The Empire Builders 30-12-22 (65) Columbia River

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Empire Builders 30-12-22 (65) Columbia River"

Podcast Information

• Title: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Host/Author: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Episode Title: The Empire Builders 30-12-22 (65) Columbia River
• Release Date: March 6, 2025
• Description: Relives radio shows from the Golden Age of Radio, featuring beloved programs like The Shadow, Abbott & Costello, Amos & Andy, and Dragnet, capturing the nostalgia of families gathered around the radio before the advent of television.

---

Introduction

In the March 6, 2025 release of Harold's Old Time Radio, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio with the episode titled "The Empire Builders 30-12-22 (65) Columbia River." Hosted by Harvey Hayes, this episode intertwines a nostalgic advertisement for the Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder train with a heartfelt radio drama set aboard the train. The narrative explores themes of adventure, human connection, and the magic of travel during a bygone era.

Advertisement Segment: Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder

The episode opens with Harvey Hayes delivering a vivid advertisement for the Empire Builder train, a real transcontinental service operated by the Great Northern Railway. This commercial sets the stage, painting a picturesque journey from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest.

• Harvey Hayes [00:00]: “Great Northern Railway presents Empire Builders. Tonight and every night, the Empire Builder starts a happy trainload of people off on one of the most pleasant travel experiences in America.”

Hayes eloquently describes the scenic beauty passengers would encounter, from the Mississippi River Valley to the Twin Cities, and through the majestic landscapes of the Dakotas and Rockies. Bob White joins in, enhancing the allure of the journey.

• Bob White [01:49]: “And then the day of days for scenic wonders.”

The advertisement continues to highlight the engineering marvels like the Cascade Tunnel, emphasizing the Empire Builder as the ideal route for winter travel to California.

Main Story: A Journey on the Empire Builder

Transitioning from the advertisement, the episode delves into a fictional narrative set on the Empire Builder train. The story centers around Stephen Burroughs, a wealthy bachelor who finds himself hospitalized after a severe accident while attempting to "straighten out Horseshoe Bend."

Setting the Scene

Bob White narrates the serene environment aboard the train, juxtaposed with the dramatic turn of events leading to Stephen's hospitalization.

• Bob White [02:45]: “Why, beg your pardon, ma'am, but I believe this must be your book.”

Beatrice Ann Hylam, a 10-year-old hospital patient affectionately referred to as Anne, interacts with Stephen, revealing her life confined to the hospital after losing her parents at a young age.

Character Interactions and Development

The heart of the story lies in the evolving relationship between Stephen Burroughs and Anne. Their dialogues reveal deep emotional undercurrents and personal struggles.

• Stephen Burroughs [07:05]: “What's the devil? Where am I?”

• Beatrice Ann Hylam [07:11]: “You must be quiet.”

Stephen's initial agitation and confusion soon give way to moments of vulnerability as he grapples with his circumstances.

• Stephen Burroughs [08:04]: “You tried to straighten out Horseshoe Bend. Bad business.”

Anne, on the other hand, exhibits resilience and a whimsical imagination, finding solace in her surroundings and the beauty she perceives.

• Beatrice Ann Hylam [14:11]: “But up here there aren't any walls. Just a lot of space. All filled with sky and trees and flowers. I like trees and flowers. Especially roses.”

Their conversations delve into themes of loss, hope, and the longing for connection, highlighted by Anne's dreams of seeing the outside world and Stephen's desire to return to his life.

Climactic Turn: A Magical Christmas Miracle

As Christmas approaches, the narrative takes a magical turn. Stephen returns to the hospital, re-energized and filled with newfound purpose. He promises Anne a future beyond the hospital confines, symbolizing hope and the restoration of normalcy.

• Stephen Burroughs [24:23]: “Yes, it is. I'm here in the flesh.”

• Stephen Burroughs [25:46]: “When you wake up, Ann, you'll be in your own home, way up on the hill. And when you're... We'll travel all over the world and see what's on the other side of those hills.”

The emotional climax underscores the transformative power of human connections and the spirit of Christmas, leaving listeners with a warm, uplifting resolution.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Harvey Hayes [00:00]: “First, a comfortable night's sleep while your modern Pullman is being whisked smoothly up the Mississippi river valley through the Twin Cities.”

