The Way Station by The CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Horror! (Old Time Radio) – "The Way Station" by The CBS Radio Mystery Theater

Introduction

The Horror! hosted by RelicRadio.com delves into spine-chilling tales from Old Time Radio, exploring ghost stories, supernatural phenomena, and unexplained mysteries. In the August 9, 2025 episode, the host presents "The Way Station," a gripping narrative from The CBS Radio Mystery Theater series, which originally aired between 1974 and 1982. This episode, part of the series' final year on September 20, 1982, showcases one of its 1,399 original stories, expertly written by G. Frederick Lewis and based on Ferenc Monarch's work.

Plot Overview

"The Way Station" unfolds in the secluded village of Calama, perched high above the Danube River. The story centers on Stefan and Judith, twin siblings who return to their ancestral home following the sudden death of their mother due to a mysterious plague. Their father, Peter—a dedicated carpenter turned gravedigger—handles the burial amidst an ominous atmosphere marked by dark, foreboding skies (00:33).

As Stefan and Judith grapple with their mother's death, unsettling changes in their father become apparent. He exhibits strange behavior, including excessive secrecy and emotional detachment. One night, driven by concern and curiosity, the siblings investigate the eerie happenings in their home. They discover their father interacting with spectral figures—The General and the Professor—who reveal haunting truths about debt, the afterlife, and unfinished business that keeps the dead tethered to the living world (22:23).

The narrative intensifies as the siblings realize their father is entangled in a supernatural obligation to settle his wife's unsettled debts in the afterlife. The climax occurs when Peter confronts apparitions representing his past misdeeds, leading to a tragic and supernatural resolution where the boundaries between life and death blur (36:05).

Key Discussions & Themes

1. The Afterlife and Unfinished Business: The story explores the concept of a "way station," a metaphysical crossroads where souls linger due to unresolved matters. Peter's role as a gravedigger symbolizes his intermediary position between the living and the dead, tasked with guiding spirits to their final rest (28:36).

2. Family and Duty: Stefan and Judith's return highlights themes of familial obligation and the strains it places on individuals coping with loss. Their investigation into their father's behavior underscores the lengths to which one might go to protect loved ones, even from hidden truths (10:05).

3. Supernatural Debt: The apparitions reveal that Peter owes a debt due to a past transgression during wartime, emphasizing the idea that actions in life have consequences in death. This theme resonates with traditional ghost stories where unresolved guilt or wrongdoings bind spirits to the earthly realm (26:34).

4. Isolation and Fear: Set in a remote village, the story amplifies feelings of isolation and vulnerability. The oppressive environment mirrors the characters' internal struggles, creating a pervasive sense of dread (04:44).

Notable Quotes

• "Why did the Lord will it that my mother should die?" (05:25) - Stefan expresses his grief and confusion, encapsulating the emotional turmoil following sudden loss.

• "It is not a feeling. It is the truth." (12:18) - Peter asserts the reality of his supernatural burdens, confronting his children with the undeniable presence of the afterlife.

• "To drink to our health is, I would say, about the most ironical toast anyone could propose." (24:58) - The General's remark underscores the dark irony of celebrating life amidst deathly circumstances.

• "They are ghouls." (42:36) - Stefan and Judith's realization about the nature of the apparitions heightens the story's horror elements.

Character Analysis

• Peter (Father): A complex character torn between his duties as a gravedigger and his supernatural obligations. His descent into secrecy reflects the profound impact of grief and guilt.

• Stefan and Judith: Represent the struggle of coping with loss and the quest for truth. Their transformation from grieving children to active investigators drives the narrative forward.

• The General and the Professor: Symbolize the lingering past and the inescapable consequences of one's actions. Their interactions with Peter reveal deeper thematic elements of redemption and eternal duty.

Conclusion

"The Way Station" masterfully intertwines elements of horror, mystery, and the supernatural to explore profound themes of life, death, and the unseen ties that bind. Through atmospheric storytelling and compelling character dynamics, the episode leaves listeners pondering the mysteries of the afterlife and the enduring impact of our earthly actions. The narrative's intricate plot and haunting dialogue, supported by notable performances from Russell Horton, Norman Rose, Maya Dillon, and Bernard Grant under Hyman Brown's direction, make it a standout episode in The CBS Radio Mystery Theater series.

Final Thoughts

The Horror! successfully transports its audience into a world where the lines between the living and the dead are perilously thin. "The Way Station" serves as a testament to the timeless allure of ghost stories and the enduring power of radio drama to evoke fear, suspense, and contemplation.

Notable Production Credits

• Cast: Russell Horton, Norman Rose, Maya Dillon, Bernard Grant
• Director: Hyman Brown

Preview of Next Episode

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Horror! where more strange tales and mysterious adventures await. As always, listeners can find more episodes on RelicRadio.com or search for Relic Radio Network on Spotify.

