Mystery in the Air 47-08-14 (07) The Lodger

Summary

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Mystery in the Air – “The Lodger”

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Mystery in the Air 47-08-14 (07) The Lodger
Date: October 28, 2025
Stars: Peter Lorre (the Lodger), Agnes Moorehead (Ellen Bunting)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Mystery in the Air, originally broadcast in 1947 and starring Peter Lorre, adapts Marie Belloc Lowndes’ suspenseful story “The Lodger.” Set in foggy London, the narrative follows Ellen Bunting and her husband as they rent a room to a mysterious stranger, Mr. Sleuth, amid a series of grisly murders perpetrated by a killer known as "The Avenger." The story mixes psychological tension, religious mania, and classic radio drama atmosphere, pushing its landlady protagonist to the breaking point as suspicions close in on her unsettling new lodger.

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Key Discussion Points and Story Progression

I. Setting the Scene

• London in Fear: Serial murders attributed to “The Avenger” terrorize the city. The latest victim matches the killer’s usual pattern: blond, a music hall patron.

• Economic Desperation: Ellen and her husband struggle financially, longing for their daughter Daisy to return home, but they can’t afford it—unless they find a lodger.

  “Robert, Robert. He could be the fellow standing next to you. Or maybe the man you bump into. It's a terrible story.”
  — Mrs. Ellen Bunting (03:36)

II. Arrival of the Lodger

• Mr. Sleuth's Entrance: A man in a black cape and hat arrives seeking a quiet room. He seems eccentric and insists on privacy, immediately unnerving Ellen.

  “I'm looking for a quiet room. But it should be very quiet.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (05:19)

• Religious Obsession: Mr. Sleuth rejects beauty (“pretty pictures interest me very little”) and clings to his Bible, quoting scripture and focusing on sin and punishment.

  “I like the bareness. Yes, I think I'll take it... My name is Sleuth. S-L-E-U-T-H. Think of a hound, Mrs. Bunting, and you'll never forget my name.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (06:02, 07:23)

• Odd Behavior: He turns pictures of young women to the wall, declaring them “wicked and sinful.”

  “I've turned [the pictures] to the wall because they are wicked and sinful. Don't you agree, Mrs. Bunting, that everything wicked and sinful should be purged from the earth?”
  — Mr. Sleuth (09:49)

III. Suspicion and Tension Mount

• Paranoia Grows: With each new murder, anxiety deepens — especially when newsboys cry out that “the Avenger” has killed again close by.
  [11:18]

• Ellen’s Dilemma: Despite her fear, her family desperately needs Mr. Sleuth’s rent.

  “He seems so helpless sometimes... This man couldn’t be a murderer. It was all a coincidence. Besides, we just couldn’t afford to lose that 30 shillings a week.”
  — Mrs. Ellen Bunting (14:23)

• Investigation: Ellen sneaks into Mr. Sleuth’s room hoping to glimpse his belongings, suspecting his case may contain a murder weapon. She panics when she hears him return. [16:02–16:45]

• Daisy Returns: Their daughter’s arrival adds urgency and vulnerability, as she matches the Avenger’s victim type.

• Sleuth's Hostility to Pleasure: Mr. Sleuth launches into diatribes against “dancing” and “music,” calling them “instruments of sin.”

  “Enjoyment and fun, my child, are a devil’s breeding ground. All his implements are there: pleasure and impropriety—the temptation of music, dancing.”
  — Mr. Sleuth to Daisy (18:45)

  “She lies in wait as for a prey and increases the transgressors among men.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (19:16)

• Confrontation: Sleuth bristles when Ellen and Bunting are near his things, insisting his room remain locked. [17:37]

IV. The Inquest and Confirmation

• Coroner’s Inquest: Ellen attends, hoping to allay her fears. Instead, a witness describes the Avenger: black cape, gaunt, a foreign accent, reciting scriptures—matching Mr. Sleuth perfectly.