2. Bob White [01:49]: “And then the day of days for scenic wonders.”

3. Beatrice Ann Hylam [14:28]: “I can see them everywhere I look.”

4. Stephen Burroughs [24:26]: “I thought you'd understand that I hadn't forgotten you.”

5. Stephen Burroughs [25:46]: “When you wake up, Ann, you'll be in your own home, way up on the hill.”

Conclusion

"The Empire Builders 30-12-22 (65) Columbia River" masterfully blends nostalgic advertising with a compelling radio drama, encapsulating the essence of the Golden Age of Radio. Through its rich storytelling and emotive performances, the episode not only advertises the allure of train travel but also weaves a touching narrative of healing and hope. Listeners unfamiliar with the episode will find themselves immersed in the evocative soundscape and poignant story, making it a quintessential representation of classic radio entertainment.

---

Additional Notes:

• Characters and Voice Actors:

  • Harvey Hayes: Narrator and host.
  • Bob White: Stephen Burroughs.
  • Betty White: Anne (Beatrice Ann Hylam).
  • Bernadine Flynn: Miss Gray, the nurse.
  • Lucille Housting: Virginia, another passenger on the train.

• Production Quality: The episode maintains high production values typical of Old Time Radio, with clear voice acting, period-appropriate sound effects, and seamless transitions between segments, ensuring an authentic listening experience.

• Themes Explored:

  • Nostalgia for Travel: Celebrates the romanticism of train journeys, highlighting the scenic beauty and leisurely pace of travel before modern transportation.
  • Human Connection: Explores the bonds formed between individuals in constrained environments, emphasizing empathy and support.
  • Hope and Recovery: Centers on overcoming personal tragedies and finding hope through relationships and envisioned futures.

This episode stands as a testament to the enduring charm of radio dramas, blending informative content with engaging storytelling that resonates with listeners across generations.

Transcript

[Harvey Hayes]

Great Northern Railway presents Empire Builders. Tonight and every night, the Empire Builder starts a happy trainload of people off on one of the most pleasant travel experiences in America. The transcontinental ride from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest via Great Northern. First, a comfortable night's sleep while your modern Pullman is being whisked smoothly up the Mississippi river valley through the Twin Cities. Then, a day spent, for the most part, no doubt, in a luxurious observation lounge car, listening to the radio, reading or watching. First the charming lake region of Minnesota and then the wide sweep of Dakota's plain slip past the car window. Another night without a jolt or a jar as the Empire Builder glides smoothly, swiftly along on the straight stretches of steel rails.

[Bob White]

And then the day of days for scenic wonders.

[Harvey Hayes]

First, the famous 60 mile ride along the southern border of Glacier park and across the Continental Divide at the lowest path in the northern USA Rockies. Then, fascinating hours of turbulent mountain streams, placid lakes, far flung forests, high mountain peaks. You reached Spokane that evening and the coast cities the next morning after a thrilling ride through the electrified Cascade Tunnel, the longest in the Western world. What a trip. If you're planning a trip to California this winter, go this way via Great Northern.

[Bob White]

Why, beg your pardon, ma'am, but I believe this must be your book. Found it laying in the armchair over there by the radio.

[Betty White]

Oh, why, why, thank you. Yes, I was reading it just a little while ago. Thank you so much.

[Bob White]

Well, now, maybe you won't be so pleased soon as you see the shape it's in. You see, I didn't notice it being there and I sort of. Well, I sat on it.

[Betty White]

Well, I hope it didn't hurt you.

[Bob White]

No, no, it didn't hurt me. But I don't think it did the book any good.

[Betty White]

No? Well, it was dull reading anyhow, and I just can't keep my nose in a book with all this marvelous scenery flying by the window.

[Bob White]

It is beautiful, isn't it?

[Betty White]

Yes. And this road that follows the railway along here, isn't it magnificent?

[Bob White]

Yes, it sure is. You know, that's the Columbia River Highway. It follows along the river for miles and miles.

[Betty White]

Oh, yes, I've heard of it so many times. Look how it winds along the hillside up there. Oh, but. Excuse me. I'm Virginia Monahan, Escape from New York.

[Bob White]

Well, now, I'm mighty glad to know you and they call me the old.

[Betty White]

Time I'm so glad to know you. My, what a magnificent view of the Columbia River.

