
Diary of Fate - John Carthage - 03/02/1948
Loading summary
A
What's up baby?
B
It's Bretzky.
A
And I'm here to tell you that
C
spinquest.com is giving out free sweeps coins.
D
All you gotta do is purchase a $10 coin pack.
A
And guess what? They're gonna give you the coins from
D
a $30 coin pack that lets you
C
play all your favorite games like blackjack,
A
Wanted Dead or Wild.
D
And we're talking real cash prizes, baby.
C
Spinquest.com Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited.
B
Visit spinquest.com for more details.
A
The diary of faith
C
faith plays no favorite. It could happen to you.
A
Book 22, page 475 in the diary of Fate. Yes, here it is. The name John Carthage, Doctor of medicine. In just a moment, John Carthage will awaken from a drug induced sleep. He is alone in his luxurious mountain lodge. The last few days have been a strain which sapped his energy. A brilliant and almost miraculous piece of surgery performed upon one who had influenced his well ordered and meticulous existence. And in just a little while, John Carthage will be dead. As I am preparing to write the final entry on his page, John Carthage is bitterly railing against me and his forgetfulness regarding a little thing. Yes, John Carthage. In a very short while you will realize the true meaning of fate. In a moment I will read from the record of Dr. John Carthage in the Diary of Fate.
C
I hope you'll understand.
A
Yes, John Carthage. If it were not for a little thing, you would not now be alone in your lodge. And at this moment aware that for you the end is certain. While there is still time, I want to go over your page in my diary. It was during the long planned weekend at your mountain retreat. You and your lovely young wife Jane, in Co. With Dr. Baldwin, were awaiting the return of Mason Gray from a hunt. Remember?
C
John. John. Come quickly. What's around? What's the matter? Outside. Hurry.
E
What's the trouble? John.
C
John, look. Oh, no.
E
Great Scottish Mason.
C
How in the world did he make it? And on the horse. Get a flashlight.
A
Quickly.
C
Jane. Doctor, help me get him down. All right. Ticket. How awful. His gun must have exploded. Abdominal hemorrhaging. Badly too. Let's cut away the clothing and expose the area. Doctor, will you get my bag from the station wagon? We'll curtail hemorrhage and pour supa in the opening.
A
Yes, John Carthage. That was a very important entry on your page. Everything had been so carefully thought out. And then something had happened to alter the course of things. To John Carthage, life had been well ordered. His practice was precise and skillful. And once in the beginning, idealistic and humanitarian. But the ideals Dr. John Carthage had as a graduate physician were gradually smothered by a growing prestige. There was the night, John, that you had arrived home late and went to your wife's room.
C
Remember? Jane, I'd like to speak with you a moment.
E
I'm so tired. Turn it way too much.
C
No, it can't. Oh, very well.
E
Now it's bothering you.
C
Mason. Gray.
E
Oh, that again. It's too late. I'm so.
C
Jane, we've got to settle this thing. You must stop seeing Gray having anything to do with him.
E
Why shouldn't I see Mason? His work on low cost housing has given me something worthwhile to do. Takes up the endless days and nights of being alone.
A
Oh, what excellent company you do.
C
A worthless, unsuccessful nincompoop architect.
E
A man of ideals. A man such as you might have been if money and success hadn't gone to your head.
C
Oh, Tommy Ross. The man's taken you in.
E
No, he hasn't. When we were married five years ago, you wanted to help people. You were going to be a friend of the poor. You were never going to turn away from a sick man because he couldn't pay you a big fee. I think that's why I fell in love with you. Don't. But you certainly have changed.
C
I've given you a good life. There's nothing you want that you can't have.
E
Nothing I can't buy. Except the feeling that I'm of some use to someone. That I'm needed by someone.
C
Certainly you're not in love with Gray.
E
I'm not sure. But if I am, you've driven me to it by leaving me alone. You may not know it, but you don't care for me anymore.
