and beyond midnight. Biotech the new soak and pre wash powder presents beyond midnight by michael mccabe.

[Mrs. Brookvites]

I received a letter from Mrs. Brookvites of Spoon Street Lakeside, Cape Town during the week and she wrote to me about biotechs. She said my daughter's gym tunic was very badly stained with the result she

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

would not wear it.

[Mrs. Brookvites]

I decided to try Biotex, which you advertised, and I soaked the garment for a few hours and much to my amazement, the stains disappeared. I've spoken about this product to my friends who are now using Biotex, and I'd like to say a big thank you for making this product available to us. Well, as I've been saying for a little while, Mrs. Brookvites and you other ladies, Biotex is absolutely marvelous when it comes to helping get rid of those very stubborn stains. I've kept on emphasizing that you let soaking do your washing and you will notice that these stands just vanish by using Biotex merely by soaking overnight or for a couple of hours in warm water or pre washing in your washing machine.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

It is spelt B I O T E X.

[Narrator]

The house was a sphinx squatting on the hillside. It had the dark, sullen look of all empty houses, but its size also made it seem tragic. It was four stories high, the topmost floor overhanging the entrance and supported on spidery white columns. It was a house built in an era of opulence and then deserted by its owners for smaller, racier houses in more fashionable sections of the countryside. Spotlighted in the glare from the car, they embraced and kissed, and the girl fumbled in her purse for a key. The boy went back and made the car dark again.

[Announcer]

Here we are,

[Narrator]

Hunting light sources and finding them. The front room blazed into view, but the gloom of the old house was only partly dispelled.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Oh, will you just look at the wallpaper? Positively scurvy.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Looks different, huh? How long has it been since you were here?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Yes. It's almost eight years. I was nine when father died and that's when we moved out. We've. We've always rented the place. Every summer, though. Rented it out. You know, dust, dust, just a little dust.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You rented it out. That's why the lights are still on, I guess.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey, maybe we shouldn't have come here.

[Narrator]

Oh, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie. He grinned. It was an appealing crooked grin placing lean dimples on the smooth plane of his cheeks. He was 22 and the best looking boy that had ever come into Bonnie Daniel's life. And now he was even more than that.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Baby, Baby, let's go explore.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Right. Okay.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Coffee.

[Announcer]

Stairs here.

[Narrator]

From room to room and floor to floor. They went racing down corridors, giggling at ancestral portraits, playing hide and seek in the labyrinth of upstairs bedrooms. They made the old house shake with their exuberance and ring with their laughter. It was on the fourth and topmost floor that Davy found the door that wouldn't yield.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I'm a ghost.

[Mrs. Brookvites]

I just a little old gum.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Oh, I can't. I can't. I have to sink down. Sink down. Oh, and rest. Because I'm tired and I have no strength at all.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

This is queer. All the others are open. Oh, brother. This one. This one's really stuck.

[Bonnie Daniels]

No, no, it isn't stuck. It's locked. It's always been locked.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Oak. That's what this is made of. Okay, oak. What's behind it?

[Bonnie Daniels]

I don't know. It's been locked since ever I can remember. Daddy once told me never to go near this room. And once I remember my mother talking about it. She was. Yeah, she was sort of nervous, I recall.

[Narrator]

Sounds mysterious.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Let's say we break it in.

[Bonnie Daniels]

No, Davey, no, we can't do that.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Well, gee, aren't you curious? Maybe it's full of hanging women, like Bluebeard's castle. Or I tell you what, maybe it's where the family jewels are hidden.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Let's leave it alone, Davy. I was always scared of that door. Davey, don't.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Well, what's it locked for? There's gotta be something pretty valuable in there.

[Announcer]

Listen, for all you know, there may

[Narrator]

be money in there.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I mean, your father left the house to you, didn't he? I mean, if there's something valuable in there, it belongs to you, doesn't it?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey, you promised not to talk about money.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I'm not talking about your mother's money.

[Bonnie Daniels]

But the house isn't really mine. Not yet. Not till I'm 21, and that's two years. Here Davy. Don't be technical, Davey.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Okay, if that's how you feel. We have plenty of time anyway. Hey, come here.

[Bonnie Daniels]

No, please, Davey. Let's go downstairs.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Sure. Let's go.

[Narrator]

Come on. They went to the first floor, and Davy, with dramatic gestures, pulled all the dust sheets from the furniture. And then he went to the basement and returned with kindling. The fire took a long time to get going. A city boy, Davy was inexpert. Finally, though, warmth was induced, and they pulled a sofa close and curled into each other's arms. Come on, kitten.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Time to go to bed.