Closing Quote

"Monody compels in the silence of the night. How we shiver with affright at the melancholy menace of their tone." (42:15) – This poetic reflection encapsulates the haunting essence of the story, leaving listeners with a lingering chill.

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This summary captures the essence and key elements of "The Way Station," providing a comprehensive overview for both longtime fans and new listeners interested in the macabre narratives of Old Time Radio.

Transcript

[Tammy Grimes]

Oh, stories, real stories and murders do.

[Norman Rose]

Turn out your legs.

[Tammy Grimes]

Turn them out. Good evening. Come in, won't you? What's the matter? Surely you're not nervous? Perhaps you. Can't I tell you a story? We are meant to call from out of the past. Stories. Strange, weird tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the macabre. Stories of the supernatural, the supernormal dramatized life fantasy. The mystery of the unknown. We tell you this Franklin, so if you wish to avoid the excitement tension of these magnet play, we urge you our latest theory to turn off your. Welcome back to the horror. On this week's show, we'll hear more from the CBS radio Mystery Theater series that debuted in 1974, aired until 1982, produced 1,399 original stories. This week's story comes from the final year, September 20, 1982. It's titled the Waystation.

[Norman Rose]

TBS Radio Mystery Theater presents.

[Tammy Grimes]

Come in. Welcome.

[Norman Rose]

I'm Tommy Grime. Do you remember the first ghost story you ever heard?

[Tammy Grimes]

Did it spook you?

[Norman Rose]

My grandfather told me this one. And when I asked him where it came from, all he would say was from the old country. That was all I had to hear. And so I had to track it down.

[Tammy Grimes]

And I did.

[Norman Rose]

And discovered quite a bit Grandpa never told me. I know it will intrigue you as much as it always has intrigued me. And I can hardly wait to begin a good scary hour.

[Tammy Grimes]

How extraordinary it is, professor, what life and afterlife have in store. I was a general. I accepted death as I accepted life. Chancy and inevitable. I never dreamed there could be more in you, Professor. General, I'll say this as a professor. What is happening to us right now is unthinkable. I still don't understand that it would seem such a waste of time. Professor, what use is time to us? Time, which is so valuable to the living, doesn't even exist here.

[Norman Rose]

Our mystery drama the Way Station, based on a story by Ferenc Monarch, was written especially for the Mystery Theater by G. Frederick Lewis and stars Norman Rose. I shall be back shortly with Act 1. Let me set the scene.

[Tammy Grimes]

High in a hill overlooking the Daniels river is the town of Calama. A church bell tolls mournfully. The occasion the burial of the mother of Stefan and Judith.

[Norman Rose]

Have you ever noticed that the skies take on the color of the event? Today is the no exception.

[Tammy Grimes]

The gray and black clouds are almost as dark as the clothes of the believe. Peter, the husband of the dead woman, shovels the earth into the grave of the one who is Once his beloved wife. Come, Judith. It's over. Come, Sister. Stefan, why don't you and I together take your sister home? Thank you, Doctor. Could I. Yes. Just a moment. I'm forgetting something. After all, you and your sister are young. Look at your father standing there next to his shalom. Perhaps I had better stay with him. Peter. Peter. You see what I mean, Stefan. He's just standing there, stricken. I can't think of any worse fate than being the only gravedigger in the village and having to bury your own wife.

[Norman Rose]

Please. Please, can't we go home now?

[Tammy Grimes]

My dearest Judith, of course we can.

[Norman Rose]

I can't stand a moment longer in the cemetery. Dr. Kadali. I'm sorry. I must go. I can't understand why my mother. She was so young. Why. Why Judith?

[Tammy Grimes]

Medicine did everything possible to save her. It was the Lord's will. That's what I don't understand.

[Norman Rose]

Why did the Lord will it that my mother should die?

[Tammy Grimes]

You mean you haven't seen Father since the burial, Doctor? Good day. After we brought your sister back to the house and I gave her something to calm her nerves. I went back to the graveyard to look for him, but he wasn't there. You must try to understand, Stefan. Difficult as it is for you and Judith, twin children, to lose your mother to this terrible plague. It is doubly difficult for a man to lose his wife. I wish he'd come home. I know what he's doing. He's walking through the woods. Even now, when it's dark. Oh, Judith. I'm glad you're up. Come in. How do you feel? How are you, my child?

[Norman Rose]

Did you give me something to make me sleep?

[Tammy Grimes]

To relax you from the strain? Yes. Sit down, dear.

[Norman Rose]

How long have I been asleep?

[Tammy Grimes]

A few hours. It's only several.

[Norman Rose]

Where's Father?

[Tammy Grimes]

Well, we were just wondering. I think he's walking somewhere outside.

[Norman Rose]

He didn't come back to the house?

[Tammy Grimes]

No.

[Norman Rose]

It's seven o'.

[Tammy Grimes]

Clock.

[Norman Rose]

Has anybody eaten?

[Tammy Grimes]

No. Nor Judas. Stephen and I have been sitting here waiting for your father to return.