C
You know that isn't correct.
E
How about your outside interests? All the little Marys and Alice's and the diamond bracelet you gave Mrs. Lennon. That's the only one I know about. But there must be others. John, I want a divorce. I want to make something of my life.
C
Then you are in love with Mason. Gray.
E
Even if I never saw Mason again, I still want a divorce. I want my freedom.
C
I can't believe that. You are in love with him. Aren't you?
E
I'll admit we've had a great deal of companionship.
C
Jane. You'll stop seeing Gray and there'll be no more talk of divorce.
E
And if I don't do what you
A
say, you'll stop seeing Gray?
C
If I have to ruin him, if I have to run him out of town he'll never have you. Regardless of what I have to do to keep you two apart.
E
I'll answer it. December three. If you haven't awakened them with your loud talk. Hello?
C
Is Dr. Carlis there?
E
Why. Why, he's retiring now. Is it important?
C
This is Dr. Baldwin.
E
Oh, yes, Dr. Baldwin. Just a moment, please. John, you better answer.
C
Hello, Dr. Baldwin.
A
Hello, Dr. Carthage.
C
Going to bed, old boy? Oh, well, I. I have a bad headache. Is there an emergency at the hospital? No, but there is some fine news for you that I thought you might want to hear. Fine. What is it, Carthage? I suggested that the governor consult you. The governor? Yes, I thought that would wake you up. He will phone for an appointment when he comes down here the end of the month. Hey, that's wonderful. I certainly appreciate your thought of me.
A
Yes, it meant a great deal for you, John Carthage, to have the governor as a patient. Another jewel in the crown of prestige. You went to your room, but the good news did not make you happy. Your hatred of Mason Gray welled up within you until he loomed as a threatening factor which you had to eliminate. Sleep did not come until you had made a decision. It was then that I, fate, made another entry on your page. You remember the next day at the hospital.
E
Dr. Stanley Colser.
A
Dr. Coleman.
C
I see. Dr. Coleman. Yes, Dr. Baldwin. I'm sorry. You must have a serious problem under consideration. I'm terribly sorry. I didn't notice. I was wrapped up in the problem. Nothing serious, my boy? Oh, no case. You know how it is. Yes, Well, I. I just wanted to tell you that you would better get some practice with your trigger finger. What? I don't understand.
A
Shooting.
C
I'll be able to accept your invitation for a weekend at your large, Ethel.
E
Oh.
C
Oh, of course. Yes. I'm glad to have you. Surely you hadn't forgotten. Oh, not at all. How's this weekend? Oh, good. Splendid. Shooting up there, too. Nice crowd you have there. And Jane's an excellent host. Well, thanks. I guess the whole crowd will be there. Good, good. Co you know that fellow Mason Gray amusing these fellows with radical ideas about what sort of living a poor man's entitled to. Why, I haven't thought about. Well, yes, Dr. Baldwin, it's an excellent idea having Gray there. He'll account for a great deal of amusement.
E
So that's my story, Mason. And I'm afraid that now this is the end.
C
Suppose I insist upon seeing you. There's been nothing wrong?
E
Intensible. We've had a splendid friendship, and you've given me an interest in Something worthwhile before I felt useless to the entire world, including my husband.
C
And you got nothing more from our future.
E
Let's be neither romantic nor dramatic, Mason Beyn.
C
I must say this. As long as John has decided to lead something into our associations, I must say that in part is right.
E
Please don't complicate things.
C
You must have guessed that I like you much more than I shall say I love you. And you know you're in love with me.
E
I don't think I'm in love with anyone. All I want now is freedom to start over. I told John that if I'd never met you, that I'd still want a divorce. Of course, with his ego, he can't see him.
C
Neither do you.
E
Please. Please give me just one chance to straighten out my life. I must figure things out. Once I'm free again, I know I can find myself. Until then, it's goodbye. Mason.