[Narrator]

You're asleep. You always fall asleep.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Hey, what the.

[Narrator]

Hey.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

We got company.

[Bonnie Daniels]

No, no.

[Announcer]

Wait, wait, wait.

[Bonnie Daniels]

It's Mother. Mother. It's all right, Mother. It's all right. You're hurting me. All right, is it? I suppose you're David Snowden.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

I've heard about you, Mr. Snowden.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Well, thank heavens. I had the sense to think of this place when Bunny didn't show up at home. You have it all wrong, Davy. Tell her.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Never. Daniel Brighton.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I understand everything. I was afraid something like this might happen as soon as Bonnie started mentioning you in her letters from school. Get your things, Bonnie. We're going home.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Mrs. Daniels.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I don't want to hear.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

We're married, Mrs. Daniels.

[Bonnie Daniels]

It's true. We were married in Elton this afternoon.

[Narrator]

You can't be.

[Bonnie Daniels]

You are underage. Not in Elton. 19's fine. In Elton, you can't do anything. Mother, please try to understand. Oh, I understand, all right. I went through a dozen babies when

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

I was your age.

[Bonnie Daniels]

All the handsome boys who thought I was the catch of the season, even if I had braces on my teeth and a bad complexion. Oh, Bonnie, Bonnie. My poor Bonnie.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I love Bonnie. Mrs. Daniels.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Suppose you have no money, Mother.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

No. My family were immigrants. My father was a freight dispatcher till he died. My mother's alive, but I don't even know where. I haven't any kind of a family background, Mrs. Daniels. But I love Bonnie.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Why?

[Bonnie Daniels]

You heard Mr. Snowden. Why?

[Narrator]

Why?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You can't explain something like that.

[Bonnie Daniels]

She's a plain girl. Are you blind? She's plain. Why does a handsome boy like you want to marry my daughter? You think I'm stupid, Mother?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I love her and that's all there is to it. And we're married, and there's nothing you can do about it.

[Bonnie Daniels]

You're happ, Mr. Snowden, but you're not very bright. There's everything in the world I can do about it. I intend having this marriage annul immediately.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

We Won't let you do that, Mrs. Daniels.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Going home now, Bonnie. I want you to come with me. I won't. Don't make it any worse than it is now. I won't. Davey. Tell her I'm not going.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You see how it is, Mrs. Daniels? Yeah.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Yeah, I see how it is. You will regret this, girl. Mark my words.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I can't live without Davey. And if you break this up, I'll kill myself, I swear. Don't talk nonsense. But a heart doesn't break, it withers.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

That's what I don't want you to find out.

[Announcer]

I will.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I mean it. I'll kill myself.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

It's a lousy hole and you know it. I'm ashamed to have to bring you here to two rooms downtown.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Oh, don't worry, Davey. We'll make it nice. You'll see. There's something else more important now. Davey. Can she really do what she said?

[Narrator]

I don't know.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I have to talk to a lawyer

[Bonnie Daniels]

because I couldn't stand it if she did.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Davey, your mother loves you. She wouldn't hurt you.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey, tell me the truth. Do you think I'm plain? Huh?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I think you're beautiful.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Tell me the truth, Davey. Do you think I'm playing? Davey? Do you? Tell me the truth, Sadie. Do you think I played, Baby, don't you? Tell me the truth, Sadie. Jesus. Tell me the truth, Sadie.

[Announcer]

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[David 'Davy' Snowden]

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[Announcer]

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[Bonnie Daniels]

Soak, soak.

[Announcer]

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[David 'Davy' Snowden]

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[Announcer]

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[Bonnie Daniels]

Baby. Baby.

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[Narrator]

I went to Hellinger and Dalles.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Father, an old fraternity pal of mine, works there. Well, honey, it doesn't look so good. The lawyer thinks your mother can run us through a ringer. By the time she's through with us, I'll probably be arrested for kidnapping you over the state lines. Looks pretty hopeless, kitten.

[Bonnie Daniels]

It can't be Davey. Maybe if you talk to.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

She won't give me a chance. She's made up her mind that all I want is her lousy money.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Well, what if there wasn't any money? What if I signed away all the rights to the money my father left me? That would make her believe. That would make her believe us, wouldn't it?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

That's kind of drastic, Bonnie. I mean, the money's yours when you come of age. I mean, you're entitled to it.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I don't care about the money.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Yeah, yeah, sure, but there has to be another way. There has to be.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey.

[Narrator]

What?