  “He wore a black cape, I believe, was very gaunt looking, was carrying a small handbag... had a low, hesitating voice, I’d say with something of a continental accent... quite mad... reciting scriptures from the Bible.”
  — Witness at inquest (21:14–21:38)

• Ellen’s Horror: Realization dawns—her lodger is likely the murderous Avenger.

  “Oh no, it can’t be. It can’t be. Could there be any doubt about it now? Mr. Sleuth, our lodger, he was the murderer.”
  — Mrs. Ellen Bunting’s thoughts (21:38)

V. Final Confrontation and Climax

• Rushing Home: Ellen realizes Daisy is alone with the lodger and, frantic, rushes home with her husband. [22:46]

• Sleuth’s Delirious “Salvation” of Daisy: Mr. Sleuth, unhinged, tells Daisy she is to be “elevated beyond all sin and evil”—the seventh victim.

  “You are the seventh to be elevated, my child. And my work is almost done.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (23:34)

• Physical Struggle: Ellen and her husband intervene just as Sleuth is about to kill Daisy. In the chaos, Sleuth is fatally wounded by his own weapon.

  “Oh, he fell on the knife... It is burning in me like a fire. Oh, purges me and consumes me. All sin and evil are falling away. Praise, praise and glory: for it is I who is the seventh. The vengeance is fulfilled.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (25:32, 25:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Paranoia and the Ordinary:

  “He could be the fellow standing next to you. Or maybe the man you bump into.”
  — Mrs. Ellen Bunting (03:36)

• Introduction of Mr. Sleuth:

  “My name is Sleuth. S-L-E-U-T-H. Think of a hound, Mrs. Bunting...”
  — Mr. Sleuth (07:23)

• Religious Mania:

  “Music is an instrument of sin.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (08:03) “Enjoyment and fun, my child, are a devil’s breeding ground... The temptation of music, dancing.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (18:45)

• Culmination of Fear and Guilt:

  “Could there be any doubt about it now? Mr. Sleuth, our lodger, he was the murderer.”
  — Mrs. Ellen Bunting (21:38)

• Chilling Climax:

  “Now comes the vengeance and the time to rejoice.”
  — Mr. Sleuth (24:25)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:12 – Mrs. Bunting discusses the murders and fears for her daughter
• 05:07 – Mr. Sleuth arrives, seeking a room
• 09:49 – Sleuth turns pictures to the wall; hints at his puritanical worldview
• 11:18 – The news of another Avenger murder reaches Buntings
• 14:04 – Ellen monitors the lodger, wavering between fear and denial
• 16:02–16:45 – Ellen’s panicked search of Sleuth’s room, interrupted
• 17:58–18:45 – Sleuth lectures Daisy on joy and sin
• 21:14–21:38 – Inquest testimony describes the Avenger (matches Sleuth)
• 22:46 – Ellen realizes the urgency: Daisy is alone with the killer
• 23:10–25:44 – Climax: Sleuth is confronted and dies in delirium

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Episode Tone and Style

The episode crackles with the tension of classic radio melodrama, fueled by Peter Lorre’s signature chilling, nervous delivery and Agnes Moorehead’s emotional depth. The dialogue is heavy with religious overtones and mounting psychosis, heightening the claustrophobic atmosphere of suspicion and dread until the explosive final confrontation.

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Summary for New Listeners

This atmospheric adaptation thrusts listeners into the harrowing experience of having evil lurking under one’s own roof, perfectly captured by the pensiveness of Ellen Bunting. Is her lodger an eccentric Bible-thumper—or the notorious Avenger prowling London’s foggy streets? As the drama unfolds with suspicions mounting, mistaken trust, and a desperate bid to protect her daughter, the episode builds to a dramatic finale. For fans of psychological suspense and classic radio, this is a quintessential tale—where paranoia might be justified, and the line between oddness and deadly danger is perilously thin.