[Bob White]

I tell you, there's nothing to compare with it down here between Spokane and Portland. The empire builder follows the Columbia for more than a hundred miles.

[Betty White]

Really? And such scenery. You know, I haven't been able to speak except in exclamation points for days.

[Bob White]

You just wait till you see the Willamette Valley. You know, it's one of the garden spots of the world.

[Betty White]

Willamette. How do you spell it?

[Bob White]

W, I, L, L, A, M, E.

[Betty White]

T, T, E. You may go to the head of the class. A French name, I suppose.

[Bob White]

Well, French by adoption, but Indian by birth. The Indians named it Willamette. And then.

[Betty White]

Did you see that auto skid? Oh, what a dangerous looking curve.

[Bob White]

That is a dangerous curve if you're driving along 60 or 70 miles an hour. Several bad accidents have happened there. But there was one. I don't know whether you'd call it a bad accident or not.

[Betty White]

Now that sounds intriguing. Tell me about it, old timer, if I may call you that.

[Bob White]

Sure, everyone calls me that. Well, now, this is about a man named Stephen Burrows. A bachelor, sort of a fidgety cast. Got more money than you could shake a stick at. Now tearing along like. Well, like a wild Indian.

[Betty White]

It's. It's. Doctor.

[Bob White]

Yes, ma'am?

[Betty White]

I believe he's coming to at last.

[Stephen Burroughs]

What's the devil? Where am I?

[Bob White]

You're in the hospital, Mr. Burrow, in Portland.

[Stephen Burroughs]

What?

[Betty White]

Here? Here.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

You must be quiet.

[Stephen Burroughs]

When I want your advice, young lady, I'll ask for it. Doctor?

[Bob White]

Yes?

[Stephen Burroughs]

What time is it?

[Bob White]

Why, quarter past four past four, Doctor.

[Stephen Burroughs]

What day is it?

[Bob White]

Friday. Friday?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Good Lord. I got an important meeting at 4:00. I'm late here first. Help me up.

[Bob White]

Not so fast, Mr. Burrow.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Where are my polls? I'll attend that meeting. I don't know the reason why it.

[Bob White]

Can'T be done, but.

[Stephen Burroughs]

I'm sorry, I've got to go. Man, get me out of here.

[Bob White]

You say your meeting was Friday. Now, which Friday?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Why, Friday the 17th. Too bad.

[Bob White]

This happens to be Friday the 24th.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Great Scott. Have I been here that long? What happened, Doctor?

[Bob White]

Well, you tried to straighten out Horseshoe Bend. Bad business.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Good business, Doctor, for you.

[Bob White]

No, I was talking from your point of view. Well, compound factor of the leg, left arm broken, broken collarbone and there was a slight concussion of the brain. That's fast.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Now, is that all?

[Bob White]

Oh, some minor cuts and bruises.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, I'll be damned. Excuse me. How long am I in for, Doctor?

[Bob White]

Two months, maybe longer.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You won't keep me in here two months. Not if I know it. Here, you, young woman.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, were you speaking to me?

[Stephen Burroughs]

I was Telephone John Tyler, my secretary. Broadway 640. Tell him to come out here immediately.

[Betty White]

Yes, sir.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Move, woman, move. Do I have to get out of a sick bed and call him?

[Bob White]

Mr. Bird.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Mr. Bird.

[Betty White]

Doctor, he's fainted.

[Stephen Burroughs]

It. Well, what did you bring me up here for?

[Betty White]

Nurse, this is a sunroom. You can wheel your chair around and look out in every direction. The convalescents like to come here.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, I don't. It took me a month to get used to that room downstairs. And now take me back down.

[Betty White]

I'm sorry, I can't.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You can't? What do you mean?

[Betty White]

The doctor's orders.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You're taking orders for me?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Young woman, not in the house.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You take me back to my room, I tell you.

[Betty White]

Just a minute, Mr. Burrow. Here. Your right arm, please. Steady there.

[Stephen Burroughs]

That damn needle again. What was that for?

[Betty White]

To keep you quiet.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I'll be back for you later.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, I won't stay here. Well, I'll get up and get out myself.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I'll be back later.