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

You don't care about the money, do you?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Do I care about your money, Barney?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Because if I thought. If I thought that what, Davy?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

What kind of a question is that to ask your husband?

[Bonnie Daniels]

You better give me some kind of answer, David.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Have I acted as if all I want is your money? Oh, sure. That's what your old lady thinks.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Because I want my mother to be wrong. More than anything else in the world, I want my mother to be wrong.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

David,

[Bonnie Daniels]

please. David, listen.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I got an idea. It's a crazy idea, and I won't blame you if you don't go along with it.

[Bonnie Daniels]

What is.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You remember what you said, what you told your. What you told your mother about the house, about you killing yourself?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Yes, but. What are you talking about?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Look, she didn't believe you, of course. Nobody believes you when you talk wild like that. But if. If anything, I'd make her realize that you really love me. I mean, that this marriage was really important to you. No, look, listen, listen, Bonnie, don't get me wrong. I mean, what would your mother think if she thought you were really serious about killing yourself? Wouldn't that make her change her mind in a hurry.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Why, I suppose it would. You can't fool about like that, baby. We couldn't fool her about a thing like that.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

If you really tried to commit suicide, Bonnie, only you didn't try too hard.

[Bonnie Daniels]

How could I do such a thing?

[Narrator]

Well, there's a couple of ways. A couple?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Gas, for instance. I mean, we could fix up a phony thing with a gas kitten. Don't look like that. We'll just forget the whole thing.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Yeah. Now, go on, Davey. I'm listening.

[Narrator]

Well, maybe the easiest way will be with poison.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Might be more convincing even, because I'd have to get a doctor and he'd have to pump you out.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey, I couldn't do that.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Wait a minute. It could be sleeping pills or. Wait, I have some of those. It wouldn't hurt at all. Oh, look, all you'd have to do would be to take a couple.

[Narrator]

Nothing to really hurt.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You could. You could write your mother, you see, tell her what you're gonna do, but that I don't know about it. See, you could say you were going to swallow a bottle of pills, but in actual fact, you only take a few. Then when your mother shows up here,

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey, the whole thing scares me.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

I promise you, Kip, nothing will go wrong. And your mother will know you love me.

[Bonnie Daniels]

You.

[Narrator]

You do love me, don't you, Bonnie?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Oh, I do.

[Narrator]

Bonnie sat down that same afternoon and composed a letter to her mother with Davies assistance. It was brief, emotional and final. Davies editing gave it a tone of melancholy forgiveness. He grinned as he lit the seal and raced to the mailbox. They waited until the next afternoon before putting their plan into action.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Leave it, Rania. It may be her. She may have received the letter and now she's calling you. Leave it. Ring. Okay. This is it. Do you have the file?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Yes. Here.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Look, you better do all this yourself to take out, sweetie, okay?

[Mrs. Brookvites]

No, no.

[Narrator]

Better make it four.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Davey. Davy, are you sure it'll be all right?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Of course it will. Look, it takes at least 10 to hurt you.

[Narrator]

And even then it wouldn't do you a lot of harm.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Besides, I'll get a doctor over as soon as possible.

[Narrator]

Trust me, kitten.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I trust you.

[Narrator]

Davy, wait a moment. Here. Water. She took the pills, swallowing them one at a time. It was almost half an hour before she felt as much as drowsy. He suggested that she went to lie down in the bedroom. She did this. She was asleep. Ten minutes later, he called her name, but she didn't wake him.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Daisy, you don't think I'm funny? Do you? You don't care about the money, do you?

[Narrator]

Sadie,

[Bonnie Daniels]

Please. Davy.

[Announcer]

You know, Bunny, about.

[Narrator]

Morning.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

You asleep?

[Bonnie Daniels]

Huh?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Bonnie.

[Narrator]

What seemed like a long time passed. He went out and bought groceries at the store. He tiptoed the Bonnie's bedroom and called her. She did not stir. He was about to call Mrs. Daniels, having decided to change the plan a little, to call her urgently to come over instead.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

When.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Where is she? Where's my dog?

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

Well, Bonnie.

[Announcer]

Why, she's.

[David 'Davy' Snowden]

She's lying down. Sleeping, I guess. I just got in a couple of minutes ago.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Just a minute.

[Announcer]

What is this?

[Bonnie Daniels]

That's what. That's what this is all about. Take your dirty little hands off me.

[Narrator]

Oh, brother. Look of her. It worked. She's out of her mind. Now. There's.

[Announcer]

She can't be. She can't be dead. Hello? I'll get a doctor.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Here.