[Norman Rose]

I'll go into the kitchen and see what I can put together for a supper. Can you stay, Dr. Kadali?

[Tammy Grimes]

Oh, certainly. I am not leaving until I've had the chance to talk to Peter.

[Norman Rose]

It's almost too impossible to believe. Four days ago, Stefan and I came home for the spring holiday. And mother was walking around, planning to make new curtains, sweeping the floors as she does every day. And the very next day she got so ill we had to put her to bed.

[Tammy Grimes]

I Have seen the plague end the person's life in a matter of hours. Nothing could be done. I came here as quickly as I could.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, Doctor, we're not blaming you. I know you did everything possible.

[Tammy Grimes]

Judith, I've been thinking. Don't you think that father should get away from here? Move out of his house?

[Norman Rose]

Well, I can't say it depends on how he feels. What do you think, Doctor?

[Tammy Grimes]

Oh, I can't possibly even guess what he'll do. Peter, your father is a strange person. He was always very quiet, kept to himself. He always liked working with his hands. That's how he became a carpenter. And he did very well for a long time. Built some of the best houses in Kalaman. And then he saw an opportunity to do even better. And he branched out and made coffins. Oh, Peter. We were just talking about you.

[Norman Rose]

Father, I'm just going to make us awesome supper, all right?

[Tammy Grimes]

Yes, child, that would be very nice. You go ahead. So you were talking about me, were you? I was worried, Father. You understand, It's. It's been hours since the funeral, and I had things to do. And what were you saying for Danny? Oh, not very much. The youngsters asked me about you, Peter. And since we grew up together. I didn't know you built all the big houses around him. Father, you knew I was a carpenter. I guess so. And from there I went on to making coffins. There was good money in that. Until people wanted to buy those fancy ones with the bronze handles lined with red and white satin. So they bought their coffins in Budapest. And then you became a grave digger. Somebody had to do it. I was always interested in the church. And the deacon asked me if I would. Most cemeteries have two grave diggers. But I could do it all alone. Even to lowering the coffin after I had made the grave. Stefa, why don't you go into the kitchen and help your sister with the meal? I would like to talk to your father alone. I'll be glad to. I can't say I'll be much help, but at least I know how to keep out of my way.

[Norman Rose]

Steph. Found you just in time. Keep stirring his soup, will you?

[Tammy Grimes]

I'll be glad to make myself useful.

[Norman Rose]

How's Father?

[Tammy Grimes]

That's why I came in here. Dr. Kodai said. Stefan, go in and help your sister in the kitchen. I want to talk to your father alone.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, maybe he's going to talk to him about selling the house. I know I could never come back here to live.

[Tammy Grimes]

Well, you and I have a whole semester to think about that. In the meantime, living in Budapest near the university is the best thing, if.

[Norman Rose]

You want to know the truth. Oh, I know this is terrible to say about one's own father. And digging graves is as honorable a profession as anyone could want. It's something that has to be done.

[Tammy Grimes]

But.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, Stefan, I've never been happy about what Father does for a living. And I don't know what I can do about it. Oh, keep stirring. I don't want the soup burned.

[Tammy Grimes]

I am so sorry I can't stay for supper. Judith. Stefan, I must go. And don't come back. Go, Daniel. Do you hear me? Your father and I have had words. I am afraid I have upset him. I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon, Doctor. Judith and I are going back to Budapest in the morning. We had examinations. Imperfect old fool. Get out. Kodali. You don't know anything. And you never did. Good night. Good night. I'm sorry this sad day had to.

[Norman Rose]

End like this, Father. What did he say to you?

[Tammy Grimes]

I should sell this house. I should move away. I should leave Kalaman, I suppose. What is he talking about? My retiring from the human race.

[Norman Rose]

Father. I'm sure he meant no harm at all. He was only thinking of you living alone in this house.

[Tammy Grimes]

If I sell this house, where would I go?

[Norman Rose]

To another house. And if you wanted to stay in Kalman? There's a nice section way at the other end of town.

[Tammy Grimes]

What good would that be? It would take me much longer to get to work here. I. I am across the road from the church and the cemetery. If it rains or snows, it does not matter. I am right here to do the grave digging. No, that is settled. Now, you two, you stay here tonight. And then I want you back on the train to the city in the morning and into your classes. There is one thing you children must understand for me. Magda. My dearest darling Magda has not died. What I placed in that wooden box and put into the earth was not your mother. It was flesh. Perhaps. But her spirit is still very much in this house. I can understand how you feel. No, you cannot. You are just saying that. It is not a feeling. It is the truth. But I will put it to you in a way I think both of you can understand. I do not wish to move from this house. Not now, not ever. I want to be able to cross the road anytime I like and mow the grass around her. Or change the flowers. Yes, I believe her spirit lives. I will never be without her. Never. I can promise you that.

[Norman Rose]

Knock again. Stefan.