D
You know what? It sucks to be bored. But when I get on my phone and play real casino games on spinquest.com, the time flies by. That two hour wait at the DMV seems like 10 minutes. Play your favorite spots. Live blackjack, live craps with a live dealer. New players. $30 coin packs are on sale for 10 bucks. So play spinquest.com and you'll never be bored again.
C
Spinquest is a free to play social casino. Void where prohibited.
B
Visit spinquest.com for more details. Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset. So enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available. Because his father wasn't emotionally available available and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better, too.
D
Liberty.
E
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
A
It's just as well, John Carthage, that you weren't present at that meeting. You had a plan in mind. A plan that would forever remove the danger of Mason Gray. That plan, however, required the appearance of a conciliatory attitude toward Jane. So that evening, you were different from the overbearing egomaniac you had become.
C
Jane, it's difficult to speak about last night.
E
I'd rather not. I haven't changed my mind.
C
But I must say that I'm. I'm sorry, Jane. I spoke in anger and in hate. I spoke from Jealousy and the fear of losing you see, in my own way, I love you very much. Darling. I shan't even ask you not to see Gray. All I ask is that you delay your decision a little while. Think things over.
E
John, if I thought there was the slightest chance that we'd come to an understanding.
A
There is.
C
Now, please, all I ask is at hand. All right. Tomorrow I'm going up to the lodge to prepare for the weekend we promised Dr. Baldwin Mason Gray the last time they were up.
E
Mason Gray? Are you really going to invite him after everything you said about him? After what you accused me?
C
I meant what I said. And I'll be friendly with him because I do trust you. Oh, James, give me this one chance.
A
A chance for what, John Carthage? A very pretty speech and very effective with Jane. But I fate knew what was in your mind. That insincere speech about a new style and the hand of friendship. Yes, it was very effective in masking your plan. Your plan of death for Mason Gray. In a moment I will read again from your page in the diary of faith. In your mind, John Carthage, the taking of the life of the man who threatened your home was justified. And you were nervous, highly irritated when on your arrival at the lodge, you suddenly recalled that it was Gamson, the caretaker's day off. But also it would give you time to prepare the plan you were perfecting without other eyes observing your work.
C
Getting run down. Lead time is going to rake up. Look, that gate to the crowd confounded. Ripped the sleeve on my new jacket. Nasty scratch on my arm too. Told Gamson time and again that someday a horse would get nasty scene cut from those rusty nails that you see now, old fool see. Oh, yes, I remember. Put it in the locker with my saddle. The best shotgun on the market. This time dad brought down many fine birds with. Too bad the breach has cracked. That can be repaired temporarily. No graphite rubbed into the crack with a heavy loaded shell, it only explode right in the face. Gray.
A
You did your work well, John Carthage. The gun was certain to explode. Explode and kill the one firing it. No one but you knew that it was broken. Yes, it would pass the closest scrutiny. You smiled with self satisfaction then. Remember that weekend you successfully restrained your nervousness as you awaited the result of your plan.
C
What's the matter, Jane?
E
I'm worried about Nathan. He should have been back long ago.
C
Nothing to worry about, my dear. The shooting was probably so good he overstayed. But to allay your fears, Jane, I'll walk down the trail a way and See if I can find any trace of him. Come on.
E
John.
C
Come quickly.
A
What's wrong?
C
What's the matter? Outside.
E
Hurry. What's the trouble? John?
C
John, look.
A
Oh, no.
C
Great gun.
E
Amazing. Amazing dog.
C
How in the world did he make it? Mama horse. Get him. Backslide.
A
Quickly.
C
James. Doctor, help me get him that way. Oh, how awful. His gun must have exploded. Abdominal hemorrhaging badly. Let's cut away the clothing and expose the area. Doctor, get my bag from the station wagon. Winner. We'll curtail hemorrhage and pour sulphur in the opening. Thanks, Jane. John, you hold the flashlight. Jane, quick. You get John's bag from the station wagon. I'll stay here and help him. He isn't dead yet. Go get my bag. Quick. Pull the light over here, John, so I can cut away the shirt. We've got to get him to the hospital. There may be a slim chance, but I doubt it.