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Transcript

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[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Mystery in the Air starring Peter Laurie. Presented by Camel Cigarettes. All right, men, I guess that's all. Put him on the stretcher and take him to the morgue.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, must I stay, Inspector?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

For a while, Mrs. Bunting.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, dear.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

I need all the details for my report.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, that such a thing could have happened here, Here in my own.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Each week at this hour, Peter Laurie brings us the excitement of the great stories of the strange and unusual, of dark and compelling masterpieces culled from the four corners of world literature. Tonight, the Lodger by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes. Peter Laurie is the lodger and Ellen Bunting is played by Ms. Agnes Moorhead. Mystery in the Air brought to you by Camel Cigarettes. Experience is the best teacher. Try a Camel. Let your own experience tell you why more people are smoking Camels than ever before. Yes, let your T zone decide which cigarette you like best. Your T zone, that's T for taste and T for throat, is your true proving ground for any cigarette. So try a Camel on your T zone. Introduce Camel's rich, full flavor to your taste. Acquaint your throat with Camel's cool mildness. See if you don't decide, like so many other smokers, that Camel suit your T zone to a t.

[Mr. Sleuth]

On.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Mrs. Bunting, you said you were looking for a lodger.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, yes, Inspector, we had to. But I never dreamed such a thing could happen here to us. Why, it was only last Tuesday night my husband and I were sitting before our fire reading the newspaper about the latest murder. It was the fifth by. By the avenger. Yes, yes, I remember saying distinctly. Robert, Robert. He could be the fellow standing next to you. Or maybe the man you bump into. It's a terrible story.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Yes, but it appears to me that the Avengers too quick for the police.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

And look here, look here. It says this girl he got last night was like all the others, pretty, blonde and she just come from a music hall exactly like all the rest of his victims. Oh, what a pity.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Ellen, have you stopped to think who fits that description perfectly? Our own Daisy.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, shush. What a pretty thought, Bunting. The good thing she's with her aunt instead of here. London isn't a safe place for any girl.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Now, just the same, I can't help thinking how fine it would be to have her here with us.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

There's no sense even talking about it. We just can't afford it.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

I know that, Ellen, but I hope we could manage it some way.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

How? Haven't I script myself half crazy trying to keep us going?

[Mr. Sleuth]

I know, Ellen.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Well, don't you go worrying about it. I think we can.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Now, who do you suppose that could be?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Could it be someone looking for a room?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, I wish it were. Then you could have your Daisy back. Well, I went to the front door, and when I opened it, there stood a man wearing a black cape and hat. He carried but a single piece of luggage. Good evening, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I saw your sign. It says you have a room to rent.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Please, won't you come in?

[Mr. Sleuth]

Thank you.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Could I. Could I take your cape, sir?

[Mr. Sleuth]

No, I'm looking for a quiet room. But it should be very quiet.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, we have that, sir. Just that. Above all, our house is quiet. Your bags, they are taken?

[Mr. Sleuth]

No. Just show me the room, please.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, yes. Yes, sir. It's right up these stairs, sir. This way. You see, sir, there's just my husband and me here, and we're ever so quiet. I'm sure you'll find this room to your liking. Well, here we are.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, I think I like this room.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, it is pleasant, isn't it? There's not many rooms with such pretty pictures, now, is there?

[Mr. Sleuth]

I don't know. Pretty pictures interest me very little. What I like about this room is the simplicity. I like the bareness. Yes, I think I'll take it. What is your name?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Mrs. Bunting, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

All right, Mrs. Bunting, I'll take the room.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, yes, sir. And please let me help you with your luggage.