[Tammy Grimes]

I Have been knocking. If Father's in the house, he would have heard me.

[Norman Rose]

He could have gone out.

[Tammy Grimes]

He hardly ever goes out. He's not in the cemetery. We. Look, I don't understand it. Didn't he expect us to come back out here this weekend? Didn't you tell him he would?

[Norman Rose]

Well, I thought I did, but I guess I forgot. I just assumed that a week after Mother died, he'd expect us to come home.

[Tammy Grimes]

And what's more peculiar is that he's always left the front door open. Why is it locked? I think I've got a spare key in one of my pockets.

[Norman Rose]

I know he may have gone to visit Dr. Kadari. Stefan. Knock just once more, please.

[Tammy Grimes]

Judith. Stefan, what are you doing here?

[Norman Rose]

What's the matter, Father? Don't you want to see us?

[Tammy Grimes]

Are you having a party? What are you two talking about? Well, I. I see you got a tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses. No, three. And three plates of soup. Is that a good day?

[Norman Rose]

Here.

[Tammy Grimes]

What business is it of yours? What are you two doing? Spying on me, Father?

[Norman Rose]

What do you mean, spying? We came specially from the universe.

[Tammy Grimes]

Go away. I have many things to do. I cannot entertain you. Go away. Go away. Well, what do you make of that? What did we say to him to make him so angry?

[Norman Rose]

I don't know, but I'm frightened.

[Tammy Grimes]

All I did was ask if Dr. Godai was here because he had a tray of soup and wine.

[Norman Rose]

I want to get into the house, Stefan. Father needs us. Know it. It's Mother's death that's brought this on.

[Tammy Grimes]

He's locked it again. He has locked us out.

[Norman Rose]

Did you find your key?

[Tammy Grimes]

Yeah, I have it right here.

[Norman Rose]

Go on, Stefan. I'm off the door.

[Tammy Grimes]

I am. I am.

[Norman Rose]

The worst thing of all is not what he said, but how he looked.

[Tammy Grimes]

What?

[Norman Rose]

Stefan, didn't you notice? Didn't you see exactly what Father's hair has turned completely white. The combination to the secret vault that holds the unknown land of death and the known land of those left behind to mourn has yet to be unlocked. My most favorite poet of all time called it that undiscovered contratum whose bone no traveler returns. Indeed, it is just that. And what market will leave upon this little family of father, daughter and son?

[Tammy Grimes]

We shall learn when shortly.

[Norman Rose]

I return with Act 2. Peter is the town gravedigger and grave caretaker in a small village high above the Danube. It has been his unfortunate task to bury his wife who succumbed to the plague that swept over Europe in the 18th century. His son and daughter. Stefan and Judith study at the university, and a week after the funeral, return home to find their father so strange and secretive, they begin to wonder if his wife's death has not affected his mind. What time is it now, Stefan?

[Tammy Grimes]

It's almost 11 at night.

[Norman Rose]

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to explain all this. He locks the front door, then opens it. Finally, he treats us like unwanted strangers and slams the door in our face. Oh, my poor father.

[Tammy Grimes]

I've seen that distant, almost disembodied look on Father's face before, trying to remember. Have I seen it? Only after he's attended to a funeral. If there's some day or date that I associate with this, as if his body were being taken over by somebody else.

[Norman Rose]

He never told me.

[Tammy Grimes]

He never told anybody, not even Mother. Just something I observed and kept to myself.

[Norman Rose]

Friday.

[Tammy Grimes]

It was always on a Friday.

[Norman Rose]

Any Friday. Every Friday.

[Tammy Grimes]

No, only when a Friday fell on the 13th of the month.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, that sounds like 16th century superstition. Well, it's quarter to 11. I'll have to reheat everything. Where could he be, Judith?

[Tammy Grimes]

I've looked high and low, even in the attic, he's not there.

[Norman Rose]

The cellar?

[Tammy Grimes]

No, he's not there either.

[Norman Rose]

You looked? Of course, in Mother's room.

[Tammy Grimes]

Oh, I didn't go in. I tried the knob. The door's locked. I expected it would be Lysandra. What would Father be doing in there?

[Norman Rose]

You're sure it's locked?

[Tammy Grimes]

Oh, yes. Don't you remember? Dr. Kodai said if someone dies of the plague, their room should be not used for a long time. I expected it would be lost.

[Norman Rose]

I'm trying to piece the puzzle together. This afternoon when we got here and he came to the door, what was he doing? Carrying a tray with plates of soup, a bottle of wine and glasses.

[Tammy Grimes]

He must have had a visitor, at least one. But it's certainly not Dr. Kodai, because he always puts his doctor's back bag in his cane right in the hallway when he comes here.

[Norman Rose]

I suppose he could be in Mother's room.

[Tammy Grimes]

Well, why don't you try? Call out to him through the door. He won't listen to me.

