Lost Dog

E.G. Marshall (0:17)

Come in.

Welcome. I'm E.

SPEAKER_2 (0:21)

G.

E.G. Marshall (0:21)

Marshall. Welcome to the world of mystery, the world of terrifying imagination.

Kim Hunter (0:26)

I'm E.

E.G. Marshall (0:26)

Marshall. I'm a radio reporter.

Kim Hunter (0:57)

Please, please, George, take him away.

E.G. Marshall (1:00)

I'm only a job for big sakes.

Our mystery drama, Lost Dog, was written especially for the Mystery Theater by Henry Flesser and stars Kim Hunter. It is sponsored in part by the Kellogg Company, makers of Kellogg's Special K cereal. I'll return shortly with Act One. Our story begins in the quiet parlor of a small suburban house at the end of Elm Street. Well, not completely quiet, since young Ronnie Hughes is once again practicing his scales under the gentle, watchful eyes of his piano teacher, Mrs. Julia Smollett.

Kim Hunter (2:05)

Well, that was very good, Ronnie. That was much better than last time.

SPEAKER_2 (2:09)

I still wish we could skip this scale stuff, Mrs. Smollett. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm ready to play concertos yet, but just the same.

Kim Hunter (2:16)

Why does it bother you so much, Ronnie?

SPEAKER_2 (2:18)

Well, playing scales makes me feel like a little kid, I guess.

Kim Hunter (2:22)

Oh, that's silly. All the finest pianists had to learn their scales before they could play any composition.

SPEAKER_2 (2:29)

I guess it's my fault for starting to learn to play so late in life.

Kim Hunter (2:34)

Ronnie, 19 years old isn't very late in life.

SPEAKER_2 (2:37)

I'm 20, Mrs. Smollett.

Kim Hunter (2:40)

Are you, already? Oh, now, that doesn't tell me you've been coming here for a year.

SPEAKER_2 (2:46)

No, just about four months. But my birthday was last week. It was on Thursday.

You weren't well last Thursday.

Kim Hunter (2:56)

Oh, yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_2 (3:00)

You still don't look well.

Kim Hunter (3:03)

Listen, why don't we see how well you know the chromatics?

SPEAKER_2 (3:06)

Your cheek, it's swollen. It's still swollen.

Kim Hunter (3:08)

Does it hurt? No, no, no, it doesn't hurt at all. It was silly of me to stumble and fall that way.

SPEAKER_2 (3:15)

I know that your husband hit you, Mrs. Smollett.

Kim Hunter (3:19)

Now, that's a very silly thing to say.

SPEAKER_2 (3:22)

You can't tell me it isn't the truth. I remember the first time he did it, at least the first time I knew anything about it.

Kim Hunter (3:30)

Now, I'm going to have to put a stop to this.

SPEAKER_2 (3:31)

Yes, I wish you would. I wish you'd call the police or something the next time it happens.

Kim Hunter (3:37)

Now, listen to me, young man. You've been listening to a lot of foolish town gossips.

SPEAKER_2 (3:41)

Then tell me it isn't true.

Kim Hunter (3:42)

What I'm telling you is that it isn't any of your business. Yeah.

SPEAKER_2 (3:48)

Yeah, I guess that's right. It's none of my business.

I should never open my big mouth. I'll just keep it shut from now on.

Kim Hunter (3:56)

Oh, Ronnie.

SPEAKER_2 (3:58)

Yeah?

Kim Hunter (3:58)

All right. All right, my husband and I had a quarrel.

SPEAKER_2 (4:02)

He was drunk, wasn't he?

Kim Hunter (4:04)

George is in a very difficult occupation. The competition is very keen.

Well, the people he has to deal with aren't always very gentle.

SPEAKER_2 (4:13)

I don't know anything about the trucking business, Mrs. Smollett. I just hate the idea of anybody hurting you.

Kim Hunter (4:22)

That's all.

SPEAKER_2 (4:24)

I just can't understand why he'd do such a thing. What did you do to him?

Kim Hunter (4:29)

Well, if you must know, Ronnie, I won't allow him to have a dog.

SPEAKER_2 (4:34)

You what?

Kim Hunter (4:35)

It sounds silly, doesn't it? And you're right, it is.

It's silly on my part. But I'm absolutely terrified of dogs. And unfortunately, my husband wants one. He wants one very much.

SPEAKER_2 (4:47)

And that's why he hit you?

Kim Hunter (4:49)

Well, the argument goes back a very long way. It's almost since George and I were married, seven years ago.

Willie, it wasn't much of a problem when we lived in the city. George didn't have his trucking company then. He was just a driver. But when he got the chance to buy into a firm out here, well, we bought this house. And I guess having a house in the country made George think about dogs and things.

SPEAKER_2 (5:14)

But I just don't see what's so important about it.

Kim Hunter (5:19)

Well, some things become important in marriage.

Oh, now, just look what all this talk has done to the time. It's after 6.30. My husband's gonna be home in half an hour and I haven't even started dinner.