[Mr. Sleuth]

No, don't you touch it.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, but I only wish to help.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I know, I know you only wish to help, Mrs. Bunting. It's just. Forgive me. It's just that I. I'm weary. I'm very tired. See, I do a lot of studying.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, yes, yes, of course, sir, of course.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Well, anyway, you can see how few things I need. It's just what's in this bag. But this. This here is my favorite book. It's the bible. Good book, Mrs. Bunting, isn't it? Oh, yes.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, yes, indeed it is, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, it says he brings them to their desired haven. Beautiful words, huh? And now at last, I found my haven of rest. Now, Mrs. Bunting, if I pay you 30 shillings a week for this room, that's satisfactory.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh. Oh, yes, yes, that'll be quite all right.

[Mr. Sleuth]

My name is Sleuth.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Mr. Sleuth.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, Sleuth. S l e u t H. Think of a hound, Mrs. Bunting, and you'll never forget my name. Here. Here are your 30 shillings.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you. Would you be wishing anything now? Supper, tea or.

[Mr. Sleuth]

No, nothing. Good night, miss Bunting.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, yes, Good night, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Please stop that, you hear?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh. Oh, sir, what did I do?

[Mr. Sleuth]

You were humming. That's music.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, but I. I.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Music is an instrument of sin.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, yes. Yes, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

And you did tell me, Mrs. Bunting, that your house would be absolutely quiet.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

But it is, sir. I didn't mean any harm. Believe me, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I believe you. I. I'm sorry I spoke sharply. I. I know you. You're trying to be considerate and kind.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, thank you, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

By the way, Mrs. Bunting, I. I think I would like some bread and some tea.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, certainly. Certainly, sir. I'll have it.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

So he took the room. Hey, Ellen, he took the room at.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

30 shillings a week? Yes, in advance. Oh, hurry now, Bunting. Is the water for the tea heart here?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Yes. What a stroke.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Put the bread and the butter on the tray. I'll pour the water.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

You know, Ellen, it's wonderful.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, it is.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Do you realize what this means? We can have Daisy back with us now.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

I know. Hurry with it now.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Why, we can have her back with us tomorrow.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, it's all ready. Open the door, Bunting. I'll take it up to him right away. There you go, old girl.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

First thing in the morning, I'm going to fetch Daisy and bring her home. Oh, it's a wonderful night, Ellie. Wonderful.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh. Oh, I mustn't do that.

[Mr. Sleuth]

And she has done many wounded from her. Yes, Many strong men have slain by her. Come in. And to know how the wickedness of follies.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, why. Why, Mr. Sleuth. You. You.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, what is it?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Those pictures, those pretty girls. You've turned all their faces.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, I've turned them to the wall because they are wicked and sinful. Oh, but, sir, don't you agree, Mrs. Bunting, that everything wicked and sinful should be purged from the earth? Huh?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes. Oh, yes. Yes, I do.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I'm happy to hear that, Mrs. Bunting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I. I have to leave.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

But, sir, here's your tray.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I have Good night, Mrs. Bunting.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

You know, the moment I was stiff with fear, I set the tray down. He hadn't so much as noticed the light supper I prepared for him and rushed to the winter to watch. He came out of our cottage and moved off down the street, his black cape swirling about him. Finally he was lost in the fog, and I don't know why, but I stared after him for a long, long while. Well, I did the dishes and got ready for bed. I lay there thinking, and it was almost dawn before I had convinced myself that at most he was a trifle odd. And after all, paying 30 shillings, maybe. Maybe he had a right to his strange way. It was daylight when I was suddenly awakened by the newsboys shouting in the street. Oracle murder.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Read all about murder at Kings Cross last night. Avenger strikes again.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Slowly, I realized what the news boys were shouting. Horrible murder. Avenger to six victim. Oh, no. A victor at quake again. Another girl falls victim to annoy avengers.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