[Norman Rose]

We've waited supper long enough for him. I think we should go on upstairs to our rooms and go to sleep. It'll be time enough tomorrow morning to find out what this is all about.

[Tammy Grimes]

You go on up to bed, Judith. I'll sit here by the fire a little longer. I'm not that sleepy anyway. Moody. Father will Turn up.

[Norman Rose]

What is it, do you suppose? What's wrong?

[Tammy Grimes]

Everything's wrong. We know that. I don't think I can go to sleep. Hey, did you hear that?

[Norman Rose]

He just come out of Mother's room. I recognize his step coming down the hall. I can't leave now.

[Tammy Grimes]

We'll pretend to be having a deep conversation here by the fire. Hello, you two. I thought you had gone back to Budapest. Not at all, Father. We came up to spend the weekend with you. It is very late. Shouldn't you two be off to bed? Father, Judith and I are both 24 years old.

[Norman Rose]

Well, actually, I'm 10 minutes younger than Stefan. He keeps forgetting I was born 10 minutes after he was. Anyway, I was going to bed. Are you sure you're feeling all right, Father?

[Tammy Grimes]

Of course I am, little one. I'm sorry I was abrupt before. It was just that I had something on my mind.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, we understand. We really do. It's been a long time since I kissed you good night. But I think I'll start that habit again. Good night, Father.

[Tammy Grimes]

Good night, Judith. Listen, you close your door, will you? Your room's next to mine, and you know you snore.

[Norman Rose]

I do not. Good night.

[Tammy Grimes]

Well, I guess I'll be turning in two. Father, we made some supper. It's in the kitchen. Would you like me to heat it up for you? No, thank you, my son. I am not hungry. I don't know. A couple of bowls of soup and a bottle of wine. Doesn't have much nourishment. For heaven's sake, can't you forget that? Forget what I saw with my own eyes? It doesn't matter to me, Father. This is your house. If you. You have guests, what concern is that of mine? Who said there was anyone here? I know, Father. Nobody was here or is here. And if they're gone, obviously they didn't leave by the front door. Judith and I have been in the house since five. And that means they left by the French doors that lead from Mother's room to the garden. Now, Father, as I said, it's your house. You are not accountable to me or to anyone. Stefan. Stefan, if. If I could take you into my confidence. If I could share certain things with you, it would ease my burdens. I know that. But I cannot. No one can bear this but myself. It is mine alone. Judith.

[Norman Rose]

Judith, wake up. Judith. What is it? The lounge.

[Tammy Grimes]

I. I don't want anyone to hear us.

[Norman Rose]

What time is it?

[Tammy Grimes]

A little before midnight. Listen, something is coming. Going on in Mother's room.

[Norman Rose]

Well, how do you know, my room.

[Tammy Grimes]

Is right above hers. I can hear voices. Can you sleep on a robe and come back with me to my room? I want you to listen with me. Ruth, were you.

[Norman Rose]

How long have you been hearing it?

[Tammy Grimes]

It woke me up. I'm sure there are two people. Men and F.

[Norman Rose]

I don't hear anything from down there.

[Tammy Grimes]

Neither do I. They just stopped talking, that's all. But I'm sure they're in there.

[Norman Rose]

What part of your room did the voices sound the loudest?

[Tammy Grimes]

Right under my bed. That's what woke me. I'll tell you what we'll do. Help me move the bed closer to the window. And then we'll get on the floor and listen, will you?

[Norman Rose]

All right.

[Tammy Grimes]

Okay, now, you take that end of.

[Norman Rose]

The bed, and I'll take this end.

[Tammy Grimes]

Now, watch your fist. There's a small rug under it. Now, don't trip. You ready?

[Norman Rose]

I'm ready.

[Tammy Grimes]

I'll say, 1, 2, 3, lift, and we both move the bed all the way over to the window. Okay? One, two, three, lift. Good.

[Norman Rose]

I don't hear anything yet.

[Tammy Grimes]

Now, I'm going to fold back this little rod that was under the bed. Look, there are cracks in the floorboards.

[Norman Rose]

I can see light coming up from Mother's room.

[Tammy Grimes]

Maybe it isn't right to spy on one's own father. But if he has people in this house and doesn't think enough of us to trust us with a secret I think we're entitled to know when people meet in secret in the middle of the night. What do you think?

[Norman Rose]

I'm thinking of Father and the shock of losing Mother. And his hair turning white in a few days. And how ashamed I'd be if he knew what I was doing.

[Tammy Grimes]

I. Judah, stop that. Look down there. What do you see?

[Norman Rose]

I see two men sitting at that table in the middle of Mother's room. They're all dressed up.

[Tammy Grimes]

They're wearing black suits.

[Norman Rose]

But I can't see Father.