[Stephen Burroughs]

I won't go to sleep. It. No. What the devil Been sleep? Must have been dreaming. Well, I wasn't dreaming that time. Must have been that kid over there. No one else here. Oh, what's the matter? Where's somebody? Oh, I'll see if I can wheel my chair over there. Now. Now. Now. What? What? What's the matter?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, my hair die.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, it's hell to suffer like that. Where's the nurse? Where's anybody here? Hey, nurse. Here's your nurse. Well, hurry up, woman. Hurry up.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I'm coming.

[Betty White]

Here, Anne, take this. This will ease the pain. Let go of the man's hand.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, that's all right.

[Betty White]

You see if she can hold someone's hand. She seems to be able to stand it better, the pain.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Is she like this often?

[Betty White]

No, not so often anymore. But it's bad while it lasts. There. She's better now. Come, Ann. Thank you, mister.

[Stephen Burroughs]

That's all right.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Goodbye.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Goodbye. God, what a sad little smile.

[Betty White]

Well, here we are, Mr. Burroughs. Up on the roof this morning.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Fine.

[Betty White]

I see we won't need a high bowl today.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, a nurse. That little girl here, the one named Anne, isn't that it?

[Betty White]

Yes.

[Stephen Burroughs]

What's the matter with her?

[Betty White]

Hip trouble.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Is she any better?

[Betty White]

I don't know.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, find out then.

[Betty White]

All right. Why, there she is now.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Here, why don't you wheel her chair over here? This is a nice sunny spot, surely.

[Betty White]

Oh, there. She saw me wave. She's going to wheel herself over.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, I won't leave you I'll look out for her for a while.

[Betty White]

Very well.

[Stephen Burroughs]

How are you today, Anne?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I'm a lot better, thank you.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Tell me about yourself. What's your name?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Beatrice Ann Hylam. And I like my name.

[Stephen Burroughs]

That's a nice name. How long have you been in the hospital, Ann?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

All my life.

[Stephen Burroughs]

What? All your life in a hospital? Where are your parents?

[Betty White]

They're dead.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

They were both killed when I was hurt. Long time ago, when I was only two years old.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And how old are you now?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

10.

[Stephen Burroughs]

10. Have you no other home, no relatives?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I have Aunt Mary.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, who's Aunt Mary?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

She is my great aunt, but I just call her Aunt Mary. She owns this hospital.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You don't mean Mary Woodruff, the superintendent?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Yes.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And she is your aunt, eh?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

No, she is my great aunt. I just call her aunt.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, I see. And you have no other home than the four bare walls of a hospital.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

But up here there aren't any walls. Just a lot of space. All filled with sky and trees and flowers. I like trees and flowers. Especially roses. I can see them everywhere I look.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Of course, Portland is the rose city.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Yes, I'm glad. A lady gave me some roses once. Little teeny ones. These little blue ones, he called them. I didn't forget the name. They were so pretty. I still got them all fresh out in the book. It's a picture book. I look at my roses every day.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You shall have some fresh ones tomorrow.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, will they be pink? I like pink ones there.

[Betty White]

Yes.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Yes, they'll be pink. Tell me, Anne, what's the matter with your kiss?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Something happened to it. It won't affunction, Aunt Mary said.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, can't it be cured?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

The doctors say maybe when I get older. They're nice to me.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And your aunt?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

My great aunt?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, yes. Yes, your great aunt. She is nice too.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Yes, she gives me a home.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Dear, I see you live in a hospital all your life. Never go anywhere, never see anything.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

But I do see things. There is my river way down there. It runs right through Portland and divides it into the east side and the west side.

[Stephen Burroughs]

That's pretty interesting.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Sam Simpson wrote a poem about my river. I just call it my river. It really isn't.

[Stephen Burroughs]

I see.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

And then it told me about the poem.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Tell me about it.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

A beautiful Willamette.

[Betty White]

That's its name.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I know the first verse by heart.

[Stephen Burroughs]

How does it go?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

From the cascade, Frozen gorges leaping like a child at play Winding, widening through the valley Bright Willamette glides away Nice.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Very, very nice.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I like this part. The Bay onward, ever lovely river Softly.

[Betty White]

Calling to the smoke A sea.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, in this case, it's an ocean. The Pacific Ocean. It's that way. You see, the Willamette river flows into the Columbia. And the Columbia flows into the Pacific Ocean. That God would be true.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Is the Columbia river more beautiful than my river?