In a few moments, Mr. Peter Laurie will bring us the climax of tonight's mystery in the air when camels present Act 2 of the Lodger. Any sports champion can tell you how true it is that experience is the best teacher. Don Whitfield, for one. He's the world's outboard speed champion. You know, it's taking the turns around the marking buoys just right that makes that extra speed. And boy, how Don Whitfield worked out on that problem. Don Whitfield recently said experience is the best teacher in outboard racing. And in smoking, too. Smoking whatever brands I could get during the wartime cigarette shortage taught me there's no other cigarette like a Camel. And many other smokers had the same experience. Yes, during the wartime cigarette shortage, when people smoked whatever brands they could get. Then's when we all compared cigarettes whether we wanted to or not. And then when so many people decided that their taste liked Camel's rich, full flavor and their throats liked Camel's cool mildness. The result? More people are smoking Camels than ever before. Experience is the best teacher. Try a Camel yourself. As the inspector takes notes of the terrifying events, Alan Bunting continues the story. And now, Mrs. Bunting, what did you do the morning you learned the avenger had murdered his sixth victim?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Well, I was a little frightened to meet our lodger, yet I kept my thoughts to myself. After all, you know, there still wasn't much to go on. Robert had gone to make Daisy, so Mr. Sleuth ate breakfast alone. I watched him through the crack in the door. Finally, I went in with More tea?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Tea?

[Mr. Sleuth]

No, no, thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Bunting. I don't care for any more tea. Thanks, you're very kind, but I have to go on with my work now. If you'll excuse me.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

My fear really changed to pity then. Oh, he seems so helpless sometimes. And he was so considerate. This man couldn't be a murderer. It was all a coincidence. Besides, we just couldn't afford to lose that 30 shillings a week. Well, around 10 in the morning, he left the cottage and I decided to go upstairs and have a look about his room. I had to find out what he carried in his one piece of luggage. It was wasn't a bag. It was more like a case. Yes, yes, a case.

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[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

You know that big bargain detergent jug is 80% water, right? It doesn't clean as well.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

80% water? I thought I was getting a better deal because it's so big.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

If you want a better clean, tide pods are only 12% water.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

The rest is pure, concentrated cleaning ingredients. Oh, let me make an announcement. Attention shoppers, if you want a real deal, try tide pods.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Stop paying for watered down detergents. Pay for clean. If it's got to be clean, it's.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Got to be tide pods.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Water content based on the leading bargain liquid detergent.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

It's for a knife. I rushed upstairs, my heart beating wildly at the thought I'd had of the case. No, no, there wasn't anything in his cart. I went over to the chest of drawers against the wall. Nothing in the top one. In the next room there was just some socks and some underclothes. The next one was empty. There was only one other place for the small, narrow case. The bottom drawer. And it was locked. I pulled and pulled at it and then suddenly I heard the front door open downstairs. In a panic, I rushed out of the room and down the hall.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Oh, you're upstairs. Ellen. Look, Ellen, Daisy's here.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, thank heaven. Oh, mother, it's so good to see you. It's so good to be home. Whatever's the matter?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Yes, you're quite white, Ellen.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, I. I'm of. I'm all right. I'm all right. It's just that I wasn't expecting you so soon. Well, it's good to be back. The country's all right, but there's nothing like London now, is there? Oh, no, no, no, that isn't.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Well, as long as that avengers about, you're going to have something to do to keep this young lady indoors. London or no London.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, don't you worry. Mother will see to that. Oh, well, Daisy, I. I might as well get you settled. You see, Father? What did I tell you? You'll have a dust cloth in my hand before I have my coat.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Mr. Sleuth, why is my door open?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

We were just leaving, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Have you been in my room?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, oh, oh, not at all. Not at all, sir.

[Mr. Sleuth]

From now on, Mrs. Bunting, I shall keep my room locked.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, but you see, sir, I was just tidying up a bit and Mr. Bunting, he brought our daughter home. She just arrived. This is Daisy. Pleased to meet you, sir.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

She's been away for quite a while. That's why we're a bit excited, you might say. You were probably surprised to hear us laughing and carrying on.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, yes, I must say I was. I was. But then there are different kinds of joy out there. Not Daisy.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, I'm sure there are.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, there is the despicable, evil joy of the abandoned and. And then there is the divine happiness of the blessed. That's a great difference. You understand that, Daisy, don't you?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Why, yes, sir. Yes, Mr. Sleuth.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Good, dear. There are so few young women nowadays who do.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

I'm Mr. Sleuth. You mean a girl's not to enjoy life at all? Not to have any fun?