[Tammy Grimes]

I could hear his voice before. Maybe he went out. The door to Mother's room is opening. You were a long time, Peter. I had to go to the cellar, General. I keep my best wines in the cellar. Will you join us in another glass of wine, Professor? Happy, too. I'm very cold, you know. I'm surprised you have any physical sensations at all, Professor. I don't. Not the one. Well, it is different for different people. Of all those who have stopped here on their way some have no general sensations at all. Others do. They feel everything. I thought perhaps it had something to do with our Waiting here in this room now, instead of as we used to do in that little stone house at the end of your garden. It's better here. Easier to get to from across the road. Another midnight. I wonder how many I have yet to go. Aren't you going to sit down with us, Peter? In a minute. I want to lock the door first. Lock the door. My. My son and daughter are visiting me, General. Would they be wandering about this house at this hour? We are safer behind a locked door. Gentlemen. Professor. General. I raise my glass of wine. To your health. That's an amusing statement, isn't it, General?

[Norman Rose]

How so?

[Tammy Grimes]

To drink to our health is, I would say, about the most ironical toast anyone could propose. Considering we are gathered here on borrowed time, as it were. Tell me, where are we? I think of it as a way station. Somewhere off the main track. A spur, A resting place. Professor, I don't know how you feel about it, but I would like to reward Peter for the care and understanding he has given us. Ah, no, no. I could not accept anything. I never have. General, you are right. Let me just think. What do I have on me at this moment that might be worth something? No, no, gentlemen. No, please. What I am doing is through no desire of my own. I fell into the job, you might say, as easily as one might trip into a grave. But I was wondering if it might not pass the time more agreeably if the three of us played some cards. Yes. What say to three handed poker? We could do that, Professor. What do you say? Why not? It would be the first time I played a game and had nothing to lose. Stay where you are, gentlemen. I will go and fetch some playing car. Judith, let's crawl over to the far side of the room. I want to talk to you. Wait. I'll put the rug back over the floorboards. Just in case we might be overheard.

[Norman Rose]

They were dead, weren't they? Both of them. I recognized the professor right away. I didn't know the other man.

[Tammy Grimes]

The General. I think I read about him dying a month ago.

[Norman Rose]

It's unbelievable. Quite unbelievable. Oh, I can remember so well. Two weeks ago, after class, we were all talking about the professor passing away so quickly, don't you?

[Tammy Grimes]

I can see it so clearly in front of me. His picture in the paper. That day. Professor Martin Helgar dies. Services will be held at the church in Kellerman where he lived.

[Norman Rose]

He was the university's most prominent professor. He's supposed to be dead. If he is dead, then he must be an it.

[Tammy Grimes]

The other one, the General. I Wonder how long has he been out of his grave?

[Norman Rose]

What are they doing here?

[Tammy Grimes]

I just cannot believe that you And I, Judith, two mature 24 year old people are sitting up here looking through the floor at the dead coming to life.

[Norman Rose]

It's happening. It's not a nightmare.

[Tammy Grimes]

If it is, I don't want to wake up yet.

[Norman Rose]

It isn't.

[Tammy Grimes]

I have to know more. It's our own father. And who can we ever talk to about this? Can you bear to have another look?

[Norman Rose]

Yes, I can.

[Tammy Grimes]

All right. We'll crawl back, take up the rug. And you're sure, Judith, you're up to it?

[Norman Rose]

There are too many questions left unanswered for me to half know something is much worse than knowing all of it. Oh, as it is, how am I going to see father in the morning and pretend I don't know anything? Maybe there's an explanation I can understand. I pray there is.

[Tammy Grimes]

Strange that you should say you pray for an explanation. I pray too, Judith, that it's not too late for prayer.

[Norman Rose]

So we are at a way station.

[Tammy Grimes]

As Peter the gravedigger tells us. A spur off the track that leads.

[Norman Rose]

From life to death.

[Tammy Grimes]

Can it be there are those placed.

[Norman Rose]

On the earth who still have time, still have lifeless hours owing them? Could it be that there are way stations near other cemeteries in other countries? It's something to ponder, but I wouldn't give it much thought. Too late at night.

[Tammy Grimes]

If you happen to be alone walking.

[Norman Rose]

Past a graveyard, I shall return shortly with Act 3.

[Tammy Grimes]

This tale of the dead who are.

[Norman Rose]

Not completely dead goes back generations. It has inspired many versions and in fact was told to me as his own invention, by my own grandfather. In a room at night, twin brother and sister watch through the cracks in the floor. An incomprehensible scene, that of their father, a general, and a professor. The latter two appear to have risen from their grave and are seated at a table.