[Stephen Burroughs]

No, not more beautiful, only bigger. The Columbia is one of the largest rivers in the United States.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Is the Pacific Ocean or for beach?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, yes. Most as big as the sky. Would you like to see the ocean?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, yes. But it's too far away. It's a hundred miles.

[Stephen Burroughs]

That's not so far, Ab. One can get there in a few hours.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

On the train?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Yes, or by automobile.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I never saw a train.

[Stephen Burroughs]

You never saw a train?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

But I heard one way up here. I hear the Empire Builder on the radio every Monday night. It sounded so stoked. Oh, I'd like to ride on that train.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Stranger things than that have happened. Anne, tell me, what else do you see up here beside your river softly falling to the sea?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

The mountains is all covered with snow. They reach way up into the sky.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And how many peaks can you see from here?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Let's see. There's Mount Hood. I like Mount Hood the best. It's so jaggedy. And over there is Mount St. Helens. And right behind it is Mount Rainier. And I can see the top of Mount Adams, too. Why, way over there, see?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Who told you all these things, huh?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Miss Gray.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And who is Miss Gray?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

She's my nurse.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh. And what else did Ms. Gray tell you?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

She told me all about those beautiful houses on the hills right back of us and what's inside them and everything. I'd like to see the inside of a house.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Have you never seen the inside of a house, Anne?

[Betty White]

No.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Have you never been away from the hospital?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Only sometimes I make leave. I sail away on a little white cloud and go over the top of the hills and see what's on the other side.

[Stephen Burroughs]

And what do you find on the other side?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Sometimes I see an enchanted castle with a little princess at the window. She wants to get out into the sunshine but can't because she's under the spell of a wicked fairy. And sometimes I see a dreadful, brave, big giant. A looking around for someone to devour.

[Stephen Burroughs]

But aren't you afraid to make a. Aren't you make your bloody terrifying vision?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, no, I'm not afraid. He can't get to the top of the hill.

[Betty White]

He's changed.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

And he doesn't know what on the other side either. I guess he'd like to just like.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Me Someday an you may see the other side. Who knows.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, Mr. M. What's your name?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Why, it's Bellows, but you just call me Uncle Stephen.

[Betty White]

Uncle Stephen?

[Stephen Burroughs]

That's it. Oh. Oh, here's your nurse.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Well, it's great. Mr. Uncle Stephen's going to show me the inside of a house someday maybe.

[Betty White]

Oh, isn't that splendid? But come now. It's time for your nap.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Goodbye.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Goodbye, uncle Stephen.

[Betty White]

Oh, Ms. Gray.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Do you think Uncle Stephen will come up on the roof today?

[Betty White]

I suppose so.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I missed him so yesterday.

[Betty White]

Well, he sent you your roses, didn't he?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Yes, he sends them every day. I love my roses, and they're always cecil blooming. I like them the best. Isn't Uncle Stephen wonderful, Miss Gray?

[Betty White]

Yes, he's nice.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I think he's awful nice.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Do you, Anne?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, Uncle Stephen.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Good morning, Anne.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Good morning. Yesterday was just awful. Lonesome without jealousy.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Was it? Well, I. I was very busy yesterday. But I thought of you many times.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

And I'm so glad. See my pretty roses?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Do you still like the man?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I love them.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, you shall have them every day whether I'm here or not.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Are you going away?

[Stephen Burroughs]

I must. I'm well now. I came to say goodbye. Oh, but I'll come back one of these days. You won't forget me, will you?

[Betty White]

Never. Never.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Goodbye.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Goodbye, Uncle Jim.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Goodbye.

[Betty White]

Look, Anne, Mr. Burrows is waving to you.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Goodbye. Oh, Uncle Stephen. Uncle Stephen, don't go away.

[Betty White]

Don't go away. Do you know what day this is, Anne? And here we are up on the roof garden. Isn't the weather wonderful?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, I'm so tired, Miss Grace.

[Betty White]

Oh, look, your roses have dropped to the floor. Here they are, Anne. Thank you. Why, Anne, dear, don't you love your roses anymore? Yes. Oh, Miss Gray. Yes, Miss Barton. Here.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

This box just came, Miss Gray.