[Mr. Sleuth]

Enjoyment and fun, my child, are a devil's breeding ground. All his implements are there. Pleasure and impropriety. The temptation of music, dancing.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Ah, that's crazy. Why, there's nothing I like better than dancing, and I'm not.

[Mr. Sleuth]

You like to dance?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Know what she was saying, Mr. Sooth? She's just a child. Daisy, you know you've never been one for dancing. You never learned how. But I did learn, mother, while I was away. What's so wrong about it? What's the harm in dancing?

[Mr. Sleuth]

It says she lies in wait as for a prey and increases the transgressors among men.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

I don't know what you mean. I've never heard such nonsense. Nonsense?

[Mr. Sleuth]

You call it scripture Nonsense.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Daisy. Daisy, go into the front room.

[Mr. Sleuth]

It's all right, Mrs. Bunting. It's all right. I'm used to that kind of talk. Good day.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Daisy. Here, Daisy, listen to me. What, mother? I've got to tell you about. About what? Nothing, nothing. I've got to go out for a while now. I'll be back for a moment. I was about to tell her my offer suspicions. But I stopped. They were only suspicions. At the same time I had a thought. I'd go to the coroner's inquest they were having for the avengers latest victim. I was hoping to hear something said that would clear my suspicions of the lodger. At least I'd give him this last chance. A lady was testifying as I took my seat. She'd seen the avenger from her window, she said, and her description of him didn't tally with Mr. Sleuth at all. I can't tell you how relieved I was till it was pointed out she couldn't possibly have seen anyone that night from her window because of the fog. Then the next witness was a Mr. Cannot. I leaned forward anxiously as they swore him in and began asking questions.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

You say, Mr. Tennant, you're positive that you saw this man?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Positive, sir. It was only a few moments before the murder that I saw the avenger. Describe him. Well, he wore a black cape, I believe, and was very gaunt looking and was carrying a small handbag. A handbag? Yes, a small narrow handbag. Such a one as might contain a knife. A knife?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

A knife. Silence in the court.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Proceed, Mr. Carroll. Well, he had a low, hesitating voice, I'd say with something of a continental accent. An educated man, I judge, but quite mad. And what do you mean by that? Well, as he emerged from the folly, was talking aloud to himself. Oh, believe me, sir, he was reciting scriptures from the Bible. Oh no, it can't be. It can't be. Could there be any doubt about it now? Mr. Sleuth, our lodger, he was the murderer. I got out of the courtroom as quickly as I could. I didn't even notice it had started to rain. I hardly remember going home, running and walking. Somehow, while the nightmare of fear and terror grew bigger and bigger inside me. It was three streets from our cottage that I saw my husband, Robert. One thought hit me clearly. I realized Daisy must be home alone with the avenger. Bounting. Bunting. Why Ellen. Ellen.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

What is it?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Bunting? Where's Daisy? Where is she? Where's Daisy?

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Why, she's at home.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Oh, listen. Listen, Bunting. Listen. Sleuth. Sleuth is the avenger.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

What?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

What are you Saying, oh, lodger, he's the avenger. Daisy's alone with him right now. Hurry, hurry.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Now listen to me carefully, my child, and rejoice with me in your heart for the moment is at hand. And you're not afraid, Daisy, are you?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

No, I'm not afraid.

[Mr. Sleuth]

You're very beautiful. And you should live in the ways of righteousness. You hear me, Daisy? You want to live in the ways of righteousness, don't you?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes. Yes, I do.