[Tammy Grimes]

Peter, I want you to have my diamond shirt stud. It is yours. Professor. Please, no. Shall I deal the cards? The cards can wait. I want you to have this diamond shirt. Professor, on what occasion is a gravedigger going to wear a diamond shirt stud? What good would it do me? I might ask you the same question. What good will the silly thing do to me where I am going? Your family thought you should be buried with it. They won't be disappointed. They won't know. Peter, you are spending money on me. The wine, the food. That makes no difference. I. I told you that I felt the cold, didn't I? I will shuffle the Cards. Did anyone hear what I said? Yes, Professor. You said you felt the cold. I now feel something else. Will you cut the cards, Chavo? I would be happy to. I now feel anger. I don't wish to play. You two can play. I don't care. Professor, I am sorry about the diamond. If it makes you feel better, I will accept it with thank. I know I'm not supposed to have any feelings, but I do, and that's it. I'm most grateful to you, Peter. I cannot feel otherwise. Professor. Peter is anointed. He cannot accept payment. I have been waiting here for release longer than you have, Professor. I know what you do not. Peter is not only the caretaker of our graves, but our souls. A poor caretaker, but I do as I am told. If in the lifetime of the deceased, he has one outstanding debt to pay, I help him to pay it. That is all. Your diamond stud will help someone who is buried in a pauper's grave. Peter. Thank you, gentlemen. What about our game of poker? We have a long night to wait. Peter, do you ever think what happens to us might happen to you? Oh, yes, I do. Not so much for myself, but for my wife. I threw the last shovelful of earth on her grave a week ago. Friday. Friday the 13th. Every day I wonder, is this the day I shall see her walking through those French doors from the garden, wondering if there is a debt she feels she owes? Dreading what she will ask of me, knowing she cannot rest until I have done her bidding? A gift to someone. Is that something to dread? There are those who demand I take a life so that they can rest in peace. That would mean your wife had an enemy. Someone who wronged her. Someone did a great wrong. And she might call upon you for final payment. Peter, can you tell us who wronged her? It was I. I wronged Murda.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, Stefan. I cannot watch or listen to anymore.

[Tammy Grimes]

Yes, I'll help you to your room.

[Norman Rose]

Would you? All of this we've heard is so awful, I'm afraid my legs won't carry me down the hall.

[Tammy Grimes]

You just lean on me, Jojo. So all the terrible strain when I asked her to come and listen to what was happening below in Mother's room. I had no idea that it would come to this.

[Norman Rose]

Father.

[Tammy Grimes]

What are you two doing up this late at night? Judith. It didn't feel well. I brought her in here and I was about to take her back to her room. Stefan, why is your bed pushed to the window and the rug rolled back? Is that light from the room below showing through? The floor. What were you two doing here? Listening. Watching what was going on below in your mother's room. And Judith had nothing to do with it? I. I couldn't sleep. I heard voices and I. I asked her. You asked your sister to help you spy on me? It wasn't really spying. You were so changed today when we came home. I. I thought there must be something wrong. How long have you two been up here, looking down through the floor? But, Father, can't you understand?

[Norman Rose]

We were worried.

[Tammy Grimes]

How long?

[Norman Rose]

It was about midnight when we looked first.

[Tammy Grimes]

So. So you know everything. No. No, we don't. We don't know anything.

[Norman Rose]

We don't understand anything.

[Tammy Grimes]

Father, couldn't you explain it? There is nothing to understand. There is nothing to explain what is. Is. Now, I will thank you to put the rug and the bed back where it belongs. Stefan and the three of us will talk in the morning. Gentlemen, we will have to keep our voices low, I'm afraid. My son and daughter were awakened. I have told them nothing. I am not prepared to tell them anything. Peter, I am a general. An army man only. I know little else. Is there any way one can avoid this in between time at a way station? Yes, there is. Yes. Have it put in your will that the coroner is to pierce your heart through with a knife. Had I known that. Look. I have my army knife with me. A retired general, they said, must be buried with his hunting knife. How did you die, Jim? Disgracefully. I fell off my horse and I broke my neck. And you, Professor? There's someone at the French door. I will go. It may be an intruder. Give me your hunting knife. General. Another one of us. Look at him. He's dressed in a winding sheet.

[Norman Rose]

I'm cold. Cold.

[Tammy Grimes]

Come inside quickly, Sir Peter. Shut the doors. Hold the man's head. Peter. He will pour this wine that is strong. Ghost will run him. Peter, why are you standing there? Help me uncover his head. But, Lord, it's not. It is not a man. No. It is my wife. Maga. My dear lady. Here, drink this. Peter's own wife. Why couldn't you have been one of the souls who reaches heaven straight away without this?

[Norman Rose]

Blitzer. Where am I?

[Tammy Grimes]

I prayed this would not happen to you.

[Norman Rose]

Why am I here? This is my own room.

[Tammy Grimes]

What is the debt you owe? Madam, do you remember that in the war against the Prussians, they sent a soldier across the country with a white flag of truth? I shot him dead. That was my death. Peter saw to it that what I had. My ring and so on were given to the Man's widow. But I still have to wait until they accept it as full payment. I am also waiting so I can return to my grave. Don't remember what brought you here, madam?

[Norman Rose]

No. Only dying suddenly.

[Tammy Grimes]

Dear madam, your husband Peter has been an angel of mercy, not only to the General and myself, but to many. In time you will remember what sin has to be paid.