A
During the wild ride, your thoughts were mixed, John. Hatred, the hope that Mason would die before reaching the hospital, and bitterness for your wife. Baldwin was mildly surprised at Jane's sudden and open revelation of her love for Mason. And Mason Gray's thoughts were not of this world, for he was in a coma except for the few seconds he revived sufficiently to gasp out the few words that the gun had exploded. Then the wild ride was over, and they soon had Mason Gray in the operating room in the surgeon's lounge. You and Baldwin were talking.
C
Remember, John? He might pull through. I hope so. I feel Amber bumped. Nonsense. It was an accident. But if anyone can save him, it's you. I. Why, I can't. Why, look at my hands. I'm so shaken. I can't operate. Get Kopak. He's good. Oh, he's on vacation. And the only other man I trust
A
is too, as well.
C
Oh, I couldn't do it. Can't you understand? More than you think, Cottage. I don't wish to be embarrassing, but if you pull him through the brilliant position, saving his friend's life. I think it would be good. All the way around. Yes, I see.
A
It would be good. You thought he would appear to do your best. The operation would be a success, but the patient would die. That was your intention. As you started the keen search for fragments of the breech block, you wondered what strange quirk caused the gun to explode against the abdomen instead of against the head of Mason Gray, as you had planned. But now you must concentrate.
C
Pulse. Respiration. Pulse 120. Respiration very shallow. Give him the adrenaline. Giving 1 cc of adrenaline.
A
The powder burns you rec size swiftly. Then the search through the viscera for perforation. There were a number. And each must be neatly trimmed, sutured.
C
Pulse up to 150. Doctors.
A
This was your chance to let him die.
C
You'd done about all you could.
A
No one in this room could accuse you. Then your eye caught something. Something in that torn and mangled abdominal cavity. Your voice quickened.
C
Pulse? Pulse 165. Give him, Carmen.
A
Now you were your old, competent self. Your hands worked like swift machines. And you spoke to the assistant surgeon.
C
Dr. Ralph. I want a piece of that tissue for biopsy.
A
Yes, John Carthage. You could still look other physicians in the eye proudly. Now, you knew that Mason Gray would come out of this operation miraculously healed of a deadly gunshot wound. And your victory was yet not lost. But I fate with waiting. Remember when you went back to the lodge that same night.
C
Jane. Jane.
E
John. I picked up your phone.
C
I wanted to tell you about Gray. I operated. Barring complications, he'll be all right. May take some time to convalesce.
E
Oh, thank you.
C
Thank you. Oh, dear.
E
I behaved so miserably before, Dr. Baldwin.
C
Now I'm certain you're in love with Grace.
E
I didn't know until this happened. Believe me, I.
C
Regardless of that, if you still want your freedom, I really won't stop you. But there's one proviso. That you get a quiet divorce in Las Vegas. Then marry Gray at once. But I can't support him. You must move to some other city.
E
I don't want any of your money.
C
I hope neither of you will ever regret this.
E
Honey, this is really wonderful of you to understand.
C
Please call Jansen. I need a good stiff drink.
E
Probably in a drunken town. I don't get the drink for you?
C
Oh, no, thanks. I think I'll go to bed. I don't feel too well.
E
If you don't mind, I think I'll
C
drive into town tonight.
E
I'm dreadfully sorry, but I'd like to go into the city.
C
Why be sorry? I understand. Good night, Jane, and goodbye.