[Mr. Sleuth]

I know you, do I? I know him. And that is why I've been sent to purge your soul so that you will be elevated beyond all sin and evil. You like to dance, Daisy, don't you? Already six have gone on before you, and they are beyond all sin and evil. You are the seventh to be elevated, my child. And my work is almost done. For the seventh I have promised a disappointed hour. Be still, Daisy. And don't listen to the temptations of the crowd when they call out your name. Because I am here to save you from all evil and wickedness that consumes you like a wildfire of scarlet and crimson. You like to dance, don't you?

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Yes, I do.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Look at me, my child. Look at me. And don't fear me. And do not tremble. Woe to them that call evil good and good evil. And put darkness for light and light for darkness. And therefore I must bring you down like the lamb to slaughter. And now I lift my hand with a flaming sword. For now comes the vengeance and the time to rejoice.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Daddy. You kill a Daisy. Come here. Grab that knife. You, please grab that knife. Oh, you're safe. You're safe.

[Mr. Sleuth]

You take away your hands. Let go of me.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Get away.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Don't you know that such that offer death to death and such that I for a sword to the sword. And no one, no one dared to have pity on him.

[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

It's the life is knife. Oh, mercy. Oh, he fell on the knife.

[Mr. Sleuth]

Yes, and he's burning. It is burning in me like a fire. Oh, purges me and consumes me. All sin and evil are falling away. Praise, praise and glory. For it is I who is the seventh. His the vengeance is fulfilled.

[Narrator / Peter Laurie]

Each week, the makers of camel cigarettes send free camels to Servicemen's Hospital from coast to coast. This week, the camels go to Veterans hospital, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. U.S. army Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California. U.S. naval Hospital, Charleston, South Carolina. U.S. marine Hospital, Ellis Island, New York. Veterans Hospital, Fort Meade, South Dakota. Yes, everywhere more folks are smoking camels. Many of those camel smokers are Doctors. You know, three leading independent research organizations asked 113,597 doctors. What cigarette do you smoke, doctor? The brand named most was Camel. According to a nationwide survey, more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette. Next week, Mystery in The Air, starring Mr. Peter Laurie, brings you one of the world's great stories of the strange and unusual. The Horror by de Maupassant, with a special musical score composed and conducted by Paul barron. Hey there, Mr. Pipe Smoker, do you know that more pipes smoke Prince Albert than any other tobacco? Well, it's true. So why don't you give PA a try? Prince Albert is specially made for smoking pleasure. It's choice tobacco, specially treated to ensure against tongue bite. Crimp cut to burn slow smoke. Cool. See if the extra rich full flavor of Prince Albert doesn't give you added interest in your pipe. Be sure to listen to Prince Albert's Grand Ole Opry Saturday night for a half hour of folk music and laughter with Red Foley, Minnie Pearl, Rod Brassfield and the rest of the Opry gang. And as Red's special guest this week, you'll hear Salty Holmes remember Prince Albert's Grand Ole Opry Saturday night over NBC. Listen again next week at this same time when the makers of Camel cigarettes present Mr. Peter Laurie in Mystery in the Air. Next week's play will be the Horla by de Maupassant. The artists supporting Mr. Laurie tonight were Agnes Moorhead as Ellen, Henry Morgan as the voice of mystery, Barbara Iler as Daisy, Eric Snowden as Bunting, Raymond Lawrence as the inspector, Ralph Sedan as the witness and Conrad Binion as the newsboy. And on behalf of Mr. Laurie and the entire cast, our sincere thanks to Agnes Moorhead for her great portrayal of Ellen Bunting. This is Michael Roy in Hollywood wishing you all a pleasant good night for camo. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.

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[Mrs. Ellen Bunting]

Every now and then I rinse it out and I need jolly rinse tonight and I need it more. My kid was don't know what to do. I'm always in the dark, the sweat and dead short smells like a dark.

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