[Betty White]

Oh, thank you. Why, Anne, it's beginning to seem like Christmas in spite of the warm sunshine. Miss Beatrice Ann Hyland.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

For you.

[Betty White]

Anne. Look, open your eyes. This great big box is for you. Is it?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Shall I open it? If you want to.

[Betty White]

Oh, come, Ann. Aren't you interested in what Santa Claus brought you? Yes, I suppose so. Look. I can't wait to see.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, Anne, it's pink. It's pink.

[Betty White]

See? It's a dress. Oh. Oh, oh. Oh, and how exquisite. And here are dainty pink stockings to match. And. And darling little white slippers. And. Oh, dear, guess what? Pearls for your neck. Here's a handkerchief with tiny pink rosebuds embroidered in it. And even A purse all for you, Anne. Aren't you thrilled, dear?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

They're very pretty.

[Betty White]

And here's a letter for you. Reading it. You want to meet. What are you staring at? Giles? Look. Look.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Ms. Grace. I hope Stephen.

[Betty White]

Okay.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

It can't be true. I'm going to pin to myself.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Yes, it is. I'm here in the flesh.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, Uncle Step, I. I missed you so. I.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Didn't you get my roses? They were my daily message to you.

[Harvey Hayes]

I thought.

[Stephen Burroughs]

I thought you'd understand that I hadn't forgotten you.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I wanted you, Uncle Stephen.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Did you, dear? Stop crying. Stop crying and I'll show you your Christmas.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

I know I like my pretty dress and everything.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, I'm glad you do, but that's not what I meant. Here, I'm. Take these field glasses and look way up there on the hill.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, I can see it. So it's a blank.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Do you see that big white house way up near the top with the flag flying on it?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, now I see the flag.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Do you like that house, Anne?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

It's like the enchanted castle where the little princes live.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Well, that's your enchanted castle, Anne. I'm going to take you away from here this very afternoon to live in the inside of that house. And Ms. Gray is coming along to take care of me. Will you like that, Ann?

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Will you be there, Uncle Stephen?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Yes, indeed. Not even your dreadful, great big giant could keep me away.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, it's too wonderful to be true.

[Betty White]

Maybe.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Maybe when I wake up, I'll be in the heart again.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Never you fear. When you wake up, Ann, you'll be in your own home, way up on the hill. And when you're. Well, we'll travel all over the world and see what's on the other side of those hills.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

And the empire builder.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Yes, on the empire building.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

Oh, Uncle Stephen, not.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Not Uncle Stephen anymore. Anne, you're going to be my Christmas present to myself. Do you know what I've done? I've gone and adopted you for my very own. What's my name now, darling?

[Betty White]

Daddy.

[Beatrice Ann Hylam]

My wonderful, wonderful Daddy.

[Harvey Hayes]

Well, old timer, that was a beautiful story you told us tonight.

[Bob White]

Thank you, Dan. It's one of the best Christmas stories I ever run across. It seems to put people in a kind of a. Well, you know, a kind of a Christmasy frame of mind.

[Harvey Hayes]

It certainly does. By the way, are you going west for Christmas this year again?

[Bob White]

Well, I don't know, Dad.

[Stephen Burroughs]

I might.

[Bob White]

And then again, I might not. You'll know better next week. Say, our time's getting short. You better tell them about tonight's play.

[Harvey Hayes]

That's right, Old Timer.

[Stephen Burroughs]

Here goes.

[Harvey Hayes]

Harvey Hayes, of course, was the old timer again in tonight's program. Betty White was Anne. Bob White played Stephen Burroughs. Bernadine Flynn was Ms. Gray, the nurse. And Lucille Housting was Virginia, the girl to whom the old timer told the story.

[Stephen Burroughs]

This is Ted. Hey, Ted. Huh?

[Bob White]

Just a minute.

[Harvey Hayes]

Yes, Old Timer?

[Stephen Burroughs]

What is.

[Bob White]

You forgot something?

[Stephen Burroughs]

Oh, sure.

[Harvey Hayes]

I almost forgot. The old timer asked me for him and for Empire Builders to wish you all a very merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. This is Tap Pearson speaking. The Empire Builders program has come to you from the Chicago studios of the National Broadcasting Company. And you are listening to Westinghouse kyw.

[Bob White]

The Chicago Herald and examiner station.