A
Now, John Carthage, you were alone in your mountain lodge and you could enjoy your secrets. For in that operating room, you saw an all too familiar manifestation. It changed your plans completely. You decided to use all of your skills to save Gray. To bring Jane and her love together for a few. A very few months. Then, because of the tiredness and tension, you decided to take enough sedatives to ensure a good sleep. You lay down expecting to sleep at least 12 hours. But before sleep came, you Relived those moments when you took that small bit of tissue from Gray's abdominal cavity to the laboratory. Remember how you examined it carefully under the microscope? The tentative diagnosis you had made was substantiated.
C
It is. This is better punishment for you than a sudden death. Cancer? Yes, cancer. Symptoms you'll blame on the old wound. Then the pain will gradually increase. If you have enough money, you'll not be able to work. Jane will work for you. Yes, work to pay the medical bills. Work against fate to buy drugs, ease those pains. Surgery tonight will advance metastasis. No, I hope not too happen a long and painful illness to you, Mason Gray. And the best of it to Jane.
A
Now it is time for me, fate, to write the final entry. Yes, John Carthage, you made your choice. And now the pen will write. The plan is complete. Finished. Hear well, you who think that fate is unkind. And listen for in a moment I will read the last entry on the page of John Carthage in the diary of fate. Now, John Carthage, you are awakening from your drug induced sleep. And in a short while you will be dead. You plotted a murder and you really succeeded. Or with proper treatment in the early stages of cancer, Mason might have recovered. But you didn't advise him of his condition and he will die. Almost 48 hours have elapsed since you went into the barn to get the gun. Slippery leaves, a sagging corral gate, a torn sleeve and a scratch from a rusty nail. A minor scratch you forgot to take care of because of your interest in planning Mason Gray's death. Now you are fully awake and alone. Except for me. Fake. You try to get up from your bed, but you are paralyzed. You can't move. What is it you are now saying, John Carthage?
C
I'm scratched. I'd forgotten. Oh, the pain. I can't call out. Can't reach the thumb. I can't move. Can't open my jaws. I've got deadness.
A
And so John Carthage is dead. The next day, Gamson, the caretaker, found him lifeless in his bed, the victim of lockjaw
C
heed.
A
Well, you who listen and remember. There is a page for you in
C
the diary of fate. Produced by Larry Finley. Diary of fate is a Finley transcription brought to you from Hollywood.
A
Foreign.
D
Forget whatever plans you have this weekend because you're staying at home and playing on spin Quest. And there's never been a better time to sign up than right now. New users get $30 coin packs for just $10. All the table games you love. With hundreds of slot games and real cash prizes that's@spinquest.com S P I N Q U E.
C
Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited.
B
Visit spinquest.com for more details. Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset, so enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father wasn't emotionally available, and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better too.
C
Liberty.
E
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Diary of Fate - John Carthage
Air Date: May 9, 2026
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Featured Radio Drama: Diary of Fate, “John Carthage”
This episode showcases Diary of Fate, an original suspense and morality radio drama from the Golden Age of Radio. The central character is Dr. John Carthage, a brilliant but increasingly egocentric physician. The narrative, as guided by the personification of Fate, delves into John’s moral decline, culminating in a deadly plot against his rival, Mason Gray, and ultimately turning Fate’s unforgiving hand back on himself.
The episode explores themes of jealousy, moral erosion, justice, and the inescapable consequences of one’s actions, delivered in the dramatized style of classic radio.
[00:52] Fate introduces John Carthage, foreshadowing his imminent death:
“In just a moment, John Carthage will awaken from a drug induced sleep... And in just a little while, John Carthage will be dead.” (Narrator/Fate, 00:52)
Dr. Carthage is described as once-idealistic, but now consumed by ambition and status, losing touch with his humanitarian roots.