[Norman Rose]

Dr. Kadali, thank you for seeing Stefan and me today.

[Tammy Grimes]

I'm sorry I'm so late in getting back to my office. You've known Father longer than anyone else in colony.

[Norman Rose]

Let me interrupt and come to the point. That cemetery across from our house, was it always there?

[Tammy Grimes]

No, no. Your father bought the land many years ago. It was a pasture.

[Norman Rose]

Father owns the cemetery. Doesn't it have to belong to a church?

[Tammy Grimes]

He owns the land the church is on also. Is that possible? Kolaman is a very poor community. One doctor only. They were grateful to Peter to let them build a church on his land and use the pasture for his cemetery.

[Norman Rose]

Has the cemetery been sanctified?

[Tammy Grimes]

Sanctified? Has it been blessed? Is it a fit, last resting place for those who die? I have no way of knowing. I always assumed it was.

[Norman Rose]

You told us Mother died of the plague. Have there been many cases of it?

[Tammy Grimes]

Hers was the only one. There is much elsewhere, but not here.

[Norman Rose]

You saw Mother every day?

[Tammy Grimes]

Except the day she died. Peter was with her to the end. I had given him medicine to alleviate the suffering she suffered. So?

[Norman Rose]

So it was a blessing that her suffering ended in death.

[Tammy Grimes]

Your father loved her so. He could not bear to see her in such pain. So he may have given her all the medicine and perhaps hastened. I never allow myself to think of that. And I could not blame him for that.

[Norman Rose]

We must go now. Thank you, Doctor.

[Tammy Grimes]

Will you do me a favor? Will you take this wreath, which I wanted to place on her grave, and put it there for me? I haven't had the time to do it. There are so many who need me. Of course. As soon as we get home, we'll do it. It could wait until tomorrow. It's quite dark already.

[Norman Rose]

We're quite used to walking at night. See? I have a lantern. We'll place the wreath tonight.

[Tammy Grimes]

I'm beginning to see a reason for all the strangeness of last year.

[Norman Rose]

Oh, I'm not sure I'll ever understand. Is the wreath heavy?

[Tammy Grimes]

Not really. Hold the lantern higher. Judith. I think Mother's grave is behind this mausoleum. Wait. Look. His father. He stretched across Mother's grave.

[Norman Rose]

Father. Father.

[Tammy Grimes]

What is it? Judith? Help me. Turn him over.

[Norman Rose]

Look at his eyes.

[Tammy Grimes]

He's dead. Oh my God. How? There's a knife in his chest.

[Norman Rose]

An army hunting knife.

[Tammy Grimes]

It's as if he were kneeling here and fell straight onto the knife.

[Norman Rose]

As soon as Dr. Cabala was summoned, he brought two grief stricken youngsters back to their house. They insisted he accompany them to their mother's room. On the table there were many empty glasses and empty dishes.

[Tammy Grimes]

The room itself was also empty and.

[Norman Rose]

The French doors leading to the garden were wide open. Those unfortunate souls who may have stopped briefly at the way station had found their way back to final, lasting peace. I shall return shortly. A few lines from that master of.

[Tammy Grimes]

The macabre, Edgar Allan Poe will tell.

[Norman Rose]

You how I feel about the tale just told.

[Tammy Grimes]

Remember, hear the rolling of the bells, Iron bell. What a world of solemn froth the.

[Norman Rose]

Monody compels in the silence of the night. How we shiver with affright at the melancholy menace of their tone.

[Tammy Grimes]

They are neither man nor woman.

[Norman Rose]

They are neither brute nor human.

[Tammy Grimes]

They are ghouls. Our cast included Russell Horton, Norman Rose, Maya Dillon, and Bernard Grant.

[Norman Rose]

The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. And now, a preview of our next tale.

[Tammy Grimes]

After all, someday you will marry and have children of your own. You might as well start practicing taking care of other peoples. If you go to live in France, you might even marry a Frenchman.

[Norman Rose]

Me? Marry a Frenchman? Never. Remain in Paris? Leave you? Abandon Poland? Never, Father. I promise you, those kinds of promises are made to be broken. One has no idea what time and fate can do to one's little schemes. Besides, that summer, I still had no idea what I wished to do with my life. All I knew was I had to learn somewhere. There was so much to know, and I knew so very little. This is Tammy Grimes inviting you to return to our Mystery Theater for another adventure in the macabre.

[Tammy Grimes]

Until next time.

[Norman Rose]

Sam.

[Tammy Grimes]

You can find more from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, the Horror and all of the Relic Radio podcasts at the website relicradio.com you can find newer episodes posted on Spotify, search for Relic Radio Network or click on the Spotify link in the show Notes and and as always, you can help support this and all of that by clicking on the support button or visiting donate. Relicradio.com thanks to those who have helped out. Thanks for joining me this week. Be back tomorrow with Strange Tales and next Saturday with our next episode of the Horror.