[Announcer]

Too late. You drove her to this. It's your fault. If you'd let her alone. She did that because of you. She isn't dead. She can't be dead. Bonnie, wake up. Wake up, kitten. It's all right. Everything's all right. It's all right, Kitten, please. Oh, for Pete's sake.

[Bonnie Daniels]

You got to wake up, Bunny. Wake up.

[Announcer]

It can't be bad. There weren't many pills in that bottle. She couldn't have taken many.

[Bonnie Daniels]

She wouldn't need much.

[Announcer]

Not with Bonnie's heart.

[Bonnie Daniels]

It wouldn't take much.

[Narrator]

What are you talking about?

[Bonnie Daniels]

She's had rheumatic fever when she was 30. Her heart's been weak ever since.

[Announcer]

Bonnie, please. Bonnie.

[Narrator]

Bonnie.

[Announcer]

Kitten, wake up, please. It's okay. Bonnie. Bonnie. Wann. Oh, my.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Dear. Mr. Snowden, would you kindly attend a meeting in the office of my attorneys, Harman and Wilcox, 70 Wall street, at 10:30am April 3?

[Narrator]

Were they meaning to do him harm? What could they do? Concerned about his making a claim against Bonnie's estate, he had already covered the question. Helena and Dowes had assured him that he had no rights to any part of the girl's estate. What then? What then

[Announcer]

what?

[Narrator]

Mrs. Daniels is in my office waiting for you. Am I being sued sudden?

[Announcer]

Of course not.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Come in, Mr. Snowden. It won't take very long. I wonder if you're curious about my daughter's estate. In case she didn't know her inheritance from my late husband wasn't due until she was 21. Since her death, it automatically reverts to me. So you see, there's nothing you could possibly expect.

[Narrator]

I didn't expect anything.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Very kind of you.

[Bonnie Daniels]

I'm sure.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

However, Mr. Snowden, the fact that you did marry Bonnie imposes a certain amount of obligation on me. You are my son in law, whether I enjoy the fact or not. As it happens, I don't. But as it also happens, I feel that it's necessary to make some kind of settlement in regard to your welfare.

[Narrator]

I don't understand. I'm sure Mrs. Daniels. Shut up.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

While you're generous, tell her myself. Mr. Snowden, you seem very fond of that old house of ours. It was once valued at a great deal of money, but I doubt that it's worth more than a few thousand today. Anyway, it's yours, Mr. Snowden.

[Bonnie Daniels]

You have complete possession of the land,

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

the house and everything in it.

[Narrator]

Everything? You really mean everything?

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

Of course. Mr. Holman will hear the formality. I merely wanted to let you know.

[Narrator]

Gee, Mrs. Daniels, don't thank me.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

I can stand anything from you except thanks. I sincerely hope, Mr. Snowden, that we never meet again.

[Narrator]

Robyn, care of all the details. Could I just ask one question? When Mrs. Daniels said I could have everything. Well, there are certain places in the house. I mean locked doors, rooms and that. Am I entitled? Of course, Mr. Snowden.

[Announcer]

Everything. I'll see you get a full set

[Narrator]

of keys for every lot.

[Bonnie Daniels]

Now.

[Narrator]

Came the day when Davy drove out to look at his estate. A cursory inspection of the lower floors and then the climb to the fourth. He was winded by the time he reached the door. It was excited, too. There might, of course, be nothing of value in the room. No treasure, no hidden cache of jewels. But there might just be something of value, he reasoned. There was, of course, only one way to find out. To learn the secret behind the locked door. Ah, success. He stepped inside. The house was a sphinx. And like a sphinx, it was silent. But now the silence was broken.

[Announcer]

You lied to him.

[Narrator]

You knew perfectly well what you were doing when you deeded the hostess. Know them?

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

I knew. You gonna give me away, Walter? You could call that police lieutenant back, you know.

[Narrator]

Of course I'm not gonna give you away, but. Well, there's such a thing as morality.

[Mrs. Daniels (Bonnie's Mother)]

I knew. I knew there was nothing behind that door except rotten floorboards. I used to argue with my husband about it. I used to say we ought to have the floor repaired. That someone might fall through that terrible overhang and be dashed to pieces on the driveway. But he was a strangely miserly man. So we just locked up the room and forgot it. It's an old gloomy house, Wallace, but sometimes I really think it wasn't so bad.

[Announcer]

Darling, lets go out and paint the town red. But what about your headache?

[Narrator]

Oh, that's gone.

[Announcer]

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[Narrator]

Beyond Midnight is presented every Friday night at half past nine by Biotech, the New Soak and Pre Wash Powder. The program is adapted for broadcasting and Produced by Michael McCabe.