“But the ideals Dr. John Carthage had as a graduate physician were gradually smothered by a growing prestige.” (Narrator/Fate, 04:16)
“I want a divorce. I want to make something of my life.” (Jane, 06:34)
“If I have to ruin him, if I have to run him out of town... Regardless of what I have to do to keep you two apart.” (John Carthage, 07:14)
“It meant a great deal for you, John Carthage, to have the governor as a patient. Another jewel in the crown of prestige.” (Fate, 08:16)
“All I want now is freedom to start over. I told John that if I’d never met you, that I’d still want a divorce.” (Jane, 10:54)
[15:49] - [16:55]
“Put it in the locker with my saddle. The best shotgun on the market. Too bad the breach has cracked. That can be repaired temporarily... It’ll explode right in the face. Gray.” (John Carthage, 15:49)
Fate observes Carthage’s cover-up:
“No one but you knew that it was broken. Yes, it would pass the closest scrutiny. You smiled with self-satisfaction then." (Fate, 16:55)
“Your hands worked like swift machines... You could still look other physicians in the eye proudly. Now, you knew that Mason Gray would come out of this operation miraculously healed of a deadly gunshot wound.” (Fate, 22:00–22:17)
“It is. This is better punishment for you than a sudden death. Cancer? Yes, cancer. Symptoms you'll blame on the old wound. Then the pain will gradually increase... I hope not to happen a long and painful illness to you, Mason Gray. And the best of it to Jane.” (John Carthage, 25:30)
Fate narrates Carthage’s downfall:
"You plotted a murder and you really succeeded. Or with proper treatment in the early stages of cancer, Mason might have recovered. But you didn’t advise him of his condition and he will die... You are paralyzed. You can’t move. What is it you are now saying, John Carthage?" (Fate, 26:16–28:26)
“I’m scratched. I’d forgotten. Oh, the pain. I can’t call out. Can’t reach the thumb. I can’t move. Can’t open my jaws. I’ve got deadness.” (John Carthage, 28:26)
The episode closes as the caretaker finds Carthage dead of lockjaw, poetic justice rendered by Fate:
“And so John Carthage is dead... the victim of lockjaw... There is a page for you in the diary of fate.” (Fate, 29:07)
On Fate and Human Hubris:
"Fate plays no favorite. It could happen to you." (Opening narration, 00:41)
On Lost Ideals:
"A man such as you might have been if money and success hadn't gone to your head." (Jane to John, 05:44)
Morality and Revenge:
"You plotted a murder and you really succeeded... Fate, you try to get up from your bed, but you are paralyzed... You can't move." (Fate, 26:16–28:26)
Fate’s Final Judgment
“Well, you who listen and remember. There is a page for you in the diary of fate.” (Fate, 29:07)
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:41 | Introduction by Fate; premise and stakes set | | 05:06 | Confrontation between John and Jane about her involvement with Gray | | 07:43 | Prestige opportunity: news about the Governor as a patient | | 15:49 | Carthage sabotages the shotgun | | 17:26 | Hunting accident—Mason Gray is critically wounded | | 18:51 | Emergency surgery, Carthage’s internal conflict | | 25:30 | Cancer discovered in Mason, Carthage’s vengeful silence | | 26:16 | Fate’s closing narration and John’s realization of his own doom | | 28:26 | John succumbs to lockjaw (tetanus), poetic justice served | | 29:07 | Fate’s closing words and moral for the audience |
This classic radio drama is staged with suspense, melodrama, and a dark moral tone, voiced chiefly by the omniscient Fate, who narrates and judges the characters. The dialogue is brisk, direct, and emblematic of radio thrillers from the era, laden with moral admonitions and expressive delivery.
In this compelling morality tale, Dr. John Carthage’s drive for control and vengeance ultimately becomes the instrument of his own undoing. His plan to rid himself of his rival is foiled by a twist of fate, and the poetic justice of his death from neglect—a minor wound in pursuit of greater harm—is the grim satisfaction for listeners. The story is a classic reminder that Fate is impartial and inexorable, and one’s actions, good or evil, eventually find their reckoning.
For listeners who appreciate vintage radio suspense, this episode is a quintessential reminder: no one can outwit Fate, and every page in the Diary of Fate is ultimately written.